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I open my eyes. My gaze wanders over the drab grey ceiling as it has done thousands of times before. Don't get me wrong, I've already had it dyed three times because it was too drab for me, first it was blue, then orange, then green, but even now it's still just as grey as the day I moved into my new flat. I get up, walk to my dining table, eat my breakfast and watch TV, but there are only black and white films on. The people in these films, I like them. They laugh, they cry, they scream, but no matter how much you try to tell yourself that what you're seeing is real, you know deep down they're all actors. They pretend, they play their parts. Isn't that fascinating? And isn't it all the more fascinating that in a world as grey as ours, there are 8 billion people collectively doing this play? Most of them start to love acting and build their own role. Some drop out, they see how stupid it all is. but many are put off by the uncertainty, the lack of a script and the not knowing what comes next. I am one of those people, I live in a world, a black and white world, where I play a simple role that I don't enjoy, but my fear keeps me playing, because every time I stand on the balcony of my flat, the fear of what will happen after I step off the stage drives me almost mad. I would love to ask people "are you like me" but the laughter, even if I only imagine it, stops me. Isn't that pathetic? I live a life that I don't like, that I would like to say I don't care about, and yet I'm afraid of what people think of me. Maybe I'm not an actor after all, maybe I'm sitting alone in a theatre with 8 billion seats surrounding me and watching all the people who were sitting quietly in their seats until now storm onto the stage, all of them pining for my attention while they don't care about me or them. Isn't that pathetic? I like that idea, I'm not an actor, I'm the viewer. That idea of sitting somewhere alone watching a documentary called "My Life 3D 4K", I bought it 22 years ago for my mother's price in a hospital and on the box it says in big letters "In colour". I smile, it feels good, I still don't have the courage to leave my seat, to follow my mother, but I don't have to. As long as I can sit here alone, as long as the world lets me watch, as long as I can just have a moment where I don't have to act, even if it is only oh so short or infinitely long, as long as I have time, everything is good. Whether it's a second or until the end of time, I just want a moment to think about what happened, because this world is not funny, it's not fun, it's not fair, but it can write stories if it wants to. And those stories, as sad as they are, as long as they go, as much as you want to change them, are in colour and that's all that matters. I press play.

This is not a story for the faint of heart. Our world has never truly evolved past its primal state, no matter how technologically advanced civilization has grown. At least that's what I had always believed until a young couple from two different worlds were drawn together by one belief: That survival was not the only thing worth living for. I am Empress, and I was there all those centuries ago. I am sure you have heard about this story before: The fall of human civilization and its rebirth, their eventual return to a lost world, and the Law Unity's end. I wish I could tell you that our heroes had a great destiny, but this is not that kind of story. This isn't a legend nor a fairy tale. This is the real world. But what is the world we live in? My kingdom is Ainrann. The continent Trithanas is my castle. The volcano I was born in is my throne. In my youth, my kind ruled the skies, the land, and the sea. We were the ramaalik, and we had but one law that sealed Ainrann's fate, and that was death. During the decline of our race, only five adolescents remained including myself. A few of them wanted power over the others, and all I could do was fight for survival until my fallen brothers and sisters fell victim to their own inexperience. As the last of the ramaalik race, I could be threatened by no other. At first, there were times when I wished that there were still others like me, but with the beginning of a new dynasty, I had to find my life a new purpose. I declared myself Empress. This world was overrun by many different races and factions, but the only ones that shared this world with me were the humans, whose culture and organized societies surpassed even my own kinds, and the arkians, renowned for their success in survival and living in peace in a dangerous world. Despite them both being advanced races, neither were destined to inherit Ainrann from me. There was another group that convinced me that their reign would outlive us all-- the dinosaurs. They were mere animals, not a race, but their success came from the one law that my people declared over Ainrann. It is because of them that Ainrann is a world that follows the law of death. Three other continents resided closer to Trithanas than any other in the world, but they were barren wastelands in comparison to Trithanas. They were the continents that merely served as large gathering places for the ramaalik. That is until, in my rage, I destroyed all the human cities and drove them from Trithanas. Now they dwell in what remains of former ramaalik territory. This was the Reign of Fire. Yes, they speak the truth. I hated humans. And yes, I hate all who challenge me. But you may be asking why humans in particular? Listen to the story of how a new dynasty was born and see if you can figure it out. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

The waves crashed hard against the cliffs. The pouring rain grounded every creature caught under the downpour as the incoming storm surrounded the continent of Trithanas. On the cliff edges, hundreds of pterosaur nests were scattered around in a colony. The area was void of any adults, as they were most likely out to sea searching for food. It was a terrible time to be out hunting in weather like this, but for one human this opportunity was too good to pass up. Robin Steele was drenched in rainwater from head to toe, but his eyes were filled with the confidence of a well-experienced hunter. The young raven-haired man stumbled upon Trithanas four years ago with a party of human soldiers and was unprepared for the dangers that he encountered. Had it not been for the arkian friends that he made his fate would have been no different from theirs. The rains came rather late this year. Robin believed that the nautatomordax headed off in desperation, not realizing the storm would trap them at sea. For all he knew, the storm could have killed them all. He headed out towards the cliffs and inspected the nests. Many of the babies had already hatched, but Robin ignored all the ones with only one infant as he was only after the ones with two or more. He spotted a nest with about three infants huddled together. Nautatomordax were more mammal-like in appearance than other pterosaurs, having short snouts in place of beaks, long sickle claw toes for catching prey with, and three elongated fingers on each wing. Robin pulled out an arrow, staying low to the grass, and took aim at the runt of the litter. He released the arrow and heard a loud cry from the runt. It fell all the way down and laid motionless on the ground. Robin rushed over to his kill and pulled the arrow out. He then set a basket down and put the runt's corpse inside, the basket full of infants he had already killed earlier. Robin continued his hunt but kept an eye out for any dinosaurs that could be on his trail. This was not a safe place to be in even if he was a hunter now. As he scanned the rocky cliffs, he found one nest with two very large infants. He couldn't tell which of the two was the older one, but he didn't think it made much of a difference. Opportunism was never to be taken lightly out here. He pulled out another arrow and lined it up with the bowstring, ready to take aim at the first infant that caught his sight. He stopped however, when he made out a strange shape in the fog above him. He looked up and saw an angry mother nautatomordax skydiving right towards him. He had no choice but to make a run for it. Equipped with only a bow he was no match for her, and he also couldn't risk losing his kills in a one-on-one fight. Fortunately, the mother nautatomordax was more interested in driving him away from her own young. Robin jumped into the thick shrubs to hide from the mother. She scanned the area for a moment before returning to her nest and tending to her young just as the rest of the adults began to arrive one by one. Robin knew that he could no longer stay here. His hunt was over and now it was time for him to return home. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

-------------------------------------------- ... A priest, or perhaps a person who fears God as a superior being asks only one question in life. "What is death? And why do we fear it?" Yet a God doesn't want to show his mira cle of death. 23rd of December 1984. Livorno, Italy. The cold and heartless snow dances through the air like it's alive and breathing. For some, the snow was cold, but for me it was strangely lukewarm. The cheapish pink rabbit I held onto was my only source of light, as the sky grew ever so eerie, draining the sunlight from the infinite space above. While the moon shines through the empty void-like clouds... And the grand tree in the middle of the courtyard seemed absolutely dead. Not even a single leaf painted the ground in the usual beautiful sunset-like color, only the frost from the loathing winter in the air had set its mark on the tree. ...However, one otherworldly bright snowflake seems out of place. Like a white orb, it flies at its own pace, ignoring the other freezing light-gray orbs. With what looks like two white and beautiful, yet tiny wings. Was this... what they call a butterfly? ...I had never read about a winter butterfly in any book, shouldn't the ice in the air have killed it? I had never seen a butterfly since my entire world was burnt within this melancholic church. As I try to touch the elegant silk-looking wings of this unfamiliar creature, it ducks as fast as i blink. It was strange, in the middle of this moonlit night and as the air grows colder, it still drifts about. As I stand up, as if it is waiting for me, the butterfly flies away. Does it want me to follow it? Or maybe it's just exploring the vicinity. I don't know, but I feel like following it anyhow, was i so interested in such a small living being? The vast loafing moon above is the same color as the flying creature. Perhaps it came from all the way up there...? I begin walking, and as I do, it too moves away by a mere speck of a distance. "H-hello... Miss butterfly......" I force the words out of my tiny mouth, knowing the lunar being won't even realize I had said anything at all. These were the first words I had spoken in almost 4 months, as I had been told to stay quiet and obedient by the other priests. I walk even further toward the butterfly, without any doubt or worry... Frankly, I had never seen a being this beautiful... All my life, humans have been the same. Gray and empty, without a hint of warmth. The only living being I knew was real, was humans. And they were all creatures with black souls. I was so fixated on the snow-white orb you call a butterfly, that I had forgotten what misery was for anything but a second. Pain and joy was something that didn't exist in me, the only thing I knew was desolation. Knowing that I was a creature born and raised from sin itself... Here I am, not being obedient once more... I'd definitely get shouted at again... But I do not feel scared. I had forgotten fear, as if it drowned in a single moment of heavenly peace. I walk in the longest corridor of the main church, still letting the spirit of the butterfly grab my hand and lead me away. The flying orb illuminates the heartless white century-old walls of the church. It's like a wizard shining his bright spell along the darkness, with the wings of light carrying itself away. Its life arouses me, I want to see where it wants to go. Maybe it is a gift from God themselves? Then... it suddenly stops, in the chancel, where the silhouette of a tall man resides. The chancel had a distinctive smell to it, the smell of old, red wine and dust from the pews. The two smells shouldn't be mixed together, yet it was easily noticeable here. I stop myself from going any further when it flies towards him. "So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God saved them from their desperate circumstances. God brought them out from the dark..." The man suddenly stops reading the words of God aloud through the empty void. It's my own father. The highest ranking priest and the owner of the church, who enjoyed humans more than anything else. "So you came... my daughter..? Well, of course you did, God had already decided that of you." The book closes loudly, as the sound tries to escape the emptiness of the hall. He turns around, ignoring the book he was reading just a moment ago. The rusty and inhumane voice of his rings through the giant room. The butterfly which I had forgotten about just a moment ago, was now flying around the man. I don't feel like saying anything to him. That's wrong... I was too scared to say anything. My throat hurts... and my legs feel like roots thrusting themselves deep underground. So I stay put, ignoring the wishes to reach towards the eerie creature inside me. "...I see... You're staying quiet, then?" He frowns as he looks down on the expensive carpet covering every inch of marble. "You've perhaps noticed the strange butterfly, right? The thing that seems ever so fixated on my aura" Even though the bug flies around him, he still doesn't pay attention to it, only staring at my small figure. "My graceful daughter. Do you see this creature?" He stretches out his right arm towards me, with his palm exposed... I still focus on the beautiful hope of moonlight still lingering around him, but I want to ignore it. "This butterfly.. is a weak creature..." The butterfly, like some stage play puppet or determination of fate... flies towards his palm and slowly makes itself comfortable there, shining like a gem on his hand. My father closes his eyes, resting his entire body down... and grips his hand as hard as he possibly can. Slowly and steadily... he closes his arm, crushing the creature between his fingers of steel. It looked painful, yet I didn't feel a single fragment of sensation. The beautiful slither of the moon I wanted to touch so much, was now gray and empty, its wings crushed together like wasteful trashcan paper. It didn't feel elegant nor bewitching anymore.. So I ignored my heart, as it still wanted to explore more of the world these creatures live in. The wicked, yet holy hand of his, had broken its beauty like a steel hammer shattering a weak, miserable piece of glass. This was the first time I had... seen something get killed, a weak creature with no worries. It was killed just like that, with the hands that could hold a newborn daughter. Why did it seem so cruel... but so endearing at the same time...? "You... my daughter... you are smiling..." Was death like this? Was it so bittersweet... that you want to touch it yet again and once again and once again...and once again..? "...You're smiling, yet so cruelly... my daughter..." A wistful-like smile rose to the girl's face, yet it wasn't a sad smile, it looked disgustingly miserable... My body has moved on its own again, I don't feel anything... yet my face brings forward wonder in slight bliss. Was I really so fond of the 'death' of a weaker being... or was I in love with losing hope...? "Whatever are you pondering on? You seem awestruck." He moves towards me, every step approaches closer and closer to home. Then he stops coldly right in front of me... This man was a giant compared to my small and fragile body, but I was only born 8 years ago. "Hold out your hand." I automatically do as he says, as he slowly and gently grabs it. whilst he uninvitedly kneels before me, to seem as small as me. "Do you know what true sin is?" He asks slowly and closes his eyes, as if he wants me to think deeply about it. "True sin is being created weak as a flower... as a butterfly without color... Do you know why humans can pray to God, yet dogs and cats can't?" "..." "Because humans reigns over every creature on this earth." "Because, us humans are stronger and as a result, God gave us more love." "He made us smarter, so in the end, we could... read the words of God like any other fickle book. He wanted us to understand him, with our strengths." "But you can never understand God completely, that's why we all have a flaw within us." I stay silent, but I understand him. He's not the regular kind of priest I was used to talking to. My father was like another being from the pit of God's chosen men... Even the girl didn't know what kind of a priest this man was. He believed sin to be human's greatest strength, and he would sacrifice anything for the higher being that had created evil itself. "The creator who oversees heaven... wouldn't kill evil, because he knows all humans have evil in their lost little souls." "You're not a human, if you believe yourself to never have sinned since birth. If you want to become a great priest, like your many predecessors, you'll have to understand the flaws in human nature." "You were born in such a fragile body, but you will not give up just yet, you will destroy the weakness this world possesses, right? That's one of the reasons you were created by him. The other one you must figure out yourself, as you grow to become what he bestowed upon you." "You might even have to break something someday. Only God knows what. You shall not kill, yet you shall sin. As being a creature without sin, is blasphemy in and of itself." He kneels in front of me, while looking me in the eyes. His eyes look empty and savage, at the same time he tries to smile like a normal human being. "You must not forget... This is what your mother wanted from you. To become the closest to God himself. You are a hunter of sin, your purpose is to destroy sin by your own sin." The butterfly bled a freezing red substance, something you wouldn't expect from such a tiny being of hopelessness. As he hands it over to my tiny hand, it melts through my hand. Spilling itself as a liquid all over the floor. Is he even a human being, if he's so feared? The other priests in the church did not want the empty girl to become the next head priest, for she was sinful... . She was unlucky enough to be born from her mother's depraved death... . She was a child born in sin and raised through blood, an empty husk who never learnt what humanity truly is, she never learnt the art of coalesce... The idea of surviving together. . As she lived and bathed all her short life in loneliness, for no priest would dare touch her... . Because the father who should have cherished the girl... was a broken shell, the hollowing of a dead human... . How she thought it was normal... yet the shallow God entrusted her with the will of isolation, the undisclosed reality of death... . She didn't know that the wish of her inner self was a dream like any other, because she felt inhumane... . She's a witch, who deserves to burn. Not entirely because she's mystical, but for the reason that she's the so-called devil's child... . What is a small girl supposed to do... when God makes her a depraved being unworthy of feeling a certain warmth..? While God plays with man as he sees fit. . Is a small child still a sin, if they have no choice or willpower over their own destiny? -------------------------------------------- This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

Robin trekked through the mountain pass with the fog disappearing behind him. A blue sky started to break free from the bleak rainclouds, shedding light onto a lush green jungle before him that stretched on for miles. The jungle echoed with dinosaur calls, reminding him to keep his guard up as he made his way across the mountain. He approached a large electric fence with a steel gate and a tall watchtower. An amphicyon arkian with gray fur stood guard from the watchtower and spotted him from a distance. He loaded his arkian shotgun, referred to as a hunter, and aimed it at him. "Who goes there?!" Robin waved back at him in response. "Oh. It's you, Robin." The guard's name was Venom, one of the first friends Robin made when he arrived here. "Anything chasing after you?" "Not today, Rafael. But don't worry, I've got you to cover my back." "Robin, we've been through this already. You call me Venom, okay?" Robin chuckled in response. "Okay, okay. I just figured that since the girls weren't around..." "Yeah, we're both lucky. Anyway, gimme a minute while I open the gate for you." Venom turned towards a control panel and pressed a glowing green button. The steel gate doors slid open, and Venom gave the human a wave for clear passage once they opened all the way, allowing Robin to enter and continue his journey home. Once inside, Robin approached a settlement that dwelled near the mountain's peak with a gorgeous view of the Horizon Ocean and the beaches down below the cliff face. The familiar scent of chimney smoke and fire roasted meat began to assault his senses. Robin had finally arrived home. What was once an empty field on a sea cliff now had a flourishing village built over it. Only four buildings made up the entire village, including a cave built within the mountain's peak long before he arrived, so it was much smaller than even an average arkian village. Robin passed by a small motel and waved at one of his friends as she was sweeping the entrance to her office. Her name was Bobbie Deluca, a black hyaenodon girl with red stripes on her hair and arms. She responded back with a polite wave; her mannerisms shy in nature. "Hello Robin! I hope you had a safe journey." "Greetings Bobbie! Not a single scratch on me." "I'm glad to hear that. Anya's at the restaurant right now if you wanna give her your delivery." "Thanks for letting me know." Robin waved once more in thanks as he headed straight for the village's restaurant, which was run by another friend of his, a golden-furred deinogalerix girl named Anya Charm. He entered the restaurant and headed straight for the kitchen, setting the basket down just before he was greeted by Anya's hug. She was a social girl, so she never held herself back from making a friendly gesture. "How was your hunt?" She asked with a chipper tone. "I wasn't able to get all ten I'm afraid." Anya broke the hug off. "What happened?" "The parents all came back before I could get the last one." "Well, I'll tell you what. Nine is an odd number, so I'll keep eight of them here and you can take the other one back home. I'm sure she'll love the surprise." Robin cracked a smile and blushed a little, knowing exactly who she was referring to. "Just don't ask me to butcher these babies," Anya added. "That's what Venom is for." Robin laughed. "You know I would never make you do that. Anyway, I am dying for a nap, so I'll catch you later." Anya flashed a grin at him. "Oh... that desperate to see her, are you?" Robin blushed again in response. "What? Nah... I've gotta make sure she eats before she takes over Venom's shift for tonight." Anya kept her grin, knowing that he was totally lying. But they've known each other long enough to expect that from their conversations. Robin waved goodbye to her and headed for home, which happened to be the cave built within the mountain's peak. Waiting by the front porch for him was a beautiful, white-furred cave lioness girl with red hair. As Robin walked up to her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Robin's face turned red as his heart pounded with joy and excitement. The cave lioness looked into his eyes. "Hello, Robin." "Hello yourself, Briar." Four years after meeting the first arkian he had ever seen, the two were now happily married. In the entire history of Ainrann, no one had ever witnessed a human taking an arkian as his wife. The long history between the two races had made it impossible for such a thing to happen. And yet, the two had proven time and again that not only was it possible, but that it could work out like any other relationship. *** The young couple curled up together on the couch after sharing a nice baby nautatomordax meal later that evening. While all arkians were omnivorous, dietary needs varied between different species. Some required more meat, while others required more fruits and vegetables. Arkians that leaned more towards a carnivorous diet like Briar could eat meat raw or cooked, although they do prefer the latter. Robin checked the clock on the wall and tried to get up, but Briar snuggled into his neck to prevent him from doing so. "Briar... you're gonna have to take over Venom's shift soon." Briar purred in his ear; the gentle vibrations hummed like a soothing lullaby. "Well then... come with me. Venom should be taking night duty; he doesn't have anybody to come home to." "Careful. You might hurt his feelings." Briar giggled as she nibbled on her husband's ear. Her sharp teeth didn't bother Robin at all, and he even gently gave her a kiss on the base of her neck, making her let out a faint moan. Her soft fur got into Robin's mouth a little bit, but he was used to it by now. Briar let go of his ear and whispered into it. "So, I take it your answer is yes then?" "You know that someone might see me, right?" "Not if you wear that outfit I got for you. Besides, you've been hunting outside the village on your own for this long. I should know since I'm the one who taught you how you survive out here." "True, but I've been trained in combat long before I met you." Briar looked at him with a seductive grin. "You have just sealed your doom, boy." "What do you mean?" Robin started growing very concerned as Briar trapped him in her arms and rolled on top of him, purring loudly as she did. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

The night carried on as Robin and Briar stood guard together on the watchtower. Briar had a blanket wrapped around them both to shield them from the cold breeze that night, despite Robin wearing a balaclava mask over his head that only exposed his eyes. He's snug as a bug, Briar thought to herself. She looked out towards the horizon, listening to the ocean waves crashing in the distance. Her mind trailed off to thoughts about what the world beyond that ocean was like. She had never seen anything outside of her home, but the stories Robin had shared with her, plus the events involved with outsiders, gave her a pretty good idea. Regardless of whatever the rest of the world was like, Robin's life there wasn't any different from hers before they met. She had no memory of her mother or her father, and her life in the last village she lived in also faded from memory after that terrible incident; the day when she killed a man to protect his son. She was forced to flee her home with her brother, and not long after did he meet his fate after an encounter with a death titan. All she remembered was that she was reserved and serious, willing to make a friend but quick to attack anyone that crossed a line that she drew around herself. She couldn't remember what made her like that to begin with, but she made very few friends because of it. Sadly, whatever friends she did manage to make were also forgotten. When she found the cave, it belonged to someone else at the time. She repeatedly knocked on the door but received no answer. Believing that the owners were away, she waited outside for a couple of days, hoping that they would return home. But nobody ever came back. Hunger and the cold air eventually drove her to break into the cave. From what she discovered, it belonged to an elderly couple who had left to visit their family in a village to the west. As weeks passed, it became clear to Briar that whoever lived here was never coming back. But ever since meeting Robin she made new friends, fell in love for the first time, and found her chance to start her life over with a clean slate. She felt like a much better person now than she was all those years ago; in fact, she didn't even seem to recognize that girl anymore. This was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. Noticing that Robin's hands were cold, she grabbed them and pressed them against her chest for warmth. She couldn't help but blush from feeling his hands in that area, but it felt good, so she had no complaints. If only Robin was awake to do it himself, she thought to herself. She suddenly felt the scars on one of his wrists and closed her eyes with guilt. She hesitantly looked at the scarred wrist, the sight of it disturbed her knowing very well that she was the one who gave them to him. She began to lick his wrist, hoping that it would make her feel better. Unfortunately, though, it didn't. "Go away." She licked his wrist again, this time with more affection and love. But these scars would not stop bothering her. "Go away." Her licking became more serious as she refused to accept that these scars were permanent. She growled to herself as they brought back memories of her hurting the man she loved. "Go away!" Briar's shouting woke Robin up. She stared at him in alarm, feeling a little awkward and embarrassed. Robin stood up straight to meet her eyes, knowing that something was bothering her. "What's the matter?" Briar looked away, pretending nothing had happened. Robin could see through her act though, so he lifted his mask and turned her head to meet his eyes. Briar didn't want to mention his hand, so she came up with a new subject on the spot as she rested her head against him. "Do you still think about them?" "The Three Kingdoms? No. Well yes, but not often." "Do you miss that life? Being among your own kind?" Robin thought to himself about it for a moment before shaking his head. "No. That world doesn't matter to me anymore. I built my life here with you, I wouldn't trade that for anything." "But they're your people." "No. You guys are my people." "We're all a family, yes, but you'll always be human." "I know that. But I know exactly what fate had in store for me when I chose to be with you." Touched by his words, Briar hugged Robin and refused to let him go. "As long as you're happy, Robin, then that's all that matters to me. I for one am forever grateful that you came into my life." Robin hugged her back, making her lose herself to the comfort of his embrace. "So am I, Briar." They both heard a noise outside the wall and looked out into the jungle, Robin pulling his mask down. They kept their eyes peeled as the night carried on in silence. To their surprise, a figure was heading straight towards the village. It seemed to be out of breath and eventually passed out in front of the gate. Briar opened the steel doors and climbed down the tower with Robin right behind her. As they both headed towards the strange guest, Briar motioned to Robin to wait while she approached the figure with caution. She got on one knee and held the figure in her arms. A female deer arkian was unconscious and in serious need of medical attention. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

A tan-furred stag-moose girl slowly woke up in a room she didn't recognize. She sat up straight and looked around to get a better sense of her surroundings, making sure the area was safe. Her long orange hair swayed against the rays of the morning sun while revealing a pair of antlers on her head that were small enough to resemble horns. It looked she was just in a regular motel room, but she couldn't recall checking into one last night. But then again, she couldn't remember anything that happened last night. She got off the bed and headed towards the window. She had a clear view of the ocean and looked on with awe as the light of the morning sun casted sparkles on the waves. She had never seen the ocean before but she found it to be a very beautiful sight. She then heard the door to her room open and quickly turned around to confront them in self-defense. Venom raised his hands to show the deer girl that he meant no harm. The only thing he was holding was injury tape and a white towel. Seeing him without a weapon, the deer girl lowered her guard in relief. "Sorry, you scared me." "My apologies, I should have knocked. How are you feeling?" "I'm fine, I guess. Where am I?" "You're in a village called Horizon's Coast." "Horizon's Coast? I've never heard of it before." "Yeah, we're pretty small. Like it's literally just me and my friends." The girl took a closer look at Venom. "You're an amphicyon, aren't you?" "Um, yeah. I know we've had feuds with stag-moose in the past, so if you're uncomfortable with me being here--" "Oh no! Please, what you are doesn't bother me at all." "Really? Well thanks, I appreciate that. My name is Ve... my name is Rafael." The girl smiled, feeling that he was someone she could trust. "I'm Amaranth." They heard the door open again, and this time Briar stepped in to join them. "How's our guest doing?" Amaranth turned towards her. "Much better, thank you very much." Something about Briar confused her for a second, but she wasn't sure what it was. Cave lions were not very common in the northern jungles, so she wasn't expecting to see one up here. But as Amaranth inspected Briar a bit more closely... "Forgive me, but you look familiar. Have we met before?" "I was the one who found you last night." Briar said before offering to shake Amaranth's hand. "My name is Briar Steele." "Oh, that's right. I remember now." Amaranth said after shaking Briar's hand with gratitude. "Amaranth Burnet. Thank you all for the help." "Oh, we're just glad to see that you're alright." Briar said. "If you need me for anything, I live in the cave just outside. You can stay for as long as you need." "Thank you, Briar. I'm glad to hear that." *** After Briar headed back home, she headed straight for her bedroom and found Robin passed out on the bed. Briar gently sat on the edge of the mattress and smiled as she watched him sleep. She wanted to inform him of the situation regarding their new guest, but he was just too cute the way he was. Robin opened his sleepy eyes and looked up at Briar. "Oh!" Briar exclaimed. "Sorry Robin, I didn't mean to wake you." Robin smiled up at her. "As long as it's to the sight of your beautiful face, I don't mind at all." Briar blushed at the remark. He was so sweet. "How is the visitor doing?" Robin asked. "She's doing fine, although she may have to stay for a little while. Which means..." "I know the drill." Whenever other arkians or caravans passed by their villages to sell goods or to stay overnight at Bobbie's motel, Robin always had to hide inside their home and wait until they had moved on. Briar frowned as she grabbed Robin's hand. "I know how much you hate doing this." Robin chuckled in response. "No need to worry about it. I'll just sleep for the whole day." "We've had a pretty long night. Get some sleep, okay?" "Sounds good to me. What are you going to do today?" "Hmm... I think I might need to fix my hair up a bit. Sweet dreams, my love." Briar gave Robin a kiss on the cheek and headed into the bathroom to fix her hair. Robin closed his eyes and happily sank back into the comfort of his bed. The front door knocked, but he didn't see Briar going over to answer it. Maybe she didn't hear it. "It must be Anya." Robin sad after he hesitantly forced himself up and headed towards the front door. He answered it, not really looking at her face. "Sorry Anya, I'll go get your tenth infant after--" But Robin saw that it was not Anya at all. Amaranth stood in front of him, her eyes widening with shock. "You're... you're a human!!" Robin remained speechless as he stared back at her. "Uh... hello?" Briar came rushing towards his side and faced Amaranth. "It's okay. He won't hurt you, he's... he's our friend." Amaranth glanced at Briar in disbelief. "But... wait, are you two living together? Have you... have you actually taken a human as your mate?" "Yes. Yes, I did." Briar responded. "Now please, you cannot tell anyone about him." Amaranth looked away in thought. "So, all the stories are true... there really is a human living among us." Robin and Briar fell dead silent at their guest's words. *** After gathering her senses, Amaranth was convinced to share her story. Everyone circled around her in the motel lobby, listening closely to what she had to share. "I lived in a village down in the south. One night, we were attacked by another village from out of nowhere. Those who survived were able to evacuate before our home was destroyed, but eventually they tracked us down and made us prisoners. I managed to escape from them, but they've been pursuing me north for a few days now." "So is that why we found you passed out last night?" Briar asked. Amaranth shrugged. "I don't really remember a lot from last night... but if you found me that way then yes." "Can I ask you a question?" Robin asked. "Yes, of course." Amaranth said. "You said that there were stories about me?" "Yeah. Stories about a human living in Trithanas have been going around for the past four years I think, and almost every arkian has heard of them by now. Don't worry though, not everyone believes them. A lot of it just seemed like fun gossip, but many are convinced otherwise." "How did those stories spring up in the first place?" Robin asked. "Well... sometime after Empress' reawakening, a ton of human corpses were said to have been found in the northern jungles and the Kimmeran desert, confirming the possibility that there were still humans out there. Those stories got even worse when some even claimed that they had actually seen you in person." Robin suddenly recalled the arkians that he rescued Anya from when they first met but decided against bringing that up. "Last question. What do you know about the village that attacked yours?" Amaranth thought for a moment. "Not much I'm afraid. They attacked us so quickly; it wasn't like we had a proper introduction. But I do know that they took the rest of my village to a place called Ramarak Prison." *** The final rays of the setting sun looked down on Trithanas. Amaranth looked out her motel room window and had a good view of the sunset, but her mind was still fixed on the events from the day. Here she was, stuck in a strange village far away from home with a human living as one of them. How did they find him? Where did he even come from? As the cover of night fell, she snuck out of her motel room and quietly headed for the lobby. The front entrance was left unlocked which she was grateful for. She snuck out and quietly made her way through the village, heading directly for the gate. Seeing nobody around, she inspected the electric fence to see if there were any overhanging trees that she could use to climb out with. "I don't think you're where you should be." Amaranth shot her eyes up at the watchtower and saw Venom looking down on her. "Rafael, my enemies are searching for me, and I can't stay here and lead them to you guys as well." "Okay, fair enough." Venom opened the gate for her, much to her confusion. "I won't get in your way. You don't need to know about the other dangers out there." Amaranth raised an eyebrow at him. "What about the other dangers out there?" "Oh, you know, just the usual. Flesh-eating dinosaurs, giant insects, that sort of thing. And not to mention that you're just running toward the guys that you're trying to get away from in the first place." Amaranth groaned in annoyance. "Okay, I get it, I get your point. I'll head back to the motel." As Amaranth turned to leave, Venom closed the gate and quickly climbed down the watchtower, catching up to her as fast as he could. "Hey wait." He said. "I'm not the best at giving helping advice, but uh, I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, none of us do." Amaranth stopped in her tracks. "No, I... I'm glad that you're looking out for me. I appreciate the hospitality you've all given me. If you'd like to walk me back to the motel, I would appreciate it." "Briar should be taking my shift now anyway, so I would be glad to." He offered his arm to her. Amaranth appeared confused by his gesture, so he backed down. "Um yeah, never mind." "No, no. I was just surprised is all but thank you Rafael. You're very sweet." She accepted Venom's arm and allowed him to escort her back to the motel. Venom wasn't really sure why he was being more open to her, but something about her felt like a breath of fresh air from his friends. Not that he was growing tired of them, but he had never settled in one place before, let alone for four years. He found this change of pace strange but not unwelcome at all. Little did he realize that he and Amaranth were being watched from a distance. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

Briar entered the living room and handed Robin a warm drink as they both huddled together on the couch. They sat silently, thinking about the information that Amaranth revealed to them earlier that day. Briar took a sip from her cup before she faced her husband. "Do you believe her?" Robin nodded his head. "I do. What about you?" Briar also nodded her head. "I do as well." "To be honest with you though, I still have a lot of questions." "What kind of questions?" "How long has Amaranth been out here for, and how close behind are her enemies? She doesn't seem like a girl who would hurt someone intentionally, but if she did escape, then her enemies should be searching the area for her. Venom said he'd let us know if he spots something suspicious, at least until it's your turn to take his shift." Briar took a sip from her cup and thought for a moment. "We should help rescue her village." "I agree. But... that would also require revealing my existence." "I am aware of that as well. But Robin, I don't want you to live the rest of your life with just the four of us." "But that's what I want, Briar. There's nothing for me out there, I don't need anything more than you guys." "That's not true. I worry about you, living your entire life hiding from the world. Besides, wasn't it you who befriended the others all on your own?" Robin smiled at his wife. She knew him too well at this point. "This could help us put those stories to rest. They'll finally see what a great person you really are, and they'll finally accept you as one of their own. It's the right thing to do and you've stayed hidden for far too long." Robin knew that Briar had a point. After spending the last four years living with nobody but his new family, he was willing to take the leap. He pulled his wife in for a hug, making her purr in joy. "You're right." "Hehe. I know I am." A figure dashed past their living room window outside. Alarmed, Robin got off the couch and headed straight for their weapons closet. Briar got up, also noticing that something was wrong. "What is it?" Robin pulled out an Uzi SMG that he received when he first came to these shores. He had plenty of magazines meant for arkian SMGs, but the bullets worked just fine for his gun. He also pulled out his katana-- the same katana that once belonged to Briar's brother but had been passed down to him by her. "We have an intruder." *** The young couple headed outside together. Briar stayed close by Robin's side equipped with her bow and tomahawks, scanning the silent village just as he did. They heard a faint puddle splash caused by a footstep. Robin heard the direction that it came from and headed straight for the source. He found the puddle and saw a footprint left behind. As he took a closer look, he saw that this was no dinosaur footprint, but rather that of an arkian. The direction of the footprint was pointing straight towards the motel. The motel! He ran as fast as he could, hoping to get there before the intruder did. When he arrived, he was slightly relieved to see that nobody else was around. He heard a bowstring stretching and sighed in relief, glad that Briar had caught up with him. Until he realized that there was movement right above Amaranth's window. Upon closer inspection, he spotted the figure standing on the motel roof, aiming an arrow directly at Robin. He was a black-furred smilodon arkian with white hair. These arkians were more commonly referred to as sabers due to their long saber-like teeth. His cold yellow eyes glowed brightly in the dark; they were the eyes of a killer. He released the arrow, letting it fly right towards Robin, who blocked it with his katana just in time. The saber ran towards the edge of the roof and jumped down to the ground. He pulled out a thick black sword and charged at Robin. As the saber got in close range Robin sung his katana at him and the two were engaged in a sword fight. As they traded blows, he could feel the saber's raw strength with every swing, every blow feeling like bricks crashing down on his katana. He was also well trained in a fighting style that Robin was not familiar with. This style specialized in powerful blows and quick blocking. Every time Robin took a swing, the saber used his sword like a shield to block him with ridiculous speed. The saber stopped when he heard a tomahawk flying towards him. He rolled out of the way just as the tomahawk hit a tree trunk. Briar arrived on the scene, shielding her husband from the intruder. "You touch him, and I'll rip you apart." The saber ignored her threat, putting his sword away and pulled out his bow-- but was interrupted by the warning shot of Venom's hunter. The others joined the commotion as well, arkian magnums in hand. This was not good for the saber as he soon realized that the odds were against him. He put his bow away and climbed up the tree, jumped on the motel rooftop and made his way to the other side of the electric fence. After the mysterious saber had left, everyone in the village rushed towards Robin's side with concern. "Are you hurt?" Anya asked as she inspected him. Robin shook his head, his mind still fixed on the fight he was in a moment ago. Amaranth headed outside, confused by the large gathering. "What's going on?" Robin turned towards her, and then back to the direction that the saber disappeared in. "Sabers. Is that who's after you?" "Um... yes that's right." "Why didn't you mention that earlier?" "I didn't think it made much of a difference what species they were." "Well, they are a warrior race, Amaranth." Venom said. "He'll tell his friends where we are and then they'll come back for you." "But what should we do?" Bobbie asked. "We can't defend our village against an entire army with just the five of us." "We've fought armies before." Anya pointed out. "This wouldn't be any different." "Yeah, but most of them were wiped out by Empress, and even then, she wasn't trying to help us out." They all noticed Briar still staring in the direction the saber disappeared in. She held the arrow that the saber failed to strike Robin down with in her hands. The tip was covered in a poisonous substance that sabers specifically used in their assassination attempts. She silently growled at the thought of the saber that dared to attack her husband, snapping the arrow in her hands. She then turned towards the team with determination in her eyes. "Then we'll take the fight to them." This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

Deep within the barren landscapes of the island nation of Chalbi off the coast of Janjira, a large humanoid figure walked to the top of a canyon wall, waiting impatiently as sand blew against the scarf covering his mouth. He then spotted something in the distance, so he pulled out a pair of binoculars and zoomed in on the approaching figures. A group of military cargo trucks and Humvees were all heading his way. He grinned in delight. The janjiran mercenaries he had hired had arrived with his prize. The vehicles all came to a halt as soon as the drivers spotted their client coming down the mountain to meet them. Once all the doors swung open, mercenaries poured out of the vehicles one by one and stepped outside into the rocky badlands to secure the area around them. The client approached one of the mercenaries. "Well? Did you get it?" He impatiently asked him. The mercenary gave a single nod. "Follow me, sir." The client was led towards a shipping truck and two mercenaries opened the back doors to allow the troll access to the prize waiting inside. The client climbed inside without hesitation and there it was... a heavily protected crate. Another mercenary unlocked it for him and the little contraptions on the crate started to open one by one. The client walked towards the crate in awe and carefully opened the lid, revealing a pair of gold bracelets that illuminated the inside of the truck. The client looked down on it, blown away by the amazing aura it gave off. "The bracelets of Paramore, the most powerful demon lord to have ever lived. With these, I can never be turned into an orb." The mercenaries suddenly aimed their guns at the troll, making him turn around, not really surprised by the betrayal but still feeling taken back by their threats. "I bet you were planning to kill us all when we gave you the orb, huh?" One of them asked. The client chuckled as he turned around and revealed his face to them. The mercenaries went pale immediately as the light illuminated the client's face. He was no janjiran... he was an ogre. A large monstrous ogre. "No, no, no, of course not. I was only planning on killing you if you betrayed me first." Before anyone could respond, half of the mercenaries removed their cloaks and aimed their AK-47s at their former comrades. On their outfits were the insignia of devil worshippers, or better known as cultists. "Drop your weapons! Now!" The other mercenaries, unable to process the betrayal of their comrades fast enough, did as they were ordered to. "On the ground!" They fell to their knees, being held at gunpoint by the cultists. The ogre grinned as he looked on with pride. He slipped on the bracelets and immediately began to feel a surge of power flowing through him. He looked down at the human as he whimpered in fear. "What the hell are you?" One of the mercenaries asked with a whimper. The ogre chuckled and shook his head. "I have a feeling that you'll find out when you get there." Gunfire immediately echoed throughout the badlands, blood splattering the side of the vehicles. *** The caravan of military vehicles drove through the badlands on the dirt road creating a wall of dust behind them. The ogre laughed as he inspected the bracelets on his hands. He had been searching a long time for anything that once belonged to his civilization during a time when ogre once roamed Ainrann freely before they and other creatures of darkness were banished to the netherworld. Suddenly the vehicles came to a halt, catching the ogre off guard. He looked out the windows to see that every single one had stopped in their tracks. "What the hell is going on here, guys? Why did you—" He went quiet as he spotted a hooded figure in the middle of the road, slowly approaching them. Their face and body were concealed by a light tan robe that blew in the wind, making them appear like a ghost or a reaper. One of the cultists honked at the figure, but they continued walking towards them as if nothing had happened. He honked again but once again there was no reaction from the figure. Finally growing impatient, the cultist started the Humvee back up. "What are you doing, man?" His squad mate asked. "Don't worry. He doesn't want to die, so he'll move." He pressed his foot down on the peddle and drove the Humvee towards the figure, who stopped in their tracks and waited patiently for the Humvee to get closer. The Humvee got closer and closer to the figure, and not a minute later did they find themselves spinning out of control. Only after the spinning stopped was it revealed to the other cultists that the front of the Humvee had been heavily bent, and the figure stood in the same spot before but without so much as a single scratch on them. The cultists hopped out of the damaged Humvee and surrounded the figure, raising their AK-47s at the stranger. "Don't move!" The figure smiled at the cultist giving them orders and spat in his face, making him back up in disgust. "Fire!" The cultists opened fire on the figure. But the figure remined unaffected by their attacks as if nothing was happening at all. The cultists quickly caught on and ceased fire without needing to be given any orders. The figure decided to play fair and removed the hood concealing their face. All the cultists looked on in confusion at the figure's assuming appearance. It was a janjiran, a goat girl. Mina Ammit. She gently waved at the cultist. "Hello." The cultist approached her cautiously. "Since you clearly have a death wi—" Mina grabbed the cultist's AK-47 and pushed him so hard that he crashed into the front of the truck. The other cultist opened fire on Mina in retaliation, but she opened fire on them one at the time. The cultists were too slow to counter her attacks even as they fired back at her. It wasn't long before all the cultists had dropped dead from the attack. Mina adjusted her fedora and turned towards the largest truck. "I believe you have something that I want. What you saw me do hardly qualifies as child's play, so come on. Let's not make this worse for you. Hand over the Book of the Dead." The cultist driving the vehicle that the ogre was in stared at Mina in confusion. "What is she talking about?" "Who cares?" The ogre responded. "Get a distraction made so that we can get out of here now." The cultist nodded and turned on his commlink. "Go on boys. Give her all you got." The cultists in the Humvees rolled down their windows and opened fire on Mina, creating a blast of dust clouds around her. Their attacks had no effect on her, but they persisted, nonetheless. Mina stepped out of the dust clouds with an unamused glare. "I warned you all. I warned you." Her eyes turned light black, and her usual purple irises turned tan and snakelike. She ripped her robe off and pulled out her dual blasters, opening fire on each of the Humvees and blowing them up with every direct hit. One of the cultists pulled out an RPG and fired a missile at her. It landed a direct hit and sent her flying backwards. However, she landed gracefully on her feet and aimed both of her dual blasters at the cultist's Humvee, blowing it up instantly. One of the cargo trucks revved up its engines and drove directly towards Mina. She turned towards the charging truck and put her dual blasters away. Her glare slowly faded into an unamused look as the truck got closer. She clenched both of her fists together as it got within range. "Take a hint already!" She slammed one of her fists into the front of the truck, sending it flying overhead with shards of debris showering down on her. It landed perfectly on its wheels; the driver inside was unfortunately already dead. "Go, go, go!" The ogre barked at the driver. Suddenly the car tipped over as if a tire had been blown out. The driver rolled the window down and looked outside to see that the tire had been ripped out of the car entirely. The driver was then greeted by a small black robot called a mekana that floated towards him. It was Mina's companion, YMK-755, but she was better known as Kimmy. "Going somewhere? I think not!" She knocked the driver out and pull him out through the car window before throwing him aside. The ogre-- having no other choice, jumped out of the car and landed right in front of Mina. His breathing grew heavy from a growing rage building up inside of him. "Stay out of this, demon! I have no business with you!" Mina grinned in response. "You do now. There's a bounty for you, and I'm here to collect it." "Oh, so you're hell's cutest bounty hunter for hire. Hit me with your best shot, you'll never turn me into a—" Mina fired her blaster at the ogre's face, sending him flying twenty feet through the air. She charged towards the ogre right as he got back on his feet. He clenched his fist and threw his punch as Mina threw hers. The two trades blows and punches until Mina quickly drew back to rethink her strategy. She fired her blasters at the ogre repeatedly but the next thing she knew charged towards her and sent her flying with a single punch. The ogre slammed his fists together with a cocky grin, giving Mina the realization that the bracelets he wore were the key to defeating him. She charged again and waited until the ogre threw another punch before she quickly turned to the side and removed the bracelet from his wrist. The ogre looked on as Mina slid across the ground and faced him, slipping the bracelet on herself. The ogre grunted dismissively. "It doesn't matter. All I need is one." "Come on!" Mina shouted. "Are you gonna let yourself get one upped by a girl? Come and get me!" The ogre roared and charged towards Mina, who buried her foot into the ground in anticipation. The ogre swung a punch into Mina's face, but she remained unmoved by the impact. She then grabbed the ogre's arm and removed the other bracelet from his wrist, slipping it onto hers. The ogre backed up in fear, feeling a sense of mortality he had not felt in centuries. "Hey—they there, pretty girl. You know, maybe we could team up. I could be your partner. No, no, please put that blaster down—" Mina finished him off with a shot from her blaster and turned him into an orb. Another job well done, Mina thought to herself. "That was a lot of fun." A voice said telepathically with a slight chuckle. It was the subconsciousness of her past self, Ammit. "Wouldn't mind trying it again at all." "Quiet you." Mina telepathically snapped back at her. "Don't expect me to use that power every time it seems convenient to do so." "I don't expect anything from you, considering that I already know your fate once I get my body back." "The only person who's ever gonna be in control of this body is me, you got that?" "For now." Mina sighed to herself. It's been four years after her death, and with every passing day she slowly began to feel the influence of her past self taking a hold of her mind. Keeping Ammit in check was not a difficult task though, but it was only a matter of time before she took back control from Mina entirely. Kimmy headed towards the back of the truck and swung the doors open before floating inside. She spotted the crate secured in the back, so she floated towards it and raised the lid, only to see nothing inside. Mina stepped inside and sat down, leaning against the wall as she reverted to her normal form. As the transition reached its end, she groaned in pain and gripped her head as if she was being overwhelmed by a headache. Kimmy floated towards her and clapped her hands with pride. "Hey, you didn't let Ammit possess you this time. You're getting better. She didn't, right? You're still you?" "Is the book inside that crate?" Mina asked, panting in exhaustion. Kimmy scratched the back of her head. "Yeah... uh, about that. Well, long story short, it turns out that they weren't carrying the book after all." Mina groaned to herself and sank to her knees before collapsing onto the ground face first. "I was really hoping that we'd get lucky this time." "Hey, the McGuffin that we're looking for isn't here, but at least we stopped him from using a McGuffin." "True. Maybe we can make some souls off these." "Don't you wanna keep them, though? "No. I don't really care about them. And once I get my life back, I wouldn't need them anyway." "I'll take them." "Kimmy, this only works on souls." Kimmy landed on her fedora. "What a mean thing to say, Mina. Well, not gonna lie, this trip was a waste. So, what do we do now?" Mina rose to her feet. "Let's head back to Akatorjira. At least we can collect our bounty." This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

It's a busy morning in the Magnolia Embassy in the Irisian capital of Eleutheriapoli. A bald, fat man with a big, walrus mustache by the name of Adojan, in his late 50s or early 60s, enters the conference room. He is the new official Magnolia ambassador to Irisia. The first one in years previously, there had been none. The Irisian representative is a woman in her early 40s. Her name is Thetis, and she has a proud yet elegant figure. She conducts herself with pride. Never show weakness. And usually not showing arrogance either, but when it comes to handling Magnolians, even her patience gets tested. They speak Lyrian, the lingua franca of the region. Both are notable nationalists in their countries, so this is going to be a fierce conversation. The room they are in is an apparently average room, but the distinct atmosphere it gives offsets it apart. It's a serious atmosphere, and monumental decisions were taken here. In a prominent position are the flags of Irisia and Magnolia, there to symbolize the contact which is about to happen. The Magnolian flag has a golden background with a black shield. Over it is the white flower for which the kingdom is named on the left side, and its national animal, the eagle, is displayed proudly on the right. A symbol of strength in Magnolian culture. The Irisian flag has a blue background, a white shield, the blue flower for which the kingdom is named on the left side, and the national animal, the owl, on the right, the favorite pet of the founder of the country and a symbol of wisdom in Irisian culture. Adojan suddenly speaks up: "Where is the Irisian representative?" Thetis, knowing where this is going, sighs and explains, "I am very tired of this question, to be frank, but I shall answer it, regardless. I am. For an ambassador, you're very uninformed. I will forgive this since you're new, but even so, an ambassador should know the basics of the country they are representing. Then again, Magnolia was never known for its diplomacy. This is a matriarchy. Do not underestimate me for my gender. I am among the highest-ranked representatives of the Republic. Do not ask to talk to a man. There are hardly any as competent as me, and be thankful I did not kick you out of the conference room already." Adojan shows her a sly smile. "Oh, I know of that, but this is rightfully Magnolian territory, so I expect to be treated like I am at home in our capital of Lakedaimon, named by the Magnolian-Irisian king Almos Themistocles who founded our land! And through his legacy, we claim all of Irisia!" Thetis gets even angrier. "We were one, but that was a long time ago. And though we also admire that king, the monarchy immediately after his death became dominated by Magnolians, and we suffered much during it. And our great founder, a peasant woman who led the uprising that granted us our independence, renamed herself Eleutheria, meaning freedom in Irisian, for whom our capital is named. Who also became our first presidentThe capital had another name at the time, but it was renamed after her death in her honor. By her grace, we are free, and her legacy is far more important to us than that of Almos Themistocles. Regardless, let's get to the point. It's been a long time since the Magnolian government requested a direct conference, and though the embassy remained, it was basically only symbolic. We had concluded you desired no contact with us. What do we owe the pleasure of?" Adojan gets serious. "It's simple. What do you intend to do about the crisis in Lyria? Do you support the rebels?" Thetis starts averting her eyes. "About the crisis in Lyria, we have nothing to say. We are sympathetic to our brothers and sisters in faith, but it is not our business." Adojan sees right through her and decides to be straightforward. "Lyria is all but already in civil war, and you can pretend all you want is that you have no interests there or that Irisian mercenaries aren't already involved, and I hear talks of the Irisian Army itself mobilizing. We all want our lands back in Lyria. We all lost them to them in previous wars. But if you go by yourself without coordinating with Magnolia, and even more so if you attempt to take previously Magnolian land, it would be a reason for war." Thetis is not intimidated. "Well, they do say Magnolians tend to be straightforward. Even if there are talks, which I am not saying they are, it is not Magnolian business. If we choose to intervene in Lyria, it will be our decision alone. Magnolia is not to be involved in it." Adojan starts getting angry. "It is not a matter of us involving ourselves in your decision. It is a simple matter of us warning you that if you annex any previous Magnolian lands or even any lands with an ethnic Magnolian majority, it will mean war." Thetis is still not intimidated. "You keep mentioning war. Perhaps that is what you want? You came here to threaten us with war unprompted. I hope you realize this is very aggressive behavior for a diplomat." Adojan feels like flipping the table. "We are a warrior nation!" Of course, that is what we want! Especially against our greatest enemy! Only our honor prevents us from declaring at this exact moment! And if you subjugate some of our people, that is more than a good enough excuse! AND FURTHERMORE..." Suddenly, someone slams the door. It's a woman, a 28-year-old in military uniform, with lots of medals, tall, with short and wavy light brown hair, a slim, athletic figure, and unique gray eyes. She is a beautiful woman, but with an air of simplicity and humility. She speaks. "Well, this is a fine mess." Both are shocked at this person's rudeness to interrupt such an important meeting. Adojan speaks first. "What insolence! This is an important diplomatic meeting! Who is this ill-mannered brute...?" Thetis stops him and says, "That is General Zenovia. She is only below our president in the military hierarchy, not to mention having reached the generalship at an unprecedentedly young age. So I suggest you mind your language." Zenovia smiles "Oh, yes. Thank you for making that clear for him. And as a general, I would like to remind him that what happens to diplomats left in an enemy capital during a war is almost never good. He is looking at a few years in jail if he is lucky. So if you intend to start a war, I recommend you do it through a letter in the comfort of your home." Adojan gets scared for his life. He did know diplomats in warring nations don't get treated well, but as a republic, Irisia at least liked to pretend that wasn't the case there. And he had fallen for that. He did not expect to be actively threatened personally like that. "Well, be that as it may, I'm taking my leave. Have a good day or not. That's not my concern." Adojan leaves, and Thetis looks toward Zenovia. "What the hell was that?" Zenovia answers "I just saved your ass and prevented an international incident. That is what it was." Thetis protests "I had this perfectly under control." Zenovia sighs. "He was halfway through declaring war by the time I barged in, and it would have been your fault. Magnolians talk a big game of dying for their country, and that is true of the soldiers and the royal family, but the aristocrats like to profit off war, gaining titles and glory while never putting themselves at risk. I just needed to show him that there is always a risk." Thetis admits defeat. "Ok, you're right. Thank you. Go home. Your shift is over." Zenovia smiles "You're welcome. See you!" Zenovia goes back home via carriage. She sees her capital, her home, as 1 million strong. The second-biggest city and greatest port city in all of Saelia. It straddles two continents: Aisa and Saelia. While the city center is on the Aisa side, the ferry can reach the other half. It's a beautiful city, and every aspect of it reflects its nickname as the city of freedom. The national colors of blue and white are prominent. People protest on the street about some political matter or other. Free love is widely practiced, and people kiss on the street—a very big taboo in most other nations. Giving the city her second nickname, the city of love. The architecture is Saelian revival, similar to the Greco-Roman revival, with domes and columns. Eleutheriapoli is also famous for its excellent seafood from two different seas. The White Sea, which the city controls access to, and the Yellow Sea. They named the former for its cold shores and the latter for its sandy shores. It is also the holiest city for Imerianists besides Lakedaimon, with many pilgrimage sites relating to the life of Aquilina. It is also the greatest pilgrimage site for Aquilinians, as Lakedaimon is closed off to them. When she arrives, she gets a warm welcome. Right at the door is a beautiful woman with long, dark brown, straight hair, roughly the same age as her, and a warm look in her deep black eyes, as if she irradiated kindness and warmth. It is. Zenovia's wife, Theodora, and their adopted daughter Amynda, a bright 8-year-old child with the same eyes as her adopted mother, remember the moment she saw those incredibly rare eyes on the child in the orphanage? That, combined with the fact that the child has an incredibly bright mind, made it so natural that she would become her child. They both hug Zenovia tightly, and Theodora kisses her passionately. Zenovia answers: "Well, someone missed me." Theodora answers: "Of course we did, my love! Welcome home! Amynda runs up to her and asks, "Mommy! Mommy! Did you get the book I wanted?" Zenovia smiles "Of course I did. I must say, you study almost too much. Not that I am complaining, haha." They go into the house. It's a mix of a homely and an imposing vibe, the latter being represented by the chessboards and military equipment spread all around, safely tucked away of course, only as decoration: muskets, pistols, bayonets, as well as numerous medals. Two diplomas from Irisia's most prestigious military academy bear Zenovia and Theodora's names. As for the homely vibe, it's the toys spread around it, the smell of pie, and the family paintings—not formal like some you would imagine, but a smiling family, the mothers holding the child lovingly in their arms. As well as the many books, both fantasy and children's books, as well as many academic texts. It's sometimes hard to tell which of these are read by the mothers and which are read by the children. They settle in, and hours pass. Amynda is sleeping. The couple is in bed, in a tight embrace. Their room is surprisingly feminine for two military officers—makeup on the table, cute, pink decorations—perhaps their way of feeling feminine even while dealing with the everyday life of a military officer. After several long moments of marital bliss, Zenovia asks, "How is Amynda?" Theodora smiles and answers "She is doing great, excelling at school like always, reading 200-page books in a day, making friends, never complaining about anything. We truly are blessed with such a perfect child." Zenovia smiles and says, "I'm glad. Work makes me busy. So I am always worried. For you to leave your job to take care of her made me very happy. You were brilliant at the academy. You could have reached a high rank as well. I almost feel guilty." Theodora shushed her wife. "Our daughter is the most important thing, and you always outdid me in exams, and by the time I left, you were already several ranks above me. It was the logical decision. I love you, and I love our daughter. I have no regrets." They share a soft, long kiss, then Theodora asks: "How was work, honey?" Zenovia answers: "It was mostly fine, the same old drills, but there was a mess at the embassy. I was passing by and stopped the conference before Thetis got into trouble and the ambassador said something he would regret. Theodora smiles "Look at my wife! Casually stopping an international incident!" Zenovia sighs "Yeah, I did because I love our lives—ever since I met you and ever since we got married and adopted Amynda. Everything has been so perfect, I wish the war never came. When it does, everything I love might be lost. I will do my best to protect our homeland and our family." Theodora looks her straight in the eyes. "Even if it comes, I know you'll manage to protect us, and I will be by your side through it all, regardless of what happens. I love you. Always remember that, honey." Zenovia smiles "I love you too." They go to sleep. But Zenovia can't sleep. She is mentally preparing for the war she knows is coming. Their treasured peace is coming to an end...

The morning brings bad news to the elector princess Alazne of Nafarroa. The Aquilianians have come to her lands. They are still, in theory, members of their holy faith of Imerianism, but they side with their acclaimed saint, Aquilina of Irisia, the matriarch of Eleutheriapoli, the highest religious authority in Irisia, and one of the other four holy tetrarchs of the faith. Which, along with the patriarch Varkaus Urho of Azalea, protested the holy authority of the most powerful patriarch, Lakedaimon, along with other minor disputes. This all happened 100 years ago, and since they were both excommunicated, a new matriarch and patriarch were elected by the holy council of Lakedaimon and loyal to the patriarch of Lakedaimon, but they were not accepted either by the Irisian and Azalean populations, or their church councils who firmly sided with their original leaders and elected their successors independently of Lakedaimon's influence. Upon expanding into the other kingdoms a few decades back, Alazne's kingdom of Lyria got caught in the crossfire. Though it has a majority of Orthodox Imerianists, the ones that sided with Lakedaimon, it has a substantial Aquilinian minority, especially among the many ethnic Irisians in the realm, as well as some of the native Lyrians who were under Azaleian lords, whose authority came from the fact that the Azaleian Kingdom has a personal union with the electorate of Alava. There are, as well, small groups of the other faction in each other's territory. The revolt in Alazne's territory started in Alava. They called upon some of the Aquilinians in Nafarroa to rebel, and now they were about to besiege the provincial capital of Donastia. As for Alazne herself, she comes from the noble house of Arista, which has ruled the electorate of Nafarroa for generations, and along with several other noble houses, votes on the king upon the former king's death. They usually reserve her role as a royal elector for men, but her father doted on her as his favorite child and insisted on her succeeding him. She was brilliant from a young age, and everyone took notice, so they accepted her after much insistence and possibly a few bribes from her father. Today she is a stunning young woman, 25 years of age, with long, beautiful golden hair and striking scarlet eyes. A very eligible bachelorette, both on the count of her looks and of her inheritance. She, however, says she has no time for men and would not marry one she could not gain something from. She has just taken over the electorate after her father fell ill and died, and her new role already faced her with a crisis. Her throne room is about what you would imagine, but since she is not a lover of exuberance, it's not that luxurious. It's a simple room with a throne and paintings of several members of her house, dead and alive, including herself, her father, the founder of her dynasty, Inigo and his legendary father Kerbasi of Saguena. And, of course, the throne—a modest wooden one instead of the typical iron or even golden or ivory ones. She asks the messenger who brought the news. "How far are they from the provincial capital?" The messenger, with an expression of fear in his eyes, nervously answers. "Only a few kilometers. They will arrive in less than a day!" Alazne calmly thinks, and after a long pause, she tells him "Tell their leader to stop at the nearest hill. I shall meet him there himself. And tell him not to ask me to come alone. I am not a fool to go talk to a violent mob that has already sacked several villages by myself. I will bring my personal guard, or there will be no parley." The message accepts the task and quickly leaves the room. Alazne's advisor, Antton, speaks up. A long-time friend of the family, a short, balding man, a very well-mannered man, and a wise man well versed in all the skills a noble needs but with no desire to be one himself, he and his lineage prefer to work in the shadows and have been guiding the Arista family for generations. He has been taking care of Alazne since she was a child and is following her father's deathbed wishes to take care of her and guide her through her political career. She could not ask for a more reliable and loyal advisor. He says. "Are you sure of this, your grace? It is hazardous." Alazne smiles and answers. "Fear not, Antton. You know, I wield a blade better than most professional soldiers, and I also have my pistol in hand. Not to mention my guard. If these heretics try to attack me, they will regret it." Anton smiles with a feeling of pride toward the woman he almost sees as a daughter. But answers. "It is not that risk I worry about. This might cause an international incident. If there are Azaleans among them, their kingdom might view this as an act of war!" Alazne recognizes that his worries are legitimate, but simply answers, "Then what am I to do? Simply let them take the capital? As the elector princess, this is simply out of the question." Anton understands that her pride and status are at stake, and seeing that deep down she is scared and unsure of what to do, he reassures her. "Simply parley with them and reach a diplomatic solution. If not, then I guess you should do what you have to, regardless of the risk. I wish you luck." Alazne gives him a nod and knows what she has to do. She walks off courageously, to meet the rebellion. She reaches the hill with her royal guard, mostly infantry, but she herself is on her favorite horse, Balere, a beautiful mare with a reddish-brown coat and a beige mane similar to that of a Belgian draft horse. Alazne wears armor, a sturdy breastplate, knee-high leather boots, and a helmet. She brings the banner of Lyria, which has a red background, a golden shield, and the red lily in its center—the flower from which the kingdom's name is derived—on the left side, and on the right, it has the national animal: the bear. Symbol of the kingdom's vastness and endurance against hardship She walks up to the people she calls heretics and notices there are thousands of them, about 5,000 if her reports were correct, which it seems they were. However, while some of them have pistols, swords, or pikes, most of them—around 80–90% of them—use farm equipment, and this army is mostly untrained peasants. Those who are not, seem to be Azalean mercenaries. Her guard is about 500, but they are highly trained and heavily armored, all with muskets and fine swords. The meeting place is a green hill about 3 kilometers from the capital and its castle. Its fresh air seems almost like innocence about to be tainted. In this case, by blood. Their leader walks up, a tall, good-looking man with a trimmed beard and black hair. He casually walks up to Alazne and says, "There is the princess! We were waiting for you! I am Jaako of Azalea. Are you here to offer your surrender?" Alazne simply starts laughing and says, "What do you take me for? An honorless fool who doesn't care about her duty to her people? Who would let heretics pillage my ancestral home and the capital of my electorate? Are you stupid? ARE YOU INSANE?" After that outburst, Jaako was rather shocked. "But Princess, you come here with a force 1/10 of our size. You can't be here to fight." After recomposing herself, Alazne answers, "You're right, I am not. I am here to ask you to stop this. You are leading your peasants down the wrong path and now even to their deaths." Jaako is not intimidated. He casually walks around without a care in the world and then he answers. "We are leading a crusade against the tyranny of the patriarch, that promotes Magnolian supremacy in all things. He was even against the democratic revolutions that happened in Irisia and Azalea. And besides, how would I be leading them to their deaths if they could easily crush your puny army right now?" Alazne gets off her mare, takes off her helmet, and looks him straight in the eye. "Even if I believed in your so-loved concept of democracy over the divine choice of God, that would not be an excuse for you to pillage cities and kill innocents. And even if you killed every single one of us, which is unlikely because we are trained soldiers with muskets, we would take five of you for every one of us at the very least. And whatever was left of your army of peasants would be crushed by the reinforcements I left on standby." Jakko laughs, shrugs, gets uncomfortably close, and then says, "Said the princess elector. Isn't what you have simply democracy, but with a lifetime appointment? And my dear princess, I would very much like to see you try." Alazne smiles and says, "We are nobles by the grace of God, and through us, he turns his will into action. And, my dear heretic, you won't live to see it." At that moment, Alazne quickly pulls out her rapier and, in the same movement, slashes him across the throat. He falls to the ground, choking on his own blood, and dies. The enemy is in disarray. Alazne quickly mounts her horse and yells at the top of her lungs. " FIRE!" Her guard opens fire. Hundreds die. She takes out all the best soldiers at once, which Jaako had put right beside him for his safety. All that is left is his army of peasants, which, after the shock is gone, charges at them. They countered the charge with another musket volley. While they fire, the first half, which had fired first, reloads, and then the second half reloads. With that, over a thousand are already dead, but the peasants reach melee range, and they pull out their swords. Alazne takes out dozens of them. But they start to get overwhelmed. Then the castle gates opened. The cavalry comes—500 of them—but it's enough. Alazne yells. "HOLD THE LINE! DO NOT GIVE THEM AN INCH!" The cavalry divides itself in two and charges the mob, while the infantry stays firm as a wall of steel. The mob pulls back, and the cavalry is at their flanks now. then a third force, another 500 infantrymen, hid behind a hill, charged, and hammered their rear. They are encircled. It's over. The rest is a massacre. Hours pass and the peasants are either dead or captive. Corpses litter the battlefield, mangled and mutilated It's a sight from hell. The green of the grass is all but unseen under the blood. Antton comes to Alazne, seeing that she is covered in blood. And says. "Oh dear, are you alright?" Alazne gives a tired smile and says, "Yes, none of it is my blood. My guard took excellent care of me, and we also checked the identity of the Azaleans. They are but mercenaries and no one in their country will miss them." Antton sighs and says, "I should have guessed you would do something like that when you ordered the cavalry to be on standby and the reserve infantry to hide. You said it was just in case, but it was obvious you had planned this from the beginning." Alazne has a grim look on her face. "And what if I did? Those were heretics. They got what they deserved. This is God's will. I never killed anyone. All I ever did was train and train every day, but I never thought I would actually do it, but... I have no doubts that God wished them dead, and if so, why am I crying? What if those were fathers and mothers? In battle, something came over me, and I gave this not a second thought, even before it, when that man was threatening everything I love, but now it all weighs so heavily on me. " Antton gets silent for a moment. Then he hugs her and says, "It's what we must do as rulers in this world. You're not the first or the last to have to do such a thing. You did what you had to do to protect what you love. And if our religion gives you comfort in doing such things, let it guide you. Because I doubt this will be the last time." Suddenly, another message arrives and says: "Urgent message from his highness, King Danel! He says for all nobles in the kingdom to read it!" Alazne opens the letter, and immediately her legs fail her, and she drops to the ground. Antton takes the letter and reads it. "I, the Majesty of the Kingdom of Lyria, by the grace of God, declare that all those who do not follow the true faith, that being the faith of the Magnolian church of the apostles of Imerian, unadulterated by any heresy, shall be persecuted and given the sentence of death. Non-cooperation with this decree will result in the same penalty as heresy, and for all intents and purposes, that person will be considered a heretic. This decree has been approved by both the patriarch of Lakedaimon and the patriarch of Saguena, the only supreme authorities currently recognized by the church. Therefore, questioning this decree will be considered a holy offense. By the grace of God, Imerian, and the patriarchs, I count on all my nobles to exercise my will without fail. Your Majesty, King Daniel the First. Alazne starts crying. Antton is at a loss. They know what this means. War is coming—a terrible civil war. The Orthodox and the Aquilinian will tear each other apart. Even believing they are heretics, Alazne wished with all her heart not to repeat what happened today, but it seems it was just the first salvo in a war. A war that would engulf all of Saelia. The Third Aquilinian War, or War of the Unfaithful.

972 BI (Before Imerian): Founding of the city of Saelia, as the Kingdom of Saelia in current-day Lyria 841 BI: Founding of Varkaus 677 BI: The Irisian tribes unite under an oligarchic confederation, 553 BI: Saelia unites the Lyrian tribes under the Saelian Kingdom 492 BI: The Saelian Kingdom conquers the last of the Magnolian hill and mountain tribes, bringing their vast mineral wealth to the kingdom. 474-444 BI: First Saelian war against the Irisian confederacy, Saelian victory, Irisian confederacy pays heavy reparations 423-400 BI: Second Saelian-Irisian war, brilliant commander Zenovia brings catastrophic losses to the Saelian Kingdom, but through perseverance and a deeper manpower pool, the Saelians win and take half their land, and their influence is greatly reduced. They become an unwilling vassal of Saelia. 354-351 BI: Irisia revolts and the third Saelian Irisian war begins. It is mostly simply a long siege of the capital Paphos, resulting in a massacre. Irisians flee en masse to the uninhabited Dytikia peninsula and colonize it. They establish the city of New Paphos at the tip of the peninsula, at the straits that divide Aisa and Saelia. Saelia annexes all of Irisia. 341-Varkaus founds Azalea as an aristocratic kingdom after uniting the many princedoms and dukedoms of the area 333-235 BI: Age of princes, a succession crisis fractures the Saelian Kingdom into various dukedoms or city-states. 98 years later, prince Gaizka reunites the kingdom and proclaims the Saelian Empire, and him as its first emperor. 235-205 BI: First Saelian golden age, Gaizka the first reigns well, unites the people appealing to the various cultures of the empire, accepting them all, making magnificent monuments, building infrastructure, and entertaining the masses. Also, creating great trade links with Azalea. 205-200 BI: The first great Saelian humiliation. After a trade dispute with Azalea, and because of the emperor's desire to be a conqueror, they go to war. Saelia constructs a mighty fleet, which is mysteriously destroyed by a minuscule Azalean fleet 1/10 of its size. The Azaleans say the gods themselves intervened against Saelia, and many in Saelia start to lose faith in their own gods. However, this starts a golden age in Azalea, especially for trade. 196 BI: The aging Emperor founded Saguena to better control the Oria and Ega rivers, and declares it the new capital. Saelia is still important, but will slowly lose relevance over the centuries. 190 BI: Emperor Gaizka dies, and his dynasty will last 4 more generations. 100-80 BI: A civil war breaks out after the last emperor of the Gaizkanic dynasty dies without an heir. Now called the war of Saelian succession. 72 BI: Imerian is born in Saguena, but shortly moves to Magnolia. 51 BI: At 21 Imerian receives his revelation of the truth of the one God. He starts preaching to the masses, tired of the old gods, and is massively successful, especially among the aristocracy, since he preached divine right. He toured the continent end even the Dytikia peninsula and Azalea, but his base was mostly in. He meets with Emperor Igone himself and brings him to the faith becoming the first Imerianic ruler, and the first Saint of Imerianism, giving his dynasty new legitimacy it was lacking. 22 BI: At 50, Imerian decides to establish the 4 holy tetrarchs, One for Saguena, one for New Paphos, one for Varkaus, and one for wherever he died, as he realized it would be a sacred site, and he wished it to be in the Magnolian region. 10 BI: Imerian, in his old age, decides to settle in a beautiful valley hidden amongst the Mountains. He simply calls the place Ederra, beauty, in Lyrian. 0 AI (after Imerian): Imerian dies of natural causes, his word spreading around the continent like wildfire, although it does take longer in Azalea. 0-188 AI: Post Imerianic golden age. The empire is now more united than ever under its dynasty founded by a saint, the trade and building projects are booming, both Saelia, the Irisians on the Dytikia peninsula and Azalea have fully converted, every realm is at peace and the Irisians have rebuilt their confederacy in Dytikia. For ages after this, this is seen as the best era on the continent. 188-236 AI: Emperor Gaizka V and his whole family are assassinated by a usurper. The usurper himself does not last, the dukes revolt and we enter the second era of Princes. Irisia invades to take back their ancestral lands, and they succeed. The Azaleans attempt to take advantage of the situation, but fail in their invasion. 211 AI: Almos Themistocles is born to the Magnolian leader of the Baranya region and an Irisian peasant woman in this time of chaos. His father teaches him the art of war, and his mother gives him humility, honor, and a love of Irisian culture. 236-246 AI: Through his charisma, Almos Themistocles manages to unite all the magnolians under him and even convinces the Irisians to join him due to his heritage. But before he can restore the Empire, all the Lyrian dukes come in an alliance against him, proclaim the Saelian Empire dissolved, and proclaim the birth of the Lyrian Kingdom. They elect a leader and defeat him in battle. His ambitions frustrated, Almos asks to decide the war through a duel. Which would become a Magnolian tradition. Although Almo himself participates, he loses to the Lyrian representative, the legendary warrior Kerbasi of Saguena, one of the greatest Lyrian heroes, and a self-proclaimed descendant of Gaizka V through his bastard son. Almos is only lightly wounded, however, and survives. 247 ID: Kerbasi, as a Lyrian hero, could have easily waited for the king to pass away and run for the throne and easily won, but instead married a noblewoman, Nerea Arista, earning her lands and living a quiet life. His son Inigo Arista married a noblewoman who brought even more land to the family, and in so doing separated their lands from the electorate of the Electorate of Alava, founding the Electorate of Nafarroa. His family would reign over generations. 250 AI-Almo Themistocles, a devout Imerianist, moves his court from his home city of Gyor to the place of the prophet's death. Making it his new capital, and since the name was in Lyrian, he changed it to Lakedaimon, after his mother's home village. 276 AI-Almo Themistocles dies. Leaving behind a new powerful kingdom, far more centralized than any other, with more holy sites than any other, and militarily uncontested. He still claimed to be emperor of Saelia, but he is later considered the founder of Magnolia and their one and only ancient continuous dynasty. With him, the last hopes of reuniting the empire ends. The empire is dead. 276- 600 AI-Without the support of the other provinces, the once prosperous Lyria falls into a dark age. By then, the only thing that maintained its glory from the Saelian days is the military, the only thing keeping them from being conquered by Magnolia, which still claims the Saelian throne. The new system of government proves popular, however. Meanwhile, in Magnolia, the before-neglected province of the Empire thrived. Trade through the Irisian ports, population growth, and pilgrimages from all over the continent made it doubtlessly a golden age for the Magnolian people. 600-615 AI-As the treatment of the Irisians by the Magnolians became more and more exploitative, and the monarchy became less and less Irisian, discontent grew. Eventually, there was the great Irisian rebellion. Led by a charismatic peasant woman who renamed herself Eleutheria, freedom in Irisian. It succeeds against all odds. Irisia became a militaristic, liberal, matriarchal republic, the capital was renamed from New Paphos to Eleutheriapoli in honor of its first leader. King Joska attempted to the traditional duel against Eleutheria to end the war favorably but ended up losing and begging for his life. With that humiliation and lacking prestige, he was overthrown for it in favor of his brother Imre the first, who, to remedy the situation, recognized Lyria to gain their political and economic support, and dropped all claims to the Saelian throne, and started long-standing good relations between the former rivals. 615-1008 AI: Freed from the Magnolian yoke, the natural trade connections made by Irisia's geography, with its vast coastline and access to 2 different seas, and now with full control over their trade, they become the richest country in the continent. With full control of the trade of the white sea and powerful influence over the Yellow sea, it became a maritime superpower, as well as a cultural and artistic juggernaut. That as well as its revolutionary new system of government system, born from a lack of a local aristocracy or king, made a system by the people, for the people, and it was massively popular. It was Irisia's golden age. Lyria started to recover from their dark age, taking part in the trade that was booming with Irisia and Azalea. And with its new powerful trading partner, this is the height of Azalean power. Magnolia was effectively landlocked, and turned in on itself, entering a dark age. Focusing only on getting vengeance from Irisia for injuring their pride. They wait, though, for they lack strength and allies. So they wait. 1008-1023 AI: The war of the 3 flowers breaks out. The vengeful Magnolians finally find an ally in Azalea, who after centuries of peaceful trade, get a tyrannical king, who, with mass opposition from the peasant and merchant classes, decides he wishes to control the Straits of Eleutheriapoli. And Makes a deal where Azalea would get the Ditikia peninsula, and the Magnolia all lands Irisian lands in Saelia. They negotiate Lyrian neutrality with a mix of threats and trade deals. The invasion begins. It devastated the Irisian countryside and coastal areas. Martial law is declared, but they are defeated time and time again. 1023-1025 AI: The Siege of Eleutheriapoli begins with a combined sea and land assault. It ultimately fails due to the efforts of a young general named Irene. She proceeds to take power, making herself dictator during the emergency. 1025-1040 AI: Irene takes the initiative and crushes the Azaleans at sea. Their entire fleet is destroyed, and the Azalea is broken for the first time in its history. The Magnolians are slowly ground down and pushed to the mountains. Irene refuses the traditional duel, which is even more humiliating for Magnolia than losing one, as she shows she has no respect for their traditions. She imposes heavy reparations on both, and takes some border territory from Magnolia, in heavily mountainous terrain, as a buffer for future invasions, and immediately builds many forts there. She is deemed and hero and savior of Irisia. 1045-1055 AI: After the disastrous invasion, political tensions rise in Azalea. The peasants and merchants want the king deposed and maybe even the Monarchy abolished. The aristocracy favors the king. Eventually, it breaks out into the Azalean civil war. In the end, the Anti-monarchical force, with help from Irisia, gets the upper hand, and to prevent the total abolition of the monarchy, they and the king, relent. And accept a parliament like the Irisian one, but not a president. The King shalt be the head of state. But the anti-monarchical faction insists that in return for keeping their wealth and status, the king cede all political power. He signs the document now known as the golden charter. Now democratic, the Azalean government formally apologized to Irisia for the actions of its tyrannical king. Returning to good relations. 1074 AI: Irene dies. Having not relinquished power upon the end of the war, she became a controversial figure, but he begged that upon her death democracy be restored, and her wishes are respected. 1074-1470 AI: Lyria had stayed out of the conflict, trading with both sides, and avoiding the most destructive war the country had ever seen. Which gave them a massive lead, and an advantageous position to negotiate with the other powers. Aware that they cannot restore the Saelian empire, they decide to become the arbiter of the continent. Negotiating and trading their way into hegemony. Slowly becoming more and more powerful, and promoting the stability that favors them. That, and improvements in farming technology which especially benefit them with the most fertile lands, make them the most powerful country on the continent. Meanwhile, Irisia slowly recovers. Azalea thrives under its new government, which lets their merchants trade freely. Magnolia, facing defeat again, this time, decides to align with the Lyrian order, maintaining a good relationship with them and helping maintain the balance. Gunpowder is also discovered around this time in Lyria. And having vast deposits of sulfur and saltpeter Magnolia again became powerful by exporting those to the rest of the continent for the production of gunpowder, as well as developing the best gunpowder weapons, which it often sold to its ally, Lyria. 1460 AI: Aquilina is born 1500-1505 AI: Aquilina becomes the matriarch of Eleutheriapoli. She quickly realizes the hypocrisy and Magnolian dominance of the church. She proclaims all are equal to god, something that made her very popular in Irisia with its weak class structure but hated in the rigid society of Magnolia. Same for her defense of free love which due to the conservative nature of the other kingdoms, even Azalea, which mostly accepted the previous declaration. She quickly became controversial and known around the continent. But she enjoyed support from both the Irisian people and church establishment, as well as the Patriarch of Varkaus, Urho, which, though not a blind follower of hers, tailors her message to Azalean society and allies with her. The patriarch of Lakedaimon and the king of Magnolia are livid and plot her demise. 1506-1510 The patriarch formally excommunicates Aquilina and Urho, deeming them heretics, and giving the king permission to invade Irisia to depose her when the Irisian church fathers refuse. In keeping with her message of equality, she decides to fight in the frontline, and she is butchered very early on. However, she not only becomes a martyr, but the Irisian church mothers reaffirm every policy of hers, and so does the new matriarch. And morale is so high after her death the magnolians are simply annihilated time after time, even with superior weaponry. The traditional duel takes place, but the Magnolian King himself, Imre II, is humiliated, and even more so, killed by a low-ranking female soldier who knew Aquilina and was inspired by her. She, Adonia, became one of the most beloved presidents of Irisia. The famous protector of the faith, conqueror of hearts, and slayer of kings. Magnolia is forced to recognize that they have no rights over other countries' religious policies, even if they are considered the holiest kingdom. And pay heavy war reparations, Aquilinism becomes a truly separate but similar faith when the matriarch herself declares independence from the church at Lakedaimon, and Urho follows. This is a great blow to Magnolian prestige, as though everything they were still seen as the spiritual heart of the continent, but even that was gone. Now they would focus on their military and keeping their religious influence over Lyria above all. This whole incident is known now as the first Aquilinian war. 1520-The Queen of Azalea, Eeva the second, marries the elector of Alava, Palben, who converts to Aquilinism, starting mass conversions in his territory, greatly angering the Lyrian king, but he wishes to maintain the balance and knows intervening in that would lead to a continent-wide war since Irisia and Magnolia are sure to get involved. 1530-1544-Mikolas Arauz is elected king of Lyria. his family has maintained control over the Lyrian throne for 200 years through bribes and soft power, being from the Arauz region, the most productive agricultural region of Lyria. He is a devout orthodox Imerianist, but above all, Mikolas seeks glory. He is tired of Lyria's policy of soft power. Yet, he is of sound mind. He does not wish to restore the Saelian empire, but set the stage for that, by expanding and making Lyria even more powerful. He starts with the easy target. In the first Aquilinian war, Lyria mediated under the guidance of his father and guaranteed peace. However, now he is going to break with that policy, declare them heretics, and Invade along with the Magnolians. They quickly take 3 provinces from the Irisians, taking advantage of the fact the Lyrian-Irisian border isn't as protected as the Irisian-Magnolian border. And having deemed it far enough, they stop. They had promised to share the spoils, but Lyria stabs them in the back, and invade them to take all 3 provinces and another 3 Magnolian provinces, greatly expanding their territory. The first war is known as the second Aquilinian War, and the other war, the War of treachery. In The second one, the Magnolians even refuse the traditional duel, for they consider the Lyrian leader honorless. 1545-The future king Danel is born as the grandson of the victorious Mikolas to great commemoration. 1560:Mikolas Arauz dies, leaving Lyria the strongest since Saelian times, but alienates every other power, and breaks the fragile balance they cultivated for so long. His son, Mikolas II, takes over. 1568: Mikolas the second and his wife are assassinated by an Aquilinian fanatic while visiting the previously Irisian provinces, his young son Danel gets elected and claims to forgive the Aquilinians for this so as to not trigger a revolt, but privately develops a great hatred for that group. He is heavily advised by the famed elector of Nafarroa, Yuli Arista, 10 years his elder who, through boosting the local economy by accepting Aquilinian traders in his realm, building infrastructure, and being all around a charismatic man with a talent for politics, he is loved, and is a great support to the young king, keeping his worse impulses in check. 1570: Simo of Varkaus is born 1572: Zenovia and Theodora are born 1575: Alazne is born as the daughter of Yuli Arista. 1582: Istvan and Illona are born. 1600-Yuli Arista dies and King Danel, in his old age and with mental health issues, and without his chief advisor, sends his decree against all Aquilinians, starting the war of the unfaithful. Or the third Aquilinian war.

It's a chilly night in Gastiez, the provincial capital of Alava. 10 men gather in a safe house on the outskirts of the city. They are several Lyrian nobles who, for years, have helped the Azalean government govern the land and are now conspiring against the Azalean government. They have been receiving funding from the king of Lyria to organize a coup in the province, assassinate the Azaleian governor, and use that opening to promote a Lyrian to power, who would then revoke the Azaleian queen's authority and expel the Azaleian troops there. A simple operation. They are just about to meet the assassin they will hire. The first one to speak is a noble named Akil. He, like his companions, is old (in his 50s to 60s) and fat due to their life of luxury. Akil speaks. "So, we are finally doing this, giving to the Azaleans what they got coming. They are nothing but foreign occupiers, and they are spreading their heresy in the land at an alarming pace. Are you all not proud?" They all murmur in agreement, and Akil continues. "Are you sure we can trust this assassin?" Another conspirator named Etor says confidently, "He has been chasing bounties flawlessly for the past year. We can't seem to find anything about his origins, but this is clearly a professional." Akil takes a sigh of relief. "We will give the electorate back to the king, and they shall handsomely reward us. Anthony, you're shaking. You seem nervous. Are you alright?" Anthony nervously answers, "Yes, I just have a bit of a cold." Akil finds this strange. It's not even the coldest season after all, but he disregarded that and said: "We can fetch you some medicine. Worry not. Oh, wait. I hear the door. I think this is him now." Suddenly a man slams the door, a 30-year-old in a large black coat, wearing all black in fact, down to his stylish black leather boots. The lamplight revealed his face. His features are delicate but masculine, as if it were a well-drawn, very detailed painting. His hair was slicked back and pure white, as white as the full moon. No facial hair at all. His eyes were a bright, beautiful light blue. His physique is athletic but not bulky it seems built for speed. Akil speaks. "Are you the hired gun we called for?" He answers with a firm, unblinking look on his face. "Yes, I was told you had a highly profitable assignment for me." The men debate among themselves and then answer, "Yes, let me get straight to the point. You are to kill the Azalean governor that they force us to serve." The man feigns surprise and answers: "May I know why?" The men laugh loudly and say, "That is for us to know and for you to find out." The man sends her a sly smile and answers, "Then I shall, well, to be honest, it's rather obvious: you're all famed nationalists, you hate the governor for converting your population to Aquilinianism, you're paying me an exorbitant amount, and judging by the fact your agents have been tailing me for a while, you intended to take me out after the job was done to get rid of the evidence. I am guessing that you intend to lead a pro-Lyrian revolt to give Alava back full Lyrian sovereignty. Knowing full well it's essentially an act of war," The nobles are stunned. After a moment, they furiously answer: "You are too smart for your own good. Thankfully, you're not the only hired gun in the market. Pull out your guns, boys." They each pull out a pistol. They expected the man to plead for his life or just react at all, but he calmly looked at them, smiled, and said, "You know your mistake? Your background checks are horrible. You see, I am a hired gun, but not just a hired gun, and not for just anyone." The men look confused. "What? What do you mean? Answer us! Let these be your final words." The man gives a confident, cocky smile and says, "I am Royal Agent Simo of Varkaus's Special Operations Division. You may know me by my nickname, Verien Tera, or the Bloodblade in Azalea. And, by order of the queen, for the crime of treason, I am here to kill you all." The men scream at this, and Akil says, "BULSHIT! You can't be him! The famed Bloodblade would never strut in here and fight 10 armed men by himself! He is skilled, but not stupid." Simo sends him a sly smile and says, "Oh, but I am him. And as for you being armed, do me a favor and actually fire those guns. Right at me, go on, go ahead." Akil smiles sadistically and says, "With pleasure" Suddenly Etor speaks "You don't want to do this. No one uses the Bloodblade's name. He specifically targets copycats, and if he really is the Bloodblade, shooting him will somehow be useless." Akil angrily answers "If he really is, we are dead men if we don't shoot him, and even if it fails, we are dead men anyway, so shut up and just shoot!" Etor sighs, and along with the others, he shoots the man. They all hear the guns firing, and they see the smoke, but once the smoke clears, the man is standing there completely unharmed and unimpressed. Akil is shocked. "What? how? GUARDS!" No one comes, Simo speaks. "Oh, I took care of them just before coming here. All it took were a few bribes and threats. Now you can kneel down and let me slit your throats, or you can fight me by yourselves. Either will do. Except you, Anthony, come here." Anthony quickly walks over and stands beside him. Akil is confused. "what? What does this mean?" Simo, in complete control of the situation, says "Oh, he has been feeding the Azalean government info about this from the beginning. He put blanks in your guns for me, and he gave me the info I needed to threaten the guards. He knew from the beginning that this was going to go sideways, so he took the winning side." Anthony, standing behind Simo, shyly says, "I am sorry, my friends, but my ideals are not worth my life or that of my family." Akil is enraged, and he looks at Simo and screams, "You cocky bastard..." Simo simply answers "That, I am." Akil loses his cool even more " We committed no crime tonight! We are lyrians! We are defending the interests of our nation! And you will die tonight, just like your rotten Azalean overlords! Lyria lives forever!" Simo gives a grim smile and pulls out his famous blade, a beautiful knife with a golden handle and a bright blood-red ruby between the hilt and the blade. It is the famous Bloodblade that gave him his name, named as such for its blood-red ruby. They pull out knives and charge at him. 8 in total. Etor stood this one out. He knew what was about to happen, so he decided not to struggle. Simo threw the first one that came at him over his shoulder, slammed him to the ground, and stabbed him in the heart. In the second time, he kicks him in the leg so hard he falls face-first into the ground, and he stabs him in the back. The third tries to punch him, but he holds the punch, breaks his arm, punches him right in the face, then stabs him in the stomach. The fourth and fifth ones come at the same time. Simo throws the sand he had in his coat into their faces, then stabs one in the eye and the other in the foot. While they are rolling on the ground in pain, he stabs them in the heart as well. The sixth and seventh tried to run away, but he pulled out his pistol and shot both of them. The last one was Akil, who, although terrified, saw no choice but to charge at him, and he was punched in the gut, then stabbed in the groin, and finally his neck slit. This horrified Etor, but he says nothing. He knows his fate and accepts it with grace. Simo asks him, "Oh, so you're not going to fight? Or run away? Just gonna let me slit your throat? That is unusual." Etor smiles and says, "I am well aware of your reputation. Resistance is foolish, and I'll at least go out with my last shred of dignity intact. Just tell me this: What will you do to my family?" Simo drops the playful expression he has had all this time and puts on a serious one and answers. "Yours, as well as the families of all these nobles, will be disgraced and never hold any sort of political power again. Along with being heavily monitored by our agents. However, they will not be harmed and are free to stay here, or even have their passage into Lyrian territory paid for, where we are sure they would be received warmly. So rest assured, they will be okay." Etor gives the last smile of his life and says, "That is good to hear. I can rest in peace. Now, do it quickly." Simo obliges. And slits the man's throat. In a corner of the room, Anthony has been vomiting. The room is covered in blood and dead bodies. It's a horrible sight, but Simo is unphased. He feels no emotion toward this situation. All he has in his mind is pride in a job well done. He feels no regret, remorse, or guilt. Because this is all for her... and this is his job, after all. This is not the first time he has done this, and it will not be the last. A few days pass. Simo is back in the capital and his birthplace of Varkaus. It is the fourth-largest city on the continent, with 300 thousand people—the most it could really accommodate in such a cold climate in pre-industrial times. Although located in the island of Azelea, they consider it the northernmost capital of Saelia, after all. It is a great city, nonetheless. It has beautiful Gothic and Victorian-style architecture. There is a plentiful amount of fish, though fish is not seen as the delicacy it is in Eleutheriapoli, perhaps because of its lower quality. Even though it's more plentiful, they simply see it as sustenance. It is located in a strait between the Azalean mainland and the island of Kaurissalo. The straight has quite a strong current, so the capital is not the principal port but instead the port city of Nivala. Hilly terrain also surrounded the capital. It is said that they chose the location of the capital when the Saelian empire was invading the island. On the last stand, they say god, who subsequently destroyed the Saelian empire for attacking the nation, destroyed the Saelian ships. Due to that original trauma, forts permanently surrounded the capital, and due to that and a supposed secret about the capital held by every Azalean, it does not allow foreigners to enter the city. The day is a glorious one for Simo. After that success in ending that major conspiracy, He is to meet the queen herself, report to her directly, and be knighted. He was told he would also receive his next appointment directly from her. It is quite an honor, especially for someone who was born in the slums. Of course, he was one of the few lucky ones to be picked up by someone from the upper classes, in his case a seasoned spymaster who took him in and not only raised him but trained him in the craft. Upon becoming an adult, he became the most in-demand spy in the kingdom, known for his flawless work. But five years ago, he entered a contract of exclusivity to work only for the queen, being at her beck and call. In a society that, though parliamentary, still values the monarch highly, being their personal agent is an immense honor. One Simo prides himself in He has just spent a year in Alava, creating a profile as a hitman and gathering information for the job. Now he is at the Queen's palace, getting ready to meet her personally for the first time. He still wears all black, like he always has, but now he wears a fine cotton tunic, black baggy shorts, long black socks that go all the way up to his shorts, and a sword on his belt. Like the knights of old. He tied his hair into a small ponytail. Containing his excitement, he puts on a stoic face as he enters the royal throne room. It's exactly as elaborate as you would imagine, with chandeliers, silver, and gold everywhere, high-quality paintings of the royal family, and, of course, prominently displayed above the throne, the banner of Azalea, with a blue background, a red shield, and the pink flower the country is named after flanked on both sides by dolphins, the national animal. He sees the queen. Then he sees her, 40 years old. Tall, with long wavy beige hair, deep brown eyes, and delicate features—almost like a porcelain doll that could break at any second. But despite her looks, she despised feeling like a doll. In fact, she is wearing a rather simple, non-elaborate dress, though it is clearly expensive, and there are clearly gold details in it. Since he is a secret agent, the ceremony is private, so she is not wearing the elaborate, uncomfortable dresses she is forced to wear at public ceremonies. He walks to her, kneeling and lowering his head. And she answers. "Pull your head up and look me straight in the eyes." He, without a second thought, obeys the command immediately. She continues. "Give me your sword." He does it immediately, trying his best to hide his nervousness, which he does perfectly as someone trained to control his emotions, but with notable effort. He pulls out his sword and presents it to her, laying the tip on his left hand and its hilt on his right. The queen slowly picks it up and puts it on his shoulder, moving from shoulder to shoulder as she speaks. "For several years of exceptional service to the crown, preserving the integrity of the kingdom and vanquishing its enemies, I, her majesty Queen Aila, the first of Azalea, by the grace of God, Imerian, and Aquilina grant you, Simo of Varkaus, the title of knight. We shall henceforth refer you to as Sir Simo of Varkaus." She hands the sword back to him, and he, still kneeling, says, "Thank you for this honor, your majesty. I shall do my best to live up to it." The queen smiles and says, "And I fully expect you to achieve such. Now, rise and walk with me. Since we had this secret ceremony, I am asking that everyone besides the guards leave the palace so we may speak freely." He does and follows her out of the throne room and into the garden. In the meantime, he gives the details of the mission he has just accomplished, never bragging—he knows better than to do that in front of the queen—but not downplaying his achievements either. They reach the enormous garden, almost an entire forest, right in the center of the palace. The subject suddenly changes. The Queen speaks first. "With your incredible intelligence networks, you must already be aware of King Daniel's decree." Simo nods "Yes, your majesty, we speculate religious motives might motivate it but it might also be a thinly veiled attempt to centralize the kingdom. It would explain the situation with the nobles in Alava since they were very likely motivated, if not funded by him, since he would be clearly the primary benefactor. We have not confirmed this though, your majesty." The queen gives a proud smile to her agent, who once again has exceeded her expectations. "I shall take this speculation as fact. For now, it simply makes too much sense. But you should also know that even with my status as queen of a sovereign country, he did not spare me the same treatment as his other lords. Under my title as elector of Alava, he has sent me the same letter as every other lord, along with another one." The Queen takes out a letter and hands it to Simo, who reads it out loud. "To the elector of Alava, I am well aware of your position as the Azalean queen. However, it does not afford you special treatment. I can't, however, simply tell another monarch to convert or die. It would be utterly daft, so you and your people on the Island Kingdom of Azalea are exempt from conversion. However, your territory on the continent will not, for it is, by the grace of God, my property, and you rule it by my grace. If you do not follow my decree there, I will mobilize the entire Lyrian army to take it by force. I will not accept parley of any kind. I must restore the religious integrity of my country. Sincerely, King Danel, the first of Lyria." Simo is shocked. Not even he had expected gratuitous threats of violence. Even a king, as many reports indicate, may suffer from insanity. He speaks. "Well, this explains the conspiracy. This must be his last-ditch effort to get control of Alava. I do not know if this is desperate or just stupid." Queen Aila nods her head in agreement. She looks him straight in the eyes, making it clear the following words were thought of well in advance. "One does not simply threaten another monarch or tell them to betray their faith. There must be repercussions for this." Simo expected those words. The queen was never known for weakness. With a look of pride in his monarch, he says, "Your Majesty, I assume that is why you called me here. What would you have me do? She maintains her firm expression. Simos's trained eyes detect though just a trace of hesitation, showing that the queen is determined but knows the weight of what she is about to say." "There are no two ways about it: the king must die. This decree and this letter are acts of war. In fact, I have already sent my reply, my own declaration of war. I cannot abandon my faith. Even if I did not believe in it with all my heart, it would immediately trigger rebellions all over the kingdom, if not a civil war. Even if I only implemented his decree in Alava, they would deem me a heretic, the regime abandoned by god. However, Lyria is a much larger country, and even if we manage to protect our territory, it will come at an enormous cost to our people. No, the fastest way to end this is to cut off the monster's head. I could give this task to no one else. I could trust no one else. So Sir Simo of Varkaus, please bring peace to the realm. Please assassinate King Danel." Though it's only logical given the situation, it is still inconceivable. In a world where kings are fully believed to be the living will of god, the idea of murdering one of them is simply unthinkable. But if it is the will of his monarch, he will do it without a second thought. "I shalt do it, your majesty, for I am but a tool for you to execute your will. I shall not fail." The queen smiles, for she knows her trust in him is not misplaced and that he will do what she believes is best for her people. "Then it shall be done. You shall disguise yourself as a refugee orthodox Alavan noble to infiltrate his court. Simo, you shall go by the name Adiran of Gastiez, and you shall be the son of one of the nobles killed in the last mission, Ager of Gastiez. You shall also have a squire for this mission. It shalt be your old friend Kalevi of Hamina, but he shall go by Aingeni, and he will pose as your advisor. Do everything to get in this inner circle, even command troops for him if need be. Just don't be the reason we lose a battle. Enter his inner circle until you get invited to a banquet, and then put poison in his food or drink. After that, fake your deaths, come back to the capital, and report to me directly. No one but you two is to know of this. If either of you leaks this information, it shall be treated as treason." To all this, Simo simply nodded and said, "It shalt be done. I shalt depart immediately." Before he goes, the queen stops him and says, "Also, try not to die. You're far too valuable an asset to the kingdom, and I myself owe a great debt to you. To let you die would stain my honor as an Aquilinian." Simo smiles, holding back tears, though he doesn't let on that he is very touched that the woman he has looked up to since he was a boy worry about him. "Worry not, your Majesty, I shalt do it flawlessly, like I always do. Both I and my partner will come back alive, and the king will be dead." The queen smiles again. "Good to hear it. Now go, make haste." He leaves, and he has both feelings of pride that she has given him such a monumental task and a fear of the magnitude of that task. Not only are thousands of lives at stake, and it's by far the most difficult mission he has ever undertaken, but he will be committing a sacrilege by killing a god-appointed monarch, even if he is what he considers a heretic. But he has no doubts, he can have no doubts, for his queen has given him a task, and he will not fail. He is also very glad to have Kalevi by his side, the only one he really trusts and considers his equal. The queen must have known this and arranged for it to happen. Either that or it was fate. Another few days pass. Simo has crossed the Azalean Channel into Alava. He leaves the boat he's come in and gets on his horse. He has brought his favorite horse, a black stallion named Aavistus, which means shadow in Azalean. For obvious reasons, he is similar to a Mérens, is highly versatile, and can be ridden for days due to being a mountain horse. He also has a star on his forehead. On a cold, dark night, Simo looks towards the horizon, wondering what challenges destiny will bring him, and he rides off. He rides towards a destiny, not away from it, because the Bloodblade will claim his greatest prize yet.

It's a morning full of cheer for the entire royal court. It's the crowning of a new king. The nobles throw their rings in the air, towards the central walkway. In a society where a noble's rings are as good as their life, such an act is the most significant way to show complete devotion to their new king. Some don't like it, since the rings might get damaged, yet that is the whole point. Since it's a way of telling the king, they would give up their lives for him, and traditionally, it not doing it is seen as a way to disrespect the king. But this time, not a single one abstained. This king is loved, popular, and a hero, so the cheering is not out of obligation but out of genuine excitement for the reign of such a glorious monarch. The ones in the back, those of the lower class, see that devotion and know they must show the same not only to the king but to their lords. This is all the sign of a coming prosperous reign. While they all dance and cheer, the king sits calmly, waiting for the crown to be brought to him. How a king behaves at his coronation depends on what he wishes his reign to be like. So, he pulls out his sword and lifts it toward the sky. An unprecedented move, for it is to say he shall strive to be the master of the continent, with only god above him, and perhaps pointing the sword towards the sky is saying god is on his side and not of the heretics. Some have put their hand on the hilt of the sword before, and some have taken it out to say their reign will not be peaceful, but no one ever pointed it toward the sky. Such an act is even dangerous for him. If he does not follow through with such promises, he might be overthrown. After all, this is not only a promise to his people, but to God. However, he is confident he will do it. He will never be weak. He will stand proud as a lion, against all that is not his exact wish. That is what he is saying through his body. His face tells another story. It remained in calm serenity. Not a sign of pride nor fierceness, simply calm contemplation. It remained so for all the past hour, with no sign of change, only the blinking telling all that he was not a statue. But, after he was still standing with the crown put on his head by the patriarch, he kept standing for a minute. No one knew what that meant. Then he slowly looked toward the ceiling, and a single tear rolled out of his left eye. A second later, the crown fell from his head. At that moment, they all knew. Their king, though he would serve his duty, though he would be their proud lion. In truth, his heart had long since passed from this world.

Alazne finds herself in an endless void. She looks around and sees nothing but darkness. The deep, enveloping darkness seems to consume her soul. She thinks: "Is this... the afterlife? Well, this sure doesn't seem like heaven. Not that I expect to go there at this point. I don't remember what happened. I wonder if Antton is OK. Even if he isn't, I doubt they would send here him." Suddenly, the darkness gives way to red. Deep scarlet red is all around her. She has no idea what is going on. And then she feels a liquid flowing through her feet. Blood A full river of blood appears. She is terrified. She almost screams, but she realizes that if this is hell, this is just the beginning. So she braces herself and walks forward, facing her fate instead of running from it. She walks. It scared her to her bones, but she walks. And then she can't take it anymore and starts running. She runs before she loses her nerve. She sees a shadow in the distance and rushes toward it. Slowly, the shadows become more and more clear. She sees her. It's a woman with long, blonde hair. She gets closer. The woman turns towards her. She sees her eyes. Deep scarlet. It's Alazne herself. She has her armor on. Alazne has a sword in her hand, bloodied. She has a grin on her face. The most malicious and sadistic grin you could imagine, all the world's evil packed into it. In her left hand, she is holding something. a human head. Then she looks past her. She sees a pile of corpses. The river flows from it. She is terrified. She vomits and cries. Alazne cries for the people and also for herself. She cries out of hatred for herself. She hates the monster she has become. Her other self speaks. "Fret not. They were all heretics. It is God's will, is it not?" Suddenly, she finds herself in the field before her castle. She sees Jaako. And before she realizes it, with no control over herself, she is slitting his throat again. She shakes. She doesn't know what is going on. Yet he does not fall to the ground. He speaks, even with his throat slit, in an ominous, monstrous voice. "You did this to me. You are nothing but a monster, and your god won't forgive you just because some priest said this was ok." Suddenly, she sees how the field was after the battle. Full of mangled corpses. She trembles. And then every one of them comes to life. And they all speak with one voice. "Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!" She screams. She screams until her voice gives out, and then she cries. The corpses jump at her as she cries. She tries to scream, but she can't. The last thing she sees is King Danel just past the corpses. He says. "Good job, my accomplice. Well done" Alazne wakes up, and she screams loud enough for the entire castle to hear. Antton rushes to her room and asks her in a worried tone. "Your highness! Are you alright?" Alazne calms herself down upon seeing Antton. The terror is gone, but the sadness still remains, and she starts crying. "Oh, Atton, I saw them. Every life that I took, every soul haunted me. They hated me. They wanted me to suffer... I should suffer... I deserve it." Atton is worried about his surrogate daughter. He cradles her hand and comforts her. "You did what you had to do to protect your electorate. To protect us. There is no evil in that. They may hate you. But all of us, including me, cherish you. And that is what matters." Alazne is somewhat comforted by that, but she can't stop torturing herself. "I could have gotten them to surrender Antton. spared their lives. And now, this will play out again and again. And I'll have no excuse this time. I'll have to persecute them. I have no other choice. I can't bring dishonor to my house, and if I don't do it, they might not only execute me but you and everyone in my court as well." Antton is hard-pressed to find the words she needs to hear. But tries his best. "My dearest Alazne, I know you always burden yourself with what you cannot change. And this is admittedly a very delicate situation. You could not have spared them. They were fanatics, and they would and did fight to the last. And besides, the King is old and in ill health. He has no sons or close relatives, so his family can't keep hogging power by bribing the electors to stay in power. If you play your cards right, you could rise to power and change this situation. Ours is a wealthy province, thanks to our ocean access and trade links. We have the resources to make it happen." Alazne is surprised to hear this. In an elective monarchy, it is no crime to suggest a ruler might win the next election, but Alazne herself never really considered the possibility of her winning. The House of Arauz has been winning elections through bribery for 300 years. How could she? But he is right that the house is in a precarious position, even more so because of the king's mental health. She speaks. "Do you really think it is possible? Me? A queen? The first queen of Lyria? I mean, I always dreamed of such, but to think you thought the same... could it one day be reality?" Antton answers with a loving smile. "I will do my best to make sure it happens, and you will as well. No one can stop us. We just need to bide our time. For now, go get dressed. You need to march to the capital for the meeting with the king and the other electors." In truth, Atton doesn't know if it is at all possible. It depends on too many factors. But he had to give some hope to Alazne because he knows the next few months or even years will be very painful for her. The morning goes on, and Alazne gets ready. She brushes Balere's coat lovingly, one of the few things that puts her mind at ease. She loves her mare. She was a gift from her father for her 15th birthday, and she has treated her with love ever since. When she rides her, she reminds herself of her father teaching her to ride. It calms her even in battle and is one of the few reasons she has to kill so many. Since she is to meet the king, she is to dress formally and as extravagantly as possible. She wears a beautiful turquoise dress and a golden pendant with a turquoise stone, the symbol of her house of Arista. What the rings with crests are to nobles in Magnolia, pendants with gems and precious stones are to Lyrians. Azalea and Irisia have no such tradition due to their democratic and less aristocratic natures. Alazne is not a fan of extravagance, but if she is to represent her house, she will dress to impress. Besides, she really likes that dress. It is pretty, and she likes to feel pretty, even if she is a warrior. Also, it reminds her of the turquoise tunic her father would wear on official business. And the necklace is the same one he wore. It is also an honor to use the color of her house. And she insists on riding Balere the entire way instead of going in a carriage, which is not the conduct of a noblewoman in Lyria, but Atton understands that she is rattled and needs Balere's comfort at the moment. So he dispels any protests or complaints directed at her over this. That said, even Balere's comfort is not enough to stop the nightmares. The same from that night, over and over again. Agonizingly tormenting Alazne, sometimes she would wake up screaming. Other times, she would simply tremble and not speak all day. Her retinue would find this odd and discomforting, but Antton was quick to remind them she was still their leader and worthy of respect. It is weird for her to only meet the king at this point in the war, but there were several delays for unknown reasons. Alazne reaches the capital of Saguena. Three million people live here, the most in the known world, and 10% of the kingdom's population lives here. Due to that, it's far more crowded, dense, and a bit less clean than the other capitals. But it proudly displays its gorgeous baroque architecture. Due to the vast fields of the country, the food is heavily grain and meat based. Normally beef and wheat. Since they grow so much wheat, the beer is also high quality and much beloved around the continent. The bars of Saguena are so popular that you even see Aisans from the deserts beyond the Dytikia peninsula and even further away come to taste them. Since it is the capital of the greatest of the Saelian kingdoms and several pilgrimage sites, it is a very international city by Saelian standards as it is the second holiest site in Imerianism after Lakedaimon, since it is the city the prophet was born in even though he spent most of his life in what is now Magnolia, since he was the son of traveling merchants. Although conservative and religious, it is a cheerful place. You can see people dancing in the streets on an average morning. Its sources of water are the 2 biggest rivers on the continent, the Oria and the Ega rivers. Both were born from the glacial melt of the Magnolian mountains. The region between those two rivers is the heartland of Lyria, where most of its ethnically Lyrian population is. The capital is located at the narrowest point between the two. At the palace's entrance, she sees the many carriages of the many noble houses of the kingdom. She recognizes them all, of course, and knows many of them don't see her favorably, but she walks in nonetheless. Upon entering the palace, the opulence, which is expected from the greatest kingdom in all of Saelia, impresses her. Silver and gold everywhere marble statues and paintings of Lyrian heroes, most prominently those of Mikolas Arauz, who, about 50 years before, brought the kingdom to its greatest extent. She reaches the conference room, and she can already feel some of the noble's disdain towards her. She is not only young and her anti-war stance is known, but she is a woman in a conservative patriarchy in a leading role. In fact, she is the only woman there. Some of the younger nobles make eyes at her, noting her incredible beauty, which only makes Alazne uncomfortable. But the most eye-catching thing in the room is the King himself. Although he is 65 years old, he is still an imposing figure. He is tall and slender, but not overly so. His hair is long. He wears it in a ponytail, and it is fully gray at this point. He also has a beard, which, like his hair, is fully gray. His facial features are odd, a paradox. His face gives off both a vibe of authority and an unhinged vibe. Are the rumors of his insanity true? At the moment, Alazne does not know. He wears the red and gold royal armor of Lyria, with the red lily in its center. He speaks. "Well, if it isn't our fine rose, have you finally arrived? Good, so the meeting can begin. I'll get straight to the point. The situation is critical. I expected the Irisians to react like this. I am even surprised the Azaleans have made no attempt to do more than hold the continental holdings they already have, but for the Magnolians, a fellow Orthodox Imerianic people, to stab us in the back like this and for the Patriarch of Lakedaimon to stay silent is just absurd. I am exerting his will. I am here to avenge my father and mother, who were murdered by an Aquilinian fanatic. Only now, in my old age, have I decided to do what I need to. I have witnessed many other tragedies by them over the years. Each broke my spirit. We must not let this war stop our mission to exterminate them from our holy kingdom!" Many of the electors object privately, but the decree was very clear as to what protesting this decree would entail. The Electors Kemen of Bizkaia and Zigor of Lapurdi are the big exceptions, though. They share his religious zeal. They have no qualms about killing heretics. Alazne is downright disgusted by them. It's been a few weeks since the proclamation, but there are already reports of mass hangings and executions by firing squad of thousands of people in their provinces. Zigor speaks. "Your Majesty, you inspire me! We will exterminate the heretics in our lands! And then move on to exterminate those in other lands! And those who seek to, like crows, fester in our great nation will suffer a fate worse than death! We shall raise their lands! Salt their fields! Make them wish they never set their filthy boots on Lyrian soil! We will have our vengeance! Our victory will be total!" Alazne knows not to laugh or to be terrified. What he is describing is all she would like to avoid. However, it is essentially a pipe dream. Lyria does not have the strength to oppose all other kingdoms in Saelia. And furthermore, they are losing on every front. Badly. Two provinces are already lost, and two more are being overthrown. It is simply a matter of time before they lose half their territory. The refugee crisis is going to be immense. Aquilinians fleeing to Irisia or Alava, Lyrians who live in the conquered provinces fleeing back into Lyria It will be chaos. Nevertheless, Zigor gives a relatively more moderate, though still zealous, interpretation of the situation. "Now, of course, we must maintain the persecution. It is God's will. But, my friend, you're being much too ambitious. We must settle for protecting what we have. If possible, we should retake the lost provinces, but if not, we must simply protect what is not yet lost." Alazne is far more comfortable with that plan, though. She still can't be comfortable with the idea of persecution. The King analyzes what they all said and says "Now, although... wait... can you hear that? Is someone speaking out of turn?" Everyone answers that no one spoke, only him. He is unconvinced, but he continues. "Although I would love to follow Kemen's strategy, Zigor is far more of a realist, and his plan is much more sound. We shall implement it. Our armies shall attempt to break their momentum and slow them down until we can gather our strength to hit back. We shall also double down on the persecutions. I shall introduce a quota for 1 thousand heretics to be hanged or converted within each province every day! And furthermore..." Alazne can't take it anymore. The idea of murdering 1,000 people per day is too much for her soul to bear. So she screams. "No!" Everyone is shocked—how could someone do this and scream at the king? Had it been a peasant, they would have been executed. The King answers, " "What do you mean, no? You dare oppose the will of the king?" Alazne hesitates for a moment, but in her heart, she knows what to say. "Yes, yes, I do. I can no longer stand for the brutality we have become a part of. I am an Orthodox Imerianist, and I do believe those are heretics, but the solution is not to slaughter them. We can educate them in the correct ways of God. We can send missionaries, and if we treat them with respect, they might accept them. With the love and respect that Imerian preached, we can reach them. This slaughter, frankly, eats away at my soul, and I am not willing to continue it." Most of the room is in outrage. A notable minority stays silent, with looks of uneasiness in their eyes. Alazne knows. those are the ones who agree with her but are not brave enough to say it. The king, however, is silent. In his eyes was a look of pure outrage. He answers. "It is not your decision to make, woman, even if you control one of the most powerful electorates. I am the king by the grace of God, and you are not to oppose me." Alazne stands firm in her conviction. "Yes, but you are elected, which means you are also king by our grace. We are, in some ways, democratic, and if our will is not one with ours, we deserve the right to protest." The king has a look of anger in his eyes more intense than a thousand suns. He insists. "And who are you to question me? A simple elector, not a member of a dynasty like mine and even more so, a woman. I wonder if you can even vote for a king or rule a land. Your only quality is your looks, for that, you would make a good wife, serve men instead of opposing them, making many children as your god-given mission as a woman. Instead you are here getting in my way like a pety child. You are nothing but a daddy's girl that should be glad to just be here. You are just larping as a ruler, hiding behind your father's achievements, go back to your little castle, marry and hope one day your sons can be of significance" Alazne had expected to be demeaned for her gender at some point. But for him to acknowledge his dynasty is quite surprising, since it almost drops the pretext of an elective monarchy. The daddy's girl comment hits particularly hard because she believes it. She has not yet left the shadow of her father, who was a skilled administrator, and a builder. However, she is undeterred, and following her heart, she knows exactly what to say. "I am the future queen of Lyria! I proclaim my candidacy. And for now, I shall be what the Irisians call the leader of the opposition! I know my brothers here also stand against this, so rise, my brothers! We cannot stop this fully, but we can fight for our right to not collaborate! Don't be afraid. I stand with you!" The nobles were again in shock. But then one of them rises. And another one. And another one. In the end, about 40% of the nobles and electors of Lyria are on Alazne's side. Not enough to overturn the king's decision, but certainly enough to oppose the king, lest he want a civil war in an already precarious situation. It's clear that most of them don't all do it for noble reasons. Most of the merchant class in Lyria is Aquilinian, for they have easier access, due to shared faith, to the powerhouse economies of Azalea and especially Irisia. The electors of the regions most focused on trade, especially the Maritime provinces, side with Alazne. For the same reason, they, like Alazne, want a quick end to the war and might even be willing to make concessions for it. The king is at a loss. Never in his life has he been exposed to a situation of this magnitude. And in a civil war, they have leverage. Of course, the other powers would support them, and he would get overthrown. It's no use. He knows he has to concede. "As much as it pains me, circumstances have made following my decree to the letter impossible. I cannot concede the political unity of the kingdom at a time like this. My decree shall be implemented selectively. If the ruling elector opts out of it, it will be their choice. However, in those provinces that opt-out, a tax will be imposed on all Aquilinians that shall go straight to the crown, with 0% of it going to the electors. It is the least you can do for the cause. Moreover. Back to the war Kemen shalt go stop the Magnolians, Zigor will stop the Irisians, and, for no one to say I play favorites, the leader of this new faction, Alazne, shalt assist in reasserting authority over Alava. And if you really intend to succeed me, I think you know that your success in this is imperative, my dear elector princess Alazne." The king selects the appointees carefully. Kemen and Zigor are in their 40s and have military experience, so he sends them to the most crucial places where they can gain the most glory for saving the kingdom. Alazne is young. He does not trust her abilities and does not want her to get any glory. So he appoints her to Alava. a heavily fortified area that has been at a standstill since the start of the war. And moreover, he knows she would much rather defend her people than help him subjugate a rebellious province. So he partially does it out of spite. He continues. "I adjourn this meeting. I hope you're all proud of yourselves for going against hundreds of years of tradition and opposing a king. You're all very lucky there is a war going on, or I would have your heads. And once this is over, you better hope I am already dead!" Alazne does not mind the comment. She can't believe it. She managed to limit the royal decree. Her nightmares will finally leave her. So she answers with confidence. "I am proud. Even if the king was doing it, I was proud to stop the injustice. I will stand up for our people always, regardless of who harms them." The king is enraged and answers with bloodshot eyes. "I know your kind. You just don't want to get your hands dirty. I do what I need to do for the faith and for the country! You just don't have the courage to do that! And don't be proud of it. You just broke a centuries-old tradition. Lyria's government will never be the same again. And don't you come crying to my grave if you ever become Queen and the shoe is on the other foot and you can't do as you please because you just surrendered the supreme authority of kings for short-term gain!" She is still defiant and answers passionately, with shining eyes and a smile on her face. "That may be true for me, but I know being able to question the king will make the kingdom healthier in the long term, so it can stop things like these. And do not question my faith, but I am loyal to Imerian, to God, and to his people, not to the whines of those who do not understand that the actions of a few do not represent their group. I know the death of your parents hurts you, but it is not the fault of all Aquilinians, and I'm sure the one who did it has suffered for it. I want a peaceful, prosperous, and tolerant realm, even while promoting the true faith. We are not so different. If they just accept the authority of the patriarch of Lakedaimon and the few practices that differ, they will be no different from our brothers and sisters. For that, I need to become a queen. To make that dream come true." The king is livid. Not just because this is all he stands against, but because he feels powerless to stop it. He is old; she is young. It's just a matter of time before she will triumph over him. No one has the charisma, power, or will to do so. He has no relatives. He knows Kemen to be a fool, even if they have the same ideals, and his feats on the battlefield say otherwise. And Zigor has the power, intelligence, and tactical brilliance but none of the charisma. His only hope is to get Zigor military glory, so he is beloved enough to win despite that. But that seems unlikely given how dangerous the situation is. He answers. "Do as you will then, trample over my body if you can and make your vision reality, but let there be a warning: plans never survive contact with the enemy, your vision will be torn apart by cruel reality, and then you'll come to my grave as the only one who could understand what you are going through and get no answer. My ghost will have no sympathy for you. You will be left with a shattered dream, no authority, and no one but yourself to blame. Good luck, my dear princess. May fate bid you good luck. You will need it." Alazne is undeterred. She marches out of the room with a triumphant look in her eyes, knowing that she did some good today. A great deal of good. As she is marching out, a noble calls out to her. It's Benat, the elector of Gizpuskoa, which had sided with her. He says. "Thank you for finally standing up to the king. Just between us, I really believe in the rumors of him being insane. He was coherent today, but that was a rare moment. That is probably why we had delays. He was probably having breakdowns. Anyway, know that I fully believe in your cause. Of course, I have my economic reasons, but I truly do abhor the murder of innocents like you so clearly do. You have me by your side." Alazne smiles at him. She is glad to, at last, have allies, even if she has made so many enemies. "Thank you. I shall protect you and every other person who is opposed to this madness." She then leaves the palace and goes to rest for the night. She is again in the endless void. But this time, she is fully aware. She starts running through the blood, this time not so she would not lose her nerve but out of a desire to face herself. She sees the shadow again. She is disgusted just to look at her, but she charges on. She sees the corpses, and she, like every time, says. "Fret not. They were all heretics. It is God's will, is it not?" Alazne answers with fury in her eyes. "No, but this is." She pulls out her saber and stabs the shadow in her stomach. The sea of red gives way to light. An intense flash of light blinds her. Suddenly, she is in a royal court. She is dressed in the Lyrian royal colors of red and gold. There is a crown on her head. She can't believe it. And Atton is there, and all those who supported her are there. She feels whole and accomplished. Alazne feels like her father is watching her from heaven and feels proud. She starts crying. Not out of sadness, but out of joy this time. She tells herself. "This is not a dream, but a vision of the future. This will happen. It must happen. I need it to happen." Alazne had the best sleep of her life that night. Perhaps because, whether it would happen or not, this was a time before the challenges, the grief, and the hatred that her dream would bring. And now she rests in blissful ignorance. But for now, let her sleep. Let her dream, for all those with noble dreams deserve such.

Ambition. Ambition defines this man, Istvan Almos, of house Almos, the third prince of the realm of Magnolia. He hungers for power like a starving lion. His lineage goes back over 1300 years. It is the oldest, active dynasty known to the people of the continent of Saelia. although Azalea is still the longest continuous monarchy, their kings are now toothless and have gone through multiple dynasties. While the Almos family has always held the Magnolian throne with full authority. With such a legacy to follow, and with talent such as his in almost every field, how does one not be ambitious? But more than that, he is someone who enjoys power. He needs it to prove himself worthy of his family legacy. He has the talent to get it, and he loves it. Yet fate made him the third prince. So close to the sun, yet so far. This young prince, only 18 years of age. Slender and elegant, yet strong regardless, his hair, copper blonde, and striking golden eyes, which run in his family. He is in the royal castle's garden, which has a balcony with a beautiful view. Often comes to the balcony of the royal castle, and stares out longingly at his capital, Lakedaimon, thinking of the day he shall rule from it, if it ever comes. Lakedaimon, oh beautiful city, the great capital of Magnolia and the third-biggest city on the continent of Saelia. Home to 500 thousand souls. With its beautiful German-style architecture with Gothic overtones. They built the city for efficiency and discipline, but with heavy religious overtones. Since it is the place of death and burial place of the prophet Imerian. It would be a very diverse city for those reasons, and pilgrimages from all Saelian countries are common, but none stay, for they cannot. For this is a very elitist society, though it dreams of an Empire, it dreams of an empire where at least the elites would accept the Magnolian language and culture. And the capital, in particular, is no place for outsiders, both because of the paranoia of its rulers, and the idea of making it a pure place. The heart of Magnolian ideals and culture. The city embodies power, both political and military. Its food is very meat-heavy, particularly goat since they do well in the mountainous terrain. They also indulge in cheese and milk a lot for the same reasons. Its source of water is Lake Fehér. The melting of the glaciers forms it in the nearby mountains, so it's crystal clear and one of the great beauties of the city. Feeding life into this valley hidden between the mountains. It is also the source of many of the rivers in Eastern Magnolia and Western Lyria. While he stares out at this beautiful sight, he hears paces, then a voice all too familiar to him. A voice that fills him with joy. He turns around. He sees her. "Its been a while, my dear prince Istvan" The woman, who has the same age as him, had beautiful, emerald-colored eyes, and gorgeous, long, red hair. She was in a beautiful white dress and her features were as delicate as if she were made of porcelain. Each move of hers was elegant and precise, as if she were a goddess of the moon, brought forth to him by the full moon. Yet, he knows she is not such, for it is his old friend Ilona of Baranya, who has just become the duchess of Baranya. It is the first time he has seen her in a year, since her father fell ill and she had to leave the capital to tend to him. After he passed away, she had to deal for months with not only setting up the administration, but convincing her very conservative government to accept a woman at the head, which is highly unusual if not nearly unprecedented in Magnolia, but her lacking brothers and being eloquent, beautiful and politically savvy, she manages to pull it off. Istvan had dearly missed her, As she was the only one around him ever to be real mental stili for him, who can challenge him, not in status, like his brothers, but truly debate with him, make him think beyond his typical line of thinking. And he loves that. He hates boredom, and he knows that his time with her is going to be anything but boring. He answers. "Yes, my dear duchess, and what you call a while, I call a dull eternity without you. Just seeing your beautiful face fills me with joy" Ilona gives a smile that hints the feeling is mutual, but never says it. And she answers. "Always with the flattery. How many girls have heard similar things? Well, at least I have the privilege of having seen 5-year-old you fighting over me with your brother. You were such a cute boy, shame to see you corrupted by the world." Istvan remains confident. It is not the first time she has lightly mocked him. He knows it's her way of showing affection. Although somewhat unbecoming of a prince, he let her, and no one else but her, do it. For she has always held a special place in his heart. "You forget my position, dear duchess. Yes, I have been with many women, at least for my age, but as a prince, I have no need for flattery. I am not a liar or someone who can honestly flatter someone I consider inferior. But you are special, so none of that gets in the way. My flattery is for you only." Ilona chuckles. And answers. "And if I might say so, it is quite enjoyable flattery. I normally don't let anyone flatter me. It feels fake, however, in you I still see that earnest little boy in you who dreamed of being king. Do you still dream of that?" It surprised Istvan that she would bring up that. Regardless, he answers. "A man never truly leaves behind his boyhood dreams. Yet, he is surely faced with the reality that they may not come true." Ilona answers with confidence. "But what if they could?" Istvan is intrigued. "What do you mean? Sure, the first prince, Attila, would rather be a warrior or a general, so he would be easy enough to get out of the way, but you know well that Andras would easier light himself ablaze than cede the throne to me." Ilona smiles and, in a very ambiguous tone, says, "then why don't we light him ablaze then?" Both laugh for a moment. But then Istvan looks at her. She smiles, and he says. "Oh... you're serious?" Ilona looks away for a moment, then looks him straight in the eyes and asks him, still with a smile on her face "I don't know, dear prince. Do you want me to be serious?" This was a defining moment in Istvan's life. He knows her, and he knows her to be serious. Istvan also knows the magnitude of what she is saying. He also knows her to be an extremely smart woman. If he says no, she will let it go immediately. He knows that. And, of course, that is the safe choice. But Istvan is not one to play it safe. He is not one to take the easy path. He is one to seize the initiative. Istvan is a person who seeks glory. So, even knowing all the potential consequences, he knows his answer immediately. A million things going through his head, he simply says. "Yes. Yes I do" For a moment, no, for less than a second, you can see shock in Ilona's eyes, but she quickly regains her composure, smiles with deep satisfaction, and answers. "Well then, are you ready to join me in setting the world ablaze?" Istvan, intrigued, inquires further. "Depends on what you mean." Ilona points to the sky and says, "That shalt be our reach. None shall be above us, and we will lead this country into not only a golden age, but into hegemony in the continent, just like it had over a thousand years ago" Those are, and have always been, Istvan's wildest dreams. As an adamant student of history, he always dreamed of such, and she knows this well, but to truly show she shares those dreams, it is the validation Istvan always needed. Truly, she is his only equal, the only other dreamer on that scale. He answers. "Now, you paint a beautiful picture, my dear duchess, but how are we to do this?" Ilona sends him a sly smile and says, "Well, I am friends with Attila's wife. I can easily get her to make him give up the throne as, like him, she heavily dislikes court life and politics. Andras, well, it dosen't matter what happens to him as long as we take him out of the way, let's just say that." It's quite simple, and Istvan likes it. His brother would torture him from a very young age, bringing him down, and making him feel worthless on the grounds he outranked him in the family, he would break his toys, rip his clothes and even once released his favorite dogs onto the forest where they were never seen again. All because he was clearly jealous of the fact Istvan outmatched him in every measure of merit, especially those valued by Magnolians in kings. Which just made Istvan hate him even more. How could he be jealous of him when he was far more likely to be king than him? In short, Istvan has no love for his brother, seeing him as nothing but a wall standing in the way of his glory, so it does not bother him at all that Ilona would suggest that. It's quite satisfying on some level really, since he and Andras would compete over her even as children, so on some level, he feels like he has won that over him at the very least. Istvan answers. "I like it. Well, how could I not? It's me as king! But what would be your role? What would you gain from this?" Ilona answers with excitement. "Well, I shall advise you through it. It is always nice to get another perspective on such things. As for my reward, you could get me some tax exemptions in my province, or maybe a new castle. Well, I leave it up to you, always nice to have the king owe you something" However, Istvan has something much greater in mind. "How about you be my queen?" Ilona feigns innocence, although she knew he would say that. "Oh, really? Such a privilege, are you sure?" Istvan answers with absolutely no hesitation. "Well, who else would it be? One of those bimbos at court? Or a political marriage? I never much liked those. Besides, with your smarts and all you know, I better keep you close, lest I be overthrown. I like to say, make as many friends as you can, especially those who you do not want as enemies." Ilona smiles "Well, smart move, dear prince. It makes sense, and it's a tempting offer, but I, as a woman, cannot accept a marriage proposal immediately, it's unbecoming of a noblewoman." Istvan realizes the weight of what he said once she says marriage, but he does not shutter. He likes the idea. He really never considered someone else for the position. And if she is basically giving him the throne, it only makes sense. Upon noticing him deep in thought, she continues. "Though I find it quite cute that you're saying that to the girl you said you would marry as a boy. To think you were serious! I thought you were just doing it as one of your competitions with your brother." Istvan almost blushes, but holds back, and confidently answers. "Yes. Yes, I was. I knew what I wanted since I was a child, and besides being king, that was you. No one else is my equal. No one else I would risk everything with, no one else I would trust with such a plan as yours. Yes, since childhood I admired you. Every time you come to the castle, my miserable life would spark with joy. It cannot be anyone else." Ilona is rather caught off guard by this. She did not expect him to be this straightforward. She can't help but blush a bit. "Well... I... you can say I feel somewhat the same, even though I cannot put it into words as well as you can, for I am not as bold" Istvan laughs and answers "Bold enough to kill a prince, but not bold enough to tell someone they fancy they feel the same. I do not know if that is hilarious or cute." Ilona now blushes intensely and simply says. "Shut up..." Istvan laughs again and continues "Well, in private, you may call me king, for it is but an inevitability now. And may I call you queen?" Ilona puts his hand on his cheek and says, "Not yet, dear prince, not yet. If it pleases you, I shall call you king, however. As long as it dosen't inflate your ego too much" Istvan smiles and says, "Good enough. Now, dear duchess, shall we watch the stars together like we used to as children?" Ilona gets nostalgic and answers "Shall we also compete for who finds the most constellations or will that ruin the romantic mood?" Istvan laughs and says, "So there is a romantic mood?" Illona looks at him just the same way as she did when he asked him if he was serious "I don't know, is there, dear prince?" Istvan this time has little in his head when she asks such. For the answer is very simple. "Yes, on my end there is. What about yours?" Illona put his hand on his chest, her lips glistening in the moonlight. Seducing Istvan with her every move, and simply says. "What a silly question, if I'm considering being your queen that goes without saying, my dearest king." It is the first time someone calls him that, and he is glad it's her saying it. Not only does it fill him with hopes for the future, but acknowledgment from one of the people he admires most. He can't help but smile. "I'm glad to hear that, and the idea I may one day call you my queen fills my heart with joy." Ilona smiles, looks him deep in the eyes and says, "The pleasure is all mine dear king" After that, Ilona gives him a kiss on the cheek, like she would do when they were children. Though now it is somehow even more embarrassing than it used to be. Istvan was not prepared for this. He takes a step back out of embarrassment and almost trips over. "Hey, if you do that, I'll have a heart attack before I can even be king!" Ilona sends him a playful smile and says, "How precious! You still react just like you did as a child! Where is the big ladies' man now? Haven't you done much more with those other women?" Istvan picks himself back up and says "Yeah, but none of them know me like you do. None of them I respect, none of them I admire. And, most importantly, none of them were you." Ilona curls up her hair into her finger, a sign she is embarrassed. And says. "Well, teasing other men was never much to my liking either, I must say. But anyway, we have some stars to watch, I already see Scorpio! Point for me!" Istvan protests "Hey, we had not started it. It doesn't count!" They playfully go on like this for a while. And, before leaving, they share a long embrace. They think of the future, and how bright it seems now. Neither of them knows of the pain they will suffer. But let them enjoy it for now. For those sweet days, even if they are what bring it, are what will help them bear through the pain, and rise, and bloom, like flowers in the dawn.

It is a calm autumn afternoon. Istvan is tending to his dogs, which he likes to do personally, as he has always liked the animal when he receives the news. Lyria is at war. He smiles. For the war-loving Magnolians to smile at the news of a war starting is nothing strange, and Istvan in particular, for he sees in this is opportunity. He knows where this will lead. A continent-wide war, and as an aspiring political leader of a militaristic nation, he could not ask for a better opportunity to gain the glory he needed. Although hardly religious, at least by the standards of the time, he thanked god for having been born in this era. And promises he will not squander this opportunity. He caresses his dogs lovingly. He always seemed to understand animals better than people. It was always comforting to take care of them, which is why it hurt so much when his brother released his dogs. He neglected to, however, release the 2 Istvan kept in his room, his favorites. From those 2, he bred 10 others. He looks at them with pride. He took care of each of them since they were puppies and the last litter gave him 5 new puppies. One of them had heterochromia, so he doted on him in particular and named him Zack. He truly loves them, for, as skilled as he is in intrigue and court culture, he can't help but be exhausted by it sometimes, with animals and especially dogs, it is so simple to him, at first simple give and take, and then a true care is born between the animal and the person. He finds that so beautifully simple and relaxing, it cleanses his mind of all the stress he constantly has. As he is tending to them, he thinks about Ilona, about their plans and schemes. He hopes to see her again, not just because he enjoys her company, but because he knows this affects their plan. Then, just as he is about to leave, someone grabs him by the shoulder. Then, as he turns, he gives him a big bear hug. Even before seeing his face, he knows who it is. It's a tall, muscular, golden-eyed, copper-haired 26-year-old. It's his brother Attila. He comes to him, yelling, like he usually does. "Brother! Did you hear the news?" Istvan always enjoys his interactions with his brother. It puts him at ease and fills him with energy, so he can't help but smile. He answers. "Yes, I expect father to call an urgent conference soon." Attila feels annoyed with Istvan's serious tone "Brother, you're always so tense! Relax! Even if we get involved, we will only profit from it!" Istvan sighs and says, "Brother, I appreciate your levity and optimism, but this is something I take seriously." Attila says "Brother, you take everything seriously. It seems you only relax when you're with Ilona... I wonder why... well, I don't. It's obvious. You've been into her since you were 5, and I don't know if you try to hide it, because you either aren't, or you are, but you're bad at it." Istvan gets embarrassed, but it's not the first time he gets teased about that. He is very comfortable with his brother, so he is ok with it. He still avoids the subject, however, and answers. "Regardless brother, shall we go speak to father? By now, I'm sure he is expecting us." Attila knows he is avoiding the subject, but lets it go and says. "Yeah, sure, let's pick up Andras on the way to the royal pavilion." Istvan sighs again and says, "Do we have to?" Attila laughs and says, "Look, I know you don't get along, but it's my job as big brother to make you guys at least not kill each other. Besides, he has to be there anyway, so just deal with it" Istvan sighs and just goes along with it. They walk along and make small talk during it. Attila asks. "So, brother, I haven't seen you much since I got married last year. How have you been?" Istvan appreciates his brother's worry and interest in his life. Attila is one of the few people he can tell really does care, while so, so many fake it. He answers. "I'm doing well, really well. I am looking forward to the next few months since we are probably gonna go on a campaign and it's what I've been preparing for my whole life. So Pretty good." Attila smiles and answers "Man, I can already see you, being the famous general you always wanted to be. I'll be so proud of you! In fact, I already am. I saw you in fencing practice earlier. You beat our old teacher! That is impressive. He used to be the best in the kingdom! Sure is dad's age, but still!" Istvan didn't want to brag... or rather he did, but thought doing so was rather unelegant, but he was very much proud of himself for that. He's been trying to beat his professor since he was 10. He, of course, reciprocates the interest his brother has showed him. "Well, what about you, brother? How Fair thee? How is Yera? I haven't seen her since the wedding" Attila like his brother feels glad for the care his brother is showing him, more so because he knows all too well how rare it is for Istvan to show anyone that care, mostly it being reserved for him, their mother, Ilona and their father, though, his relationship with their father is, though caring, somewhat complicated by the politics of the kingdoms and everyone's expectations of them. With a warm smile, he answers. "We are doing great. We've been lovebirds since the honeymoon. She isn't pregnant yet though, I worry because if she can't give me an heir, dad might make me divorce her. But I don't think that will happen. But hey how are things with Ilona man?" Istvan feels mixed about this, of course, he is happy his brother is happy, but he can't say he isn't also happy he having problems getting an heir, in fact, it's a borderline miracle, because if he did, all of Istvan's plans would be for naught. He is glad to see him ask about Ilona since he really does not have many people he can talk to about this. He answers. "Don't worry, brother, it won't come to that, and if it does, I'll stand by you. I won't let father do that. As for Ilona, there has been some progress, but I can hardly tell you the details, but all I will say is that I'll probably hesitate to chase loose women like I used to." Attila is very glad for the support. Though it was an arranged marriage, he knew Yera since childhood, and was always close to her, and he always said the day they married was the happiest day of his life. So it means a lot to him that Istvan would support them. He answers with enthusiasm. "Now that is my little brother! Thank you so much! I'm so proud of you! You've come so far from the bookish timid little boy I knew! Good thing you're gonna stop doing that. I never thought that was good for you. I tell you, brother, settling was the best thing I ever did " Istvan thinks about the future, how he might have what Attila has with Illona, and he can't help but relish that possibility. He still has doubts but he is overall excited, for that reason he answers: "Yeah, it's fun but in the end, empty. I sure hope married life is that good, I have my doubts but if its with the right girl I can see it being like that." Attila is glad Istvan is warming up to the idea. he continues "By the way, I noticed you had a new litter back there. Can you give me a puppy? Yera loves dogs! Maybe that one with different colored eyes! " Istvan would not even think about giving one of his prized dogs to anyone, but to his dear brother. He doesn't even hesitate, but for one caveat. "Sure, I can give you a puppy, just not that one. He is my favorite, but sure, anything for you, brother... oh, we are here." They reach Andras's room. They look at each other as if to ask each other to knock. Attila ultimately does it reluctantly, for even though he loves his brother, even he realizes he is not the easiest person to talk to. Then they hear him through the door. He talks, with an annoyed tone. "What is it?" Istvan sends Attila a look as if to tell him to speak, for he knows Andras will not answer if he hears his voice. "Hey brother, we gotta go talk with dad, it's important" For a moment he is quiet, then he asks, "Will that arrogant prick, Istvan, be there?" Istvan immediately gets angry at this "Arrogant prick? Look who is talking, asshole!" At that moment, he opens the door, and he sees him. A short, skinny, bowl haired, 22-year-old, he has the family features of golden eyes and copper hair, but he can be hardly called handsome like one would call his brothers. He answers. "Respect the goddamn hierarchy. I am number 2, you're number 3, do not speak up or cuss at me." Istvan hates his attitude, always putting him down. He answers with force. "You cuss at me, I cuss at you, asshole, doesn't matter the number and even if it does, you're not number 1, are you? And besides, you disrespect Attila all the time, you hypocrite!" Andras matches Istvan's wrath and answers: "Not how it works here, dumbass. All that matters is that I'm above you, and who is the hypocrite, being all romantic with your little crush but bedding half the kingdom? Ridiculous." Istvan gets even angrier, and the fight is getting increasingly personal. He can show off his rank as much as he wants, but if he brings Ilona into it, that is something he truly can't forgive. "Dumbass? I can beat you at chess with my eyes closed! The hell you're above me, her if you're not number one you're nothing here, you're nothing, just like me, face it. And by the way, you would not understand it, cause no woman besides mother would even breathe the same air as you! And do not bring Ilona into this or I'll do something to you, not even the doctor will fix!" Andras will not accept an insult to his intellect, for that is his pride. He answers fiercely. "Bring out a math tome, or a biology one. Tell me you can understand one word there! Get off your high horse and face the fact that if I was born second, it means god deemed me to be better to be a king than you! Oh, and it's good they run from me, because there is roughly a 50% chance whichever woman I talk to, you gave some pox to! And your precious Ilona? You don't see it, but she has you wrapped around her finger, and god knows what she wants from you, but I would cut that bitch off my life immediately if I were you! But don't listen to my advice. I'm the stupid one, not the buffoon who just threatened me with violence!" "Bitch?? How dare you?.." Before Istvan can continue, Attila sends him a look clearly meaning to say stop. He respects his brother, so he relents. Attila sends Andras that same look, and he also stops. Only he and the king could stop these two. He says. "Now, before I have to smack you both in the face, let's agree to disagree and let it go. Now, dad is waiting for us, let's go." They both sigh and walk along. Soon, they reach the royal pavilion. It is a glorious sight. Dozens of swords, armor, pistols, and other prized weapons and relics of war prominently displayed gold and silver everywhere, and, at the end, a beautiful ornate throne, made of Aisan Ivory, gold, and iron. And atop it, a beautiful painting of the dynasty's founder, and therefore Istvan's ancestor, Almos Themistocles. Sitting on the throne is the king himself, Imre III, Istvan's father. He looks much like an older version of Attila, tall, and muscular, and has the family traits of golden eyes and copper hair. But he is 55, has a beard, unlike all his sons who are clean-shaven, and has the scars of a true warrior king, which all Magnolian kings are groomed to be from birth. He seems imposing on a normal person, and that is how he presents himself. But his sons know who he really is. The king, at first with a closed expression, upon seeing his sons, rises from the throne, walks over to them, and smiles. Then he gives all 3 of them a big bear hug. He speaks. "My sons! My pride and joy! It's been so long since I've seen you together since one of you is off with the wife and the other 2 can barely stand to be in the same room! And to see you at a time of such great opportunity to our kingdom is just more reason to be joyful!" Andras, who never really knew how to deal with affection or optimism, being a staunch cynic, answers with "Well, father, you're well-studied in history. You must know for all of our martial culture, the last successful Magnolian war was over 1000 years ago. What makes you think this time it will be different?" No one shutters at the fact Andras acts as if Magnolia is already at war because they know it's an inevitability. Of course, the most militaristic nation in the region will join what is inevitably going to be a continent-wide war. Andras is right, however, but with a smile on his face, his father answers. "Yes, son, I am well aware. But things have changed. Lyria is about to collapse. Azalea is only interested in defending Alava. That leaves only Irisia, which has historically been our biggest rival, but they only ever fought defensive wars, not offensive ones. Besides, they are a democracy, and integrating foreign peoples like Lyrians or Magnolians would only destabilize them. So we are in the best position to take advantage of the Lyrian and avenge my father's humiliation. And depending on how successful we are, could take the fight to the Irisians and avenge my grandfather. I can only see this going well." Andras is still skeptical, but trusts his father's judgment. His father is perhaps the one person he truly respects, as all his children do, for he was always dignified, loving, and present for all his sons. As a father has always been expected to be in Magnolian society, even amongst the nobility and royalty. Attila, in comparison, is of the same mind as his father and expresses such vigorously. "My dearest father, I am very glad you think the same as myself. Just like Istvan, I have hungered for an opportunity such as this for a long! And as your heir, I shall not disappoint!" Attila's notable casual feel and non-formal way of speaking for a prince melts away in front of his father. A consequence of the pressures of being firstborn to a royal house. Attila really only shows his true self to Istvan, Andras, and their mother. As much as he loves his father, he can't let go of the fact he has to succeed him someday, and he is reminded of that fact every time he sees him. It doesn't help that as loving as he is, he does frequently remind him of that fact. His father continues. "My boy, you will get plenty of opportunity, and you must. As my heir, you must prove yourself in battle. Istvan as well, if he wishes to have any standing in court. As for Andras, well, you can handle logistics. You were always pretty good with it." They all nod, but then they see a figure of a woman, 44 years old, who, however, looks a decade younger, thin, short, much shorter than their very tall father. She has long raven-colored hair, with hazel eyes and freckles. It's their mother, Dalma. She was the daughter of the duke of Heves, the only rich agricultural region of Magnolia on the border with Lyria. She married young, in an arranged, but not unwanted, marriage. Even if it was for her father's political gain, it was a big prospect to go from daughter of a duke to queen. The king was also a desirable partner, young, charismatic, handsome, and learned. So even if arranged, it was not a forced marriage, and they became quite fond of each other over the years. She says. "Politics, politics, politics. Imre dear, is that the only thing you talk about with our dear sons?" Everyone smiles at the sight of her and walks straight to her and all at the same time hugs her tightly. Even the king gets off the throne to join them. For a royal family, they are very loving despite the brotherly bickering. Istvan is the first to ask. "What are you doing here, mother? I thought you always said in this kingdom women should stand behind the throne." His mother, with a comforting voice, responds, "That is true, however, there is no one here but my family, and I would not miss an opportunity to see my 3 sons reunited. It has been a year, after all. Attila, my little lion cub, is all grown up and married! Andras, my studious little scholar, how are the studies going? And Istvan, my baby eagle, how are the dogs? How is Ilona?" Istvan likes to be called baby eagle. As childish as it is, eagles are the national animal of Magnolia, so he felt it was her way of saying he was her favorite. His father stops him from answering the question and says. "My love, unfortunately, time is short, and I must meet with the council. And make the preparations for the campaign, justify our involvement and all. You boys do not need to come. Just prepare for the campaign. You'll have plenty of time to catch up later, after the war." Dalma protests "Honey, what if something happens to you or the kids? It is war, after all. I know Andras will be safe, but what if I never see you or the kids again?" Imre answers with a smile and a simple acceptance of his own mortality. "Then that's just how it's supposed to be. For a Magnolian man to die in battle is the most natural thing in the world. You know that, dear. But relax. We are truly warriors and we shall all come back alive." Dalma accepts that is just how it is in Magnolian society, she always knew it, but hoped when the moment actually came to go to war, that her family would spare themselves from the frontline, but not even the kids want to do that besides Andras. And only because his passion is in logistics, not in battle. She somberly says. "I know honey, I know..." Then they kiss with the familiarity that only decades of marriage give you. It's not an overly eager kiss, it is one that has been practiced over and over in private and in public. It is a genuinely loving kiss because you can hardly go almost 3 decades with someone without developing some affection. And in their case, they've always been close. She continues now, speaking to all of them. "Bye, kids, I'll hold down the fort while you're away, of course. I will have to make it seem like it's your father's advisor doing all the work, but you know. I will miss you all!" They all say their goodbyes. Little did they know it would be the last time the 5 of them would be together. Before leaving, Dalma pushes Istvan aside and says "You better close the deal with Illona soon. I want another daughter-in-law! It is my reward for having only sons, and it's not like Andras is giving me one anytime soon. Not to mention grandchildren! By your age, I was already pregnant with Attila. I know not how Attila is so lovey dovey with Yera and she is still somehow not pregnant! They have been trying, I know it! If 2 years pass and nothing happens, we might have to search for another wife for Attila. I would hate to break up those two, but the future king will need an heir." Istvan is glad his mother approves of Ilona, though he got a bit embarrassed at the mention of having a child, as one would naturally, even if a bit of an inevitability in a time before contraceptives. He answers with a calm demeanor. "Mother, things with Illona are moving quite nicely. Worry not. We shall give you grandchildren when the time is right, and as for Attila and Yera, worry not, this will get sorted soon enough,and if it dosen't simply have one of us be the heir, it is not without precedent. I would much rather that than father and brother having a spat over him keeping his wife." His mother smiles with pride at her son, but her smile seems to have a slight grin. She knows the angle Istvan is playing here. And she soon makes it clear all that she is already expressing through her expression, often a habit of hers to do. "My savvy baby eagle, I am quite proud of you. You've grown into a fine young man worthy of a woman like Ilona. I always liked her, you know? She is always pushing you to be better. And I hope she continues to do that. I still remember her pulling you along to play the first time you met! Not long later, you were calling her to play. But, I must say my baby eagle, it is so like you to propose something practical, but that ultimately benefits you the most with an innocent smile and a calm voice. Although, you know if we did that, Andras would be the heir, right?" His mother sees through him,as always, just as expected from the one that raised him, refusing all caretakers, wet nurses and any other person besides him and her husband that would offer to bear the burden of raising a child. Something for which all admired her for, as mothers are highly respected in Magnolian culture, though of course as a noble of the highest order she could have delegated that responsibility if she so wished, but she did not, for her dedication had no bonds. For that, she was universally loved, especially by her sons. And Istvan was no exception. Istvan answers with a loving voice but an air of confidence. "Yes, mother, you caught me. However, you know very well that what I suggested would benefit all parties, not just me. As is my personal rule, in a deal I must make all parties profit if possible. If not, and only if not, I shall take it all for myself. You know that. But the latter is not the case, and my deal is in the best interest of the family and the kingdom. As for Andras, well, he will rescind his claim to the throne eventually. I will make sure of it. With that Istvan walks alway, confidently striding across the palace. His mother worries. She knows something is wrong, but can't quite put her finger on it. For a moment the unthinkable crosses her mind, but she brushes it off. Whether she thinks it unlikely or too terrifying to contemplate, she herself does not know. But before going, she whispers to herself. "Oh, my dear baby eagle, if I did not know you, I would be afraid you flew too close to the sun, but knowing you, I worry that you will overtake the sun and what that will do to you. Be strong, my dearest son, for you will need it." She leaves with a heavy heart. As do Imre and Andras. After they do, Istvan speaks to Attila. "Brother, you always tense up so much when you're speaking to father or speaking of matters of succession. I'm supposed to be the tense one." Attila sighs and says, "As you said earlier, I say the same. This is something I take seriously." Istvan is not convinced at all. He presses him further. He normally would not do so, as to not disturb the order, but with his and Ilona's plan in motion, it's something he has to do. "But you take almost nothing seriously. In fact, I know you hate taking things seriously, except if it's about your wife. I saw you sweating when speaking to Father. You hate this pressure, don't you? Do you even like being the heir?" Attila caves in and spills the beans, tho it's nothing Istvan could not tell already. "Yeah, you're right. It's a burden. I don't want to be king. If I get this nervous talking to my father, imagine addressing the court. Or a foreign diplomat? I would go insane! It's just this pressure, all the time, to be the best, to lead, to keep order. I thought it was tough just keeping you and Andras from killing each other, but this is something else. The older I get, the harder it gets. There is just more and more responsibility I don't want. And if I am being honest, I hate being the heir. I hate the pressure, the politics, all of it. But what I am gonna do? Andras is next in line and he doesn't have a kingly bone in his body. And he would rather die than give up the throne to you. So what can I do? Not even Father can change the rules of succession. " Istvan hides his smile. It was exactly the answer he was looking for, but of course, he cannot let it be known. He answers. "I understand, brother, and you know I would take up that burden in a heartbeat. Maybe I can come to an agreement with Andras. Maybe if we just make amends, we can solve this. Don't worry. And if nothing else, I'm glad you're venting to me. I will always be here for you." Attila is glad to hear that. He always knew all that, but he was happy to hear Istvan say it, like Istvan with him, Istvan makes him feel less alone. They hug and go their separate ways with an understanding of brotherly love and reliability. They all prepare themselves while their father handles the political side. He had only to call upon revenge against the Lyrians and say this was the perfect opportunity. Once the meeting is over, Istvan meets with Ilona. She is as beautiful as always, this time wearing a more elaborate emerald dress than the white one from before. Emerald is the color of her house, and besides the ring with her house's crest, she wears one with an emerald, as do all of House Baranya. Her dress is all silk, from the lands beyond the great Erimos desert west of the Ditikia peninsula, but in a distinctly Saelian style, with a big puffy skirt, and little emerald flowers knit around the sleeves and skirt, as well as emeralds drawn into the fabric. Clearly a massively complex and expensive dress with took many talented tailors to make, likely the best dress she could get her hands upon, which makes sense she would wear for an audience with the king. They speak with the same energy as before, with the same ambition as before. Ilona speaks first. "I mean, this is a great opportunity for us. You winning military glory makes your ascension much easier. And you will right my king?" Istvan smiles, and with the confidence only a validated love can give you, answers proudly "Of course I will. In fact, in the very first battle, I shall do it" Ilona is rather impressed at his confidence, for him to be so optimistic even under the circumstances, is impressive due to the kingdom's military history. "Oh? Now that is some confidence. I like that. You willing to bet on it?" Istvan wonders what is even the point of her asking that. She knows the answer, and he does not have a doubt in his mind over it. "My dear duchess, there is no betting when it's an inevitability, that is like betting on the sun rising. But I'll indulge you, sure. What are you willing to bet?" Illona is impressed at how cocky he is being. He was never too humble, but since they talked about him becoming king, his ego has shot through the roof. More so when he is around her, since he feels the need to impress her. Not something she finds too attractive, but it does make it easier to make him do what she wants. "Oh my, if it's so inevitable, how about if you're wrong you will buy me 10 new dresses? All the same quality as the one I am wearing " Although that many dresses of that high quality would put a hole in the wallet of any prince, but even if it came to that, he would gladly do that for Ilona. The answer to him is obvious. "Of course. And if I win, you know what? I quite like surprises, so how about you choose?" Ilona is rather surprised at this, not even Istvan is sure where he is going with this, perhaps it's a test of her character to prove his brother wrong, but nevertheless it's a rather favorable arrangement for Ilona, so it's rather hard to refuse. "Sure, I will do my best to reward you if you win. So you feel motivated. It's for the good of the kingdom, after all." Istvan is glad to hear it. He genuinely looks forward to the surprise, which he genuinely sure is a certainty. Or at least, he tells himself so. "Deal! Soon we shall see. Now shall we get going, my dear duchess? We leave tomorrow already" As he is walking away, she pulls on his sleeve, and with a worried look, says "Your fight with your brother...one of the maids overheard it all. Word travels fast.... do you believe him? That I'm using you?" Istvan does not hesitate for a moment in his answer. "No, that is absolute nonsense. Since we were kids, I have known you. I am a prince. I know most people try to use me, but not you.... that is just insane." Ilona sighs in relief, finally lets go of his sleeve, and says, "Good, nobility does struggle to find genuine relationships in this world, but I always liked thinking we had something genuine amongst this fake world, one true, real, beautiful flower of connection in the mud of lies. I'm so glad." Istvan is touched. He simply says, "I am more glad to hear that from you more than I would be from anyone else." They look each other in the eyes glistening in the moonlight with the look that they trust each other. Out of a trust cultivated through over a decade. She answers. "Anyway, we must go, lead the way, my dear King. But don't forget, I am going to war with you, representing Baranya, although I won't fight, of course, because although I've proved myself, as a leader by now, I have not overcome the limitations of my gender. But I won't be leaving you alone just yet" Istvan laughs and says, "Not that I would want you to, my dear duchess." They walk together for a while, and give each other a warm hug before leaving, for they had little time. Each moment like this is precious to Istvan. As much as he has his family, there is just something about this girl that would make him go to hell and back for her. He is not usually romantic, but he puts on that persona for Ilona. However, that is not his only persona. Like everyone does, he has many, and his most powerful and overwhelming one is yet to show. The persona of a warrior. The persona of a leader. And some, mostly his enemies, would even say the persona of a monster.

It's definitely been awhile since I've last been on here! How is everyone doing? I've been doing well and my life has gone back on track. After losing my baby last year, things were very hard for me, but I came back and got my stuff together! I'm ready to write webnovels again, and this time I think I came up with a really nice one you might enjoy! I've taken a lot of inspiration from various works I've read and seen over the past year and decided to make a story of my own! Hopefully you all enjoy it, and include this one in your libraries! I will be working extra hard on it! - Skorge37

It's a beautiful morning in Eleutheriapoli. The sun is shining, and the birds are singing. Though that beautiful morning shall bring bad news. Zenovia wakes up beside her sleeping wife, lovingly kisses her forehead, and lets her sleep a little more. She gets dressed. Zenovia goes to Amynda's room, notices her sleeping and hugging a doll, and thinks about how cute her daughter is. She kisses her forehead and heads out in full military uniform into her carriage. Zenovia is to go to an important meeting of the foremost military council. She is nervous and will do her best to limit the Irisian military's involvement in what is now called the War of the Unfaithful. Zenovia gets to the military headquarters, and her hand is shaking. She knows this meeting will define the next few years of Irisian foreign policy. Zenovia thinks of her wife. It gives her courage, so she walks in. The room is beautiful, all blue and white, with the symbols of the republic all over as well as those of the states. She sees every major military mind in Irisia. Chief among them is the president herself, Athina Sulis. A tall, imposing woman in her 60s, yet with vibrant eyes, full of life! As if she were half her age. And as an elder soldier and stateswoman, she commands absolute authority. With long and blond hair. Although a republic, due to the constant tensions with Magnolia over the centuries, ever since its inception, the leaders of the Republic were military women. It became an official requirement to have 10 years of military service to hold political office. Zenovia had no desire to go into politics. She thought that was rare for someone of her status. Athina shared Zenovia's beliefs. Although the same cannot be said for the leader of the opposition party, Maurikia. a woman in her 40s with shoulder-length dark hair and a constant cynical look in her eyes. Athina spoke. "I can't believe the Magnolians already took Heves back. Sure, they are a country essentially always mobilized for war, but it's been a month. We declared war immediately after the declaration by King Danel. There was no question here about whether we should do this. As an Aquilinian nation, this was a matter we could not ignore. Yet, there was doubtlessly a debate in the Magnolian court, since their Causus Belli is far more questionable. Yet, in a month, they took a province while we had just finished mobilizing? This is alarming. We must take decisive action." It surprised Maurikia to agree with her and reaffirms what she said. "For once, we agree on something. We must rush into Lyria and take the capital before the Magnolians get there. There is no other choice." Zenovia immediately protests. "That is not what she said! We are not an empire! If we take in the Lyrians, we become such! What would we do about Lyrian's voting rights? Would our population accept them? We are not like Magnolia, who can just conquer and claim divine rights! And what of the Magnolians? That would be a major provocation! and we also have no good claim to the land! We should just take back the Irisian provinces and at most set up a protectorate on the ethnically Lyrian provinces! That the Magnolians would be hard-pressed to find an excuse to make war with us!" Maurikia passionately disagrees. "So, we are to let the Magnolians take it? The Lyrians clearly can't stop them. And furthermore, if we were to capture their lands, we could send missionaries to free the Lyrians from the tyranny of the patriarchate of Lakedaimon. It is our mission as Aquilinians." Zenovia knows that Maurikia does not respect her, since she has no political experience. So she subtly signals for Athina to speak. "If they attempt to take Saguena, we will protect the Lyrians, but to annex them is not within the conduct of a republic. Furthermore, our prophet Aquilina did not preach violence to spread the faith. With a weakened Lyrian state, we can simply make them accept our missionaries into the country. They will not have much of a choice if they are under our protection. And on a personal note, if your plan fails, which it very likely will if it involves fighting the Magnolians, you will be blamed for it. And your party is going to become politically irrelevant. So I advise, for your sake and our nation's sake, that you just drop it." Maurikia relents. Even as the leader of the opposition, it's hard to oppose such an imposing figure as Athina, at least directly, especially when her argument makes sense. Athina continues. "The plan will be simple. Take the ethnic Irisian provinces, establish a protectorate over the ethnic Lyrian provinces, assist the Azaleans in their protection of Alava, and keep the Magnolians out of all non-Magnolian provinces. All in favor?" The vote is unanimous. No one can bring themselves to go against a figure whose every movement screams authority. "Good, the meeting is adjourned, then. We have no time to waste, and the army is already mobilized, so we march out tomorrow." They all leave the room in silence. Zenovia is glad for this outcome and gives a thankful look to Athina. She goes back home to see her wife, still in her nightgown, making coffee. Her hair was messy, but still beautiful. Her eyes were like deep, dark lakes you could get lost in. And her lips were full and soft. She is glad to see her after such a stressful morning. Zenovia speaks. "Now there is a sight for sore eyes!" She hugs and kisses her as if every minute she is away from her is an eternity. She feels her lips on hers, and they just fit, as if they were two halves of the same object. As if it's wrong to separate them. She feels her love, the taste of coffee, and her usual smell of raspberries. Having returned the kiss twice over, Theodora responds: "Well, I can say the same about you. My wife in uniform is downright sexy." Zenovia blushes, but she doesn't need to hide it. They are not schoolgirls anymore, but every moment she is with Theodora, she feels like she is one. She feels young, confident, and attractive. Like she can take on the world. She can't bear the thought of ever being away from her. She looks at her uniform. It is a proper soldier's attire. Thigh-high boots, a white coat, blue shorts, a tricorne hat, and a rapier on the belt. But of course, due to her rank, she has several medals on her chest. Theodora continues "I assume the meeting didn't go well if you're this stressed out." Zenovia is quick to dispel her worries. "It was stressful, but I had you in my heart through it, so I made it through it. But even though it was stressful, I got the best deal we could possibly get. It's not like we could avoid war, but we are not fighting the Magnolians or taking non-Irisian provinces, so it's going to be pretty short, likely a few months. At least if it all goes according to plan." Theodora gives her a big smile. "I am happy to hear that, though. When are we going to the front?" Zenovia sighs, though she finds it strange that she said we and answered. "Tomorrow, there isn't even going to be time to visit my parents before. They want to make up for the time we lost mobilizing. Though, what do you mean by we?" Theodora smiles and puts her arms around her shoulders. "Well, I could not join the draft since I'm a stay-at-home mother, but I decided against it, and, as a surprise for you, I called in a few favors from our friends from the academy and used my credentials to get me to be your personal military advisor. They all said it was a pleasure to help too, and they all say we are the sweetest couple they've ever seen." Zenovia is utterly shocked! Theodora had abandoned military life when they adopted Amynda. She never expected her to go back. She answers. "Have you lost your mind? Who is going to take care of Amynda? What if we are both captured or killed? I love you, and I don't want to be without you for even a second, but this is just irresponsible!" Theodora expected this reaction. And she simply whispers into her ear, "My love, I am just as much of a warrior as you. I want to fight for my people as well. And besides, would you have me here, worrying every second about you? Amynda will be fine. She will stay with my brother. Also, we are not like the Magnolians. We are not daft enough to have generals on the front lines, and we will stay safely in the camps. It will be fine, my love. Besides, once you join the draft, you can't exactly go back on it, so this is happening." Theodora outsmarted her wife, as it often happens. It is frustrating for Zenovia, but at the same time, it reminds her of their early days when they competed over everything. "Ok, it's not like I have a choice, and I am happy to have you by my side. Both for having my wife there and a great military mind." Theodora blushes intensely. "Come on, you know I'm sensitive to flattery." Zenovia smiles and says, "That is exactly why I do it. Anyway, shall we prepare for the voyage? We must make haste!" They both get ready. At night, they are in bed, as always, in a tight embrace. Zenovia says. "My love, I can't oppose you coming, even if in my heart I did not deeply want it, but please do not prioritize my safety or life over yours. You've been the one taking care of Amynda. I have just been the one putting bread on the table. If one of us is to be lost, it is not to be the one that can actually take care of our child." Theodora is not surprised, but very upset at hearing this. "You cannot make me promise you that. You know I'd die for you, and if you're implying that I would choose my own life over yours, do not be daft. If you were gone, my life would be over. And sure, I take care of Amynda, but you have no idea how much she looks up to you. She wants to be just like you. I am going with you to make sure you come back safe, and I will make sure of that, and I will do my best to protect my own life as well, but we don't have to worry about that. We will always figure out a way for us both to survive, and we will have each other's backs. Together, we can overcome anything. My love, there is no compromise, no half-measure. We will return to Amynda no matter what." Zenovia, who was almost tearing up, hugs her even tighter and says, "I love you! I love you so much!" Theodora lovingly says "I love you too, greatly." They sleep. The next morning, they get dressed It's been a while since Zenovia has seen her wife in uniform, her beautiful hair glistening in the sunlight. It is, as always, a sight for sore eyes for her. It's early in the morning when they leave. They say goodbye to Amynda, and Theodora says to her. "Be a good girl, ok? I know you will be, you always are. Keep up with your homework and try not to make trouble for your uncle." Amynda cheerfully says "I will, mom! Don't worry, the homework I get is a piece of cake. I just hope my uncle has good books so I can study something actually challenging!" Theodora is, as always, so proud of her daughter. Zenovia tells Amynda. "Be strong, ok? No matter what happens, your parents will always be with you. You know where they are?" Amynda responds with a smile in her eyes. "In the heart!" Zenovia smiles, almost tears up, and says, "Yes, exactly. Now, we will be going then. See you, sweetie." Amynda waves them goodbye and shouts for all to hear. "See you, mommy Zenovia! See you, mommy Theodora! I love you both!" They both tear up a little. But in their hearts, they know it will all be alright. They get on the ferry to cross the Eleuteriapoli straits from the edge of the Dytikia peninsula into the continental holdings of Irisia within Saelia. It is necessary since Irisia is divided between the continents of Saelia and Aisa, with the capital being right on the border between the two, but on the Aisa side. Upon crossing, they ride their favorite horses. Zenovia rides her beautiful pure white Camargue, a mare named Fos light in Irisian, and Theodora rides her brown Arabian mare with a pure black mane called Erebus darkness in Irisian). Athina is with them and is glad to see the old wonder couple back in action. She had been their teacher at the academy at one point and had been to their wedding, so she was a personal friend. Maurikia was there as well, eager to prove herself and promote her party. Their army numbers 80 thousand. After about a week of marching, they reach the capital of the former Irisian province of Anatolikon, the fortress of Amorion. And to their surprise, they receive a message upon their arrival. He says. "Urgent message to the president! It is from the foremost aristocracy of Amorion!" He hands Athina the message. It reads. "Ms. President, we are faithful Aquilinians. We cannot bear to follow King Danel after the proclamation, and we would never surrender to the Magnolians, so we have decided to surrender the city and the province to you. However, in doing so, we have evicted the Lyrian garrison from the city. And they are sure to send a retaliatory force, so we give you the province under the terms that we will receive a sizeable garrison to protect ourselves. Along with a skilled general of yours. Do so, and the province is yours. Sincerely, the supreme council of Amorion." Athina smiles. This is very good news, and she is sure to express that. "My loyal army! We have won a province without firing a shot! We have a reason to celebrate tonight! However, it will need a sizeable garrison to protect against the incoming heretics. I will designate that job to Zenovia and 20 thousand of our own! The rest of us will march ahead to secure the province of Samoa!" There were no objections. It's a plan that worked for everyone. Zenovia would much rather protect her people than promote Irisian imperialism. And without her, Maurikia would have had more chances to gain the military victories she needed. So it was done. Everyone marched ahead, and Zenovia and Theodora stayed there. It was not known how many would come, and as much as she wanted to enjoy this time alone with her wife, she knew she had to prepare for the worst. Zenovia got to work and spent her time repairing the walls, setting up provisioning, and rationing. The walls are beautiful structures, big beige giants protecting the city. The Amori River runs through the city, so they are sure of water. It was still autumn, and the beautiful orange leaves of the trees were still slowly falling off. The city was located on a vast plain with few trees, but the ones around the walls still made sure to make it clear it was autumn. The vast fields of the region made it famous for its horses, and in previous centuries, much of Irisia's cavalry came from this region. It's a horse's paradise, with evergreen pastures, long, wide fields to run in, and few predators to bother them. This field will become bloodied soon, though, and from a horse's paradise, it will turn into a paradise for crows. During that time, as she was walking through the streets of Amorion, an older, wealthy woman in her 70s spoke to her. "I know you, you're General Zenovia. I hear you're the one who crushed the rebellion against the Dytikian rebels in the Optimakoi province." Zenovia is often recognized, but only in Irisia. This woman, however, was alive when Anatolikon was part of Irisia, so there is a good chance she sees herself as Irisian and makes a point to keep up with Irisian news. "Oh yes, that is when I became a general. I had no pleasure in it though. Those people wanted to be free. I only brought myself to do that because I am proud to be Irish, and our thousand-year state cannot afford to be undermined. By them or anyone else" The woman expected such an answer, but she pries further. "Well, that is somewhat of a harsh view, but I know for a fact you were quite merciful. Were you not worried they would undermine the republic again?" Zenovia smiles and says, "Well, a true republic doesn't use more violence than necessary. Of course, we imprisoned the enemy leaders, but we freed the people. Of course, some wanted a punitive expedition, but I am of the mind that one should not mistreat our own citizens so as not to delegitimize our state." The woman smiles and says, "Well, we are in excellent hands, and I wish you the best in the defense of the city, for both our sakes." The enemy army eventually arrives shortly after they part ways. They number 40 thousand. They surrounded the city. Before they did so, Zenovia split the army into a more significant force with artillery and cavalry to engage the enemy in the north and another, smaller force to protect the southern half of the walls. Some of the cavalry hid behind the gates. There was also heavy cavalry in the wings of the army and light cavalry in the back. Theodora asked to have control over the southern troops, which would stay behind the walls. They ordered the infantry to dig a trench. The enemy also divided their troops between a smaller force on the southern wall and a more significant force on the northern wall, all infantry. The Lyrians did not want to charge at the trench. It was simply too risky, and the Lyrian troops were more specialized in hand-to-hand combat and would surely lose a ranged engagement to the Irisians, who were dug in and had artillery. They would overwhelm the cavalry at the flanks and wheel around to crush the infantry. However, they gave the signal, and the reserve came out of the city gates. The right flank immediately pushed them back, but they ordered the left flank to give ground. Until they were behind enemy lines. Then the Irisian light cavalry at the back charged, the heavy cavalry rallied, and they crushed the enemy. The right flank routed the rest of the cavalry due to their superior armor and guns. Without cavalry, it was easy to encircle the enemy, and they quickly surrendered. However. Once the fight was over, there was no report from the garrison at the southern gate. But Theodora herself came to tell her. "Something happened! Bring whatever cavalry is still able to fight! We need to go there personally. There's no time to explain!" Zenovia and Theodora themselves went with a small cavalry force so they could navigate through the city to investigate. They ordered a bigger force of cavalry to go around the walls at the request of Theodora. They went for the southern gate. Theodora asks. "My love, do you trust me?" Zenovia answers with no hesitation. "With my life." Theodora thinks of the irony of what she just said. "Well, I'm glad to hear that, but you might regret those words soon." Zenovia wonders what could shake her faith in her wife, but nothing really comes to mind, so she gets scared as to what she is plotting. When they get there, the Lyrians have broken through the southern gate. 10 thousand of them are crammed into the streets just beyond the gate, being held back by the entirety of the force meant to protect the southern wall. Had the conflict up north been a failure, they could have easily taken the undefended southern walls. Zenovia and Theodora know what they must do. A cavalry charge might just be enough to force them out of the city. They don't have another choice. There is no time to reach the north gate to contact the troops, and even if they did, the troops would be tired and depleted from the battle. They know it's risky, but the troops won't do a suicidal charge without their generals to keep up morale. Theodora says. "I love you." Zenovia knows what she means by that: that her love is everlasting, even in death, if it comes. She answers. "I know, I love you too." Theodora knows that she means that she truly has the same feeling in her heart, and it gives her the courage to do this. Zenovia caresses her beautiful mare and orders the charge. The wind is blowing on her face. Zenovia feels the weight of her saber and her pistol. She feels for a second, a thrill. She has never ridden this fast before. But soon they approach the enemy, and the moment they are about to engage the troops, the cavalry that had gone around smashes their rear. The enemy has nowhere to go. They are stuck at the gate. The infantry rallies upon seeing their leaders charge. It is still a tough fight, though. Zenovia's shoulder gets grazed by a musket ball, and she feels the danger of the situation. Then, an enemy infantryman pulls her from her horse. He draws his saber, and she sees her life flash before her eyes—her childhood, the academy days, her wedding—and silently begs that by the grace of Aquilina, she is somehow saved. At that moment, Theodora appears and stabs the man right in the heart. She reaches out her hand to Zenovia, and with a loving smile, she reaches for it, and Theodora pulls her up. In the end, they wipe them out. Zenovia tries to get them to surrender, and in the end, some do, but in such a tight space, the confusion is so great that they can barely organize a surrender. So they wiped most of them out. Later that day, they are setting up the POW camps as well as taking count of the dead. Zenovia and Theodora casually talk. Theodora says. "So, this was a major success." Zenovia is unsure how she feels about that. "Well, I guess, but we could have died, you know." Theodora rolls her eyes. "My love, simply think of the positives. We are already war heroes at this point. Imagine how proud Amynda will be!" Zenovia is a bit sad to hear that. "We are already her heroes, and this is not something for us to be made heroes for. We are killers. For the sake of our country, we are killers. But in the end, above all to me, this is a job, and it's what makes so much killing bearable." Theodora relents "You're right, we need to teach her what is right, and we can if we die. The charge on the southern wall was my idea. Once they broke through, I saw this as the only option, but it was still too risky. I'll take care, so we make it back alive every time, my love." Zenovia is glad to hear that. "Thank you. I love you. Also, thank you for saving me back there." Theodora blushes, hugs her, and whispers in her ear. "Of course, I'd gladly pierce anyone else's heart for you. Even my own" Zenovia appreciates the gesture but still protests and says, "Don't say that. I don't know what I would do without you, my love." Theodora rests her head lovingly on Zenovia's shoulder and says, "I say the same, my love. Know that my love is everlasting, regardless of what happens." They are glad to have each other's side. But they always have their daughter in mind. They go to sleep, and they dream of being together again.

Deep in the depths of Aria, there alone stood a righteous warrior betrayed by humanity, but his spirit was never broken. And so the Constellations above gave him a second chance, and now he's coming back. Whether he comes back as the Hero or as the Villain is his choice, but God so help us if he chooses the latter. And so time begins to move again... "It's time for round 2!" Shouted the lone warrior as he peered at a horde of countless giant spiders! The Horde of spiders lunged forward, I readied my stance and pointed my scythe forward. I swung forward and slashed one of the homing spiders, blood splashed me as I made impact! "I need to kill them all! Every last one of them!" This thought echoed in my mind continuously, almost like a broken record. The spiders evaded back and all looked upon their wounded sibling, it seems like the slash didn't finish the job. "These damn monsters are tougher than they look!" I then noticed something appear above the heads of the spiders, it was similar to the glowing neon boxes but light-green and much smaller. The words on the small boxes read, "Lv. 3 Venom-back Spider Hatchling" Is this some sort of new ability, it's naming the monster in front of me? I've never seen anything like that before! I then looked upon the head of the recently wounded Spider, it had a flashing bloody skull icon right next above the name. "What does that mean? The others don't have it, so why does he have it? It has to mean something!" Without warning, the other Venom-back spiders assaulted again. "Damn it here they come!" I swung my scythe downwards and pierced the head of the first one in front of me. The blade got stuck through it's forehead, and the small flashing skull icon appeared again. I was then hit in the back with burning venom, the pain blistered but I fought against it! I kept swinging my scythe around frantically to ward off the beasts. It seemed to be working, but they kept shooting their venomous projectiles towards me. I evaded backwards to avoid them cornering me, all the while dodging their attacks! I then re-dashed forward trying to avoid as many as I could, but there was only so much I could dodge. I was hit all over with the boiling spit, but my determination never faltered. I had one goal, and it was to kill every single beast in this hellish pit! I noticed the spider I struck kept staggering around after my deadly slash, he had a strange skull icon hovering above his head. "Just what is that? Does that mean it's almost dead something?" I shouted while sprinting towards him. Soon a small neon box suddenly appeared in front of me and time slowed down drastically again, "Oh what now!? I'm kind of busy here!" I quickly took a glance over the hovering box and it read, " Executions : When an enemies HP has been brought to a certain point, a flashing skull icon will appear above them. This means that the enemy can be eliminated instantly with a powerful finishing blow. Be sure to perform a flashy finish to gain bonus EXP and SC! More brutal executions offer better rewards and EXP!" After I finished reading the box, it quickly disappeared and time returned to it's normal speed. "What the hell!? An execution? I just have to do a finishing move for extra points? This just made things a hella lot more interesting!" I reached the spider and looked down on him with a blood thirsty gaze, I gathered all my strength and plunged the scythe deep into it's ugly face. I proceeded to lift it upwards with the planted scythe and slammed him repeatedly into the ground like a jack hammer! Each slam made the scythe dig deeper and deeper into it's head, I repeated this motion until I saw the spider's status vanish into nothingness. Then a small message box appeared next to me as the Spider died, "EXECUTION! Bonus EXP rewarded!" The other spiders had backed away when they saw their sibling viciously murdered before them. Then one spat dark green venom at me, and I raised my scythe to block it. The venom missed my scythe and hit me in the arm, I then dropped the scythe in pain! My arm felt like it was on fire and I felt my HP drop a little, "Gyack!? I don't think I can take much more of this!" My strength began slowly diminishing as I got hit with more and more venom, it seemed to have a lingering effect that took a toll on my stamina! Then two of the spiders took advantage of me being disarmed, and I dropped down to try and reach the scythe before they reached me. "I'm not gonna make it in time!" I soon saw the grimoire and remembered that I'm also a MAGE now with a very particular set of spells. "Wait a spell!" I had no idea how I was going to cast a spell, I just tried thinking of one right off the top of my head and raised my hand towards them. Without thinking, I blurted the first one that came to mind, "FIREBALL!" my hand immediately engulfed itself in fire and launched out towards one of the spiders! In a flash, one of the spiders got hit head on and was repelled backwards by it's force. That's when I saw the flashing skull icon appear over its head. I immediately took advantage of it and bolted straight into it, and within seconds I was looming over him. I forcibly shoved my hand into it's poisonous mouth and called forth the fire! "FIREBALL!" A small burst of blood and smoke escaped from it's mouth, and regurgitated violently before his status faded from sight! "EXECUTION! Bonus EXP rewarded!" I then remembered about another spell I wanted to try out, and the small spider horde was the perfect mob for it. In a dark voice, I silently mutter. "What's a spell that can hit multiple targets at the same time? Oh I can think of one now..." "Chain Lightning... " My hand erupted in electricity, and beamed towards the spiders! It paralyzed the spider, and suddenly it jumped to the 2 other spiders surrounding like a linking chain. Before me was 3 spiders helplessly being fried to death by electrocution, and soon the skull icons appeared. I kept the stream of lightning fixed on them until they were fried completely. Not long after, the spiders emitted smoke and went completely limp. "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "EXP has breached past the limit! You are now level 2! " The new messages caught me off guard, "What? I leveled up already? Now this is more like it!" I was then illuminated in a blinding light, and all my wounds faded from my body. My strength then returned in full, and my vigor was replenished! "This is amazing! Just what did those Old Stars do to me!?" I exclaimed in joy! I looked back at the remaining spiders, there was only 3 left but I can feel their fear from here. They didn't dare to take another step forward, instead they began taking steps back. I uttered to myself, "I guess even monsters can feel fear ..." I walked up to my scythe and picked it up, the monsters definitely knew what was coming next. I raised my scythe in the air, and in a loud voice, I said unto them, "I was sent here to die, but I'll be damned if that's my true fate! I'm going to escape this hell hole, even if it means defying Lady Fate herself!" I locked eyes with one of the venom-back spiders, and in an instant I rushed straight at it! "HYAARGH!" I swung with all my might and pierced the side of it's head! Then the execution icon appeared, I then pulled out the scythe, and replanted it right into it's web-sack! And in one savage pull, I completely opened up it's back and it's entrails fell everywhere! "EXECUTION! Bonus EXP rewarded!" The final 2 spiders realized all hope was lost, and soon began to flee in the opposite direction. I then aimed my hands towards them, "CHAIN LIGHTNING!" and a beaming ray of electricity paralyzed them right in front of me! Soon the execution icon appeared and I ran right up to them! They were completely dazed and paralyzed from the volts, I placed my hand on both of their heads and whispered menacingly, "Chain lightning!" The sound of a million volts echoed into the abyss, and their cries sounded for all their comrades to hear! "DOUBLE EXECUTION! Bonus EXP rewarded!" "EXP has breached past the limit! You are now level 3! " "I ranked up again!? That fast!? This is way too damn good!" I soon looked around myself and saw no more hostile spiders. The remaining few had already escaped deeper into the abyss before I could get to them. "Damn they got away, hopefully that doesn't bite me in the rear later..." I relaxed my tensed self and sighed deeply. "Looks like I survived, for now..." I took a few steps forward while observing the small field of corpses in my wake, "I think I did pretty good for my first battle as a player , however I need to become way stronger than this if I want to make it out alive. Who knows what else lurks down here..." I walked up to a small boulder sprouting out from the ground and took rest on it, "Alright I should probably check my status to see if anything is new. I levelled up twice so something probably changed." I then called for my status menu, "Status!" PLAYER STATUS Level 3 MAGE Titles: N/A HP: 50 MP: 100 SP: 25 Attributes: ( 10 Perk Points available! ) Strength: 5 Dexterity: 1 Intelligence: 10 Sense: 10 Vitality: 5 Luck: 1 Passives: N/A I nodded my head as I saw my 10 perk points, "Looks like I got some perk points from my levels, I should spend them wisely." I pondered for a bit on where I should place them, the choice was difficult. "Since I'm a mage, I should definitely add some to my Intelligence! And my strength too since I need to be physically stronger for future head-on battles." I added my first perk points in, then the system displayed a message, " 3 added into Strength and 3 added into Intelligence ! You have 4 left!" I looked at my Luck and Vitality stat, they both seemed reasonable to raise up in my eyes, however I wanted to spend my last 4 on just one of them alone. "I may need some luck in the future, but I also need vitality to raise my HP. What should I do?" I carefully considered both options, but after some thinking. I finally decided what could help me immediately since I'm still starting off. The system then displayed another message to me, "4 added into Luck ! You have no more perk points to add!" "Alright I think that's enough for now, I'm sure that Luck stat will come in handy pretty soon. Hopefully that doesn't cost me life!" I then turned my gaze into the pitch black abyss in front of me, "I have no idea what lies ahead, all I know is that I need to get stronger! Much stronger than I am now!" I know I have only been down here for a few moments, but the despair and loneliness of this quiet grave began to reach my heart. I can't even see the beautiful skies of Aria anymore, only the dark earth that imprisons me here. I looked up to the ceiling of the cavern, it blocked my view of the beautiful night sky I longed to see. I then prayed silently to the Constellations above hoping that at least one of them would hear my cry. "Oh Stars above! How I long for your beauty and grace, is this all part of your grand plan? Did I get sent down here for a greater purpose hidden from me? Why has this all happened? I was innocent and blameless before man! How come this has happened to me? What sin have I committed to deserve this unjust punishment? Will I ever see the light of day again? Will I ever succeed in this endeavor? If so, then please give me a sign so I can press onwards, free of these vain thoughts. A simple sign to let me know that you're still here watching over me!" After much wrestling inside my mind, I finally came to a blissful conclusion. "No matter if I'm abandoned here or not, fact is, I was given a second chance. I don't understand it all, but I do know I must push forward. If my fate is to die in this wretched place, then let it be! But I'll be damned if I am going to wallow over in misery and die without honor!" I stood to my feet once again and raised my scythe towards the unseen sky above! "Hear me! I may have fallen from Grace, but my levels will bring me back to the top!" Little did the player know but his prayer was heard by the Constellations, and this is what they said amongst one another in those very moments. "His ambition is only second to mine! This warrior will do great and exceedingly abundant things, isn't that right Lady Fate?" The Constellation of Fate replied back, "Yes you're absolutely right Ambition , it's all in God's Will for him to overcome these challenges. However we must follow the commandments of His Majesty before we act selfishly." Then the Constellation of Willpower chimed in as this was spoken, "If his Willpower stays faithful and strong to his spirit, then he can overcome any adversity with ease!" And then Valor commented on this saying, "Not just Willpower, but also valor, and discipline! If he faulters in those areas, it can spell certain doom for him." Then Lady Wisdom spoke softly and added on, "Not just certain doom for him, but also for everything around him. Including Aria herself!" The Constellations knew what she meant by this, it caused a shift in the mood. However though, Lady Hope spoke once again to set their minds at ease, "However he uses this power is entirely up to him, however, we shouldn't forget why he was chosen for this calling. Does everyone remember why?" It was then that another Constellation spoke out, "Because he's perseverant.." And another said, "Also patient..." Then one by one, each Constellation began naming adjectives that described the young mage in full sincerity. "Zealous...", "Ambitious...", "Strong-willed...", "Disciplined...", "Valorous...", "Magnanimous...", "Passionate...", "Cunning...", "Faithful..." Lady Hope then said unto them, "Inside of him lies a piece of all of us, whether small or big! If we keep hope in him, then isn't it the same as keeping hope in ourselves?" All the Constellations we're in agreement with this, they knew inside of Shin lied all the traits of the Constellations. It was for that reason that he was chosen, even if it wasn't by his own will. The tension in between the Stars began to ease up as everyone was reminded of this. After the tension cleared up, Lady Wisdom voiced a suggestion to the other Constellations. "I just got an idea, would everyone like to hear it?" The other Constellations listened closely, and Zeal replied, "What is it Wisdom?" "What if we gave him a daily quest to prove once and for all that he's everything we claim him to be?"

We immediately took flight on her wings of scarlet, I felt the cool wind run through my hair as soon as we went. And soon a question appeared in my mind. "Kyoko! Can I ask something?" I called out. She responded quickly, "Go ahead, what is it?" Without anymore hesitation, I asked, "This City we're going to, what is it exactly? Is it full of full of... people like you?" She shook her head, "No it isn't full of brainless monsters if that's what you're asking. The City is called Agios Pagetos , or in your tongue, "The Holy Frost." There are many tribes of refugees and deserters that take refuge away from the ongoing war. It's considered a sacred city by many, and has been protected by the Almighty Divine Dragon for many Songs ." I became a bit intrigued at this saying, "The Divine Dragon? What's that?" Kyoko hesitated a bit, but soon she reluctantly responded, "The strongest and most revered Dragon in the entire Tranquil Pandemonium. His Knowledge and Wisdom knows no bounds, he was even the One that prophesied about the End of our Song. His name is Lord Kuroakami , The Divine Dragon of the Frozen Moon!" I didn't know how to react to that information, I simply responded with, "Wow, that sounds so intense. And you also know this cursed place by that name? The Tranquil Pandemonium?" Kyoko added onto her saying, "Yes, it's the name that's been passed down for centuries upon centuries. Every ancient prophecy calls it that, and according to Lord Kuroakami, it's also the originator of all life on Aria. You'll learn more once I introduce you to the Divine Dragon!" My eyes widened, "What!? I'm going to meet him!? Why?" Kyoko's eyes relented, "Because you have to, I can't tell you why just yet. You just have to trust me on this, it's too complicated to explain." A reasonable concern arose in me, "But what if he kills me!?" Kyoko shook her head, "He won't kill you! Believe it or not, he's one of the most peaceful Dragons in history. His grace is deep, and his mercy is wide. He won't attack you unless you show hostility against his City and his people." My voice cracked, "A-Are you sure? Won't everyone see me as a threat since I'm human?" Kyoko confidently nodded her head, "Of course not! Everyone is welcomed in Agios Pagetos, even some criminals if they're repented from their sins!" I nodded in doubt, "Uh huh, okay I will trust you then. This is still just a lot for me you know? Just yesterday I was still on the surface of Aria, and now I'm plummeted deep into some wild adventure that just gets crazier and crazier as I move on..." Kyoko stayed silent and didn't answer back, her face however told me exactly what she was probably thinking, "I'm sorry about that..." Kyoko aimed her sights deeper into abyss, she quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me closer towards herself. Suddenly, a strong gust of power shot through my entire body. It made me hesitate, but I couldn't reveal that to Kyoko. Kyoko focused her gaze towards the direction of the power surge, "Grrr damn it! They somehow caught up to us already! I knew we shouldn't have took that break!" Kyoko ceased her flight and brought us back down to the ground, we landed and looked around. Kyoko stretched out her hand and summoned a red magical circle, soon a bright red light broke out and some sort of sword poked itself outside of the circle. I looked in awe at this sight, and I couldn't snap out of it. I watched as Kyoko grabbed hold of the sword sticking out of the magic circle and pulled it out slowly. I soon saw a blood red sword with a semi-curved blade. It was shiny and metallic looking, but the hilt looked like scales in way. Kyoko signaled me with her eyes and shouted, "Shin! Stop daydreaming and arm yourself! They're going to be here any second now!" I gave her a puzzled look, "Who are you talking about? Who's coming!" She looked back at me, "Someone I've been wanting to kill for a very long time already, and not only him but his army too..." "What!? Are you serious right now!? An army!?" I blurted. "We have no time to be dismayed, these caverns are about to become a battlefield. And we are severely outnumbered, however though, we shouldn't be outnumbered for too long! We just need to survive until they get here!" My interest was immediately piqued, "Wait someone's coming to help us? How do you know that?" Kyoko gave an amused smile and chuckled, "Hehe let's just say all of this was kind of planned since the beginning. And now we have them right where we want them..." Kyoko did some practice swings with her sword and crimson slashes broke the wind and fired towards the abyss. Their cut slashed through every rock in it's path, and diverged a small boulder in the way! I was pretty impressed by that, and my face showed it. Kyoko then regained her stance and said to me, "Shin, you should probably get ready. They're almost here!" I then materialized my rusty scythe and grimoire, I readied my stance and surveyed the surrounding area. I then hear Kyoko call out in a frustrated voice, "What!?" I turn towards her and see that she's looking around frantically, "What happened Kyoko!?" "I feel them coming in all directions! How did they manage to surround us!?" she clamored. "What!? How bad is that!?" I shouted. Kyoko tightened her grip around her sword, "It's pretty bad! Damn it! Looks like I have no choice, I hate that it came to this." Soon 4 spikes shot through Kyoko's hand from the handle of her blade. Blood ran down from her hand and it reinforced itself along the edge of the sword. It was almost like her blood was becoming the swords' edge itself! "What are you doing Kyoko!? That looks like it hurts!" I called out. She bit her lip at the self inflicted pain, "Sometimes when the battlefield is full of blood and iron, you can only do one thing." "And what's that?" I replied. She gripped her blade tighter and more blood ran down, "You become the Blood and the Iron!" Soon her blade was completely crystallized in her own blood, it gave off a metallic scent and I could feel the extraordinary yet strange power built up inside. Out of the blue, from deep inside the darkness. I felt something evil, it was dense and made the atmosphere thick. It felt like a raging surge of power emitting from a powerful creature. It almost felt like Kyoko's energy, but more negative. Kyoko's blade continuously reinforced blood alongside it's edge and enlarged it. Kyoko raised her sword to the sky, "Don't relent Ketsueki! Consume me in your hunger, and give me everything you got!" "Ketsueki huh? That must be what she named her sword... I should probably name my scythe one day..." Soon I felt gazes from all around me, it felt unreal but also very distinct. I knew deep down in my spirit that the battle was about to begin. Then suddenly a familiar red message blared in front of me: ! WARNING! An extraordinary foe draws near! Proceed carefully with the upmost caution Your life is at risk! From the shadows, an abnormally large (about 4 cubits high) dark greyish figured stepped forward into the unmarked battleground. Kyoko raised her blade above her brow and fixed her gaze upon the mysterious figure. He had large iron pauldrons and wore a unusually decorated skull as a mask. He held a large bone-like staff in his right hand, and a small grimoire in the other. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and peered back at Kyoko. Their showdown was cold and bleak, and I could sense some bad blood between them. Without breaking her gaze, Kyoko then sternly said to me, "Shin listen close for I'm only going to say it once. Whatever you do, don't get in-between us. Lest you die in the storm that's about to break loose." Soon a dark red status box appeared over the monsters head: [Lv. ???: Malcaborg the Unbroken] What? Is that a name!? I've never seen a name on a creature before? What the hell is going on!? I simply took steps back without further question. This is truly a fight I couldn't meddle into, just who is this monster that could rival against a dragon!? And suddenly, I saw 2 more large grey enemies take stance beside Malcaborg. Their status boxes were orangish red and had the same menacing title etched in: [Lv. 25 Lieutenant Chieftain: Uzril-Shoka] [Lv. 25 Lieutenant Chieftain: Uzril-Nahjou] "Are those more name!? And look at their levels!? I'm not even half of that!" I blurted. I looked over at Kyoko but she didn't seem to notice my sudden shout. I whispered under my breath, "What the hell is about to happen..? Am I going to survive this!? Just how strong is everyone here!?" Many conflicting and terrifying thoughts arose in me, and fear started to overtake me once again. Kyoko perceived my hesitation and disheartened spirit, and so she spoke to me. "Shin listen, don't be dismayed. Although goblins are savage creatures, they do hold much pride within themselves. Therefore they won't dare do anything that would bring shame to their chivalry. If we beat the 3 monsters standing before us, then all the other will flee in terror. All you have to do is hold off the two guards, and I will take down the leader." I gulped hard and choked on my speech, "A-Are you saying I have to fight those two at the same time!? Don't you realize how powerful they are compared to me!?" Kyoko stomped her foot into the ground, "Of course I know! But we don't have any other choice! This is life and death! Whether we live or die is determined here! Now are you going to keep pissing your pants and die? Or are you going to grow some balls and stand your ground until our help arrives?" I immediately silenced myself, I've never been rebuked so harshly yet so encouraging before. I knew what I had to do, I knew since the beginning what this insufferable journey was going to cost. It's life or death, and I'll be damned if I chose death! I took another deep breath, brandished my scythe, and steeled my resolve, I then smile back at Kyoko with unfathomable confidence, "Damn it Kyoko, you better hope those allies of yours hurry quick! Let's freaking do this then!" I walked up beside Kyoko and aimed my sights towards the 2 Lieutenants. I know deep down some miracle is gonna happen, but I don't wanna rely on miracles anymore. I want to rely on my own power, and my own strength! Therefore I need to become stronger! Malcaborg then raised his staff above his head and unleashed a resounding war cry that shook the very pillars of the void! *WAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHH* Kyoko remained unmoved, while I stumbled a bit. The Lieutenant Chieftains then both sounded their cries, and this caused the smaller goblins to exalt their cries! *WAAAAARRRRGHHHHHH* The entire battleground was echoing in war screams as they small army of goblins rallied their leaders for battle! Somehow I began to feel pretty invigorated, I felt pleasure by the thought of destroying the morale of the goblins by executing their champions. I looked over at Kyoko who was already itching for the pending fight, "Kyoko, I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm going to survive this battle, and so I want you to fulfill one dream I always had." Kyoko's gave a diabolical smile, "What is it Shin? Speak your mind!" I responded back with the same energy and raised forth my scythe, "I've always dreamed of having a waltz with a beautiful young lass, and well I think you cam fulfill that one wish. Will you let me have the honor of sharing this final dance with you?" Kyoko smiled brightly at this, "Oh my how romantic! Well since you asked so nicely, I would be glad to fulfill your request! But under one condition!" "And what is that?" I asked. "You have to promise to dance with me again when this is over, only then will I allow you to take my hand in this waltz!" I felt empowered and rallied up, even more so than ever before. Somehow her words could truly speak into my heart. Without hesitation, I immediately answered, "I promise! Let's make this the first dance of many!" Kyoko then turned to me and stretched out her free hand, "Then come my Savior! Take my hand and let us paint this battlefield in red!" I stepped forward and took her soft warm hand, and I felt an overwhelming power building up inside of her. From the moment we touched, I realized just how powerful she actually was. It was like a raging storm brewing inside of her body. It was restrained and dying to be let out, and I felt chills in my own spine! Relief washed over me, and I realized that the battle was indeed unfair, but not in the way I originally thought. We released our hands to begin our final stand at each other's side, and thus the final waltz drew near. Kyoko then raised her voice and blade to the heavens and declared once more, "It's time Shin! Raise your banner high! For today we become the Blood and the Iron!"

In the year 1423 of the Euphony, there lied the land of Aria! Solely ruled under a Tri-Monarchal Government, there stood everlasting peace and tranquility; free from all War and organized bloodshed. None dared to disrupt the peace of this Utopian world, those who dared to disturb this world were silenced without mercy! In spite of this, there foretold an ancient prophesy revealed by the Constellations above that an unknown Enemy would rise from world underneath, and lead armies of foes to decimate anything that drew breath on the land. This Enemy would change the fate of humanity as we know it! The Constellations above feared this revelation, and thus they began their work! They worked rigorously against time to preserve the beautiful land of Aria, but the more they worked, the more they realized that they needed something more to complete their mission. They needed something taboo, they needed a sacrifice ... They needed someone who's to unwillingly give themselves for their land, and be sent through the fire to become the final HOPE for all humanity. The Constellations examined all the land yearning to find this sacrifice , yet they found none who could bear the burden. And soon they began to lose hope, and some even counted it as lost. That was until now... One man amidst the people shone a light within his spirit, and caught the attention of all the Constellations above. The Constellations themselves spoke to one another with great joy, but also with overwhelming conviction for the sin they were about to commit. "One man for the sake of humanity!" said the Zealous Constellation. "He will be restored for his heroic sacrifice and be gifted power from above!" exclaimed the Valorous Constellation "I will become his Hope, if he trusts in me..." uttered the Hopeful Constellation. The other Constellations began to make their pleads about the situation, they knew it was for the best, but at what cost? That man they found was named Shin Tsuki, a devout man loyal towards his headship, quick-witted, adaptive to his surroundings and strong willed above all! No one else on Aria could hold a candle to the potential this man yielded, and so the Constellation's decided to put their plan into action. The time is now, the iron is hot, and the time of the Enemy draws near! And thus begins the story of Shin Tsuki! At the Edge of Aria, upon a large cliff that stood at the threshold of a deepest pit of Aria. One man stood in shackles and bloody rags, his body was thin and covered in crimson stripes. Many guards and knights surrounded him as they took him closer to the Edge, many spiteful gazes leered at him from all directions, yet the man said nothing to them. Soon they were standing at the Edge, and they turned the bound man before the multitude of people that followed. One high ranked officer shouted towards the man saying, "Have you nothing to say to them traitor!? Won't you defend yourself here in your last moments?" The bloodied prisoner shook his head and stayed silent, the officer spat on him, "A Worthless coward up until the very end! Priestess, hurry and give him his last rites!" A woman in a pure white robe came and began to pray over the bound man saying, "May the Constellations above take you, as this land below consumes you. May you finally find peace in the next life, and may the blessings of Lady Hope cleanse you of your sins!" The Priestess stepped down and walked away, the officer came back up and made one last proclamation to all those present in the crowd. "Shin Tsuki you are hereby charged with the greatest sin known to man, TREASON! Under the laws that govern this holy land, we now sentence you to capital punishment! You shall be dropped from this place into the Tranquil Pandemonium, whether you survive the fall or die matters not. May God help you if you survive this!" The guards readied themselves to throw him over edge, the officer asked him once more, "Do you have any last words before you go?" Shin spoke softly, "Even if I pleaded my innocence now, none of you would care to listen. I have nothing more to say to you or the people. Now just let me go in peace already..." The officer gave him one more disgusted look before giving the final order, "Throw him over, I had enough of him already!" With one strong push, Shin fell down into the dark abyss. Soon his vision went black and his consciousness faded... The sound of slowly dripping water reverbed through a dark and empty cave, and in the midst of it, I was lying washed up against a stony shore with blood and stripes all over my body. "How did I end up here...? It's so cold, so dark..." My strength begins to fail me as I tried to crawl forward, it feels as though my lifeblood is pouring out of every gaping wound. My body was drenched in water, and every small draft of wind triggered frozen pains all over. "It hurts... it hurts so much.." The sound of flowing water can be heard behind me, as well as the wild critters creeping around in the shadows. The air is so damp and heavy, I can hardly even breathe in here! "Is this really happening..? Am I really about to die here..?" I crawl up and lay my back against a small rock sticking up from the ground, it's not the most comfortable pillow, but it will do for now. I look upon myself and saw many gashes and deep punctures patterned all around, it was quite horrifying to say the least. "I can't believe it... I can't believe it's going to end like this! What did I do to deserve this!?" Tears began to flow from my eyes as the shadow of death lingered over me, I clenched my fist and began pounding it into the ground. "Gyargh! It wasn't me! I didn't do it! It was a damn set-up! Why doesn't anyone believe me!? I would never have betrayed my master's family! Let alone even him!" Sobs and loud thuds began to echo through the darkness as rage continually built up inside of my heart. I began to replay all the bitter memories before this whole ordeal began. "It was all HIS fault! He's the one who set me up! It's HIM that deserves to be down here, not me! I trusted him! I freaking trusted him!" A faint image of a man in a shadowy cloak flashed by, he had a diabolical grin stretched across his face with a bloodied knife in his right hand. "I'm going to kill that bastard! I swear upon all that's holy, I'm going to kill him!" I look up towards the darkness above and declare to all, "I'm going to crawl up from this hell and tear that bastard to pieces!" One thought replayed in my mind over and over again, "I need to get out of here, I need to get out of here!" I slowly regained some energy to move whilst saying this in my head. I began to look around for some clues on where to start. "I need to stand up..." My mind became focused on trying to regain my balance and composure, it was difficult but I was determined to do so. "Arrrghhh c'mon!" With one mighty push, I was able to regain my footing. a little wobbly, but at least I got it! I held onto my ribs and slowly moved deeper into the abyss before me while repeating to myself, "I need to get out of here!" I can barely keep my balance, but I pressed on. Step by step, I continuously moved forward in a unsteady rhythm. My head was spinning, and I couldn't move in a straight line. Little by little, I felt more and more tired, as if my body was already at it's limit! "Ack!?" I suddenly lost all strength and toppled over. "DAMN IT!" I shrieked. In a fit of rage, I began to beat my fists into the ground. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" I shouted over and over whilst rolled over on the stony floor. It was then that I began to hear movement from all around me. If things couldn't get anymore worse... I lifted my eyes to see a small pack of primal spiders gazing back at me, they were quite big in size compared to normal spiders; these were maybe about 3ft tall, and had thick, hairy legs. One spider then suddenly blindsided me from the back, "ACK!? What the hell!?" I got knocked forward. Another came and spat venom on me which caused an ungodly torment to enrage upon my right arm. "HYAACK!?" One by one, each spider began hitting me in what seemed like synchronized attacks. All I could do was helplessly take every hit, like a ragdoll being manhandled by his master. I said to myself. "Is this really how I die? Am I really about to become spider fodder in the depths of this hellish pit?" I was then suddenly knocked airborne by a ramming spider, and landed near the water I first emerged from. My body is now completely out of commission, I have no more strength to muster anymore. I can't breathe, nor can I see very much. "A-Another chance..." I whispered to myself. "If only I had... a second chance..." The spiders began to close in on me as I awaited my pending doom. Again I called out to the darkness, "Another chance... If only I had a second chance!" Many unbridled images started flooding me, I saw the bloodstained room where my master and his family lied in pools of blood. Then the bright courtroom in which I was sentenced, I remember hearing the verdict, "CAPITAL PUNISHMENT!". Then came the bitter unrestrained torture and beatings in that horrific black dungeon. Lastly was when I was taken to the threshold of the large pit, I was carried away by many armed guards whilst in shackles and bindings. After a few last rites, I was then plunged deep into the dark pit and fell to the waters that were below. "This is really it huh? My life is already flashing before my eyes... I can't believe I lived this long to die in such a way." The spiders were all standing before me now, their eyes emitted a vicious hunger. Looks like I'm already done... I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for the last time, my final thoughts were, "If only I had a second chance, things would've ended much differently..." Suddenly all the noise in the cave cut out, no more water, no more creeping things, no more grunting spiders, and no more wind; it was just dead silence! I slowly opened my eyes, "Am I dead yet?" But to my amazement, I saw something unexpected. It emitted a neon red glow, and took the shape of a long almost transparent-like box. It was floating mid-air above me and had bright words etched into it. The words on the neon red box read: Congratulations! You have been selected to be REBORN as a < PLAYER >! Do you accept your second chance ? [YES] or [NO] (Selecting NO will cause every organ in your body to explode) "What the hell is this? Second chance!? Reborn!? Am I dreaming or something? Did I go insane!?" I couldn't believe nor comprehend what I was reading! It seemed too unreal to me; I had never seen nor heard anything like it before! "Selecting no will cause my organs to explode!? What the hell does that even mean!? And what is a player? " Many confused and conflicting thoughts entered my head, it was then that another smaller red neon box appeared. If you don't select in <3 minutes> then NO will automatically be selected! The timer began to countdown at a steady pace, "Now it's giving me a timer? It really wants me to hurry up and make a decision..." However though, my mind was already made up since the beginning. Like I said before, " I'm going to crawl up from this hell and tear all those bastards to pieces!" I then call out to the floating neon box, "I don't get what's going on, but if this is my second chance then I'm taking it! YES I accept! Give me my second chance!" Instantly the neon box closed in on itself, and a new one appeared in it's place. As this happened, my body began to illuminate into a blinding light and I felt all my wounds begin to close, my strength began to return, and my vigor replenished! The new red neon box read... Welcome < PLAYER >! Please choose your < STARTER CLASS > [FIGHTER] [THIEF] [MAGE] (Choose wisely as you won't be able to change this later.) "It's even letting me choose a starter class? What does that even mean? Am I able to get new skills and abilities too? That doesn't even make sense! I need to think about it, after the miracle that just happened to me, I'm pretty sure something is finally working in my favor. I wonder if the Constellations heard my cries..?"

With torn crimson wings, and bloodied scales, this beast measured about 6 cubits in length, and lied low on the ground. It was drawing it's final breaths, and it's life blood continually seeped out. "I cannot believe what I am seeing, is this an actual dragon?" I marveled greatly at this sight, I had thought wyrms and wyverns went extinct after the Draconis War! I only ever seen them in illustrations and paintings before, but to be standing before one is beyond anything I have ever encountered! Are there more hiding out in this accursed pit! As I drew closer to the dying fiend, I then saw a dark red box appear over it's head. The box simply read: [Lv. ???: Unknown Wyvern] "What the? It's not revealing anything? What level is it? And what attacked it!" The monster then locked eyes with me as it panted away it's final moments. It's eyes were silently told me it's suffering but wanted to live. It was clinging so desperately to life, but death stood at the door. Soon I heard footsteps behind me, the dragon furiously leered at whatever was behind me. *GRAAAAAAAAAAWWWWRRRR* The dragon let out a fierce and heart-wrenching roar, I slightly trembled at it's mighty cry. I drew my scythe and turned around to see the unknown assailant. "Is that an assassin...?" Crouched in a strange but menacing pose, I saw a small humanoid creature armed with two daggers and a crossbow at it's back. It wore dark garments, and had it's face completely covered. He was alone, but something was telling me it could still be troublesome! "Damn it, not again!" A dark yellow box appeared over it's head, it read: [Lv. 17: Goblin Bounty Hunter] "A goblin what now!? Those exist!? What is it hunting, and look at that level!" I was full of questions once again, and also slightly dismayed, but I didn't want to reveal that to the dragon behind me, so I stood firm and proud. I then heard the winged beast behind me stand on all fours, the bounty hunter started to take slow steps backwards while mumbling in an unknown tongue. In a flash, the goblin bolted right in front of me catching me completely off guard. It's speed was unnatural and incomprehensible, I've never seen anything dash forward that fast! In an instant, the Bounty Hunter was mere steps away from cutting my head off! In a fight or flight response, I immediately jumped and rolled towards my right, barely dodging the homing Hunter! "GYARGH!" As soon as I evaded, I then realized that the Bounty Hunter had already readied a large knife aimed straight at me! The next thing I knew, a huge blade was rushing straight towards me! "AAAAARRRGH!" I let out a bloodcurdling screech as the dagger impacted right into my left leg rendering me immobile! I quickly topple over holding my wound and was quickly losing blood, the knife was lodged deep within nearly touching my bone! Then a flashing red message appeared before me: YOU'VE BEEN POISONED! SEEK AN ANTIDOTE IMMEDIATELY! I was completely defeated, I couldn't fight back nor move because of the pain and the poison entering my body. The pain was immense and it drained my strength, even more so than the torture I endured back on Aria. Maybe this was a side effect of the poison I was injected with? ! DANGER! HEALTH IS CRITICALLY LOW! DEATH IS IMMINENT! Another flashing red message appeared before me warning of my pursuing demise! I knew only a miracle could save me at this point. I frantically opened my inventory to get my health potions, while doing so I noticed the dragon standing on hind legs while brewing a devastating infernal within it's mouth. "What is it about to do? Wait a sec-" The dragon then exhaled a raging burst of flames that beamed straight at the Bounty Hunter at a speed I couldn't even perceive! I instantly tried lowering myself further into the ground while holding my hands over my head! I even felt the extreme heat radiating from the fiery beam even though I was meters away from it! "AAAAAAAAH!" I screamed at the sudden hell-storm. The Wyvern held the beam of fire in one straight direction and it leveled everything in it's path. After a few moments, the fiery breath began to cease and only molten hot rock and ash lied in the wake. I looked up and saw that the Bounty Hunter had actually taken the beam head on, and was immediately blown away. He was ignited in unquenchable flames, and burned to a smokey crisp. The Bounty Hunter showed no more signs of struggle, and his status bar completely vanished. I stood astonished at this feat, I had no words to say. The winged beast completely annihilated the Level 17 goblin with one blow while being completely weakened and wounded. Fear settled into my heart after seeing that, and I realized that this monster could kill me at any moment. Even at a weakened state, it can vaporize me at any given moment! There was truly no hope for me to ever defeat something like this. The gap in our power was just too wide, I just had to accept my death with honor! My vision was already dimmed, I even lost my hearing without realizing it. I could feel myself breathing desperately, and my body grew cold. Yet I still pulled myself together and got on my feet once more, and in one savage pull, I yanked the blade right out of my leg. "GAAAAAAAGH!" I clenched the blade tightly after ripping it out, and threw it towards the floor with finesse. I then called forth a health potion and consumed it's contents, I felt my wounds heal slightly but the poison still flowed within me. I felt my HP rise and fall within mere seconds and knew it was vain to try any further. I stumbled to stand upright unarmed before the overpowering wyvern, and I gave it a cold piercing glare. I gulped really hard and broke out in a nervous sweat, however I still couldn't release my foolish pride. And thus I stood shaking, but held fast to my honor and chivalry The dragon just kept leering at me with it's dimming eyes, and then slowly moved towards me. We weren't far from each other, so it only took a few steps to get near to me. However though, the dragon then did the unexpected to me. Something I would've never have done for it if I was the beast. The dragon gently tail swept me off my feet, then it proceeded to lean over and sink it's fangs into my leg, but somehow it didn't hurt, instead it felt relieving? And the longer it kept it's bite, the more relieved and relaxed I became. I even felt my health restore slightly! After a few moments, I saw a new message box: Poison is cured! Status recovery in-effect! "Did it just cure the poison?" This question flooded my mind, how did it know? Why did it do it? Just why? The dragon soon released it's bite from me, and backed itself down due to it's injuries. I then drank another health potion and felt my status restore! I was near full strength again, however the dragon was showing no signs of recovering. The dragon looked like it wanted something from me, maybe to heal it? But there was no way of me to heal such wounds with what I had? In that instant, I saw the flashing skull icon appear above it. "Oh no..." I mumbled. I then looked deep into the dragons eyes, it was trying to tell me something. "Your eyes... You don't see me as an enemy don't you?" The dragon answered nothing back, instead it just kept staring. Somehow I began to feel sympathy to the scaled beast, my heart was being enlarged towards it as if I was looking into a mirror of myself. "A broken and abandoned creature struggling to live. That sounds a lot like someone I know..." I began to be flashed with memories of myself before I was cast down here. When I was being whipped and lashed in that horrific prison. I was covered in stripes and scars from the crown of my head to the soles of feet. My eyes yearned for hope, but they grew dimmer with each passing moment. This beast is the same as me, abandoned, hopeless, and stained with violence. However it still wanted to fight, it still wanted to hope, and it still wanted to live! "You want me to help you, but what can I do? I'm just a mere man!" I clamored. The dragon just kept staring with it's fading glare, something in me knew I had to do something. Even if it was something I might regret later.... I lifted my hand towards the top of it's nose, the beast looked at my hand and closed it eyes gently as if it was just going to accept whatever I did to it. I peered back into my spells list, and saw the perfect solution to this problem. It may cause problems later for me, but I couldn't let this taint my conscious no more! I focused my attention on my hands and placed them against it's large head. My hands then illuminated in blinding yellow rays of light, and it looked absolutely spectacular. Concentrated, I call forth the spell. "Heal..." Transparent rays of light began to wrap itself around the winged beast, and soon it opened it's eyes at me again. The rays of light began to cover the wounds and made a slight sizzling sound, and soon I saw the wounds began to close up. The dragon began to look around it's body and slightly moved around. "Be still dragon, let me do this for you at least." I stated. Soon my head began to ache, and I felt my spell weaken. "Ack! What's happening now?" A new small message box soon appeared: Low mana... "I'm low on mana huh? I guess I need to refill it somehow." I then called forth one of the mana potions, "Hopefully this is enough?" My inventory now read: "4x Minor Mana Potions." I then plopped open the cork that sealed the blue potion, and began to consume it. I consumed the entire thing and immediately felt my headache dissipate, and my magic energy rejuvenate. I looked back at the dragon, "Let's keep going." The dragon simply just stared back as if it was still trying to process what was happening. I continued to heal the dragon until my mana went low again, then I consumed another potion. I did this until I was down to my last one. "Only one more potion huh? Will this even be enough for it?" I began to worry since it still felt far out of reach for a complete healing. The dragon dared not move another muscle and simply allowed me to do my magic on it as if it completely trusted me. "I don't have very much left, but nevertheless I will do all I can for you." I kept healing it until the last drop of mana in me was depleted, some of the smaller wounds were healed but it wasn't nearly enough to cover the big ones. I think my efforts may be in vain once again, I feel utter defeat and hopelessness wash over me as I gaze upon the dying wyvern. "I'm so sorry... I tried, but I can't save you. Your wounds are too grave for me to handle." I rested my head against it's large forehead. I felt so useless and depressed, this beast saved me at the cost of itself! My heart ached, never have I met any wild beast with as much humanity as this one; even more so than most humans themselves! "I will never forget what you did for me, thank you so much. I will stay here with you until your last breath, just rest easy now okay?" I sat down besides the dying dragon with my scythe readied for any oncoming attacker. I wanted to make sure it passed peacefully beside me without any worries or doubts. It's the very least I can do for it... And it was at that very same moment, I soon heard the words that I would go onto changing my life forever! "You've passed my test warrior, you truly are the Chosen One that I've been searching for!"

This is not normal, nothing about this is normal. I have no idea what a player is, I can't even comprehend what this glowing box in front of me is! This is all too bizarre, I have no idea what's going on. However, I don't have time to think about unnecessary things. I just need to go with the flow, and figure out things later! This wretched place I've been plunged into is a pit of execution! Riddled with monsters and hellish beings, I must overcome any adversity and escape! Lest I become food for the depraved that inhabit this place. I gaze upon the floating neon box again, "Fighter, thief and mage huh?" I begin to deeply ponder my options. "I'm already quite skilled as a fighter so maybe that would be the best one? But I may also be able to choose something completely different, and learn a new vocation?" It was a really hard choice, I may regret trying to learn something new, but at the same time, it's also very tempting to explore my other options. I was then struck with a conclusion, "Wait what if I can do two things? If I learn spells and magic on top of my warrior prowess, I may be able to do a lot more. I think I might just do that..." I take a long hard look at the "Mage" option, "Learning spells will be useful since I already know how to fight pretty decently." I take a deep breath, and exhale. "Here goes nothing, I hope I don't regret this later!" I reach out and call to the neon box, "I wanna be a MAGE! Make me into a mage!" A strange loud chime sounded as I called out my decision, soon the red neon box disappeared and a new one came up. Congratulations! You have been gifted the <MAGE> class, and have unlocked the following: - <MAGE> Evolution Tree (Can be viewed at any time) - 4 NEW spells (Fireball, Chain Lighting, Frigid Wall, Healer's Touch) - Player Status GUI - Inventory/Equipment GUI - Shop Would you like to view your Status GUI? (You can view your status at any time.) "What's all this? What up with all these terms? Evolution Tree? Status Console? Inventory GUI?" A puzzled expression streaked across my face, I then read the prompt at the bottom. "Looks like I can view the status GUI, I should see what that's all about." I then call out to the neon box, "Yeah let me see my status!" It was then that a much smaller box appeared directly in front of me, but this time the box was a dark cyan blue. "Woah that was quick!" I began to read the smaller blue box. PLAYER STATUS Level 1 MAGE Titles: N/A HP: 50 MP: 100 SP: 25 Attributes: Strength: 5 Dexterity: 1 Intelligence: 10 Sense: 10 Vitality: 5 Luck: 1 Passives: N/A I begin to scratch my head, I have no idea what I'm looking at but I think I get the gist of it. I then call out to the box, "What does all this mean? What do all those attributes do? At least give me an explanation!" A small blue box suddenly appeared in front of me as I said this, it read. Would you like a basic tutorial? Yes or No I answered back, "Yes of course I do!" Soon another small box appeared before me, I began to read it. Tutorial 1/7: There are 4 main menus you can navigate through for various purposes. - Player Status - Inventory/Equipment - Evolution Tree - Skills/Abilities Each Menu can be opened, closed or navigated by the players will! Levels are obtained through gaining Experience (EXP) EXP is mostly gained through quest completion , gaining titles , and slaying enemies! I nodded my head, "Hmm okay that's good to know, what's next?" Tutorial 2/7 Player Status Menu: This is where you can view your Status, and raise your attributes as you level up. You can also view your Titles which are gained from accomplishing major feats and victories. Your attributes however can only be increased by spending Perk points! Perk points are gained as you level up! You are awarded 5 perk points per level, and 10 perk points every 10 levels! "Okay I think I got that, what do the attributes do? Next!" Tutorial 3/7 Attributes and Passives: Attributes determine how strong certain traits are, and how well you fare against enemies or situations! - Strength: Boosts your overall physical ability and inventory space! - Dexterity: Increases overall damage and accuracy of bows, as well as how fast/steady your hands are! - Intelligence: Increases overall magic damage, Magic Points (MP), MP regeneration, and all cognitive skills! Each point of Intelligence = 10 MP - Sense: Increases your overall senses, and visual appraisal skills! - Vitality: Increases your Health Points (HP) and Stamina Points (SP). Also increases HP/SP regeneration! Each point of Vitality = 10 HP + 5 SP - Luck: Increases your luck! May never know when you may need it! Passives: These are extra bonuses that the player can equip for extra attributes or stats! Ways to obtain passives vary! "Sheesh that's a really wordy one, I may have to come back to this later. Anyways next one!" Tutorial 4/7 Skills and Abilities: This is where you can view all your skills and abilities, as well as your health conditions! Whether blessing or infirmity, you can view all your conditions here! You can view your class specific skills, as well as read their descriptions! Make sure to keep this in mind when moving forward! It may just save your life! "That one was easy, I think I might use this one a lot..." Tutorial 5/7 Class Evolution Tree! This is the menu where you can view your class evolutions! Every 10 levels allows you to EVOLVE your class and unlock stronger skills, passives, and even certain titles! Some Classes even offer extra attributes, and HP/SP/MP! And in some cases, you can unlock RARE classes if you meet the hidden criteria of the rare class! Plan accordingly so you can discover these! You can only view unlocked classes and the next locked class , you cannot view classes beyond what's locked! "Wow this sounds pretty damn cool! I can evolve my class and become stronger! I wonder where I can take this! Hopefully I can become a Arch Spell-sword or.... probably something even stronger... " "Alright next one!" Tutorial 6/7 Inventory and Equipment: This is where you can view your inventory and items, and it can be mostly opened at any time. Your inventory space can be increased as titles, strength, and passives are gained, as well as certain classes! You can store whatever items you have in here but cannot exceed the limit! So choose wisely what you carry! Equipment is what you wear on your person, whether it be armor or weapons! You can view your equipped items here and see their stats at any time! "Seems self-explanatory, I think I can remember this one! Alright take me to the last one!" Tutorial 7/7 Shop: This is where you can buy and sell items! Various items appear in the shop at certain times so be sure to check back frequently! Shop currency are shop credits (SC). You can gain SC through slaying monsters, selling items and equipment, and quest completion! You can purchase weapons, armors, potions and quest items at any time UNLESS under special conditions! End Tutorial With that I was finished with the quick but LONG tutorial, honestly it was a lot of information for me to take in at once, but I'm sure I'll become more familiar with it as time goes by. "Wow okay that was a lot, I guess I just got to focus on the main things for now!" Suddenly a large green box appeared over my head and let out a loud bugle type sound! "AAH!? What the hell is that!?" I look up to see the green box hovering over me, it read. Lucky! One of the Constellations above decided to give you a free gift ! Do you accept? Gift details: Old Rusty Scythe Torn Grimoire x5 Minor Health Potions x5 Minor Mana Potions This completely caught me off guard, what is up with this gift!? And what does it mean that an Admin sent it to me? Is there someone out there watching me? I guess I have no choice but to accept this, just what is going on? "What? One of the Constellations decided to give me free stuff? I wonder which one did it?" I take a closer look at what they actually gave me, "Pfft! Out of all the things they could've given me, they went with a torn spell book and a farming tool! Just my luck..." I took a deep breath and exhaled, "Yes I accept, thank you I guess, whoever you are." I reluctantly accepted the gift, and found them in my inventory. My inventory space now read "14/75" Looks like I may have quite a bit of room in there... I instantly equipped the grimoire and rusty scythe, and saw them materialize right into my hands! "That looked pretty cool, I wonder what magic did that!?" In awe, I took a look at the stats: Old Rusty Scythe: +3 Strength, ???, ??? Torn Grimoire: +3 Intelligence, ???, ??? "Looks like there's some hidden qualities on these items? Well I guess I can't complain too much, beggars can't be choosers." I fastened the Grimoire to my hip, and held the scythe up ready for attack. "I wonder why I was sent this scythe, it's a very strange weapon to swing around. Plus it's pretty big, I don't think I can swing this around willy-nilly! I should probably practice my new weapons a bit before doing anything too crazy, who knows what else is down here!" I take a couple practice swings with the scythe hoping to get a more familiar feel with it, but soon realize it's going to take more than just a few swings to get down fully. "I should probably hurry and find a new weapon soon..." With that, I was all prepared. I think I pretty much understand everything now, I think I should start leveling already, I'm ready for round 2 with these damn spiders! "Alright I think I'm ready now! I think it's finally time to start round 2!" I brandished my scythe and readied my stance, before I knew it. All the neon boxes began receding back into nothingness, and time moved again! Meanwhile... Within an unknown constellation that overlooked the dying world, there stood 13 Stars who looked down over the Player as he raised his scythe against his enemies. One Constellation spoke arrogantly, "I hope those gifts you gave will benefit him! Like what is he supposed to do with that ugly scythe, Hope?" The Constellation of Hope answered back in a gentle tone, "It's only to bring him hope, you should already know that right Zealous?" The Constellation of Zeal answered back mockingly, "Pfft of course I know that, who do you think I am? If it was me however, I would've just given the Holy Blade Celestia and been done with it!" The Constellation of Hope chuckled softly, "Hehe there's more than what meets the eye Zeal, you just have to be patient and see for yourself. Soon it will all come together..." Then the Constellation of Wisdom chimed in as Hope finished, "Just what on Aria have you given him Hope...? What are the true identities of those gifts you gave?" The Constellation of Hope replied once more, "You're the Constellation of Wisdom and yet you cannot see? It's simple really, I've just given him hope !"

"What!? Who said that!? Show yourself!" I jumped to my feet while brandishing my scythe ready for combat! Something just spoke to me, and it was as clear as day. I checked my surroundings but didn't see anything or anyone that could've spoke to me like that. But then the disembodied voice spoke again, "You still haven't put all the pieces together? Aren't you the One blessed by the Stars above? How rich!" I looked frantically trying to pinpoint the voices location, and my senses were heightened beyond measure. Soon I heard rocks crackle and a beaming sound right behind me. I slowly turned around, and to my astonishment, I witnessed a illuminant sight. "Ack! What the hell, I can't see! What is that light!" I shouted while dropping my scythe to the ground to cover my eyes. The Wounded Wyvern that was behind me was now standing firm whilst illuminating into a ball of light. My vision was completely blinded and I couldn't see anymore. No matter how I positioned my hands, the light was simply too overpowering. "What's happening? Am I about to die!? Again!?" I shouted. After some time, the mysterious bright wyvern began to dim it's light. I slowly lowered my hands and behold I saw something magnificent, something that I would've never expected to see in such an accursed place. Something that erupted an unknown emotion deep inside my heart, it felt like relief and bliss mixed as one! No longer did I see a wounded dragon, instead I glanced at a bright silhouette of a person! And this person had the figure of a mature woman. Soon the light that shrouded this figure began to dissipate and I was able to see what hid behind the rays. I saw a beautiful woman, she had a long dark red and purple garment with a white feathered mane. She had long and flowing hair that was the color of pure azalea flowers, as well as two buns on opposite ends of her head. Her eyes were like a fire, and they pierced my heart with their vicious red glare. I was completely mesmerized at this sight! The status above the woman never changed neither, it still read: [Lv. ???: Unknown Wyvern] I called out to the mysterious woman. "Who are you? What's going on?" The woman simply smirked back at me, "Isn't it obvious? You passed the test, and now I want to reward you." "What test? What do you mean by test!? Just what are you?" The woman placed her palm against her own forehead and sighed, "Okay fine, I will explain it to you in the simplest terms possible, all of that was a test! I was not actually injured at all, I was just scratched a bit." "You call that scratches!? You were covered in swords and spears!" She restated her words, "Yeah it was just a small scratch!" I just tried shaking that off, "Okay whatever, that still doesn't explain anything, are you saying that YOU were the Wyvern I was trying to protect the whole time!?" She simply nodded her head, "Yes I am the wyvern you tried to protect, and this is my real form. Sorry that I deceived you for so long, I just wanted to see where your heart was." I had no idea what to make of all this! "By the Stars! How can this be!? I thought all dragons were blood thirsty savage beast! How can one be so domesticated and intelligent!" The Woman's face became sour, "That's a very rude thing to say to someone who just saved you, and can still kill you... But I'll do my best to ignore it for now..." "Eek! She's right, I must still keep my manners..." She sighed again, "Anyways the point is that you heroically saved me, and now we must head back to my City so you can meet my Father." This was all going way too fast for me, I needed her to slowdown and get on my page before we do anything else. And what the hell does she mean by meet her Father? "Wait stop! I have so many questions right now! Can you please at least answer some of them before anything else?" She shook her head, "Sorry, we don't have time to ask questions, the goblins must've already realized their scouts are dead and that a human is down here. It won't be long before they find us, we have to get moving now." "Wait did she just say that Bounty Hunter was a scout!? Ah hell nah!" A loud bloodcurdling screech shook the very walls of the Pandemonium, we both looked up at the sound of unknown cries and wails. It was like the sound of dozens of warriors letting out their most valorous shouts before a huge battle. The Mysterious Woman gritted her teeth, "Grr, looks like they are already found us, we need to move fast! Hurry c'mon!" The Woman then spread out both her arms in a T-pose, and as she did that, two large draconic wings appeared. She reached out her hand to me and shouted, "Hurry before we get killed out here!" Without thinking I immediately grabbed my scythe and reached for her hand, she then yanked me towards herself, spread her wings, and elevated us into the air. She said to me, "Sorry about that, I'll answer some of your questions along the way, just hold on tight!" I nodded my head, "Uh okay!" She grabbed me from behind and bolted away, we were soaring deeper into the abyss-like hell while dodging many obstacles along the way. She seemed focused so I didn't want to disturb her with needless conversation. Many thought flooded my mind, "Who was this girl? What is she? Is she on my side? Who are those things chasing us?" However, I decided to keep them to myself. As we soared through the narrow and dense caverns, I felt the cool wind of the pit running through my hair. It was really cold down here, and the wind was making things even colder. I kept looking up at her hoping she would say something, but she stayed silent during the whole duration of the flight. She would make sudden noises, and her breathing started to become jagged but that was it. I was also holding on for dear life, I don't think I would survive if I fell while going this speed. I think I was probably hurting her with the grip I had around her arms, but she didn't seem to notice so I think it was okay. After a very prolonged flight, the mysterious girl soon found a small crevice hidden behind some rock formations. She landed us behind it and took a deep breath, she must've been pretty worn out from all that flying. She then let me down slowly unto the ground before dropping on her butt and sitting down. Her breathing was pretty heavy and she didn't seem to be in the mood for talking. I was still pretty confused at the entire situation and had no idea how to respond to anything that just happened. I simply just allowed her to catch her breath before I asked anything crazy, I wouldn't want to get on her bad side after everything I saw the last few hours. She wiped the sweat off her brow and broke the silence between us, "So you have some questions for me right? Make it quick, we have to get moving again soon. Those goblin bastards are pretty fast..." I didn't know where to even begin, but I had to start somewhere. So I just blurted my first question, "What are you exactly? And why did you deceive me? What were you trying to test?" She gave a slight chuckle, "Haha I guess you want to know everything right? Alright I'll tell you as much as you need to know for now. For starters, as you can already tell, I'm a dragon, but not a normal kind of dragon, I'm in a 'special case' if you will." I replied back to her confused, "A special case? What do you mean?" She sighed once again, "Geez you really don't know how to connect the dots, I'm a dragon that has the form of an Arian, or to your kind, a human person. I'm one of the few dragons in history that birthed as a hatchling, but somehow grew up to look like a human." I became even more perplexed, "Wait so you were born as a baby dragon, and then somehow became a human as you got older?" She shook her head, "I didn't become human, I started to resemble a human. However, my Blood and Spirit all reflect that of a dragon, and I can assume a Draconic Form too." I began to understand it a bit, however I wanted to know more about what she was. Thus I asked this, "So is there a name for it or...?" She nodded her head, "Yes there is, I'm glad you asked. The species of Dragon that I am is called a Dragonoid . " "A Dragonoid huh? I didn't even know such things exists! I assume there are others like you, am I right?" I replied. She closed her eyes and shook her head again, "No I'm the only one of this Song." "The only one? What do you mean?" I responded. "It's as I said, I'm the only Dragonoid of this Era, and there's a reason for that too." "What is the reason?" She stood to her feet and looked deep into the dark pit, "You truly don't know anything that's happening right now do you?" I gave her a confused look, "I don't think I do..." She reached her hand out to the sky and exhaled, "Let me put it in words you might understand then, forgive me if I get lost in thought. You see every 1,500 years, this World finishes it's Song, and thus the Overture of a New Song begins. " I became even more puzzled at this saying, but I didn't have the heart to tell her just. And so she continued on with her speech. "Did you know that we are already at the End of the Song? All the Stars above have begun their chorus, and the 'Enemy' is singing a grand Cadenza in the darkness. However the 'Heroes' of this Song are yet to enter the Symphony." I immediately interrupted her, I have no idea what she's talking about but I did catch some interesting things, "Hey wait! What are you talking about? What do you mean that the Song is Ending? The Stars? The Enemy? The Heroes? What does all this mean!? What does this have to do with you being the only Dragonoid alive?" She quickly caught herself and realized what she was doing, she the cleared her throat, "It seems I may have made things more complicated. I deeply apologize for that..." I pressed her for more information, "No tell me what's going on, are you saying that the World is ending or something? Just speak more clear so I can understand!" She stayed silent for a moment and just stared back at me, she was looking for something so I held fast to my gaze. She then exhaled out and spoke back saying, "Okay fine, I'll tell you. The reason why I'm the only Dragonoid alive is because the End of the Song draws near, it's the same reason you're here too, and also the same reason why we met." My confusion was still high, but somehow I think I was starting to get it. "What? Are you saying this was all pre-determined and prophesied?" She nodded, "Yes, this was all destined to happen. This is the World's way of cycling itself to begin a new Song. All the old prophesies are just ancient manuscripts passed down from the survivors of the Previous Songs, and each Song is different from the others, but they all hold the same outcome." I gulped without thinking, "And what is that..?" She smiled with a joyful expression, "You'll find out later for yourself, and I promise that everything will be revealed in time. For now let's head back to my City, my Father is awaiting our arrival." "But I still have questions!" I exclaimed. She stood to her feet and peered deep into the abyss, "Save them for when you meet my Father, he will tell you everything you need to know!" A loud mighty roar echoed from the cave, it was followed by many war chants and cries. The mysterious woman unfurled her wings once again, "Come take my hand, we have to hurry! They already found us!" I reached out my hand, but then quickly retracted it in hesitation. She gave me a puzzled look, "What's wrong? Is something the matter?" I still had one question I wanted answered right now, and it's the one that I wanted to know the most. I looked back at her with a fierce glare and shouted, "Yes something is wrong! I still have one last question you need to answer or else I'm staying here!" She retorted back, "We don't have time for that, they'll be here any second!" I stood silent and upheld my glare, I was determined to have at least this one question answered before I made anymore hasty decisions! She peered deep into my eyes, almost like she was staring into my own soul. She then released her gaze and sighed, "Okay fine, one more question from me. It better be worth it!" I reached out my hands towards her once again, and in proud voice, I said, "What is your name? You've never even told me your name!" She then snickered, "C'mon, is that what this is about? I could've told you that much earlier if you just asked!" She then joined my hand and elegantly bowed her head to me, "My name is Kyoko Shizuka Yuki, and you are?" Kyoko Shizuka Yuki huh? It sounds vaguely familiar from somewhere. I returned the same bow back to her in respect, "I'm Shin Akai Tsuki, I'm looking forward to our time together Kyoko." She answered sweetly back, "Hehe likewise Shin, now can we please just get the hell out of here?" I replied back in full agreement, "Yes milady, please lead the way!" A new message box appeared as this transaction occurred: Congratulations! [Lv. ???: Unknown Wyvern] has joined your Party! Would you like to view the Party function now? What? A Party function? What does that mean? My eyes quickly became transfixed on the floating message box. Kyoko gazed at me confused, "Is something wrong Shin?" I answered back, "Wait you can't see the floating message box?" She tilted her head even more confused, "Floating message box? I don't think I understand?" Wait she can't see it? Am I the only one who can!? I shook my head to reassure her and came up with a little white lie, "Oh it's nothing, I thought I saw something. Let's get out of here already!" I quickly dismissed the message box, "I'll check that later..." Kyoko then readied her flight, and took my hand, "Alright then next stop, to my City!"

The resounding cries of the Hordes echoed into the face of the Deep. The clashing of iron, and bashing of shields broke through the firmament high above. Kyoko gripped her Blade of Blood and steeled her resolve once again. I brandished my scythe and pointed it towards the two chieftains that challenged me with their menacing stances. I stood face to face with 2 behemoths, one was named Uzril-Shoka and the other was named Uzril-Nahjou. Uzril-Shoka wielded a enormously large battle-axe that was adorned in human skulls, while Uzril-Nahjou waved an iron club arrayed in bloodied spikes from top to bottom. Smoke and embers emitted from their breath, and a bloodthirsty aura wafted in the air. I knew I was at a major disadvantage against them, so I needed to prepare myself for anything! "How am I supposed to fight these guys!? They are far beyond what I can handle! If I struggled against some spider hatchlings, then how the hell am I supposed to kill a damn Goblin Chieftain!?" It's quite obvious that I can't beat these guys with my current strength, there must be a way for me to close the power gap between us, even if it's slight! Nevertheless I shook off my nerves, and prepared for the fight! In a instant, Kyoko bolted forward in a blink of an eye! I couldn't even follow it! *KLAAAAAANK* A loud and reverbing echo sounded through the Deep, and the next moment I saw that Kyoko had clashed with Malcaborg! She was still midair and they exchanged glances before going into an all out flurry on each other! *KLINK KLANK KLIKLANKILINK KLANG KLAKINK* The sounds of blood and iron erupted in their wake, the whole battleground was shaking at their at clash! They were moving at a speed beyond my own perception! I couldn't follow their battle at all! It just looked like they were teleporting everywhere!? "What in Gods name are you Kyoko...?" I turned to gaze at the 2 behemoths, they were already rallied up for the fight because of their master. I pressed down all my doubt and fear, and converted them to rage and courage! "HYAAAARGGHHH!" I roared as I sprinted forward! The Chieftains looked at each other and laughed hysterically, I immediately stopped in my tracks as they did this. Are they making fun of me!? "Is this some sort of joke to you!?" I shouted out in fury. They looked at each other and laughed even harder, this just pissed me off more. Soon they exchanged some incomprehensible words to each other, I couldn't make out what they said, it just sounded like grunts and snorts. However though, I held my scythe close to my chest and readied myself for whatever was about to happen. Soon I saw Uzril-Nahjou step down and kneeled on the battlefield, this perplexed me even more. Uzril-Shoka looked back at me and even dropped his battle-axe! They must be taunting me! He then walked towards me with a menacing smirk, almost taunting in a way? Looks like it's going to be a one on one type of battle then, maybe I can survive after all..? In a loud and perturbed shout, I cried out, "Oh you want to mock me huh? Fine! I'll just send both of you to Hell then!" I dashed forward trying to build up power for my initial strike! The large foe kept his composure and kept approaching in his calm and still demeanor. Soon enough, I was within striking range of the beast! And without a moments hesitation, I swung my blade sideways at full force aiming at the gap in his armor! "HAAAAARRRGHHHH!" *KLAAAANK* My blade made impact, however to my surprise, it didn't land where I intended! Soon I perceived that he blocked my attack wit his iron bracers without so much of a scratch! The monster then gave me a bone-chilling smile, and grabbed hold of my scythe. "DAMN IT LET GO BASTARD!" I clamored. He then yanked me violently towards himself, and balled up his free hand. Soon a devastating jab went straight into my stomach, and I felt all the air in my body get knocked out all at once! "GYAAAARCK!?" I went airborne immediately, and crash landed into some rocks in the way. My body was in abject misery, every bone and fiber was shook to the core! I couldn't even stand up after a blow like that! I felt like vomiting, and so I tried holding it in. I held onto my stomach trying to get my composure back, but it was all in vain. I felt and heard his loud footsteps grow near me, it sounded like someone was thudding against a wall! "Damn it! He's coming again!" I tried standing up, but the pain hindered me from staying up for too long. I was dazed and stumbled around like a fool, and I couldn't find my scythe anywhere. I then looked towards the overpowering chieftain for my scythe, and then I saw it. It was firmly gripped in his right hand and pointed towards me! "He's trying to kill me with my own weapon!? Damn it!" I violently shook myself off trying to recover my stance! I then pulled out my grimoire in hopes that something good will come from it! "It's do or die! Either I whip out a miracle spell, or get ripped apart by some demon! I'll be damned if I allowed that to happen!" I focused on my mana control, I needed a clear head before I unleashed any types of spells. And so I took a deep breath and regained my thoughts. "I just need to find a weakness, they have to be weak against something right?" Soon a steady flow of mana cycled through my body, I felt some of my strength even return through it. Uzril-Shoka saw my intense focus and became curious on what I was cooking up. I pondered to myself, "Fire seems probably, and so does lightning. I think I'll just go down the list and figure it out." "Here goes nothing.." I ignited a ball of fire in my hands, and soon my grimoire began to illuminate in a green light. "What's this? What's happening?" I blurted. My fireball started to become more potent as if it was reacting to the illuminating grimoire. Uzril-Shoka smirked again, he then saw my resolve and responded arrogantly. He puffed out his chest and stood confident as if he was going to willingly take my spell head on! "Confidence will be your downfall..." I silently muttered. I called forth all my mana and enraged the flame within, and in one fatal shot. I launched out a furious projectile! "FIREBOLT!" The raging flame bolted straight for his chest, he stood firm and watched the homing projectile close in! In a single moment, the fire exploded and lit up the entire battlefield! The loud boom was probably even heard from the surface itself, and soon there was only smoke left in it's wake. I couldn't see beyond the smokey mass, and only prayed that my shot did something to it. I was huffing and puffing, that drained a large amount of my mana. I just hope it worked... "Was that it..? Did I get him?" The smoke began to clear up, and unfortunately, a large beast stepped through... Uzril-Shoka was completely unphased, he began cracking his knuckles and even popped his neck. I stepped back in shock, I wasn't entirely surprised at the outcome, but I expected for him to be at least somewhat damaged. "No way... He just took a direct shot like it was nothing! How am I supposed to win this!?" The overpowering beast began his approach again, this time I was more dismayed than before! "There has to be something I can do! I won't accept this!" Suddenly, Kyoko's words soon resounded deep in my heart, "There's only one thing you can do..." I closed my eyes, and reluctantly took another breath, "Damn it why did I have to remember this now... Why can't I give up in peace!?" Kyoko's selfish words just kept stirring me up to fight, I can't just leave this battle all to her! Especially after the promise we made, and my vengeance that must be sated! I then restated the entire line out loud in my own words, "When the battlefield is stained with Blood and Iron, there's only one thing you can... You must become the Blood and Iron!" Lightning crackled inside of my palms, and my grimoire began to illuminate once again! I felt a small surge of power course through my veins, I knew this was gonna be something special. The enormous foe saw my resolve once again, he gave a confident and aggravating smile. Soon he planted himself once again readying himself for another attack, however I'm going to unleash everything so nothing of him will remain! I channeled my mana throughout my entire body, I felt it even entwine with my very soul. I began to emit static electricity all over my body, it was almost uncontrollable! There was no way he was getting out of this one unharmed. I took a deep breath, focused my mana flow into my palms, and took aim! "Take this one back to Hell..." I put my hands together and released the raging thunder built within! "CHAIN LIGHTNING!" A million volts of electricity shot out from my hands and rushed towards the overpowering chieftain! His eye immediately shot up once he saw the magnitude of the raging blast! Then he raised up his arms to block, and my bolts made impact! *CRAAAASH* A loud thunderclap boomed on the battlefield and created an electrical explosion! And soon smaller volts tried jumping to nearby foes, but didn't quite reach. Static electricity pulsed and ran over his entire body, Uzril-Shoka then let out a painful screech! "GYAAAAAAAR!?" The electricity kept running through him without ceasing, almost as if he was a lightning rod! Soon he kneeled down trying to shake off the volts; he squirmed around violently. "That must be their weakness! I have to kill them with lightning!" Then he suddenly stood up again as the voltage died down, his eyes looked super pissed off. "I need more power, I need to get more power! If I can just kill one of them, I might be able to level up and get stronger!" However though, the Chieftain wasn't going to let me get another free hit... He sounded his war cry once again and rallied up the hordes of goblins behind him. Soon even Kyoko and Malcaborg stopped their clash and just looked at us. I dared to not even gaze in their direction, my sights were only on the enemy before me. Uzril-Shoka reeled back my scythe like a tomahawk, I then heard Kyoko call out to me with a loud voice, "SHIN GET DOWN!" And with one savage throw, my scythe came spinning back towards! And before I knew it, I flew airborne while spinning along with the scythe, and a intangible amount pain followed up on me. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" I then crashed through the horde of Goblins that surrounded us and knocked through a great number of them. I began to scream in agonizing pain, "AAAAAAAARCK!", "KYAAAAAAAAARGH!" My cries continuously echoed and even interrupted Kyoko's fight! She called out to me in a panic, "SHIN! SHI~IN!" The blade of my scythe went right through my body, in-between my right trapezius and deltoid. Soon a message box followed right after: ! DANGER! HEALTH IS CRITICALLY LOW! DEATH IS IMMINENT! Blood was pouring out of me uncontrollably, and I was surrounded by hordes of goblins. I kept wailing out in pain, all I could think about was the pain! "Help me! Someone get this damn scythe out of me!" The goblins started closing in on me, they grunted and laughed at my pitiful state. Their eyes were filled with hunger and joy, I fear for what's about to happen. "Someone... save me..." I painfully called out. I was crying out for a savior, that's all I could think to do. I need a miracle, and I need it now! "Stars Above... Please... save me... Please... Don't let it end here..." My vision began to blur. and my hearing started to muffle. I saw the goblins open a path, and on the other side of that path was the approaching Chieftain. My body was becoming cold, and I was losing feeling throughout my whole body. "Is this it..? Is this the end of my story...?" I was then hit with flashbacks of all my other failures; From letting my Master die, to almost getting eaten alive but some spiders. All the memories started clashing against one another, and soon I was hit with one specific memory that permeated through the clash. "Do you accept your second chance?" "My second chance huh? Am I really about to let it go so easily..?" My vision was completely darkened, and my vigor was depleted. I felt so sleepy, and so cold at the same time. I just wanted to take a really long nap by a fire, and snuggle inside my old bed again. "This is it. My final moments..." "If only I had one more chance... One more chance to make things right... One more chance to rethink my strategy and do something different. One more chance to maybe even run away..." "If only I had one more chance..." "However... My last chance has already passed, death draws near... I evaded it long enough, it was only a matter of time..." "Kyoko... I'm sorry that I failed you. I'm sorry that I couldn't keep our promise... I'm sorry that I left you alone... And I'm sorry that I couldn't be the warrior you hoped for me to be..." "Maybe someday you'll find someone more qualified than me... Someone who will go even further beyond me... Take care Kyoko, and be safe. I'm so glad to have met you..." "If only we had more time together..." "If only I had one more chance..." ! Attention! Your HP has reached 0 The Player has died Game Over

Amidst the fray of the battle, I tapped into a new strength that I didn't know I had. It was like someone or something gave me a plethora of blessing to reach a goal I never knew I had. Although time had slowed down to a stand still, I still felt the heat and thrill of the battle. However my eyes beheld a peculiar sight, Congratulations! Due to your extraordinary accomplishments and feats, you have unlocked a hidden rare class! Would you like to view it at this time? "A hidden rare class? Show me it!" Without a moments hesitation, I called for the Blessing to reveal what I had unlocked. Suddenly, a green message manifested before me and read: You have unlocked the rare class: [Esper] It is recommended that you evolve to continue gaining EXP! Is it that easy to evolve with the Blessing? And what the hell does an "Esper," do? I demanded the evolution tree to open, "Show me this Esper class!" A strange window with some sort of tree-like structure adorned in small glistening lights appeared in front of me. At the bottom of the tree-like structure were hexagonal buttons, the first one read, "MAGE," and it had 4 branched out paths that sprouted from it; they were all connected to the MAGE button by some glowing line. The other 3 buttons were, " Mage Apprentice ", " Electromancer ", " Spellblade ", then there was one abnormally large purple button all the way on the far right side that read, " Esper ". "Is this class really that special? It doesn't sound good at all?" I then examined the purple button and saw a details option appear. I decided to check the details and this is what it read: "Esper: The elect few who awakened the Sixth Sense, and have treaded within the Samsara." "Walking within the Samsara has awakened your Sixth Sense and made you aware of the Unseen World around you. Whether you use this power for good or evil depends on you, but God so help us if you choose the latter. Would you like to evolve into class [Esper] ? [Yes] or [No] "That's all it's gonna tell me? What am I supposed to do with this?" I noticed around that time started to slowly go back into motion, it was slow but also quite noticeable. I had to make a decision now, or else I probably won't get the chance later! "Ah to freaking hell with it! Yes, make me into an Esper !" The Player has chosen the class, [Esper] It was then that I felt a sharp and piercing pain throb in my chest and head, "Gyah, what's happening to me!" It felt like some sort of dormant power was erupting inside of me, my entire body felt strange; it felt like I can feel the world around me! Congratulations! You have unlocked the following: New Attribute! - Spirit (ST) New Skills! Spirit Arts: Command Spirit (100ST) Spirit Arts: Heal Spirit (Cost: 25ST/sec) Spirit Arts: Esper's Domain (Cost: 250ST) New Titles! - Esper New Passives! - Sixth Sense After my throbbing headache went away, I read all my new skills. "Holy crap what is this!? Spirit arts? Sixth Sense!? This looks pretty damn important!" I peered around my skills and read what they all did. Heal Spirit: Heals a portion of health to any target Spirit. Esper's Domain: Creates a field of Spirit that enhances all summoned, controlled or friendly Spirits, and debilitates all hostile Spirits for a duration. (Duration: 45 seconds) (Cooldown: 5 minutes) Command Spirit: Allows the user to control a Spirit by will for a duration. (Duration: 60 seconds) (Can be refreshed) "Domain and Command Spirit may come in handy, but what's the point of Heal Spirit? Would I need to heal Spirits often or something?" A screen message then appeared out of nowhere: Attention! You have [40] unused Perk Points! It is recommended to use them! "Crap I seriously forgot about that too! Open the menu!" I called out. A large blue message window appeared before me, it showed my current stats: Player Status Level 10 Esper (40 available perk points) Titles: "The Radiance of the Samsara", "Esper" HP: 95 MP: 130 SP: 65 ST: 250 Attributes: Strength: 8 Spirit: 50 Dexterity: 1 Intelligence: 13 Sense: 60 Vitality: 5 Luck: 5 Passives: - Mana Authority: Novice - Lightning Mastery: Novice - Scythe Mastery: Novice - Sixth Sense "Wow what the heck happened to my Sense!? Is that a product of becoming an Esper!?" It was no wonder that I could feel everything! My sensing abilities were completely spiked above everything! And not only that, but I also see that I have a ton of Spirit as well! I pondered hard on how to use the perk points, because once you use them, that's it! "What should I upgrade? Since I have a bit of time, I better use it..." "As of right now, my best bet will be levelling up my magic and strength. Since I'm not too familiar with the other stuff yet." I decided to place 10 points into both strength and intelligence each. Strength: 18 Intelligence: 23 This also upgraded my inventory and my mana by quite a bit too. Inventory: 170 MP: 230 You have [20] Perk Points left! "Let's see here... What else should I add?" I pondered between two things, either add 10 points into Vitality, or add 10 points into Luck. You can't really go wrong with either, having a little extra of both is always good. "Wait I think I got it!" I then added 10 into Vitality and 5 into Luck. Vitality: 15 Luck: 10 This caused my HP and SP to increase accordingly: HP: 145 SP: 115 It felt like LIFE was poured into me, I even felt more energetic too! You have [5] Perk Points left! "Where should I spend the last 5?" After some careful consideration on where to put my remaining points, I think the best place would be... "Screw it, let's get some more strength! I'm gonna need as much as possible if I'm going to kill those damn chieftains!" Strength: 23 And this caused my inventory to increase to 200! You have [0] remaining Perk Points! "Looks like that's it! Let me check out what it looks like so far!" Level 10 Esper Titles: "The Radiance of the Samsara", "Esper" HP: 145 MP: 230 SP: 115 ST: 250 Attributes: Strength: 23 Spirit: 50 Dexterity: 1 Intelligence: 23 Sense: 60 Vitality: 15 Luck: 10 Passives: - Mana Authority: Novice - Lightning Mastery: Novice - Scythe Mastery: Novice - Sixth Sense Inventory: 14/200 After looking at my new stats, I felt a sense of confidence and determination about the pending battle that was about to occur. "Looks like I'm all good, I might need to invest in Dexterity in the future but I think it's alright for now." I then drew my scythe again and holstered my torn grimoire to my hip, I then looked at myself and came to another realization, "I might need to invest in some armor too, the only thing I'm wearing is these ragged old prison pants." I then called for the shop, "Open the baza--" All of sudden, time went back into normal speed and I heard the hearkening cries of goblins ring in my ears! RAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHHH! "Damn it! I ran out of time!" I immediately saw the hordes of Goblins becoming furious with all the slain bodies embellishing the battle ground. "Looks like all the valor and honor they once had went completely out of the window." I then shouted onto the opposing hordes, "Come at me, I'll cut every single one of you down!" My body felt lighter and more nimble, power and mana swelled up inside of me and I could "sense" every living creature around me. It was like I could feel all their emotions bursting out in fury, a chill ran down my spine as I experienced this. However there was something else I saw when I peered into the eyes of all those who stood against me, "Is that blue fire?" As I concentrated my focus onto inhabitants of the battlefield, I saw many strange blue fires around, and they all varied in different sizes. The only way I could describe it was being a "fount" of life that existed within them. And not only were the blue fires inside the hearts of every living thing, but also "stray" fires in random places on the battlefield. The stray fires were just stagnant, and almost smolders? "There's so many blue fires around, is that what they call spirit? " For the time being, I will recognize this strange blue phenomenon as spirit. I have more important things to think about. I brandished my scythe before the incoming assault, the goblins cried and roared as they rapidly approached me! "Bring it on, I'll exterminate every single one of you bastards!" I rallied up my morale, and readied my stance for an attack! "I'm escaping this hell, even if it kills me... again ." Time limit: 11 minutes, 9 seconds left...

Far above the perilous skies, in a starlit void that overlooks the many firmaments; 13 Constellations held the upmost silence. "N-No way... There is no way!" stated the Valorous. "No no no no!" shouted the Magnanimous. The Stars of Zeal burned with rage, and shone brightly amongst the others. He then cried aloud, "Lady Hope! You better have a damn good solution to this! Do you have any idea of what just happened!" The Stars of Hope answered nothing, instead her radiance slightly dimmed with grief. All the Constellations looked upon Hope to see how she would answer for this. Suddenly though, Wisdom spoke out in her defense, "Stand down Zeal! You have no right to speak to her that way, she is in no way at fault of this! We all need to calm down and just think for a moment!" Zeal's wrath was fueled even more at this response, "Calm down!? What do you mean calm down!? Do you not realize the situation we're currently in!?" She fired back, "I do realize! However we simply can't change the past! We need to figure out what we're going to do next!" Zeal responded back in an infuriated tone, "What? Do you propose we sweep this sin under the rug and find a new Hero to sacrifice!? We're already stained with blood, must there be more bloodshed!?" The other Constellations all erupted in clamoring responses to this, some agreed while others rejected. "We can't sacrifice someone else, we have no authority or power to do so!", "We must break the Laws of Serendipity once more!", "It's for the greater good!", "I cannot bear the shame of sacrifice, for one to bear such a burden is too much for even me!", "The people need a Hero, we can't leave them to die again!", "We've committed too many sins to atone for, we cannot add onto our iniquity by sacrificing another!" They made good points, however a decisive solution couldn't be found amongst them. Lady Hope however knew there was just one thing to do. However she wasn't sure if she had the strength to do it. Even in the midst of all the commotion, Wisdom looked and perceived that Hope had something in mind, she just didn't have the courage or the dignity to voice it out. Wisdom soon sounded a loud piercing shout that broke through the Heavens, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" All the Constellations quickly went silent, not a single sound was made. Wisdom turned her focus towards Hope, and in a gentle tone she asked her, "Hope... I feel as though you want to say something, but you're wavering. What is stopping you? Please do not hide your wisdom from me." Hope was reluctant to answer, and so Wisdom asked again, "Please Lady Hope, whatever it is, please tell me." Lady Hope soon budged, all the other Stars tuned their focus unto her. Lady Hope gathered her thoughts and soon placed them into words, "Over the last few Songs, all I've done was mask rivers of iniquity under the guise of Hope , but that Hope has also birthed eternal emptiness and broken dreams." The Stars of Discipline chimed in on this, "But Hope has always been the greatest light to shine on the world. Emptiness and Broken dreams were only brought by undisciplined minds, and wild imaginations!" Hope responded to his rebuttal, "What's hope if it brings sorrows and madness? Isn't Hope only supposed to bring gladness and joy, why then does it bring such distasteful fruit? That's the question I've asked myself for a very long time, and I've never been able to bring a fortunate answer, however something always nudged me that there was never a fortunate answer to begin with." The Heart of Love grew dim, "Why are you saying such unpleasant things, you know this isn't true..? Right? You are the Light of Hope, and you only bring Light! Your Light shines like a candle in the dark, how could you ever say otherwise." "Oh blessed Heart, such a pure and pristine answer. How I wish it was so, but even you know I've committed many sins. And for what? The Future of Humanity? The promise of a better tomorrow? Do you believe that these things didn't have a price on them?" The Stars of Love spoke no more, and so Hope asked them something that would cause a ripple in the cosmos. "Everyone here me today, what is Hope if the fate of the future has already been predetermined? No matter what we do, we cannot change the inevitable. The Darkness already looms over face of the Deep, and we are now only spectators to this unfortunate end." The Constellations didn't know what say back, each one waited for another to answer but an answer didn't come right away. So one Constellation decided to voice themselves, even if they were wrong. "Fate isn't something you can just determine through previous failures and shortcomings, it's something you have to grab onto and mold into your own. Even you should know that!" Lady Hope commended the answer given, and so she replied, "I knew you'd say that Keeper of Fate, and because of that answer I can finally tell you the solution I made for this unforeseen development." The Gem of Wisdom and all her infinite knowledge finally understood what Hope was saying, and she also knew the path that Hope intended to take. And so Wisdom replied back with grief, "Oh Light of Hope, blessed Stars of the North, and Keeper of Serenity! Is this truly the path you are choosing to walk? Is there truly no other way than this?!" The Stars of Hope took a moment to respond, she knew that Wisdom finally understood. However it was already too late, because Hope had already made her decision. The other Constellations became anxious and didn't know where this was all going, however they all stayed quiet to hear the conclusive words. The Stars of Hope finally declared to them, "Oh my Blessed Brethren, All the veils will be torn up whenever this choice is made. Every living soul striving for their own safe place. Everyone has their own desires, and it leads to their ultimate fate." Lady Hope illuminated her Stars more bright than any cosmic entity in the entire universe. In a loud and proud voice, she declared, "I don't have much time and so I say to you all that I, The Constellation of Hope and Light, will embrace the wretched fate that we've drawn many to. I will be reborn, but wearing the flesh of man!" The other 12 Constellations were in upmost shock after hearing this declaration. A dead silence filled the void, and sorrow bound them like a thief in the night. The Stars of Ambition soon spoke up, "Lady Hope, what are you talking about? What do you mean by that? Reborn in the flesh of man? That's insane!? And what about the people of Aria!? All hell will break loose if you vanished!" Lady Hope spoke in haste, "I cannot explain it to you all now, I must act quickly or else it would be too late. However I trust that Wisdom would enlighten you all in what I'm about to do." The Stars of Patience finally spoke up after a long silence, "You aren't even going to give an explanation on what you're about to do!? How are we supposed to know what to do when you don't even explain yourself!" Lady Hope reasoned with her concern, "You have to trust me! Please just trust me!" The Stars of Unbending Willpower suddenly voiced themselves too, "Lady Hope, all these years you've given humanity a future to look forward to. Even if it meant at the cost of your own radiance. I know your intentions are true, and your heart is willing. Therefore I shall not stop you in this endeavor, whatever your plans are. I trust that you will continue to fulfill your role as the Aspect of Hope! Even if it's not in the Celestial Realm." All the other Stars were caught off guard at this response, Lady Hope spoke once more to them to ensure them that this was the right decision, "I am only going away for a moment, however I will leave you all a gift! When you see the gift, then do everything in your power to preserve it! For that Gift will go onto becoming the Light of this World!" Lady Hope's stars began to dim, "Farewell my brethren! I will see you all again someday! Just remember to search for the Gift, and cherish it! Goodbye!" And in a fleeting moment, it happened. The Light of Hope soon vanished from the firmament, leaving nothing behind. The Stars that once brought hope to all below were seen no more, and the pending turmoil was about to begin. This wasn't the first time that a Constellation dimmed it light, but the other Stars still felt the anxiety and grief. It was then that all hell broke loose in the Cosmos, without the Light of Hope, and imbalance tore a chasm inside the order that was once faithful and true! The Brilliant Gem of Wisdom looked upon all the distressed Constellations and said, "My Brothers and Sisters fret not at this! For this is Lady Hope's resolve! Instead let us make sure her sacrifice wasn't in vain!" Much work was needed to be done, and so the Constellations decided to work hastily. They followed after the Gem of Wisdom steadfastly, and heeded every instruction. Time felt as though it was at a standstill, especially since Hope had vanished. Soon the Perseverant One made a very unsettling observation, "Everyone have you noticed it yet... Take a look down on Aria, it's already starting..."

"Where am I..? What is this place..?" I opened my eyes, and was bewildered at what was happening around me. "This place...? It's empty..? Like a blank void?" The space around me was barren and white, almost like a infinite void of emptiness. However there was something strange happening all around, I peered deep at the peculiar occurrences and said, "Why is this place all cracked, and broken!?" Surrounding me in all directions were large unexplained cracks and tears floating around midair, and they weren't connected to anything which made things much more weird. It's almost like the fabrics of reality were shattered themselves! "This place is wrong, nothing about this is right. There's no mana flow nor life force anywhere!" I was then hit with a strange realization as I was gazing off into the infinite void, "Wait what is my name? Who am I?" I couldn't recollect anything of my past, it was just an hazy blur. I then looked down on myself and noticed I was completely exposed. "Wait I'm not even clothed? Where did all my clothes go?" I looked underneath my feet and noticed I was standing upon some strange still liquid. It looked like flat smoky grey waters that only rippled at my footsteps, it was warm too. There was a deafening silence that streamed across the void, and not a single thing was in sight. Just an endless walk of nothingness. "I need to leave this place, I have to go back and..." "..." "Wait what do I need go back to? Was I doing something?" I tried again to recollect my memories, but everything seemed like it was blocked, like a hazy wall halting me from the truth! "Why can't I remember anything! Something is seriously wrong here!" Suddenly behind me, I heard a loud and startling buzzing noise! "Gyah! What the hell?" I turned around in an instant and saw an unnatural phenomenon staring back at me from the white skies above. Both fear and confusion struck me in that very moment, "What the actual hell is that!?" It looked like the mixture of both a shattered disk and an eyeball. It had a red pupil and the strange eye was scanning everywhere frantically as if it was looking for something, or maybe someone. Though the glass eyeball was shattered, it somehow kept a almost steady and unnatural form. It showed no interest nor hostility towards me, yet it kept looking everywhere as if it was searching for something in here. "I seriously need to get the hell out of here... but how?" I turned back around trying to ignore the broken eyeball, I had to just keep walking and ignore whatever it was. And so I walked forward, the still waters rippling at my every step. I passed by dimensional tears without averting my gaze, I did my best to avoid them too. "It's so lonely here, it's so quiet and calm too. Just what is this bizarre place?" I walked forward aimlessly, nothing stood in my path other than the spatial tears that I tried to avoid. I had no idea where I was going, nor how long it would take to find an exit or clue. I just simply kept walking through the lonely white abyss. Time passed, and it felt as though I walked for hours, days, or maybe even years? My perception of time seemed to be all messed up too, and I still can't remember anything. I just had this strong feeling that I forgot something extraordinarily important. I just couldn't remember what it was, and that bothered me so much. Despite all my attempts to remember, I just couldn't break past the hazy wall that blocked it all. I just simply kept walking.... After what seemed like an eternity of empty silence, I suddenly heard a small still voice call out to me. "Come closer..." My attention was immediately piqued at this, I instantly responded back, "What? Who's there? Where are you?" I looked around, but saw nothing. The mysterious voice never responded back, I waited for a couple moments but nothing ever came back. "Did I just imagine that..? Am I finally losing it!?" Then I heard it again, this time it was louder and more clear! "Closer." I call out to the mysterious voice again, "Where? Where are you?" "Seek and you shall find." "But I don't even know where to begin!" No other words were spoken, only a calm and empty silence echoed back. I looked in all directions, and even in the direction of the massive shattered eye. "It couldn't possibly be from that right..?" I decided to continue forward, it wouldn't benefit me much if I just stayed here. And so I walked again, deeper into the broken void. Soon after sometime, I heard the voice call out once again, "You're almost here, come closer my child." I didn't answer back, instead I kept walking forward in the same direction. The floating dimensional tears started becoming more and more frequent as I moved deeper in. After a few more moments of walking, a peculiar sight entered into my field of vision; it was still a great ways off, but I saw something mesmerizing. The peculiar entity looked like giant shadowy mass floating above the waters, and it within it were balls of lights that twinkled like stars. I then heard the voice again call out to me. "Hurry quickly my child! Come and embrace me!" I knew that the voice was indeed coming from that strange shimmering black mass, and for some reason I started to run towards it. I couldn't control myself, I just ran; I ran faster than I've ever ran before! The shimmering black mass grew closer and closer with every step, and a powerful sense of vigor coursed through my veins as I drew near. And finally after an eternal journey, I finally stood before the massive black cloud. It was beautiful, magnificent, and overwhelming! It harbored a great multitude of glowing entities inside of it, it seemed almost like stars in a way? I just knew that whatever it was, it was definitely what I've been searching for. In a calm and gentle tone, it uttered some words to me, "You have finally made it my child, I've been waiting for the day that we'd finally meet!" I was swarmed with many emotions and questions, I didn't know where to even begin! And so I decided to speak the first things that came to my mind. "Who are you? What is this weird place?" The Black Mass paused for a moment before replying, "Oh Apple of My Eye, Bearer of the Eternal Blessing. This is a sacrilegious chasm, one that exists above the firmament! This is The Samsara." "What? The Samsara? What are you talking about?" The Black Mass responded, "In simplest terms, this is the valley between Life and Death . It's a convergence where all mortal cycles are broken; nothing can ascend up, nor descend down." "I don't quite understand, how did I even get here? How is any of this possible?" The Black Mass took a moment before responding, "I've brought us into this Chasm because there is much we need to discuss. I know you have many questions about a lot of things, even of who you are. I can see all your concerns and confusions, however, the time we have together is short and limited." "What do you mean? What are you even talking about?" I replied. "Heed my words for I will only say them once! Oh Blessed One of Aria, the final ballad draws near. And now you stand at the Pinnacle of the End; at the Alpha of the Omega of this story. Now you have to gird yourself up for the journey ahead will be long and harsh. There will be loyalty and betrayal, sorrows and joy, trials and tribulations, triumph and defeat, and you will be the One to bear it all." I didn't speak anymore, I only wanted to listen to it. I knew if I just listened, everything will be uncovered! "You warrior have received the Blessing of the Constellations above, and been handpicked to orchestrate the final moments of this World. The Looming Darkness has already shrouded itself over the Face of the Deep, and is rising up to cast this World into an everlasting ruins." "Our world is heading into ruin? And what is this darkness you keep speaking about?" She disregarded me and continued her saying, "Listen to me. You however, have been selected by the Stars Above to become the Eternal Radiance to purge the Darkness, the Final Hope and Fate of Humanity." "I see, but how can I defeat this darkness if I can't win against mere goblins!? Tell me!" "The Stars Above have sacrificed much to equip you with the greatest Blessing known to man, and that Blessing is what you call The Second Chance. The Second Chance to gain new strengths, new powers, new abilities, and a new hope!" A memory awakened within my heart, "Wait this sounds familiar, why does it sound so familiar..? I can recall a strange floating neon box that gave me unknown power, and even miraculously restored my scourged body. Is that system the so called Blessing she is referring too?" The Black Mass continued explaining, "Through that Blessing, you have become the Promised Warrior that continuously gets stronger with every enemy that falls before you. And only the Sky is the limit to your potential. Soon you'll be able to devour the Eminent Darkness, and redefine the laws of Serendipity itself!" Suddenly certain strange memories and visions flooded into my head, it felt like my head wanted to explode, but I started to understand everything a little more. "That's right, I was charged with treason and sentenced to death! I was beaten, tortured, starved, and even cast down into hell. All for something I didn't even commit!" "Then I was given the Second Chance , where I was reborn as a Player! I gained new strengths, powers, and even wisdom! I walked right into a grand destiny that I didn't fully understand, but began understanding as I walked deeper into it" "But there's something I'm forgetting, something important. Almost TOO important! Wait how did I even get here!?" The Black Mass of Shimmering Lights called out to me during my memory flood, "It seems you're having a little trouble remembering. Allow me to remind you just this once..." The Black Mass spoke one sentence to me, and my eyes opened completely, "The Woman with Dragon Blood is waiting for you to keep your promise." I then remembered her, a young beautiful woman with hair of an azalea flower, and a Blade of Draconic Blood stretching out her hand to me. "You have to promise to dance with me again when this is over, only then will I allow you to take my hand in this waltz!" "Our promise... How could I forget..." The Black Mass answered nothing, it just watched me, like the way the Dragon did when we first met. "Wait how do I go back!? I need to get back there! She's waiting for me!" The Black Mass of Shimmering Lights spoke softly to me, "You seem to still be forgetting a very important detail." "And what is that!?" Without hesitation, the Mass responded, "You are already dead." "Huh?" The Black Mass repeated itself, "You are dead." It was then that I was rushed with overwhelming and painful memories, "Gyaaargh!" I dropped down on my knees while grasping my own head, I saw my final moments before entering an eternal sleep. My body was being pulverized by a gang of goblins, and I was impaled by my own scythe! "I died by my own weapon, I couldn't beat the goblin chieftain! His level of power was far beyond mine!" I became increasingly anxious and dismayed, however the Black Mass perceived my heart and spoke to me once again, "Warrior stand up, now is not the time to drown in misery. Your story isn't over yet." "W-What? What do you mean by that?" I replied. "Warrior do you remember the Second Chance you were given? What would you do if you had that Chance again?" I was extremely confused, but somehow I kind of knew what it was implying, "Wait, are you saying you're going to give me another chance!?" The Black Mass denied, "No, I'm not going to give you another chance." "What?" The Black Mass added on, "You are going to give yourself another chance." "How would I do that!?" I shouted. The Black Mass then quoted something strangely familiar, "Only those who walk above Life and Death can wield this Power." I then remembered something that had something similar to that, "Isn't that from the bio of the Sacrilege scythe I saw in the Bazaar?" The Black Mass agreed, "It is, and it's the answer you've been looking for." "Walk above Life and Death..? How does one do such a thing!?" The Black Mass replied back, "The very fact that you awakened in this Samsara means that you are already eligible. It's a power that lies dormant waiting to be awoke, and it yearns to yield to it's master. You must call out to it, draw it out with your own strength!" "That power is already in me? Is this really true?" I began to focus in on myself, I sensed something inside myself that seemed to be asleep. It was powerful, but also weak? This must be the very power that it was talking about. I began to call out to it within myself, it barely responded, but it heard my call. I called again, and it budged a little more. I continuously called out to it, and soon enough it awakened. My heart began to illuminate in a dark purple light, and I began to cast many shadows around me. "What is happening? What is all this?" The Black Mass responded, "This is your power, a gift from the Stars Above. You called upon it, and it's responding! Now it's only missing one more important piece!" "And what is that?" The Black Mass sounded her voice, "Me!" "You? Who are you?" I responded. "Without me, it is incomplete. Without me, all things become incomplete. Without me, this World is without light. Without me, humanity cannot move forward!" The Black Mass started to swell and surge with overwhelming power. It felt violent but also stagnant and calm, it felt like I could be caught up in the storm, but it would not consume me. My own power began to surge violently within me as if it was responding back to the increasing Mass of Shining Lights. "Warrior control it, and make it your own! Don't let go of it, even if it consumes you!" I tried containing it, and held it in. I needed to make it mine, I couldn't let it destroy me, not now! Soon the white void around us started to fade into darkness, and more cracks and tears started to open. It looked as though the sky was falling, the dimension was tearing into a cosmic mess! "The dimension is tearing!? What's happening?" I called out. The Black Mass responded, "This broken world cannot contain me, nor can it contain what is in you! For inside of you is a piece of me! You will become the Light that shines in the Darkness! No, you will consume the darkness and make it bend to you! You are going to walk above the chasm and become the strongest! The time has come, the final moments draw near!" "I can't understand you! What is going on!?" The Black Mass then enveloped around me, and soon I stood within a dome-like structure full of shining lights and dark colorful streaks. I was in awe, and the part that struck me the most was that it felt like unrelenting hope! "Don't you understand!? Fine I shall tell you then! My name is Lady Hope, and I'm the Constellation that's watched over you since you first drew breath! I'm the Light that faded from the World, and now inside of you is a fragment of me! Make that fragment of me into your own! Grasp it, use it, and consume it as you see fit!" "Wait you're the Constellation of Hope!? How is that even possible!?" The raging Shimmering Black Mass called out to me, "The time for questions is over! The Samsara has reached the limit! Declare it to me, are you ready to receive my Final Blessing?" I didn't hesitate, nor did I know what was about to happen! Something tells me that even if I asked a thousand questions, I still wouldn't understand. However one thing was for certain, I needed to go back! Kyoko is waiting for me! I regained my old resolve, and in a proud voice I shouted, "I am ready! Give me your Final Blessing!" "Then behold my child! This is the advent of Radiance! With this power you will consume the Shrouding Darkness, and break the fate that humanity is descending into! You are going to become the Light that devours all Darkness!" "As long as you're with me! I can take on anything!" I shouted. The Constellation of Hope didn't answer back right away, it's as though she hesitated. After a short moment, she finally uttered the words. "I'm sorry Warrior, but I cannot return back to your world." "What!? What are you talking about? You have to come back, you're a literally constellation aren't you?" I called out. The Constellation delayed her response, "I cannot rejoin my Kindred in Heaven nor come back to your world, for I have relinquished my divinity to atone for my own iniquity." "You cannot be serious! What do you even mean!?" "I have sinned greatly before Heaven and Aria, and even now I have committed the one of the greatest sins known to man. And to atone for it, I am using the last of my power to send you back." "Wait, are you sacrificing yourself for me!?" "One may call this sacrificing, and another may call this expiation. Whatever it's called, I'm entrusting you with this destiny. Warrior can I entrust you with the future and fate of humanity?" The World started collapse around me and reality started to unveil itself, I saw the bloodstained battlefield on which I lost my previous life on. It was grey and had no color, and the question from the Constellation remained. There was only one answer I could give, I didn't understand all the details of it, but if the Constellation of Hope was really sacrificing herself for me, then I must take up the torch and become that Light she envisioned me to be! In the last fleeting moments before I saw her no more, I called out to her, "Lady Hope! I will come back someday! I will hone this Light, and use it purge every shadow! I will make it my own, and give the people something to believe in!" The Black Mass of Hope replied to me once more, "I'll be waiting here for that day then! Only you can do this! Go and become the Unquenchable Radiance that this Song has longed for!" The Samsara broke into pieces, and the final words I heard from the Constellation was, "You're our only hope Shin! My Hope is in you!"

A young boy stands on a rickety wooden bridge. He has no name. No one ever gave him one. He has no story. No one has ever told him one. He has no destination. No one has ever led him to one. It is souls like this that are the hardest to categorise- not because they are lonely or any vain reason like that. There are plenty of lonely people in the world, so much so that it feels rather counterintuitive to label them as lonely once you group them all up. No, the reason the boy's soul was so hard to categorise is because he barely had a life at all. Without a name, without a story and without a destination. If one lacks all of those, are they really a person at all? The answer is of course yes, the boy is a human being so of course he is a "person". Yet his soul remains undefinable, for he has never been shaped by a single experience in his life. All that remains is to theorise about the boy, where are his parents? Where do his meals come from? Where does he spend his time during the day? Where does he sleep? Where did he get the clothes, he wears from? I imagine the pattern is rather noticeable, whilst we could ask questions based on anything else, it is the 'Where' set of inquiries that seem to fit him snugly. My most pressing question however is: Where is he going? Does he plan to stand on this rickety bridge all day long? If he has no destination, will he just keep walking? Such questions are but pointless conjecture and ones getting in the way of any actual work getting done but I must confess that it is the people with souls I cannot define that I find the most interesting. People with names have stories and people with stories have destinations. Those people have bright and colourful souls, filled with every emotion under the sun. Even negative experiences and traumas form part of the story that comes along with our name, they shape who we are, and they shape where we're going- our destination. But that boy's soul was a formless white, somebody who hadn't been moulded by a single person in their entire life. Such an outcome is of course impossible, but in front of me seemed to be the living proof that it wasn't. This job is a very simple one, one that whilst you meet a lot of people typically stays the same in process. Everyone is archived differently, there exists a majority of people who fit into those pre-defined boxes that have been refined over countless years. Those with white formless souls however cannot be contained in a box because they would simply float away. It doesn't just make the job hard; it makes the labour required impossible no matter your skill. Something that cannot be confined will not be confined and that is something I was definite over. The boy moved off the rickety bridge, two long since corroded planks of wood fell upon his exit but the boy seemed unphased. Due to his build and seemingly unalert nature, he would have dropped into the gorge below and hit the craggy rock formations. That is to say the boy would have died. However, the boy is unable to die because he doesn't have a soul- a concept to kill. A reaper cannot reap a soul that isn't there. Until the boy finds his name, his story and his destination; I will not visit again. Now next on the list is....

The walls around me shattered, and I was confronted with a familiar scene. It was a battlefield filled with blood and iron. I was immediately struck with the most agonizing pain known to man. "GYARRRGH!?" The scythe was still lodged inside of my torso, it hurt like agonizing hell but I pressed through the pain. At the same time, I was emitting a strange black aura similar to the one that the Constellation gave off, this had to be the power awakened by Lady Hope herself! I then saw a blaring warning message appear before me, it was bright red and rang in my ears. When the message box appeared, all time started to come to a stop, and the pain I felt in my chest slowly dissipated. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ! WARNING! ! ILLEGAL ACTION[S] DETECTED! Reason: Formerly deceased PLAYER is attempting to illegally resurrect! ANY FURTHER ACTION WILL RESULT IN PUNISHMENT DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED? [YES] [NO] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With full determination and unbreaking fearlessness, I declared, "There's no turning back now! This is everything, and I'll destroy every hurdle that comes my way! Yes I will proceed!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The PLAYER has chosen to proceed! The following Title has been unlocked: "The Radiance of the Samsara" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Punishment Quest being executed! New Punishment Quest unlocked: [Goblin Extermination] Quest Conditions: - Defeat 150 Goblins (0/150) - Execute Lv. 25, Uzril-Shoka (0/1) - Execute Lv. 25, Uzril-Nahjou (0/1) - Execute Lv. ???, Malcaborg the Unbroken (0/1) Time limit: 25 minutes... Failure to complete all conditions in the allotted time limit will result in a transient ban from the Blessing! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What the hell are these conditions! It's impossible! Was this quest meant to be beat!?" I was frustrated at the impossible quest given to me, however there was no use being mad. I knew I had to complete it no matter what, it was my only choice. "Fine then, if that's how it's going to be, then I'll kill just them all!" I took hold of the scythe that was lodged in my body, and in one savage pull, I ripped it straight out! "ARRRRRGHHH!" I screeched in pain, and blood started pouring from my gaping wound. I steeled my resolve, and then time began to flow again. I thought to myself, "I need to find a way to heal myself, and fast!" As soon as the goblins reanimated, I was struck with revelation. "Wait a second..." I reached back into my memories to when I first leveled up. I visualized myself illuminating in light as I ranked up against the spiders, and all my wounds healed from it. "That's right! I automatically heal when I level up! I have to level myself right now!" A blaring red message appeared before me once again: ! Warning! Health is critically low Death is imminent "This is it! It's do or die! This attack means everything!" I called forth from the brink of death a lightning spell so powerful that it even shook the pillars of the infinite caverns I resided in. I felt every inch of my body begin to vibrate, and my very soul began to tremble at it's awakening. If this spell doesn't work, then I'm doomed. As lighting and sanction swirled around in a violent storm, all the Goblins that witnessed it were filled with fear, even the Chieftains that once stood arrogantly against me! "This Storm will consume everything, and all the darkness thereof! This is CHAIN LIGHTNING!" Soon both of my hands released a raging current that exploded into a pillar of blue light! It connected every goblin on the battlefield, and began to fry their insides with paralyzing trauma. The thunderclap that resounded on the field was like a raging storm hovering over the ocean floor, and all who heard it crumbled like dry leaves in the autumn season. "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" I was bombarded with countless enemy defeated messages instantly! And soon I was greeted with the one that I had been waiting for! "EXP has breached past the limit! You are now level 8! " "What!? I hit level 8 in that one attack!?" My body was illuminated in a warm light, and I felt every injury to my body completely close. I also felt my stamina and magic power rejuvenate, as well as my strength! I then looked upon the Goblins as they trembled with fears, they were either paralyzed with electric volts or standing with their guard raised. How many did I get with that? I called forth the quest status window by will. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Goblin Massacre] Quest Conditions: - Defeat 150 Goblins (33/150) - Execute Lv. 25, Uzril-Shoka (0/1) - Execute Lv. 25, Uzril-Nahjou (0/1) - Execute Lv. ???, Malcaborg the Unbroken (0/1) Time limit: 22 minutes, 12 seconds left... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I got a good amount of them with that, they must've been the weaker ones. I guess I can try it one more time to finish some more off!" I began to draw forth another thundering spell, I channeled it within every pocket within my body. It felt like a current circulated through me and rested at my hands. "This is no longer a battle, this is a hunt..." I unleashed the second wave of thunder upon the battlefield, those who barely survived the first won't survive this next one! "Eliminate..." "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "Enemy defeated! EXP rewarded!" "EXP has breached past the limit! You are now level 10! " And then something strange happened, I was presented with a new message: "Level limit reached! You are ready for evolution!" "Evolution!? I can evolve already!?" I quickly withdrew myself and focused on the message box. I couldn't believe that I was able to evolve myself already, I haven't even been down here for more than a day! I then readied up another chain lightning spell, "Maybe I can kill a few more before I can evolve!" I focused my spell once more, this will weed out the last of the weaklings! "CHAIN LIGHTNING!" Lightning and thunder sprawled uncontrollable across the battlefield, I held it until my mana became low. "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Low mana..." "Crap there it is!" I immediately jumped back and pulled out my scythe. It was then that something else unexpected happened. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations! "Due to your controlled and efficient use of magic, you have received the following passive skills: Mana Authority: Novice "All spells and enchantments are 10% more effective and cost less!" Lightning Mastery: Novice "All Lightning based spells and abilities are 10% more effective!" NEW SKILL OBTAINED! - Shackled Current ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What is this!? Things just got a whole lot more interesting!" I felt my understanding of magic somehow hone itself deep within, it was like an enlightening glow manifested from the recesses of my mind. However that didn't matter at the moment, there wasn't anything I could do in that moment since my mana was already low! "Damn it, why couldn't this happen when I had more mana. I have to resort to something else." I looked upon my rusted scythe, it still harbored the blood of fallen prey along it's edge. This was the only way to fight anymore, it was time for round 2. "Let's finish this the old fashioned way then." I turned my gaze upon the clamoring battlefield and saw the 2 overpowering chieftains recovering from the bombarding attacks I inflicted in a final gamble. Their hearts were enraged, and their eyes were drowned in hatred. I responded to their fury with determination and unyielding valor as I pointed my scythe towards them. We didn't exchange words, but our spirits did. I began to make a slow approach to the inconceivable foes, but then some small fry decided to get in the way. A small horde of weaker looking goblins drew their steel daggers and spears at me. I called out to the weak fools, "Looks like my kill count is about to increase a little more!" They all charged at me broken cries, and clanging iron! I bolted forward to gain a pre-emptive strike. *SLAAAAASH* I smelled a heavy metallic scent as more blood sprayed onto the stony ground. About 4 of them were sliced clean through but it wasn't nearly enough to get all of them. I immediately evaded back to regain my footing! "Damn it! It's still not enough!" That's when I felt a strong but familiar presence rush in towards me, "Shin!" A loud female voice hurled towards me, I immediately turned my gaze towards the source of the sound. "Kyoko!" Kyoko came in a flash and suddenly stopped herself in front of me, she rushed towards me and closely examined my body. "Shin what happened!? I could've swore you were impaled! I even felt your entire presence vanish!? I was so scared and worried! I didn't know what to do! I just---" When I looked into her glazing eyes, I could almost feel her anxieties and worries fade into nothingness. She searched all over my body for any wounds or bruises, but found nothing. She was completely confused and didn't know how to react! I then tried to calm her down with soothing words. "I'm alright now, I just healed myself and took advantage of the situation! However we don't time to discuss this, we have to figure out a way to escape!" She seemed even more confused, but she tried to brush it off for the meantime, "Healed yourself? I thought you... Urgh, never mind you're right! We need to focus on the battle at hand!" I then ask her, "How many goblins are there? Do you know?" She answered hesitantly, "I think I can sense maybe a little over 180? I'm not sure on an exact number though." "That's fine, we just need to figure out how to even the playing field into our favor! Do you have any ideas?" I asked. She nodded, "I have one, but I'm not sure if it will help us very much..." I quickly answered back, "Whatever it is, let's do it! Anything will help us right now!" She nodded again, she then took some steps towards me and grabbed the rusted edge of my scythe. She looked me dead in my eyes, and quickly pulled her hand over the entire edge of my scythe from the base to the pointed tip. Her blood escaped from her hand and aligned itself along the blade, and then crystalized itself. Kyoko gritted her teeth from the sharp pain, "My blood has reinforced itself along your scythe, with this you should be able to slice them into pieces!" "Thank you Kyoko, let's hurry finish this battle alright?" I replied. "Yes! Let's finish this!" She clamored. Kyoko smiled then turned towards the overwhelming masses of goblins that defied us, she pointed her sword towards Malcaborg who waited patiently for her return. Without moving her gaze, Kyoko said to me, "Can I trust you by yourself?" I smiled and answered in confidence, "Yes! Go and eliminate that bastard already!" Kyoko chuckled, "Haha! Alright, call me if you need me!" She then blitzed in towards the monstrous goblin overlord. That's when I felt the crystalized blood that aligned itself over my scythe, "Looks like it's time for round 3, here we go!" All the goblins that saw me all rushed in towards me, however this time I was ready! I bolted towards them and then swept my scythe through the first batch that roared against me. *SLAAAAAASH* Blood splashed all over me, and my scythe ran right through all of them with ease! "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "This is insane!? It sliced through all of them like butter!?" I called forth the quest to see how many I've killed so far: - Defeat 150 Goblins (68/150) I then saw another batch of goblins rushing towards me, I instantly fixed my stance and readied my next strike, "Come on! Give me everything you got!" I swept my scythe again. "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" "You must evolve to gain EXP!" "Enemy defeated!" And it was at that moment that I felt something awaken in me, it was like I gained understanding an increased understanding of using scythes or something! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations! Due to your mastery over scythe based weapons and mana control, you have gained the following skills: Scythe Mastery: Novice "All Scythe based skills and attacks are 10% more effective!" NEW SKILLS OBTAINED! - Rend - Wind Cutter ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This is crazy! Things just keep getting more and more interesting!" I called the system forth to read about the new skill: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rend : When an enemy is struck, inflicts a stigma on your target that weakens their DEF by 10% and deals 5x adaptive DMG every 5 seconds for 60 seconds! (Can be stacked) Cost: ??? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This skill inflicts a stigma!? But what does it take? Why is it unknown?" Suddenly I felt the world around me slow down, and then a strange bright green message box appeared before me, and this is what it said: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------All pre-requisite conditions have been met! Pre-requisite conditions: - Scythe Mastery: Novice - Mana Authority: Novice - Title: "The Radiance of the Samsara" - Rend Congratulations! Due to your extraordinary accomplishments and feats, you have unlocked a hidden rare class! Would you like to view it at this time? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Time limit: 12 minutes, 22 seconds left...

Far below in the depths of Aria, our proud warrior made his declaration of war against all those who may stand against him. However though, he still has no idea where to even begin! And so he decided to plan out his next move, let's see what he comes up with! Shin gazed into the abyss before him, the only light he could see was what came down from the hole he was plunged from. The moonlight from the surface reached all the way down into the waters below, but didn't make it too far into the actual cave. With his new levels and better understanding of his own abilities, he decided to tread carefully deeper into the Pandemonium. "Damn, I guess there's no where else to go but forward? Hopefully I don't run into anything too crazy in there." I murmured while peering forward into the darkness. Fear of the unknown creeped into my heart, but I knew there wasn't any other way to go. I begin advancing slowly and cautiously into the Tranquil Pandemonium with my scythe readied for any enemy ambush. My eyes weren't completely adjusted to the darkness yet so it was very hard to see. If only I had some way to light my path...? "Oh crap that's right, I have a fire spell. I wonder if I use it to make a torch?" I began to look around the floor for something to ignite, however though, there were only rocks and spider corpses in the immediate area. "Damn, I knew it wouldn't be that easy. There has to be something I can use around here?" I began to rationalize my thoughts, and doing so I was hit with another idea to try. "Wait I wonder if the shop thing has something? I haven't even looked at it yet!" I then tried calling forth the shop with my mind and lo-and-behold, a new unique floating box appeared before me! "Welcome to the Bazaar! Here you can buy items to aid on your journey!" I then saw tabs with names listed above as I examined the new menu in front of me, and at the corner of the Bazaar menu, I saw my SC balance. "Looks like I got 264 SC to spend! That seems pretty promising!" I read off the tabs that were listed while scratching my head, "Weapons, armors. potions, ingredients, keys, quest items, and miscellaneous? This Bazaar thing will definitely come in handy in the future, now where would I find torches?" I immediately looked at the miscellaneous tab, "That's the only place I would assume it's at?" I opened the miscellaneous tab and saw a countless variety of items appear. The options seemed endless, and I had no idea where they would be located. That was until I realized they were in alphabetical order... "I got to search for the T's..." I began scrolling until I saw the T's. "Oh jackpot! Looks like they got torches here after all!" And then I saw they were pretty cheaply priced too! "Only 20 SC for them!? Dang I might have to check the other items when I have the chance!" I then bought 3 torches for 60 SC, my balance dropped to 204 after the transaction. I then decided to check out if there was any armors or weapons I could purchase too! I first checked the weapons tab and was flooded with a whole slew of weaponry. "Wow they got some crazy stuff in here, and what's that?" I then noticed the weapons had star icons below them, the more stars a weapon had, the higher on the list it was. "Geez the ones with more stars are so damn expensive! Like who the hell would have 20,000,0000 SC to spend on a dagger!? Does more stars mean that they're much stronger than the rest!?" I began comparing stats between the star levels, the ones with higher stars were much less in stock than ones with lower star tiers. I counted only a handful of 7 star weapons, but barrel loads of 1 star weapons! The star levels ranged from 1 to 7 and were separated into groups based on category; they kept the same type of weapons together for easier navigation I guess. "Hmm let's see if there's any cheap swords I could buy? I don't think this scythe is gonna be any good for me anymore..." I went to the swords and scrolled down to the 1 and 2 star weapons, and even those seemed kind of out of my price range. "Even the cheap 1 star weapons go for around 300 SC or more! I should probably check the armors tab for now, I think I'm good with the scythe after all..." I saw the armors and they were also ranked by stars, higher starred armors were astronomically stronger than all the others but also astronomically more expensive! I went back to the scythes just to see what the 7 star one had to offer... "DAMN WHO THE HELL HAS THAT KIND OF MONEY!? 30,000,000 SC!? Lord have mercy! What do the stats look like on something like that!?" I immediately clicked on the stats of the scythe at hand and this is what it read: Scythe: [Sacrilege] Rarity: ★★★★★★★ Attributes: +35,000 [ATK] / +50,000 [???] / +20,000 [MP] Weight: 1,250.5lbs Passives: [???], [???], [???] Requirements: 1,000 [Strength], 1,000 [???], <Unknown Class Required> Bio: "In the Lightless Universe before the Songs began, this scythe committed the ultimate sacrilege during the Sunder of Light and Dark. It tore open the Chasm that connected all Life and thus began Death. Only those who walk above Life and Death can wield this power in it's true and terrible potential!" "Jeez even the bio seems outrageous..." The stats on this weapon seem remarkable, unlike anything I've ever seen. The comparison between my rusty old scythe and this Sacrilege scythe are almost night and day! There's even hidden attributes on this one too that I might never even see! I then pulled up the stats of my current scythe just to compare: Scythe: [ Old Rusty Scythe ] Rarity: ★ Attributes: +3 [ATK] / ??? / ??? Weight: 10.5lbs Passives: N/A Requirements: None Bio: "An old rusty scythe with a marred edge, however something seems strange about this one?" "Well God dang, what kind of power does that scythe have!? It may take an eternity to reach those kind of levels, but I won't stop until I get there. I have to rise to the top no matter what, I don't really have another choice." I begin checking for 1 star scythes in the shop, they all ranged from 300 - 4,500 SC whilst being slightly better than the last. "Even these are slightly out of my price range, I guess I need to get some more SC. I can't buy anything just yet." And with that I closed the Bazaar, I need to focus on getting more levels and SC, or else I'm gonna die out here! "Well, here goes nothing!" And thus I dashed deeper into the darkness, I then called for my inventory and found my torches underneath the miscellaneous tab and brought one out. Soon a perfectly lit up torch manifested out of thin air and into my hands. "Sheesh, this really is useful..." The area around me was immediately illuminated by the fire, I was able to see clearly now thanks to the torch, "Oh that's so much better!" I noticed tiny critters and bugs scurrying about as soon as the new light had reached them, almost like they were scared of it. I began walking through the darkness and followed a stone path that was before me, it almost seemed like someone had placed this here to lead somewhere, however I wasn't entirely sure. I walked for about 40 minutes until I was alerted by something completely unexpected! A large neon box appeared in front of me, it read, "Congratulations! You have received a new daily quest from the Constellations above! Would you like to view it?" "AAH! What the hell!? That scared the crap out of me! A new daily quest from the Constellations? What do they want with me now?" I reluctantly agreed to view the new daily quest, "Whatever, let's see what they want! Not like I have anything better to do." A new box opened before me, this one read: "Daily Quest: Basic Training! Please complete the following before the next 22 hour cycle to receive rewards! Tasks: - 0/100 Push-ups - 0/100 Sit-ups - 0/100 Squats - 0/1 Mile Run - 10 minute meditation Failure to complete all tasks before the 22 hour interval will result in a disciplinary game! Time left: 21 hours, 58 minutes. " "What is this? A quest that forces me to train? And what happens if I don't do it? I guess I can probably figure that out later, for now I should probably do what it says. What are even the rewards for completing this damn thing?" I tried calling for the rewards list but they stayed hidden from me, it's whatever I guess. I think I should start doing the quest now since I have some free time. I pondered for a bit, "What should I start with first? I think I should do the push-ups and sit-ups first since they don't take too much time, then afterwards I'll do the squats before the meditation and mile run." I looked deep into the caverns, nothing but disembodied echoes and the sound of dripping water could be heard all around. My torch's fire crackled and popped as it gave light into the abyss. I don't think I need to find a hiding place since it's empty here anyways... And thus I put down my torch and got down into push-up position, "Alright let's go! One, two, three, four, five..." I counted my reps out loud, I didn't realize how quiet it was until I started counting. My voice left a small echo that travelled quite a distance before disappearing. Maybe I should count in my head... I began to mentally keep count of my reps, "Twenty-five, Twenty-six, Twenty-seven, Twenty-eight, Twenty-nine.... and Thirty!" I stopped at thirty due to fatigue and sore muscles, "Ugh, this is gonna be harder than I thought!" I was already panting like a dog and I wasn't even halfway finished yet! I then called to check the progress on my quest: - 30/100 Push-ups I nodded my head, "I just need to keep going..." After about 8 minutes of repeated reps and rests, I finally reached my first goal, "Ninety-nine... and ONE HUNDRED!" My body went completely limp and I was drenched in sweat! "Phew! That was intense! I hope it gets easier... huff huff. .." I lied on my back and readied myself for sit-ups! "Well here we go!" I repeated the same process for the sit-ups and reaped the same consequences of fast workouts on an untrained body. I did sit-ups for about 15 minutes not including rests in-between sets! My stomach felt like it was on fire, I lied down for a couple moments to get back my breathing. I thought to myself, "Yeah maybe I should've started with meditation instead huff huff. " It was now time for next workout, squats! "Maybe I can knock these out pretty fast, 100 squats shouldn't be that hard to do!" I get myself ready and begin my next workout, I hit those squats faster than anything! "One, two, three, four, five!" I kept counting. With my other muscles recovering, I began to feel a 2nd wind hit me. Energy and adrenaline started to rush me in that very moment and I did the squats really fast. "Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven---" *CRAAASH* A loud explosion suddenly boomed reverbing back and forth throughout the caverns! The ground began to rumble and I immediately ended my workout! "What in God's name was that!?" *Booom! Booooom! Boom! Crash!* The loud explosions furiously continued on, this could only mean one thing. "There's something over there, what should I do?" I was conflicted with two options, either go and find out, or run the other direction and hide from it. One seemed more reasonable than the other, however my curiosity and greed for EXP began to overpower my sound judgment. And in the end, I decided on my choice, "I may regret doing this, but I need to know what's over there!" And without hesitation, I picked up my ignited torch and ran towards the raging echoes! The explosions and blasts grew louder with every step I made, and soon they sounded as though they were right in front of me! I soon felt a large presence near me, it was unlike anything I could ever explain. Somehow I knew it belonged to something, or someone? Could this be because of my sense attribute? Suddenly out of the blue, a massive dark red flashing box appeared before me: ! WARNING! An extraordinary foe draws near! Proceed carefully with the upmost caution Your life is at risk! "What the hell? I've never seen a warning like this before!? Just what is over there!?" Soon the loud explosions started to wane silent. Almost like whatever's happening over there is wrapping things up! Before I knew it, I found the source of the loud explosions and I immediately ducked in cover behind a large rock and hid. The area was dimly lit and only traces of fire could be seen around me. It was only then that I realized there was more monsters nearby, I could hear them talking to each other and they fought against whatever they were fighting. I simply hid and continued to listen. I was not about to join in whatever was over there, not out of fear but out of common sense! The raging battle was maybe 20 meters away from my position, but I dared not get any closer. I heard screams and wailing cries from multiple creatures, I even decided to ready up a fireball spell just for worst case scenario. "Just stay calm Shin..." I repeated in my mind. The extraordinary presence I sensed began to diminish slowly with every second that passed, and the battle starting to calm itself. After awhile, it felt very faint, almost like it wasn't there anymore. After some time, the fighting seemed to have dissipated, and the voices began to fade away. I then heard a group of creatures run out with haste until they were no more. It was then that I decided to look over the rock to see the carnage left behind. When I gazed upon the battlefield, I saw nothing but broken rocks and receding flames, until my eyes perceived something that completely baffled me. I think I found the extraordinary foe it warned me about, it just wasn't what I expected to see... With dark red scales, and eyes that glowed like the morning sun. The creature before me was one I only ever heard about in fairytales. The creature was covered in both swords and spears all over, and had large gashes that proceeded blood. However, somehow it was still alive and barely breathing, kind of like I was a little while earlier. Despite the warning box flashing before me, I decided to take a few steps towards the dying beast. My mind was flooded with many thoughts on what it could be, but the only words that escaped my mouth were, "Is that a freaking dragon!?"

Staring dizzily into the rim of a toilet was the last way Tinz wanted to spend his night, the lantern light swaying above him gently. He had been throwing up due to his illness for the past few minutes (hours?), but to him that was nothing new. Even so, he was frankly sick of it. He was sick of being sick, to put it in simple terms. It'd been so long he'd even tired of holding his long hair back so it wouldn't get any dirtier. Eventually, he had finally felt like he'd finished and slowly wandered his way back to the living room of his house, lantern following him floating throughout the air. It was already close to 3am and he just wanted to sleep. On his trek back to his room he peered out the window in the direction of the main city. He missed it there, its bright lights reaching even the small town he lived in now. Sleepily, he rubbed his eyes and made it back to his room. The lantern turned itself off as it settled onto a desk. Tinz settled himself similarly into bed, hoping to get some sleep. That wasn't his first mistake of the night, and it wouldn't necessarily be his last. Just as he started to fall asleep, a noise sounded out in his room. Was something knocked over? He rustled in his sleep before remembering he lived alone. Cautiously, he sat up, fear wringing his bones out like a wet cloth. In the corner of his room, he saw glowing blue eyes staring ominously at him. He stared back, fear certainly still there but unable to make him move. "I'm too tired for this," he said finally and flopped back into bed. A quiet cough came from the corner. "Aren't you supposed to react more... I'unno, something?" said the ever mysterious corner being. " And now I'm hallucinating voices too ," Tinz groaned, taking one of his many pillows and covering his ears with it. He was shaking, but ultimately figured this had to be a dream of some sort. Just lie back down, it'll pass... There was a sudden hand on his shoulder, and he flipped upright with a screech. "That's a better reaction! Man, I knew you'd get spooked at some point," the voice said. Tinz shrunk into the corner of his bed. He glared at the lantern on the table, signaling it with what little magic he could muster up to turn it on. With the room lit up, he could properly see the intruder who had disturbed his much needed sleep. ...A woman? Purple hair and a long purple robe were the first things he'd noticed, but the thing he really cared about was the fact she'd knocked over some of his books. As many emotions blew up within him, the woman stood there looming by his bed. "What do you want?" he spit out. "I don't have much money." The lady crossed her arms. "This may come as a surprise to you, but I'm actually here to give you something," she mused. "What? Give me what, a heart attack? How did you even get in-" She held up a hand signaling him to shut up. Suddenly, the air in the room chilled as she started to glow. Tinz simply stared, feeling intent on 'Maybe if I pass out I can wake up sooner'. "I, Magnolia, holy Goddess of ancient Flora and Fauna, hear thy call of woe and pity thy circumstances. I bless thee with The Pen of Creation, and hereby ask you to... uh... what was the... ugh," her speech blew up just as it was getting interesting; in her outstretched hands was a small wooden pen. She looked like she was really struggling to think of the next line. Tinz blinked. He blinked again, and again, and again. "What?" "I'm giving you this," Magnolia stated. "Yeah, I get that. Why?" Her face soured and she threw the pen at Tinz, effectively hitting him in the face. "I'm bored out of my mind, okay?!" she began, stomping around his room. "You see this?" she gestured to his computer. "It's this stuffs fault us Gods are out of business. You folks on Earth are so advanced with your silly little magics and your funny little technology that you don't need Gods anymore. Do you have any idea how boring it is up in Heaven nowadays?!" Tinz was too busy eyeing the pen to give a damn, which only fueled Magnolia's rant further. "Don't make me take that back! Ungrateful people these days..." "Wh- Listen, I don't even know what's going on? The Gods haven't been heard of in years, how am I supposed to trust you? To know that this isn't some sort of prank?" Magnolia smacked her chest, right above her heart. "Does my pure face not scream trustworthy?" "You broke into my house," Tinz deadpanned. Magnolia coughed. "Details, details. The fact of the matter is, I'm giving you that. You've been chosen, O wielder of the Holy Pen," her tone of voice changed again, "Use it wisely, lest I come and snatch it from your greedy little hands." "Geez, alright," Tinz shrunk into the corner of his bed again. "I don't even know what it does." At this, Magnolia's expression lit up. "Simple! You draw or write with it, and it creates whatever you've scribbled down!" Her finger waggled in the air, mimicking writing. Tinz raised an eyebrow. "But! You have to have basic knowledge of what you're making, or if it's an advanced item, advanced knowledge." "These rules seem a little vague..." Tinz remarked, grabbing a notebook from his bedside table. "I'll try it out I guess." He wrote the word 'notebook' in the notebook with a grumble. "I'm so very original and creative," he huffed with a sarcastic grin. However, the next thing he knew, the pages lit up with a light glow, and spat out a notebook straight into his face. He was knocked backwards into the wall. "Wowww, you actually managed to make something! Its design is even different than the original notebook," Magnolia whistled, watching Tinz drag himself back up. "Yeah," he wheezed, "A little warning that it would've jumped me would have been nice." Magnolia just shrugged. "Anyways, I still don't trust you." "Whaaat? Why?" " You broke into my house ." "Alright! Fine! I'll stay here for a bit, and you can see if I'm worthy of your mortal trust," she posed dramatically. "...So now you're inviting yourself into the home your barged your way into. Are all the Gods like this?" he asked with the most tired expression he could manage. Magnolia simply laughed. "The other Gods are nowhere near as delightful as I am," she giggled as she plopped onto his bed, "Anyway, do you have any potato chips?"

Entering the capital's adventurer guild was as expected, very busy at this hour. Every type of people accepting quests and raids requests. Staff busy with documents and items. It sure is a crowded place. Kei helped me with the registration process and after waiting I got my own guild card from the receptionist. "Here is your guild card." As expected, the guild has a ranking system that increases upon completing jobs, quests, raids, and leveling up. Looks like the emperor makes sure to create a perfect framework where everyone can grow stronger, level up, and yet be safe at the same time. Not bad for a beginning. If I stick with my rank request and level up steadily it should be good. With the guild card in the hand, I flipped it to the other side and notices a magic circle engraved on it. I asked Kei, "what is this?" Kei mentions it as a way to check adventurers' info, he says, "It tells the owner of the card and lets you access your guild banks." So, the guild also manages banks but why? The receptionist on the other side of the counter mentions, "You can access the money from anywhere, and can also be accessed on earth as well. We are connected with many other organizations throughout many counties." Wait...what did she just say? It's a thing? Since when there are organizations placed to manage these things? If I keep my money in the bank instead of in my inventory, I can access this money on earth? So basically, players registered as adventurers are fighting monsters to earn money for both worlds. "Since you are still having some time, how about you take a rank F quest?", Kei suddenly speaks breaking my silence and me from zoning out. "Uh... sure but what type of request?", I asked. Since I am a beginner and a Rank F adventurer, I can only choose from Rank F and Rank E. Kei replied, "well there aren't many types in this rank just simple low-level monsters slaying." I wonder what's Kei level is. He is a knight serving the emperor. He must be in triple digits, right? Looking into the quest on the board there were indeed not many of them but Kei chose a quest of slaying a few goblins outside of the southern gate of the city. This is indeed a way too simple but is put in place for beginner adventurers to level up easily. At least I can get familiar with fighting in this world. Wait, talking about fighting and all, this quest is good and offers 20 Gold, but I don't have the equipment to fight with. I checked my inventory again and noticed a basic level 1 sword from my class. While choosing the character class in the game while registering. I remember choosing it for the Magic Swordsman. People might think I'm weird but I think being able to use magic and a sword is the best option despite its complicated nature. "Now that this game is real can I use basic spells naturally while swinging the sword?" With Kei, I took on the quest with my newly forged guild card. We head out for the southern gate for the hunt. I don't know if I'm ready to fight when I never held a sword but isn't this what I wanted? The adventure of a lifetime. I want to experience these new things and if something gets wrong at least there is Kei who is observing me for today. I need to be strong enough to be free from tomorrow. "Yeah, I can do this.", let the natural instincts and reflex kick in. [Lesser Goblins | Level 5]

Living life with Magnolia was certainly a peek into how the Gods possibly lived their own lives currently. As in, they were bored as hell, which was really saying something. Magnolia asked questions constantly about what the things in Tinz' house were. Especially his computer. He daren't use it in front of her anymore after she bugged him 37 times (he counted) while he was just trying to play a game. In the end he just shut it off and held his face in his hands, nearly weeping from anger. Magnolia was blissfully unaware of the temper Tinz had; she somehow hadn't unleashed it fully yet. And thus, it was a Thursday, a week after Magnolia first broke into his house. He woke up at noon for some godawful reason. He'd been waking up earlier and earlier now due to Magnolia's interference. His eyes opened with a creak, and they peered over to where Magnolia sat. She was playing on his game console thankfully. Entertained for once, she watched the pixels dance on the TV as she struck the buttons to the beat. Tinz sighed and rolled over in bed. The sound of TV buzz and button mashing almost lulled him back to sleep until a burning sensation made its way up his throat. He was both ignoring it and mentally mapping his way to the bathroom in his head. The sensation became too much to bear, and he bolted to the bathroom, leaving Magnolia to watch him go with confusion. Magnolia paused her game tentatively and set the controller down. With a raised eyebrow, she followed Tinz into the bathroom, wrinkling her nose at the smell of burnt tar. She caught him just in time as he was lifting himself up from sitting beside the toilet. "Uh... you good?" she asked, a touch of worry in her voice. Tinz nodded and wiped his mouth. A small bit of black ooze was still there. "This happens often, don't worry." "..." The two stared at each other for a moment. Tinz coughed and broke the silence. "Should you go see a doctor?" Magnolia asked, daring to peer at the toilet; all she saw was black goop. Tinz rolled his eyes. "Have been for years, thanks. They don't know what the hell this is." Magnolia went back to the doorway and leaned on the wall. "Okay, what about a healer then? Surely they would-" Tinz interrupted her with a dry cackle, crispy from the burn in his throat. "Healers? That's a good one... No one does that anymore," he sighed. Magnolia was visibly confused at this remark. "What do you mean...?" "Healing is an outdated magic, technology is really advanced y'know? And even with technology, they can't fix me. I doubt a healer would be able to," he sunk back onto the wall behind him defeatedly. Magnolia cupped her chin in thought. "That's fair, I mean, technology really has come far! I'm impressed with all it's done, and you don't even have that much stuff here," she gestured around her. Tinz stood up wobbily and left to go back to his room. "If you like technology so much, you can use my computer. I don't care anymore," he waved limply before disappearing around the corner. Magnolia's eyes lit up with glee. "Oh, coworkers, I'm so sorry for the heathen I may become!" she squealed, following Tinz. Tinz was asleep. That was a fact. Magnolia was sure of it. She checked twelve times after all. She cracked her knuckles and plopped down in Tinz' desk chair. "Comfy... okay," she whispered, "What does this box have in store for me...?" She clacked the keyboard a bit to wake it up. "Password...? Uhm... I think it was "blackforestlagoon97", or something," she typed it into the password bar with eyes glued to the screen. It changed to Tinz' homescreen, and Magnolia jumped. "Yes!" she cried out, before looking to Tinz and shushing down. "All that watching him use this thing came to fruition. Now then, what do I..." she trailed off as she looked around on the computer, keys clacking even more as the day turned to night with the sky growing dark. Tinz rolled around in his sleep, wheezing softly as his throat was still sore from earlier. His eyes fluttered open, revealing his room to be dark besides the gentle glow of the computer. He didn't stir much; he was much too tired for that. Even so, his mind kept thinking about things Magnolia had said. Things about healers, and the fact he now had such a powerful pen in his possession. His daydreaming was interrupted by Magnolia approaching his bed and smacking his arm. "Whhh... what?" he slurred, groggily staring up at her. Her gaze was suffocating, eyes wide and an eerie grin across her face, "You didn't tell me there were other people on the 'net, Tinz," she murmured. By now, Tinz was thoroughly creeped out, and shrunk to his corner of the bed again. "...Was I supposed to?" "I checked out a streaming platform," she slumped over, posture noticeably worse than before. "There are women on there, Tinz." Tinz simply nodded, getting more confused by the second. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO BACK UP TO HEAVEN WHEN THERE ARE CUTE WOMEN STREAMING GAMES ONLINE, HUH?!" She nearly screamed, leaning back with some sort of menacing pose. At this, Tinz' composure broke. "I WOULDN'T KNOW! Just sneak something up there!" "There's no wifiiiiiiiii..." she admitted with defeat, slouching onto the bed floppily. "I don't c–" he began, before coughing violently. Magnolia looked up with concern. "...You know, I really do think you should see a healer. If there aren't many left, okay cool and all, but with their knowledge they can expand technology and modern medicine to their greatest height!" she tried in an attempt to cheer him up. "Surely they can do something in this day and age." Tinz looked up as well, pain apparent on his face. "Your tone of voice's changed. Are those streamers really that good?" he deadpanned. "Is that really the right thing to say in this situation, dude?" she grimaced. "Well, whatever, cough up your... whatever that is. I'm gonna go look for healers on the 'net, or something," she hopped back to the computer a little too eagerly. The light clickity clack of keyboard noises filled the room as Tinz relaxed for once on his bed. Magnolia was doing who-knows-what; was she really looking for healers? He heard a disappointed sigh from her direction and peeked an opened eye towards her. She was leaning back, one side of the headset he'd let her borrow lifted off of her ear. "I seriously don't see much," she stated. "It's all... bogus psychics, or historical articles." "Told ya so," Tinz yawned. Magnolia rolled her eyes. She then placed the headset down on the desk and stretched, clearly a bit tired from her excursion on the internet. "Well, I guess I'll go back to watching–" "Wait, wait a second, you're a Goddess, can't you do healing?" Tinz asked, now rolled onto his side. She was about to put the headset back on, but instead glared at Tinz. "I am a Goddess of creation, not healing the already created !" she gasped in offense. "Now let me watch these gamers!" "...Whatever," Tinz groaned, rolling onto his other side to continue his much needed sleep.

Things went for the days, I tried to balance both universities during the day and adventuring at night. Things were slow compared to before since I can only level up for a certain time so this month, I only reached Level 40. Unknown to me, I didn't know something was happening in the world of Code Fantasy between our Dawn Empire and other Elven nation in the north from here. "I need information on all the knights, adventurers, and soldiers available in the capital city of Dawn." Due to some misconception, a war was about to break out. I also didn't even notice Kei wasn't coming to observe me anymore. I probably thought it was due to the work at the palace. Since he needs to be with the emperor. "Damn, it's hot today. I should just order something online." Despite my mom's remainder, I almost forgot to buy a gift for my little sister. I also have to book a ticket back home this weekend. "If only I can bring items through that world. I could've bought something amazing." Anyway, if I remember correctly my sister is into designing and saving her own money for a drawing tablet. I should just check some electronics stores. *PHONE VIBRATES [Alice: Did you already book a ticket back? If not, please book one for me as well.] "She didn't book either?" Since she is my childhood friend, even our parents are friends. She also joins any family event whenever we have one. [You: Alright.] Walking into the electronics store, I checked a few models. I didn't know a lot about the drawing tab, so I took help with online reviews on models and checked specs. "It was scarily expensive. I didn't know good models are hard to get.", let's get something to eat and call it a day. I won't be cooking for myself after being tired. [Remaining Balance - $ 20,000] Luckily, I transferred some money into my account from Guild's Bank. Still, if I already can earn this much then as a high-ranking adventurer, how much can I earn? Maybe, it's best to not cause problems and let the money be kept in Guild's Bank. "Let's check available trains." While I was sitting in the café, I got a call from Alice. *PHONE RINGS "Hello, Alvin?", a confused voice came from the other side of the call. "If it's about the train, I'm checking for tomorrow morning. Don't worry about mo-" Cutting me into mid-sentence, she suddenly says, "Do you have enough room for one more person in your flat?" Did I hear something wrong? "Wai... what?", I asked. With a big sigh, she says, "I'll repeat again, do you have enough room for one more person in your flat" "........."

Waking up by alarm early in the morning, I got fresh and had a call with mom. Looks like with less conversation throughout the week she was just anxious. "Ah, it's 9:00 AM already? I need to hurry", classes start at 9:30 but still it takes time to walk. Even if I took a bus, it would at least take 15 minutes. Locking the door, I headed for the university. Sprinting towards the bus stop to catch it. "I'm seriously going to get scolded." Soon enough I reached university, thinking off all the even past week and here I'm still after all that. A place where I can relax, explore and be myself. I was afraid of this not wanting to come back but here I'm still thinking about that. "Alvin where were you?", my childhood friend Alice Roose came from behind calling my name. I turned around only to see her annoyed face. "Oh, was working on something! Did something happen while I was gone?", I asked. "Something happened u say... Do you know how teachers and others are chewing me out? At least tell me before leaving." 'Well, it was expected' "It's alright I will deal with the teachers when they ask for me.", I don't think I care if they fail me or set me back a semester. There are a lot of things going on inside my head. Either way, nobody will care even if I won't attend university classes. Like nothing happened, I entered my first class and sat in the last, I really don't like to talk to others that much. A few of my old friends do ask about my absence, "did something happen? You were out for a week." But in a long term, they will forget it. Class is about to start, and the teacher walks in like always. While checking the attendance, today I was present which he was angry about. Our teacher, Mr. Samson Jaric stands up from the desk and walks towards me. While suppressing anger, he says, "Alvin you are a good student, but you can't be absent for a week. Look at your friends, engineering isn't an easy subject. Try to be more attentive." Not causing any problem I simply replied, "Sorry for the sudden absence, it won't happen again, and I will inform teachers in case of any emergency." "Alright, glad you understood it." Class resumes and goes on like always but today I was thinking of multiple things instead of only the topic Mr. Samson was teaching. One by one class changes I was thinking of ways to improve my grinding skills. I need to get more skills, but I don't know how. Basic spells and sword skills can only get me so far. Soon, I have to take part in a raid with others to Rank Up. [12:30 | Monday] Checking my phone, it was already lunchtime. "Want to grab lunch at the cafeteria together?", Alice came by asking for lunch together. *SIGH "Alright, but I'm not paying yours.", looks like she has a few questions that I ignored today in the morning. Eating together sitting opposite the tables, she says, "You look tired today. Is it related to what you were saying in the morning?" While eating I also replied, "Y-yes. Just some personal project." She looked me in the eye and then went back to eating, as she says, "Alright." It is strange, friends come and went by, but she is the only one who stood with me after 15 years. She doesn't ask questions a lot and is less annoying than those who act weirdly. "Thanks, and sorry for the morning.", I guess she is the only friend I have.

CHAPTER 3 Entering the city, I took a look outside of the carriage window, seeing how a lot of people on the streets lived out their lives with a smile on their faces. I can tell, the emperor must have worked hard to get to this point. "It sure is lively.", I muttered. Wearing a faint smile, the old emperor also looked out and says, "Yeah, it's not much but this is all I was able to build." 'This is all you say?' If the war was that chaotic and worse as he says, then this is amazing. No, It's beyond amazing that about 2 decades ago this was a battlefield. Emperor looked at me and says, "The peace came with many costs, but I believe it was worth it." Not saying anything, I kept thinking of an actual war. Yeah, war must have caused many casualties, but he looks happy. Just taking a look outside anyone can tell, Merchants, Soldiers, Clerics, and civilians, everyone are genuinely happy regardless of the profession. "Now we are near the palace child. You should relax a bit." Entering the grand palace where the emperor resides was no joke. It's my first time seeing something like this. "Help this child get registered and also around town for today.", Emperor ordered the knight present in the hall. As he ordered, the emperor looks back and says, "Since you entered this place while searching for an adventure. I don't have any rights to how you live but this is all I can help you with." Placing his hand on my shoulder, he repeats, "don't overdo it, and be careful from now." I don't know for sure, but this old man is not just an emperor anymore for me, I have respect for you. Even after being an emperor, he speaks naturally with everyone and personally came to get me out of the forest. Isn't this too good to be true? He truly looks like a fantasy character. "Thanks...", I followed the said knight but, before leaving I stopped. "Your majesty, I forgot to tell you earlier but, I'm Alvin Gray!" And like always, he replied with a smile, "Welcome to the Ariel City of Dawn Empire." Following the knight, we were walking on the streets of the city. No matter how much you look around it just screams the word 'fantasy world'. Man, at this rate I will never log out of here. *SIGHS "Well, how many players did it show on the game page?", the knight walking next to me suddenly asks me a question. A question that causes more questions. "Wait, are you also from earth?" Bursting into laughter, He replies, "No. I'm from this world." 'Then, how does he know about...?', while the question pops up in the head. Knight says, "I'm Kei Glave. Son of two heroes from the earth." 'I knew it!' but wait... 'heroes?' Looking at my face lost in thoughts, he says, "Didn't his majesty asks you to not overdo and relax? Don't worry my parents are alive here. They just decided to stay here instead of logging out." "They don't log out to earth anymore?" "Yes, after the war they had me, so, they decided to stay in this world and help the empire instead.", he replied with a proud expression on his face. Looks like he like serving this empire and his time here. "We are here now, are you ready to mark on your own adventure Alvin?" Is that even a question at this point, "Yes!". [Ariel Adventurer Guild | Dawn Empire]

Unknown to me the situation inside Code Fantasy, like previously planned, I headed home with Alice for my little sister's birthday party. While I was taking a few days off from the Code Fantasy. Emperor and the whole palace were in chaos. "A number of troops from Elvenium were reported to have been seen marching north of Rein City.", soldiers reports keep on coming from the empire's several regions. Things were out of hand, duke ruling parts of the empire are afraid of all outs battles again inside the empire. "Alright, peace really doesn't last long. A single person can really start a war between two nations." I wonder what went wrong. The information about the upcoming war wasn't made public yet. An unprecedented move from nations of elves, 'Elvenium'. "Kei, evacuate the target zones and surroundings. Send reinforcement in Rein City and try to keep battle inside the Rein City." A question that comes from the knight is, "will that be enough?" And the answer from the emperor which shakes the ground underneath, "No, it won't. Start the plan." It was inevitable for an all-out war. Dawn Empire is standing due to its economy and trade. The players from the earth with their ideas born different types of cultures but this empire is no match against 'Elvenium', the nation of elves. Several Centuries old, far developed in magic, army strength, and skills. Compared to them Dawn Empire recently started developing and was a part of war just 20 years ago. "We aren't prepared." "Thanks, Brother, for the drawing tab. It's the latest version of that.", Kathline opened her presents during the party fully excited. She sure knows how to act little and cute. "How did you buy it? You hardly ask for money unless you need it.", standing next to me, father suddenly asks questions. My father, 'Aldrin Gray', is a person who I think is the weirdest one here. He rarely stays home and works most of the time. As much as I want to complain, he is the only one who truly understands me. And he also doesn't talk much with others. "It wasn't that expensive, I also started to work part-time for my personal usage.", I think spending money moderately will not rise suspicion. It can be considered part-time money. "Is that so?" Like always, he really doesn't say much, standing at the back like that. "Here you go Kath, I hope you like it.", Alice hands her bought gift inside a bag. As excited as she was before, Kath's reaction changes quickly. "Wait, is this the newly launched... How beautiful.", Kath keep on looking at the beautiful pendant with her mouth open in shock. Inside the box, it looks like a normal pendant to me. Now I wonder if that is better than my gift. I thought she was excited to have a drawing tab. I can't understand these girls. "Alright everyone, dinner's ready. Let's eat." Mother, 'Erin Gray. She is already preparing our dinner. It's surprising I didn't notice. Bringing food to the dining table, Alice also went to help, "Let me also help". "Thanks, you sure have grown up Alice. Try to teach some manners to Alvin as well.", suddenly both mother and Alice started to talk about me. Well, anyway I'm used to this environment. I guess even in this nagging and I'm happy to be back home. But I have to go back tomorrow morning due to my and Alice's classes. *SIGHS

Tell me what happened to a person who likes the adventure of discovering things and places? Finding a mystical place far-far away from anyone. A place where you can ease the mind and be yourself. I also wanted to find such a mystical place where anything can be possible. A place I can be myself. That's how I found a door to another world, 'CF'. CF is known as Code Fantasy, an MMORPG Game that promises you to experience a different world physically. This game isn't easy to find, or should I say, you should know what you are searching for? This world is full of adventures, magic, beasts, mystical creatures, and some mythical places and I have a chance to experience it all. A world yet to be seen, A adventure yet to be traveled, and fights yet to happen. This is how I live my life in another world while searching for a reason to live.

Having been able to see the status screen in front of me, I checked my surroundings little by little. "I still have my phone?", checking my inventory, I found my phone inside it. Checking my phone, it is useless now. On my phone, it only shows the menu for logging out. [Want to exit the world of Code Fantasy? Yes | No] "I'll log out later. Let's explore a little more." Playing with my status screen floating in front of me, I found a mini-map showing a town next to the forest in the east. "This forest and the town next to it is part of Dawn Empire? It sure is an interesting name.", leaving the forest in the direction of town, I got encountered with a group of armed people. Instinctively I avoided being seen, for some reason I don't want to make myself known while I'm Level 1. "Your Majesty, please rest easy, I'll find the new transferer.", one of the armed soldiers shout out as my eyes laid upon the old and wise-looking man wearing a crown and a majestic outfit. [Carlin Dawn, Emperor of Dawn.] Hearing them, I thought, 'Are they searching for me?'. Hiding into the buses, I started to think of their movement, are they NPCs or real people? They look more human to me. A true AI? With a single look, anyone can tell they are a real person. *SIGHS "Are you looking for someone?", I might regret this, but I don't have any leads in this world. I might get caught with troublesome problems later. "Child is it you who entered this world?", the emperor asked me with his soft and wise speech. I realized this nowhere like programmed NPCs, looking at him touching my shoulder. I can feel it. They are definitely real people. "Yes, and it seems like this is not an ordinary game." The emperor offers me a ride to the nearest town which turned out to be the capital city of the empire. On my way back, the emperor told me about this world. It turned out to be the real world instead of a game. He told me about the many players like him who entered this world in search of new things and got trapped here. "How did you get trapped? Can't you log out through the device in your inventory?" Hearing me, the emperor looked outside and says, "If only we have that." He looked at me and says, "keep that inside your inventory. If this gets lost or broken or something happens to your device you will be stuck like us." I suddenly got chills in my spine as he explains the consequences. Emperor, later on, explains this world is not a game. It just has these Levels, Skills, Classes, and attributes due to the Gaia interference but it's the real world. Any creature in this world has its own level and stats even if they are god. "How did you lose your device to log out?", I asked. He replied gently, "I died in the war and respawn for the last time as a genuine citizen of this world losing any option to leave." He took out his phone which looks like a 90s phone and he said, "It is useless now. Many people have lost and got stuck in this world as one of its residences. We accepted it ages ago but not you." Emperor suddenly points at the soldiers outside the carriages. "There are people from both worlds but there is no difference anymore. I created this empire solely for those who lost their way home or to help them who still have a chance." All this information is suddenly thrown at me, an emperor who used to be from the same world like me, and how it is easy to get stuck here. I was speechless for the rest of the journey. [Ariel City | Dawn Empire]

Alice lives in a girl's hostel unlike me. For studying it might be the best option for students to take on hostels so that they can focus on studying only. I wasn't like that, I never wanted to be trapped in the hostel and hated the fact of getting permission in order to get outside. I can take care of myself even if I have to sleep hungry, but I hate being trapped by every option. Well, looks like she is also having a problem now. "Did you just say, you want to move with me?" "Yes, and if you are okay with it, can I?" I wonder what happened. I was very close to asking did something happen Alice? *SIGHS "Alright, I do need to clean before you move in and..." Cutting me off in the mid-sentence again, she says, "Thank you!" and hangs up the call. *BEEP "What just happened?", was she in a hurry or something.? She didn't even let me complete my sentence. Let's leave, I will never understand her anyway. Even if I keep thinking about it for hours. Heading back home, I took my phone and straightly logged into the CF. [Connecting to the world of Code Fantasy...] [Welcome to the Code Fantasy.] "I'm back for some leveling up. Let's grind a bit more." [Ariel City | Dawn Empire] At night searching for monsters is a bad idea, it's common sense that it might get dangerous. Since I already have enough money for the time being, I started hunting at night to get level up efficiently. "I need to learn new spells and skills." My current skills and stats are good but not great for raids. I need some new skills, but I don't know how. "STATUS" [STATUS - NAME: ALVIN GRAY | LVL: 40 RACE: HUMAN CLASS: MAGIC SWORDSMAN TITLE: --- HP: 400 | MP: 295 STR: 10 DEX: 10 AGI: 10 INT: 10 AP: 0] "SKILL TREE" [SKILLS – SHARPEN (Level 8) ELEMENTAL BLADE (Level 10) DASH (Level 7)] It might look like great status and skills at the first glance, but I hit my limit. I need to find something more or some sort of upgrade. [MAGIC SWORD (Level 5) Attack - +100 Damage | +5% critical hit rate A Beginner magic sword of a swordsman who started to learn the ways of magic.] I'm keeping my upgrading my original sword, I think it's pretty strong compared to one with the stores. "Should I ask Kei to tell me how to get new skills?", the only problem is I didn't see him for a few days. Is he on a mission? *SIGH I guess I have to wait for my rank-up raid mission.

It sure was a relaxing staying with people I know. But after that, I still have work to take care of. I stayed at the house for a day and returned with Alice the next day. "I'll be moving next month. Well, I need to go now. See you later in class!", Alice also went to the hostel as she needs to return on the mentioned date. "Okay, see ya!", watching her worrying about something like that. I really can't stay like that. Living under someone's rules and conditions that's just not me. Since I will be starting classes tomorrow, let's login back into the world of CF. [Connecting to the world of Code Fantasy...] [Welcome to the Code Fantasy.] [Ariel City | Dawn Empire] "Let's enjoy this little life in another world.", A world where I can live on my own terms with the power I acquire. A journey yet to be taken around this mysterious world. I can't waste time thinking about useless stuff back on earth. "Alvin how are you doing?", A familiar voice is heard from behind me. Turning around, I saw Kei standing while leaning on the wall. "Kei, it's you. Where were you?" With a faint smile, walking towards me, Kei answered, "nothing just some work. How about you? I also didn't see you for 2 days." "Nothing much, I went home for my little sister's birthday party." "Oh, I didn't know you lived alone." While talking we went on a walk around the city. While walking, I realize what he just said. "So, were you searching for me? Something important?", I asked. Kei's expressions change a bit and he asks, "Are you free?" Why does he sound like that? Did something happen? "I guess. What is it? Something wrong?" While hesitating, Kei says, "His majesty wants to meet with you." Emperor wants to see me? But even if we are close he is still emperor, right? Anyway, why is Kei making a such face? It's just a meeting, right? Did something happen? A lot of questions came to my mind but I can't find any answers. While I was still questioning everything, I said, "Alright, let's go now." Look's like I have to see it myself. What's wrong with Kei and why the emperor wants to see me so suddenly? Entering the palace with Kei, I walked into the grand hall. There were many officials and nobles standing all around. I glanced over to the center where the emperor is sitting on the throne. Did we come at the wrong time? But no one stopped us either. "Ah, you came Alvin.", with a down voice emperor spoke. Is he sick? He sounds weird. "Yes, your majesty. I heard you were searching for me.", needs to maintain a formal speech. There are others around. "Alvin, how about a journey? Ready for an adventure?" "........."

Gathering all the essential supplies I decided to prepare less for my journey since I can log out on earth if things go south. "I think I'm prepared for the ride.", stuffing most of the stuff in my inventory. I kept minimal items equipped for fast travel. Since I only have time to travel during nighttime due to college. I'm level 45 and my body has changed after every day of grinding levels and trying to level up. *SIGH "I might be getting overhyped on the thought of traveling and meeting elves.", And before I know it, I started to feel it back the most important thing I wanted to do. "Adventuring.", Adventuring into this mysterious world. The Adeline rush you feel at the thought of going to new places and meeting new people. Especially in a fantasy world like this. "Let's start traveling from tomorrow onwards.", I should get rest for today since starting tomorrow I will be quite busy. Both day and night. [Connecting to earth...] [Logging out...] Getting back my phone suddenly vibrates. *PHONE VIBRATES "An email?", checked the notification, it was an email from my university. The end semester exam is around the corner and the email was supposed to remind students to pay the tuition fees for the semester who haven't yet. Just in a blink of an eye, the semester is about to end, and I haven't studied yet. I wonder what will happen during the exam. "I guess, I have enough money piling up from adventuring. I will just pay my own tuition fee.", I could just ask dad for my tuition fee as usual but for some reason, the guilt of not studying and wasting his money will be more. [Payment Done.] Honestly, I know that I might fail but the whole reason I attended a university far away from home was to do something on my own. But it's no use. Before knowing myself, I changed my focus to something else. Anyway, one way or another I'm earning money and if I really happen to fail at the end semester then, "I'll just drop out.", it will be my choice and mine alone. I should focus on relaxing since tomorrow will be really tiring even for this level 45 body. "Good Night, myself!" *Alarm Rings, Waking up on the alarm like always, I got up and get changed for the classes. Sitting in the corner of the class, soon the time fly by and one by one all classes get over and I can finally get back to my flat. "Alvin, Can I borrow your laptop?", as I was about to leave, Alice came up to me in the class. "My laptop? Did something happen to yours?" Sighing, she replied in an annoyed voice, "Yeah, I had to send it for repair." 'I wonder why she sounds pissed.' Well, I guess she needed to complete her assignment as well. But I wonder if is it something related to her suddenly moving out of the hostel. "Alright, make sure to return after u did with it and the password is the same as usual." "Yeah, thanks. I'll treat you later.", in a hurry, she left after talking with me. As she rushed off, I remember, I also have to back and need to begin my journey.

Another Year just arrived and my life as the first year of college ended. That's when any normal student realizes they wasted their entire life and nothing great upholds in the future as well. As for me, 'Alvin Gray', decided to do everything I can to improve my life but still at the end of the first year of my college I can feel the gap between my skill and knowledge among others. Am I not working efficiently? Am I not adapting to society? Or am I simply trying hard enough? Many questions pop up in my mind as I realize about my life and the other pressures. I know I can't give up yet, I just have to keep on going but how? *SIGHS "I'll just take my leave today. I don't care about my attendance ratio anymore.", Being tired of college and other kinds of stuff, I forget what I wanted to do the most in life. I was searching for something I wanted to do. *PHONE VIBRATES [MOM | now All, are you coming home for your sister's birthday party next month?] "I completely forgot. I guess I'll have to make some more time.", put the phone back on the table after replying Yes, I went to sleep a bit more. After an hour I woke up with a dizzy head and an empty stomach. "Need to clean the house a bit. I should just order some food and get fresh.", avoiding classes for a single day must have caused so many problems but I don't care anymore. I need to relax as well. Even if I'm being called after. After ordering some food, I went back to the laptop searching for something that I don't even know. For some reason, I always get a vision or a sight of beautiful places located somewhere in a forest. I ignored it as I must be losing my mind but suddenly today, [CODE FANTASY: DIVE INTO ANOTHER WORLD FULL OF FANTASY AND MYSTICS.] "An MMORPG? There aren't even any screenshots." Looking around on the website a bit more I realized it's an MMORPG GAME and also a cross-platform at that. [PLAYER ONLINE:150,047] [PLAY NOW!] "If this is such a big game why there is no info available on any mobile appstores?" Being hesitant about having no screenshot, I still downloaded it on mobile and set up an account. For some reason, it asks nothing in personal detail. [Account has been registered. Please wait a minute!] [Connecting to the world of Code Fantasy...] "Is it connecting to the server? Does it even have servers here?", the game wasn't particularly known in public so I figured it must not have any servers in my region. But I was wrong, not about servers... [Welcome to the Code Fantasy.] But about everything altogether... "What just happened? I was sitting in my room just now.", in a split second, I found myself in the world of CF at the same time my mobile screen went blank. "I can feel this grass and wind around me. Am I really inside of the game?", A very large tree surrounded by several small trees, stones, and ruins around me? I glanced everywhere. "Water, Wind, Smell I can feel it. I can touch things. Is it real? Am I really not dreaming?" [The Great Ancient Ruins | Dawn Empire] Looks like this was only the beginning of my adventure.

Emperor dismisses everyone from the meeting in the hall as soon as we arrived. As soon as everyone leaves, he suddenly asks for me to take a journey. "A journey? What do you mean?", I asked. Emperor stands up from the throne and walks down towards me. "Yes, a journey to the west of our Dawn Empire. A place where some elves reside for the past 10 years." Do we have a forest full of elves in the west of our empire? Never knew... Wait, that still doesn't answer my questions. "Don't worry, it's just a mission of delivering a letter to the city lord. You can even look around till they provide you with a response letter." This is too sudden but if it's about delivering a letter, then why me? There are Kei and other upper-rank strong adventurers in the guild. Is it because we are familiar with each other? "Is it really alright? It sounds important.", I asked with a concerned face. With a faint laugh, he says, "Child, don't worry it's nothing important. Also, didn't you want to go on an adventure?" "Kei, prepare a map and my letter. Take care of stuff from our end.", he ordered Kei as if it was just the normal souvenir or formalities, but that smile doesn't look genuine. I wonder if I should ask questions about why he chose me or about this sudden visit. But I chose not to. For better or worse I didn't anticipate what was yet to come and might regret it later. It sure is the pretty continent to go on an adventure but I'm still at level 45 only. Most of the adventurers are of higher rank in the town. Should I be exploring other places right now? Honestly, I don't know the answer myself. Let's just go with the adventure in this magical world. Next day when I logged into this world at night. I found Kei waiting for me outside of the adventurer guild. "Why are you wearing a hood Kei?" "Pssst!!!", trying to keep my voice down he says, "I don't want to cause any unnecessary problems. Hearing my name, I will just drag unwanted eyes on me." Oops, I almost forgot he is still the trusted and strongest knight protecting the emperor at all times. They just act way too differently around me which makes me forget their real identity at some times. *Ahem, Kei takes out a pouch and a badge from his inventory. "Alvin, make sure you wear this badge to identify you as an imperial member while you enter the western city, Elvin. IT will greatly help you at the city gate and in the city lord manor." As he handed me a heavy pouch, I ask, "What is this? I understand the letter and pouch but what's this about?" Kei opened the pouch and takes out a gold coin. He says, "A little gift from his majesty. It would help you with lodging if you decided to stay here instead of logging out." Closing the heavy pouch, he again says, "His majesty was about to provide you with some imperial coins, but I stopped him. Wonder if I shouldn't." Bro What are you saying? Is he being serious? Is this heavy pouch full of gold coins supposed to be a little gift? And he is talking about imperial coins who are above gold coins at that. 'How much does it make in real-life conversion?', I might lose sight of my real objective. As we were talking, the street got a bit busier since it was a busy night, a lot of people can be seen around the guild coming for their work and relaxing with some food. "Alvin, stay safe and enjoy the journey. Hope you enjoy your time in Elvin city." With Kei's word, I hurried to gather the necessary things for the immediate travel. I guess I was excited all along. watching me from behind, Kei mutters, "Stay safe and out of trouble. I wonder if this is the right decision, your majesty."

Adventuring in a fantasy world is such a dream of every teenager out there. As a university student who suddenly decides to rest for the day and search for a place from a dream. I ended up finding a game that let you in a different world. It was a new pace in my life. Since my first hunt with Kei, I keep on logging back into Code Fantasy for a week and came back at night only to sleep. Sometimes I take more than one quest and keep on grinding the level. If Kei is free, he observes me but doesn't interfere in my quest. As I mentioned, it's been a week since I also meet with the emperor. He must be also busy since he is an emperor. This is addictive. "I finally reached level 30.", hunting, questing and some other miscellaneous jobs got me enough time to level up pretty easily. Still compared to playing an MMO on a mobile/PC it's hard to constantly grind the level when you feel the fatigue of your average body. "I'm tired after this dungeon expedition as well. I need to stop soloing.", as a result, I started entering low-level dungeons solo in rank E. These must be low levels monsters but, in a dungeon, it makes it difficult to fight in a small place. "Now I have to take a part in a raid in order to Rank Up in the guild.", I should take a break. I have a university to attend as well. A whole week, so much has happened. "I should go back now." Getting back on my feet, I walked back to the adventurer guild. "Here is your reward for completing the quest. 100 Gold coins.", all this money piling up. Even if it was a single-floor dungeon, it was a good reward for those low-level monsters. "I would like to transfer this money to the bank like always." I haven't decided what to do with this money, after my first quest I went back to earth and tried to transfer some money to my bank account on earth. A single gold coin here will be converted to the equivalent of money on earth and get transferred upon request. I can withdraw all from my bank account, but I didn't since I can't explain the money to my parents. "I can just say it's a part-time job, but it still is hard to explain." [Want to exit the world of Code Fantasy? Yes | No] "Let's go back. I will be resuming my classes from tomorrow." [Connecting to earth...] [Logging out...] "Damn my body still feel sore in this world as well.", I realized it quicker that aside from levels, skills, attributes and class that world is real and if something happens to me it will be real me. Well on the bright side, my body buffed up a little, and all fit. "I can't recognize my average self from a week. Just in a week, I can see the difference." [Mom | 2 hours ago I tried to call but it didn't get through. Are you sleeping already Alv?] Well, I can't access any other feature on my phone while I'm in that world. I guess I will call her tomorrow morning. Let's go to sleep now, "Good Night, myself!"

Logging into the world of CF as soon as I get back. I started to study the map given by Kei. "I really need to understand the efficient route.", planning my journey using this isn't that complicated. From the map, all I can see the forest is on the far west side of the empire and is one of the biggest lands in the empire. Traveling this distance, I'll have to travel the whole night to compensate for my absence during the day. I will be using the empire trade route so there will be fewer monsters, but the bandits and others can be encountered anytime in the dark night. "I'll have to see through all possibilities... or..." *SIGH Or I will just see the situation as it unfolds. For the last time, I rechecked all the stuff I need and headed to the western gate of the city. "Let's go explore new places.", looking at the gate of the city, I remember entering the world because I was searching for the random visions I see in my thoughts. And coincidently finding this game which turns out to be a lifetime experience. I got to find out this is the real world instead of some game. "Well, all I can say is I'm excited." Traveling on the western side while following the normal trade routes of the empire connecting different cities is easy but it also didn't take long for me to run into a group of bandits waiting in the dark for their next prey. "Let's have some workouts." I can't believe, there are this many people waiting to ambush traveling goods and people, right? *Slice, Of course, I'm not going on killing these people, but I will be slicing their hands or legs. I'll leave them with their lives, so they remember tonight's event forever. "Really, this is going berserk." A smile appears on my face every time I think of the words I said before, 'A place where I can be myself. I feel relieved. I like this world to the core. Training and leveling up, exploring new mystical places, uncovering many mysteries, meeting new people, and going berserk with no strings attached. "M-Monster, you are a monster!" Looking at these guys trembling after something they started. I really can't understand those who try to act tough but, when it is time for themselves to deal with the consequences they aren't ready. "Oh my, thanks for the compliment.", this is the real me who just wants to let loose on everyone who thinks they are above but are nothing but trash. Even with level 45, I'm more than enough for these guys. "Y-you will pay for... doing this to me. I...I'm Has--", speaking with the tattered and broken sentences. I think it's time to end this. *Slice "Not interested. I just don't care." Oh, looks like I wasted too much time on this, I must go on my journey now. I don't have much time anyways. I just have the night.

Another cold night in the city. The wind whipping across my face as the sound of traffic assaults my ears. You'd think at some point all of these people would go to bed, but newcomers take their place before a difference can be noticed. One of the more endearing quirks of living in a city I guess, you're never really alone. Fort Lain is a big city, it has been my whole life. It's in the middle of an economic boom right now so it's only getting bigger. They just keep building, even after we ran out of floor space in the city. Instead of expanding out towards the suburbs or making a new district a little ways away everyone just wants to add on as close to the center as they can. Every new building is made for the now and not planned out for the future. It makes the city look like a M.C. Esher painting, everything wrapped in and around itself. Grandpa told me when he was a kid the skyscrapers weren't built yet and the harbor was filled to the brim with seals. Nowadays it's rare to see any kind of animal in the harbor. Too many ships going in and out, and not enough restrictions to keep the harbor clean. The entire east side of the city is just factories, warehouses and docks. There's something scary about the shipping part of town. It's full of alcoholics and drug dealers, or at least that's what my mother says. I'm pretty sure it's not that bad but it's hard to go against 17 years of her nagging. It's hard not to believe her with all the trash in the water. Walk the beach for five minutes and find 3 needles, 2 lunch sets, and 1 large trash bag that may or may not have a human body inside. The beach isn't the cleanest part of the city but it's also not the dirtiest, which is sad. I'm not sure if this "boom" is a good or bad thing for us. Luckily I'm just doing some volunteer work, I can leave the docks for the police and actual heroes. All I'm doing tonight is keeping my eyes and ears peeled. It's been a whole month since I've started my vigilantism and I've reported 3 robberies, 2 trespassings, 5 DUI's, and 1 assault. 11 crimes in 30 days, a crime every 3 days. An average of 2 and a half crimes a week. This being the first day of the next week and me being awful at math meaning, absolutely nothing. I'm glad I kept the crimes recorded in my OWL-genda but they aren't really doing me any good. Then again it's only been a month. Maybe they'll come in handy once I've filled in a whole year's worth. Dates, times, streets, perps, and crimes comitted. Maybe I'll add in response times too. I'd hafta stick around and watch for the cops though. That's kinda sketchy considering I think what I'm doing might be illegal. Sitting on rooftops for hours in a silly costume and spying. It's probably just trespassing really if they did catch me. I'm not looking into windows or watching specific people. Just using my powers to catch things others might miss. I can hear ten times better than normal people, see with only one tenth to a hundredth the amount of light as them, and spin my head two hundred and seventy degrees around. Or that's what google says about owls. I don't have any actual way to measure my powers. Nobody to talk to about them, and no clue as to why I got them. That's part of the reason I suit up every weekend I guess. Aside from trying to be a hero, which seemed a lot more exciting online, I really want to find some kind of answers out here. No traumatic event, no chemical bath or bite from a were-creature. Just wake up one morning with powers. Super hearing and sight are awful when you don't know how to control them. Had to stay home from school that whole first week. Convinced mom I had migraines. Actually convinced is wrong, I did have migraines. They just were caused by my new super powers. No clues tonight either. Day 31 has come to a close as my OWL-phone vibrates in my pocket. Another uneventful crime free night. It's really hard to force myself to call it quits at 3 a.m. I think part of my powers might be enhanced nocturnal...ism. It's really hard to get to sleep anytime before 5 in the morning now, my eyes don't want to shut until I see the sun. I've started taking melatonin on school nights to get to sleep, like a lot of it. Tomorrow is already Saturday, meaning my hero nights are nearly over for another five days. I can grab a couple things at the store tomorrow to finish off my costume. It's been a real pain taking the bus across the city to grab pieces for it. Waiting days between and making sure the stores are far enough from school that no classmates might be there. At least my maps have been getting filled out. Plenty of time during stake outs to make routes and plans for the days to come. They don't really show you how hard it is sneaking around a city, especially in and out from home. Unless you can fly or have some kind of enhanced movement it's awful. The first night I was dumb and didn't plan a route. I definitely didn't and still don't know the city well enough to just wing it. I got another notebook just for my maps, the Owl-map. Couldn't figure out a better name for that one. I found a couple of abandoned buildings near my neighborhood during the day. I hid a cheap backpack from the thrift store with some spare clothes around each one. After patrol I change back into civilian clothes there. I also rotate between them so as to not form a pattern or weird habits. Now my return trip is only about 35 minutes. I've mapped out every camera in the neighborhood and found the fastest routes, the least fence to bush and camera ratios. I swap between each route in a semi sporadic pattern leaving two weeks between each route. That way if i'm caught on tape the neighbors might find my appearance as a one off fluke of some drunken teen walking home from some party in the city. It's really funny. Sneaking back home is the most exciting part of this still. The adrenaline I get during this part is almost overwhelming. The price I pay for being such a nobody I guess. No sports, or group activities. Being such a boring homebody my whole life really makes this stuff exhilarating. I can't even imagine how crazy mom would get if she ever found out. Route 3B involves going through the Duxbury's backyard, jumping over a small wooden fence into the Holbrook yard and following the hedge wall behind the condominiums. The hedges are my favorite route piece. They feature in a lot more route combinations of mine then they probably should. The height and thickness is just too perfect. Not to mention them being in the middle of the neighborhood really helps in their synergy with route making. Doesn't hurt that none of the condos have any rear facing cameras. They have a big plastic white fence locking in their yards from the outside. My small frame fits with room to spare between the fence and hedges, allowing me to hustle pretty quickly for this portion of my journey. After the hedges just gotta duck down and crawl under my neighbors dumpster. His name is Jeremy Delrimmy, I remember it because it rhymes. He owns a small business out of his garage fixing peoples tools, mowers, and random junk. My mom was really upset when he moved in. His stuff has overflowed from the garage and has stolen some of his driveway. Mom said it brings the neighbors' house values down and his backyard business isn't even legal. She's such a pain about things sometimes. It's not like we're planning on moving anytime soon or she's home enough to even worry about the view it supposedly ruins. Personally I like his junk. Especially the dumpster, seems practical. You can store more and larger trash, plus lock the tops to keep away raccoons. From the dumpster I can take a hard right and crawl under his second shed and right out under the big pine tree. Climb this big beauty and hop our painted white fence. Viola! Back home and in my favorite space, the backyard. It's not that big, maybe 20 feet by 10. A Lot of it is taken up by my shed. My pride and joy! I store my costume underneath it in a safe I bought from an old army navy store across town. The safest place I could imagine. My mom would sooner kill a man than crawl 4 feet in the dirt. Burying the thing was really hard. No one told me how hard digging holes is, especially holes underneath sheds. I think I smashed my head six times that night. 7-3-2-8. It was really hard deciding on that combination. The first half of 9999 makes it too easy to get starting at 1, but 5000 being in the middle makes anything near 5000 lower or higher to easy. Then too close to 9999 makes it too easy if they start backwards. I ended up choosing the higher half in hopes most people would think I would assume they would think I'd pick the latter half and actually pick the smaller half to fool them. Or something like that, I got lost trying to outsmart them. "Cluck, cluck coo" the soft sound of Penelope snuck out of the shed. Penelope, what are you doing up at this hour? Looking through the window, giving me a perfect view of her nesting box, I can see her nestled in. Her white feathers slowly lift up and down as she breathes, happily asleep. "Night night Penelope" I whisper "I'll bring you a snack tomorrow before I do my errands. Sleep tight" Penelope is my actual pride and joy, the shed is just her home. My perfectly white little Silkie. She's the best chicken you'll ever meet. She clucks, eats, and loves hugs. I still can't believe I was able to convince my Mom into letting me get her and the shed. Thankfully Grandpa paid for it and backed me up, it's nice having one family member who listens to you. I wonder if Grands would be mad finding out I sneak out at night and patrol the city? Doubt it, he'd probably just guilt me into stopping by claiming how worried sick he'd be. "Melody have you thought of what could happen to you out there? What if you're hurt, or worse!? What would happen to poor Penelope if you disappeared one night and never returned?" - Grands November 2nd 2022. That last bit makes me really sad. I can't imagine Mom taking care of her. Mrs.Navarro would probably have to take care of her for me, she's our house keeper. Now getting into my window is a little tough. Being short at 4'11" even the first floor window feels really high up. Doesnt help our house has a stupid big foundation cause of the incline. The bottom of my window is 5" off the ground. I'm not athletic enough to climb up and be reliably quiet so I started using a small wooden stool. I leave it outside inside the bush by my window while I'm out and pull it up into my room with a rope I tied to it. Then I untie the rope and hide that in the heating duct on the floor. The stool just sits in my corner, I had it before all this sneaking around. Cleaning up might be the hardest part of it all. Trying to clean off my black face paint is tough, I paint the upper half of my face to look like I'm wearing an eye mask. Looking in the mirror I can appreciate that others don't have the same night vision I do. My costume looks so bad when you can fully see. A tan hoodie a size too large, hanging well below my waist. Dark grey thick sweatpants, super useful since the cold nights are setting in. finishing off my less than stellar outfit is a pair of brown boots and brown gloves. I'm thinking of picking up some stuff tomorrow. I really want to add some fluff to my sweater somehow, add to the whole owl aesthetic. Since my powers kind of force me in that direction. Also it's important as a hero to get a theme that fits your name. Makes you more memorable and in term marketable. Surprisingly I can't come up with a better name than just Owl. Luckily I have a few years before I need to think of a name change, no rush. Unlike bed time for me. Even with tomorrow being Saturday I can't stay up all night. Gotta get my errands done before mom gets home at five. She'd lose it if she found out I went shopping alone. Seventeen and she still treats me like a baby. Last time I broke a rule she locked all the tvs in the closet and stole my phone for a month. That was for going outside and playing in the backyard without her when I was 12. Forced to really love reading that June. Can't imagine how long she'd steal it all if she caught me in the city. Thankfully she's meticulous to a fault. She hasn't been off, schedule wise, in the 7 years she's been lieutenant Governor. Got another year of that schedule left, I'll be in college and free by then anyway, lucky. I'll set my alarm for 12:30, gives me about eight hours of sleep. Forty five minutes by bus to and fro, thirty minutes for lunch and fifteen for a shower. Three hours to shop, perfect. Love being early, can't get caught if I have three hours of leeway for something that should only take forty minutes. Even if my bus breaks down and I gotta run home I'll make it with enough time to catch my breath. What's that noise? Footsteps!? It's Mom. Why is she up this late. She's walking up the stairs from the kitchen. Was she getting a drink? She took a right not going back to her bedroom she's heading this way? Did she catch me already!? Came into my room unannounced while I was out!? How am I gonna get caught this soon!? I was outside with Penelope cause I couldn't sleep, that only works if she hasn't been outside to check. If she checked Penelope I was actually out seeing a boy, I'm so sorry for lying. I'll have to suffer the grounding for that and whatever other punishment I'll get for not telling her who this non-existent boy is. She'll be so much more annoying about me being alone. I might not be able to sneak out and patrol until after I graduate. "Knock, knock, knock" Mom's hand gently struck my door. "Melody, are you awake?" "Y-yeah ma. Just using the bathroom." trying my best to sound like i just woke up. "What are you doing up?" "Couldn't get to sleep, a lot has been going on" she said, sounding actually sleepy unlike me. "I saw it on the news. The rise in gang violence, yeah?" "Yeah." she sighed heavily. "Not the easiest thing to work around and balance if I'm being honest. Nothing for you to worry about though, we have it covered even if it's hard work." a large pause hung in the air, it's always been hard for me to respond to her, especially when she seems so drained and weak. Nothing like my usual mom. "Good night Melody, sweet dreams" "You too Mom, see you tomorrow" Her footsteps slowly crept towards her room. Her doorknob opening and door closing, if it wasn't for my powers i'd never have been able to catch her walking around. Her footsteps are always light and ghostly, no matter how tired she is. Our house is kept awkwardly immaculate. Doors knobs, hinges, floor boards all replaced if they start having even a symptom of wear. She had the steps redone three times one summer. The first because they started creaking and the other two because they weren't perfectly angled. It makes for a lovely home if nothing else. Feels like a waste of money to me though. Mom's almost never home to enjoy it. Only here to sleep and get changed. Gramps told me that she's always been like that. She'd take charge and demand perfection, whether it be from her or someone else. Her job choice makes a lot of sense to me in that regard. Aaaaaand there it is. The sound of her head hitting the pillow and her sheets being wrapped around her. Now I can go to bed soundly, her being up has always freaked me out. Feels like she'll sneak up on me while I'm trying to sleep and find something wrong with how I'm doing it. Nine milligrams of melatonin and a glass of water, and I'm off towards tomorrow.

She's gonna die! Her chest isn't rising and the blood isn't plopping out of her mouth. It's slowly filling up her open maw like a bathtub. That can't be good. I don't have time to call anyone now. I shouldn't have waited. I tilt her head to pour out the blood and start cpr. I never got to take any classes but I've watched plenty of videos. Thirty compressions and two breaths, thirty compressions and two breaths. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty! Breath!! Breath!!! "Woo she's really going at it. Get a load of this Zeke. She's making out with this chicks bloody face, pretty metal." "She's performing CPR Skekz. You knocked out that bitches teeth and tore her lip to shreds." Is she breathing? I don't see her moving, it's not working! AGAIN! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty! Breath!! Breath!!! Please work. I don't want to see you die in front of me. Not when I'm right here. Not because I tried to escape. Please lady. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty! Breath!! Breath!!! Come on, come on! Staring a hole into her chest I can see every fiber of her shirt. Any movement and I'll see it. Any sign she's coming back. Seconds feel like hours as I stare. My breath stops completely as I look down at her, I don't want a stray breath to move a fiber and trick me. Then finally I'm saved. Her chest moves up slightly and I hear her cough. She's alive, I didn't kill her. My breath returns as I gasp, rears in my eyes. I've never been so scared in my life. Is this what it's like saving people, this terrifying? "Look at that! Little girlie here saved the chick!" Oh right I forgot. There were robbers here. They're the ones who did this. Specifically the woman talking right now standing above me. Her guitar is still in her hands. Is she going to hit me with it? Am I going to end up like this woman on the ground? "Crazy little thing! You not even afraid of us girlie?" she let out a laugh. "Uh, no." What? "I mean. Uh." What am I saying!? "Can you believe this guys, this little thing has huge balls!! Not even afraid, you looking to square up!?" her smile was huge. Along with her body. Looking at her so close I can tell she's well over 6 feet tall, and she definitely lifts weights often. Far more tone than any woman I've been near. More toned than any man I've met. She could beat me to death without her powers. "I didn't mean that. It's just. I wasn't thinking. She was choking so I had to." My voice trembled like a little kid who broke a window. She's so intimidating, I don't stand a chance. She laughed loudly at that "A natural born hero huh!? Don't piss your pants. I'm not actually looking to kill the old hag or throw hands with ya." "Skekz! Can we get going already! We raided the register finally and the old lady is alive! Let's get going before anything else bad happens!" the pink haired guy barked out. "Yeah yeah Zeke. You're such a worry wort. Let's get going." she started walking away towards her group and then looked back "Actually wait a sec." "Jesus Christ Skeks!" "I said calm down Zeke!! It'll only take a second. Jeez that's a baby." She chided him while squatting down towards me "I've always wondered what a bloody kiss was like." Wait, what did she just say? Her face pulled into mine and she kissed me. Not a peck on the cheek but a full blown open mouth kiss! It ended as fast as it started and she pulled away. She stood back up and skipped to her friends. "Tastes about what you'd expect. Like licking a nickel or battery end. Kinda into it." "You're such a freak Skekz, haha." the larger lady scoffed. "Takes one to know won you meat slab" "Do you have to kiss everyone you meet Skekz!!" "Don't gotta be jealous. I only kiss people I'm into, not everyone." She said as she pulled him in for a kiss. "Bleh! Gross! For fucks sake Skekz! Didn't need to taste that old ladies blood or that kids spit!" "Whiner whiner. Be thankful you get any girls spit." They all walked out of the thrift store like nothing happened. Acting like friends who just finished some shopping and were heading home. Dumbfounded, I just sat there for a second. A few seconds pass and the door opens back up. Skekz sticks her head in " Call me." she said while shaking her hand like a phone and bailing. My face turned immediately red. Did I just get hit on by some random older lady? Also wait! Did I just lose my first kiss to some random lady!!? Actually not just a random lady, a full blown criminal. She robbed this store and assaulted someone, she almost killed someone. My heart feels like it's gonna tear out of my chest. I need to calm down. Remember what happened. You went out to shop. You went to the thrift store. You found some things to buy and an annoying lady almost got killed. Oh, right. I forgot about the lady. I gotta call an ambulance and the cops or something. I didn't bring my Owl phone though. Can I just use my real phone and leave an anonymous tip? Won't they track it? Should I find a payphone? What am I saying there's no payphones, this isn't an 80's movie. Any other phones... WAIT! I rummage through the injured lady's purse. Eureka! Hopefully it isn't locked. Nope. Perfect. Okay okay. Deep breaths. One two three. Few, alright. Ring ring ring "Hello this is 911 what's your emergency?" "Hello, yes. I'm at Rebuyers on 1st and 37th street, Fort Lain. There's a robbery in progress!" "A robbery? Is everything okay? Stay on the line." "Oh no, they've spotted me, hurry." "Remain calm, are you in danger? Are they threatening you? A patrol car is on the way." "Oh no, someone is hurt, we need an ambulance. Please stay away! Dont hurt me! *BWANG*!!" "Mam!? Mam!? Is everything okay!?" Clack, slide, click! Okay that went pretty well I think. Using the ladies phone and impersonating the attack I think works well enough. Now just to pay for my stuff and get outta dodge. Actually, paying might be weird. If they stole all the money in the register and I put some in won't the police look into it and finger print it... ACTUALLY WAIT! Does this place have cameras!! Holy crap. Running to the back of the building I look for the brown door. I'm pretty sure that leads to the office. I gotta find the tapes and destroy them. But wait if I destroy them to keep myself from being found out isn't that helping the villains... Maybe it's digital and I can just delete everything after they show up. Opening the door I'm greeted with the staff room. It's small, only big enough for two people to comfortably sit at the two desks crammed in here. There's only one PC and let's check for the cameras. I don't see anything camera related or saved on the PC, where does the recording go? Wait, isn't there a camera right outside the room. Opening the door and looking at it the camera is hardwired and goes through the wall into this room. Looking back I see where the chord starts in the office and following iot down and behind the PC it goes to. Nowhere. The cord just ends here and isn't plugged into anything... They're dummy cameras. Don't know why I'm surprised. It is just a thrift store. All of the goods are just donations with no actual loss of capital if it's stolen, makes sense I guess. Also great for me! Now I don't have to commit any crimes. Speaking of which I think I hear sirens. GOTTA GO! Considering everything that went down today didn't turn out that bad really. I mean I might be a bit mentally scarred from that lady almost drowning in her own blood but I did end up not having to pay for my stuff. I accidentally stole a pair of gloves though. Couldn't leave my fingerprints on that ladies phone or the office. At least I got home within my time limit. Mom isn't home and Mrs.Navarro has the day off. I can work on my costume in my room and get it ready for tonight. The fluff is gonna look great around my neck and maybe a little on the back of my arms like tiny wings. I don't think I'll be able to fashion the metal cubes into anything today though. I'm gonna need some kind of tool. I wonder if Mr.Garcia, my neighbor, has anything? Should I ask him? I've never really talked to him so it feels kinda weird to start by asking for a favor. I mean I've said hello to him a few times while he was outside and I was tending to Penelope but. Feels off still. I don't think he locks his garage. I wonder if I could sneak in and snag something to chop these little cubes up and return it before he notices. It feels like I've started to commit a lot of minor crimes being an illegal hero. Funny how that works. After suping up my costume a bit and putting it away I tended to Penelope. Gave her some cracked corn and cleaned the coop a bit. Then after that I went to bed. Aside from being wide awake at night I'm also rather sleepy during the day. I've been trying to fight it and keep a normal sleep schedule but I think It's about time I give up on it. All this melatonin is getting expensive and I'm not really feeling rested anyway, I actually feel pretty gross. I'm gonna hafta start going to bed as soon as I get home. Maybe that way with just a little melatonin I can sleep from 3pm to 10 or 11 and just stay up through the night and into school. I woke up with my alarm at 10:30. I took a normal amount of melatonin this time, luckily it seems to have worked. Now to go check the house. Gotta make sure Mom is in bed. I cock my head to the side and give a listen. Clear as day I can hear Mom breathing in her room. She actually came home at a decent time, I'm surprised. Good for her, she needs a decent sleep now and then. Now as for me. It's time to go out on patrol. I've gotten, getting ready, down to a science. It only takes me fifteen minutes to suit up. Most of that time I am climbing out of my window and not falling into the bush. The hardest part of my outfit is the face paint. I tried an eye mask like a normal hero. But for some reason I really hated the feeling and it was really distracting. I could see it in my field of vision the entire time I was wearing it and it drove me crazy. Now I just paint my eyes and forehead black. I do it pretty sloppily and let the paint drip down my cheeks half haphazardly. I think it conceals my identity better than being neat, also looks cooler. Three hours later and nothing at all has happened. Not a single nothing. Kind of impressive for a Saturday night really. Normally I at least find a drunk driver by now to call in. I guess I should be happy that no crimes are happening. Means all is right in the world. Kind of boring though. Looking out at the city at night from up here on this building is really calming. I often find myself looking up towards the moon instead of down. A nice change of pace from the sidewalks and streets. Sometimes I see a plane fly by or a bat eat a moth. Other times I see a girl dressed in black leggings, a gray fury sweater with black armbands going down to the wrist, a balaclava, big black bow and a ponytail with the same banding like a raccoon's tail. Wait what am I seeing? Is that another hero!? Or Maybe a criminal, a thief!!? What's she doing? Watching her I can tell she's doing the same as me. Looking down at the people on the sidewalks. As I follow her eyes I see what she's looking at specifically. A man in a hooded sweater, all black clothes. He's following two ladies. He picks up his pace until he's close enough to them and then full on sprints. He grabs one of the ladies purses and huffs it into an alley. As soon as he grabs the purse the raccoon girl starts moving. She follows him into the alley while staying on the roof all the while she's frantically moving her arms. It looks like she's trying to pull up a rope of some kind. One hand over the next with a quickness. Is she doing something to the guy? A power of some kind maybe? Is he affected by it? I move on my roof so I have a line of sight down the alley he went down and see him still running as before. Looking at the raccoon, I see her still pulling and pulling and then grabbing something. Popping into existence from seemingly nowhere she has the purse in her hands! The purse that was purse snatched! She was a hero! At least that's what I thought. She's currently digging through the purse and pulling out the wallet. And now she's counting the cash... She's just double stealing!! How do I stop her? Do I call the cops? Are they gonna be able to find the raccoon girl on top of the building? I doubt she'll stay there until they arrive. Maybe tonight's the night I cross the line. Tonight is the night where I take down a criminal. I repeat this in my head over and over as I climb down my building, rush across the street with no one looking, and start climbing up her building. It's not gonna be like this afternoon. I'm prepared and armed. This crook won't see what's coming. I have my Owl marbles, Owl Mace, and Owl Cuffs. And if things go really south I do have my Owl taser. I have all the tools I need to defeat this evil villain. Not to mention the element of surprise, superior night vision, and the fact she seems similar in build to me. No way she beats me to death like Skekz would've. Wait a second now that my heads clear, am I going to unpack the whole getting kissed earlier? I was trying to avoid it since it went hand and hand with that lady almost dying and I felt super lame, but now I'm about to defeat my first villain ever. I'm in a good enough head space to think about this now I bet. As I got to the top of the ladder though maybe it's not the best time. I should probably wait until I actually capture them. I creep around the big metal thing on the top of city roofs. I think it's an air conditioner or heater or something. I should look up what this is when I get home. Peering out I see the villain. I've been listening to her while getting into position. She's counted up 145$ twice now. She's currently facing this way, when she turns around I'll toss the Owl marbles, then Owl mace her in the face. Then I just have to pin her onto her stomach while cuffing her, no sweat. This sounds super hard now that I really think about it. What if she doesn't slip? Do I just mace her anyway? What if the mace gets in my eyes? It's not windy out tonight so I should be fine if I fall back for a bit. Am I strong enough to do this? Holy crap I'm getting scared now. Oh shit she's turning around it's time. Does she have any weapons, I should look before I do this. Nothing visible on her back, or her waist. Nothing on her thighs. Jeez, her leggings look really good, her thighs are defined and her ass is perfect. Wait, what? Stop looking at her ass you have a job to do! I round the corner and throw the Owl marbles out. They slide across the ground and to her feet. She slips and falls down onto them. But she falls forward and her face is away from me. I stand with my mace ready and bark out. "Give up, villain! Return the purse and I won't have to unleash my Owl Spray!" "Ouch! What the fuck! Holy christ what did I land on! Are these marbles! I'm gonna be covered in little bruises" "Put your hands up, crook!" She turns and looks at me. A pause takes place as we stare at each other. "Melody?" she asks. "Beth!?!"

Talking with Grands was a huge relief. Really ripped all my stress from my shoulders. Going to bed and waking up this morning were completely different from the day prior. I'm actually excited to talk to Beth. In hindsight, her having powers is great. Yeah Maybe she isn't using them the way I'd want to, BUT! I have a colleague now. We can talk about our nightly adventures. All that other stuff is for later, gotta live in the present. Speaking of the present. My bus came right on time. When I was little I remember Mom used to drive me to school, back when she wasn't as high up the ladder. Once she stopped she got Grands and Ma to do it until highschool. I was able to convince her to just let me take the school bus finally. What's the point of her making me go to a public school instead of private and then getting me a chauffeur? She wants me to live life like an average person but she's afraid of letting me wait out in front of our house. Stranger danger really did a number on her, or maybe it's seeing the real statistics of the city's crime rates first hand. Everything i've seen from my Mom makes me think working in politics sucks. I do appreciate that she stuck to her guns and had me go to public school. I'd be miserable in a private school. The few rich kids I've met through the rare parties my Mother has had us go to don't leave me wanting more. So "smart" and "important". They really get on my nerves. It's like they're putting on the act my Mom does but they believe in it themselves. Makes them all conceited self righteous idiots. From what Grands has told me that's a major reason Mom sent me to public. She was sent to private and hated it. She ended up not making any real friends, just allies and people she didn't piss off. Apparently the private kids didn't really accept the daughter of a brewery worker. Not really the normal respectable rich kid vibe. Funnily enough I now get to live the opposite school experience. A "spoiled" rich kid in public school. I'm not ostracized like I bet Mom was but I definitely get some rumors, sneers, and treated differently. Doesn't help that I'm a busybody. Got into a few fights through my school years with the meaner girls. One of the few good uses of my Mom's position. Parents don't like finding out their brat of a kid was picking on someone and got into a fight with the lieutenant governors kid. Plus the ones that didn't care give up and straighten their kids out after my mom threatens legal action with her lawyer. Back before her promotion she loved a legal battle. She's kinda petty like that. Classes went by quick and easy, who knew being in a good mood made school so tolerable. I don't think I learned all that much though, too busy day dreaming about becoming a hero team with Beth. I wonder if she'd be up to it once in a while. Lunch couldn't come fast enough. Today's lunch was deli sandwiches. You get to order the ingredients you want as you go through the line and they make it in front of you. I ended up getting a ham and swiss sandwich on a whole wheat roll. For toppings I chose some caramelized onions and mustard. I spotted Beth as I paid for my sandwich and waved. She smiled back and waved, interrupting her talk with one of her other friends. Beth is the type of girl who doesn't mind completely stopping her conversation with someone and starting a new task. One time we were in the middle of talking about our school project and she got up and went over to another group to ask what they were doing without even letting me finish my sentence. Any new interest steals her attention 100% of the time. We tend to sit in the back of the cafeteria. It's the only spot with free tables for me to sit alone. I only have three friends including Beth. Kelly has lunch the same as Beth and I but she isn't at school that often, and Suzy has third lunch. I have a class with each of them, we mainly hang out with Dispute online. Once in a great while we all go somewhere after school when I know Mom and Mrs.Navarro both won't be home. I ate through half of my sub before Beth got out of line and sat with me. She has a tuna salad sandwich. "They have tuna? Vile." i siad. "What? You hate tuna it's good." "No tuna is fine. I don't trust the school's tuna. I dunno, public fish sounds off." "You're missing out. It's not bad. Especially since on deli day you can get the custom instead of the pre-bagged one. I added pickles, way better than normal tuna!" "Yeah, I bet... So anyway" I quietly say and lean in. "We gotta talk about the other night." "Ugh. I don't wanna. It's gonna be such a drag you prissy bitch." "Hey hey hey! I am not prissy! And plus I'm not talking about the bad part. I'm gonna ignore that, not because I want to but because I realized you're gonna be a pain about it!" After talking with Grands, my new approach was clear. I need to accept Beth's stupid activities and change her mind slowly. I can't believe I was so surprised I forgot my first rule of being Beth's friend. Do not try and make her do anything. She will just dig her heels into the ground, fight back, run away, and then ignore it ever happened. I need to trick her, for her own good, into being better. "Really? Thank god. Glad that happened fast. Was wondering how many days you'd be on about that." she leaned in close this time and whispered. "So what do you wanna talk about?" "Well, a serious question" I quitted my voice again. "Do you think making your costume a raccoon was a good idea? Isn't that kind of problematic or something, with you being black and all?" "SHUT UP!!" a few people looked at us. Her other friend group as well. They really didn't like the days Beth sat with me over them. "Your so annoying and stupid jesus. Acting serious to say the dumbest shit!" she laughed and pulled back. "I'm taking the raccoon back dumbass. People are gonna mention it and think it's heroic. Not a stinkin thief." "You're gonna make people think it's heroic and not a thief by stealing and being called thieves thief?" "Actions speak louder than words." With such a flawless plan laid out in front of us we both clammed up. We both started eating. Then I came up with an idea. I waited for Beth to start drinking her milk then asked. "So what's your furaffinity account? Raccoons3xy1?" Beth almost spit out her drink and started coughing. "Shut the hell up asshole! I told you that in the heat of the moment by accident it's supposed to be a secret." I laughed out loud at her while she wiped the milk from her face and coughed a few more times. "What's so funny?" a voice said while taking a seat at our table. It was Kelly. Actually at school today. Kelly is a 5'9" light blond haired girl. She has shoulder length hair with short bangs. She wears a black headband with a pink bow on top of her head and a large gray baggy sweater. She's extremely thin, sometimes looking almost malnourished. I've been worried before if she's okay or needs help but she's told me a few times she's fine and has been seeing a doctor. I've gathered from a few past experiences with her that it might be anorexia. But it's kind of rude of me to pry anymore than I have. "Beth here has a furaffinity and wont tell me her handle." I said "I said it was a secret idiot! Stop telling people!." Beth said frantically. I started feeling bad after that. My joke might be going too far. "You gotta keep this under lock and key Kelly." "No sweat Beth. I don't talk to anyone besides you two anyway. Actually, does Suzy know, or are we not telling her?" "No, we aren't telling her! We are telling no one else." "My handle is Frogsareforggin if you wanna add me beth." Kelly said. "You have one too!?" I asked. "Yeah I made one once to see what the hulla baloo was about but it really isn't really my thing. But if you want a follow to boost your count message me. I won't tell Mel your handle." "I am not messaging you! I do not need irl people to see my drawings, alright. We're done, we're ending this. Conversation switching. We are talking about the new hero movie coming out now. What was it called Kelly?" "Proctor Bizarre and the multiple universes of crazy." "Yeah exactly! That one!" With that we had a normal everyday lunch. We talked about the new trailer released. School problems and pointless jokes. Lunch ended quicker than usual. It always does that when the both of them are here. Actually sitting at the table the entire time and chatting instead of aimlessly walking around the library pretending to look for a book makes the time fly by. I wish Kelly would come to school every day and Beth would ditch her other squad. Or at least Kelly would come every day. Don't see Beth ever ditching the others permanently, she actually does like them. If only Kelly and I shared some more classes together I could probably convince her to come more often. At least some lunches are unabashedly fun. Shouldn't get too greedy. After school I messaged Beth on Dispute, asking if she wanted to hang out together some night. We could meet up where we left off the other night. I was trying to be as vague as possible. I forgot to ask her at lunch about talking in code or getting her a burner phone because Kelly showed up. I'm pretty sure Dispute saves all your messages, even the deleted ones, and I don't need a paper trail tied to the irl me. Luckily Beth isn't a very fun messager. She answers with as few words as possible and does not carry the conversation on at all. I think she finds messaging really tedious and would rather use voice calls. Thinking about it now I don't know why I didn't just call her and not risk her incriminating us. I'm so stupid some times. We ended up scheduling a meet up this Tuesday night. My first ever team up outing. This is gonna be so amazing, should I come up with a name?! Strigoon? Team NightLife? The Nocturnals?! I can't wait!!

It was such a good week. I had finally started to feel like I was in the rhythm of heroing. All I wanted to do was get some fluff for my costume. Then I ended up in a robbery, had a lady nearly die in my arms, and revealed my secret identity to a classmate. Oh and then we ran into the police and committed a misdemeanor. Frankly this day is the worst and I do not like it. But I'm getting ahead of myself. "WHAT!? Beth! You're stealing money out of purses!!" "Hey, that's not fair! I'm taking a finders fee for rescuing the purse! I'm gonna give it back!" "The money!?" "No, the purse. Like I said, it's a finders fee. I can't just spend all my time stopping crooks for free." "So you empty their wallets? That sucks Beth." "It does not! Not everyone has a rich family Melody! Some of us have to work for a living!." "You're not working, you're stealing Beth!" "Hey stop tryna dox me idiot! We're in costume for a reason. It's Thieves' Thief right now Melody!" "You're gonna act on your high horse while you named yourself Thieves Thief!? And you've been doxing me idiot my names Strig, ST-R-II-GG!" "You didn't tell me your name!" 'YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOURS!!!! Screw this! I am not dealing with this right now." I rubbed the brow of my nose and turned away. Walked to the ladder and headed off the building. "Be- I mean Strig where are you going?!" "I'm done! I can't handle this. I'm going home. Talk to you later!" "Wait, you can't just leave. We're in the middle of something!" She said while following me down th later. "We are not in the middle of something! I didn't see anything you didn't see anything! This never happened! My best friend is not stealing from criminals like some stupid raccoon themed robin hood!" "What do you mean stupid! I love raccoons! They're adorable, smart, and funny!" "You're gonna get stuck on that? Why do you care about everything that isn't the important part!?" "That is the important part! They're my favorite animal! I even have my fursona based on them!" "I didn't need to know about that Thief! You're a masked criminal and a furry!" "What, you hate furries now!?" "No, I don't care! It's just a lot to take in while climbing down a building in the middle of the night!" I say as I hop off the ladder and touch the ground in the alley. " Is that why you're always drawing raccoons and cartoon animals from Bisney movies?" "Well duh! I need something to put on my furaffinity account!" "Jesus Christ Thief, stop talking!" "You asked!!" "I REGRET IT!! I'M SORRY!! I'M LEAVING!!" "Hold it right there you two!" a voice barked into the alley as a beam of light illuminated Thief stepping off of the ladder. "Oh crap" we're screwed. It's a police officer. "Don't move, we need to talk" The officer said as he leaned in towards his radio. "Thief now, steal his radio!" "What? Steal his radio? I can't-" "I am not getting arrested! Do you want to!?" I tried to yell at her as quietly as possible as my mind raced trying to think of a plan. All I can think of is to run. If I try to grab anything out of my Owl Bag he's gonna shoot me. "Crap Strig!!" Beth quickly started to do what I saw on the roof. One hand in front of the other like she was pulling some kind of rope towards her. Six or so hand motions flew by and then the radio was in her possession. "Got a possible suspect on-. Hey what the!? Did you just do something!? Don't move a muscle!!!" He shouted while reaching for his gun extremely quickly. "Grab the gun Thief! Hurry!!" I screamed at her as she quickly moved her hands again, a few more pulls than before. She got a hold of the gun right before he got it pointed at us. "Holy crap Strig this is messed up!" "No time to think, Thief keep pulling! Grab his shoes!!" "What? Why his shoes!?" "NOTHINKINGSHOESTHIEF!!! "Jeez fine, shoes!" While she steals his shoes and the officer goes for his batton I fly into my bag. Into the third compartment I have. I pull out my bag of the Owl Trops! I fling them onto the ground in front of us and as soon as Thief gets his shoes I pull her away with me. As we run away I can hear the cop shout at us to stop and then his scream and grunt as he steps on the trops and falls into a trash can then the ground. I feel really bad to do that to him but I refuse to let my mom find out about me heading out after dark. I lead myself and Beth down one of my routes home. There is a perfect abandoned home on that route where we can catch our breath and talk. Gosh this day has been really bad. I should have skipped tonight's patrol. We made it to the building safe and sound. I haven't heard anyone following us and no remarks about seeing us running. We should have at least a few minutes to rest. This house is in a rougher part of the city. I tend to not enjoy walking on my way home but I figured if we get caught again I'd rather it be a route I already avoid. We hopped over the back fence easily. There's a part of it that's broken and hanging halfway over. The back door looks locked but it's actually totally broken, a single brick inside keeps it shut. I usher Beth in and we both head towards the living room. A smelly couch sits here with holes in it from rats and other animals. I brought a blanket here on a different night. I grab it from the closet and lay it onto the couch to sit on. Beth and I fall onto the couch and breath heavily. She's actually in shape, but it seems the stress from our encounter affected her as much as the running affected me. We just sit in the darkness and silence for a few minutes. "You think there might be a racoon in this place?" she said. "Are you joking?" "Kind of. I mean I'd love it if there was one." "That sucked. Let's wait here for a few more minutes than we can head home." "Uh. Melody... What should we do with this?" Beth awkwardly pulled the gun out from her large front pocket. "Holy crap Beth. You kept it? Why didn't you drop it?" "I didn't mean to. I didn't even think about it. You had me grab this after the radio then the shoes. I just kind of put everything in my pockets." "Wait, do you still have his shoes?" "The radio too." Beth pulled out all of our police officer swag we won from out strange crane game we played in the alley. "So let me just map out everything. You stole a radio, a gun, and shoes from a police officer. And then I assaulted him with my Owl Trops." "Owl Trops? You mean the chestnuts you threw on the ground? You call those Owl Trops? Where did you buy completely shelled chestnuts?" "What? I didn't buy them. There's a chestnut tree in the park." "Do you call all of the things you collect owl something?" I just stare at Beth. She's my best friend, one of my oldest friends. But she's also the most annoying person I've ever met. That's why she's so fun to hang out with. But it's times like this I remember that. "Let's dump the gun in the attic for now. We can decide on something else later but I really just want to get home." "Yeah that sounds like a good idea." Beth and I got up and headed upstairs. This house has 2 floors. The attic is located in the upstairs hallway. It's a pulldown and luckily for us the string is still attached. Luckier for me I have Beth this time, since I can't reach it. Beth easily pulls down the attic and I head up. Beth is the complete opposite to me body wise. She's tall, almost six fett. Long legs and arms that are extremely toned. She used to do gymnastics, she quit but has kept up with her physique. Also she's a super pretty almond, unlike my pasty self. She's super popular with the guys at our school. If it wasn't for us meeting young I don't think we'd be friends. We don't really fit into the same social crowds. The attic is full of cobwebs and old boxes. Smells super musty and kind of pissish. I quickly find a box and hide the gun under some old dusty clothes. Gonna have to think of a way to get rid of this thing later. "Alright, all set Thief. Let's head home." "Be-Strig. You aren't gonna tell anyone about this right? I know what I'm doing is kinda gray and all." "Gray? What your doing is black and white wrong. But I'm not gonna rat you out. At least not yet. If I did you'd rat me out to my mom. We can talk about it tomorrow or something. See ya at school idiot." "See ya round clown." With that over I headed home. I tried my best to be my usual self but I just couldn't. Beth turning out to have powers and stealing was heavier than the lady dying. Worse than assaulting that cop. I don't know why, maybe I'm just cold hearted. Something about Beth doing heroics to get money felt weird to me. Maybe it's because she's my best friend and I've always held her on a pedestal. Or maybe it's seeing myself in her. It's not like I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I want to get popular and make a career out of it. Am I even in the right to be upset at her. She might be stealing but she isn't technically stealing from the victim, they already lost their stuff. Is it that wrong to be able to help someone and just not do so... I feel like it might be. It makes me think of earlier today and trying to leave those people in the thrift store. I guess it really is just about me and not Beth. I think I'm still all mixed up about earlier. I'll need to apologize to her tomorrow. I know her family isn't the best off. Maybe she really needs the money. I dunno. I ended up turning in as soon as I got home. I woke up tired on sunday. I didn't sleep well and tossed and turned with my thoughts. I texted Beth to call me when she had a chance but she texted back saying she had to work a double and would wanna crash as soon as she got home. She told me to just talk to her at lunch on Monday. I don't know how she does it. She can just act like everything is normal and ignore it for as long as she feels, while I'm gonna be stuck wallowing for the whole day. After I do my laundry and homework I'll clean out Penelope's house and hang out with her all day. We can watch failure videos on WeTube. Oh you like that don't you. You love mealworms, Penelope. Mommies best little birdie baby aren't you. Cluck cluck cluck. "You sure love talking to her don't ya kiddo." Grands said with his facing peaking in through the chicken coops small window. "Jesus! Grands, why do you love sneaking up on me!." "You're cute when you scream, what can I say? Hehehe." Grands smirk curled up his face. Grands looks a lot like Al Pacino. The biggest difference between them was the scar under his right eye. It's a few inches big and looks like the letter J if you squint. "What are you even doing here?" I left the chicken coop and Penelope to her worms. Now in the backyard with Grands I can see he has another gaudy outfit. A blue and pink pinstripe suit, a thin silver chain, and every finger with 1 or 2 rings with different colored gems. "And another weird suit. You really should let grandma pick out your clothes sometimes." "Ha. Like I'd ever let her. She has no style. What's the point in dressing up if people aren't looking your way." "I don't think they're looking your way for any good reason." "Good or bad don't matter. But they are looking, aren't they? Enough about my drip." "Did you just say drip?" "That's what the kids call it right? My drip is icy and goated with the sauce, sexual style." "Please stay off of WeTube Grands. I hate this." "Haha. I bet. But ignoring my amazing vernacular. Somethings up." "What? Nothing's up. What do you mean? You just got here, we've barely talked." "Don't gotta talk long. I can tell by your face. You always look that way when you're thinking too much all by yourself. Sit down." Grands sat down in the grass and pat the ground becoming me. I sat down next to him. It's not like I can escape. He'd never stop asking and just hang around all day until I finally gave up. I already learned that lesson. But what do I tell him? How do I explain what I'm feeling? Grands put a box onto his lap and opened it up. Pulling out a grilled cheese donut and handing it to me. Ah right, I remember now. It's the third Sunday of the month. We always have donut brunch together. And I forgot. Tears started pouring down my cheeks. "I'm sorry, grands." I quietly mustered out as I cried. "I forgot." Grands softly patted my back while pulling out his own donut, pulled pork and potato salad flavored. "Don't worry about it. You're just like your mother. You get too absorbed in your thoughts and forget stuff. I don't mind at this point in my life." taking a big bite of his donut he talked with his mouth full. "So what's bothering ya Mel." Between small sniffles I mustered "Don't talk with your mouth full. I'm too small to give you the heimlich maneuver." "Hahaha. Sure sure I'll stop" We sat and ate donuts. Quietly enjoying the day and Penelope's cute clucking. I got my emotions and mind in order. I piped up. "Grands. What would you do if you found out your friend was stealing? Would you turn them in" "My friend is stealing? Nah." "What? Really?" "Yeah. Them stealing is between their victims, the cops, and themselves. I' m sure I've told you I grew up really poor in a bad part of the city. Back then people didn't take kindly to a poor little irish kid. Me and my pals had to steal often to help feed our families. Sometimes I stole to get my little sister a gift for christmas." "You were a thief!?" "Haha, yup. Sucks to hear huh. Sorry you had to have such a bad Grandpa." "You're not a bad Grandpa!" "Thanks kid. But I was a bad person. For a long time. Before you and your mother I did a lot of bad stuff, and funny enough I don't even think of the stealing we did as part of that." I shifted his legs and grabbed another donut. "So I probably wouldn't turn a friend in. But you're a different kid, you've lived a different life. I don't think living the straight and arrow and turning people is the wrong thing to do. Just different. If you think it's the right thing to do you should Mel." We sat again for a while. Finishing our donuts. Leaning back I looked up at the clouds. I never knew Grands committed crimes. I mean I shouldn't be too shocked. technically I have too, after last night. I wonder if most people commit a crime or two.Speeding is illegal, is that a crime? "I'm gonna hafta talk to them. I don't want to turnt them in, but I don't want them to keep stealing." "Sounds like a good idea Mel. I think they'd be better off stopping. It's a hard life committing crimes. One tends to lead to another, then even more. I hope she listens to you." Grands pulled me into a hug. "What do you mean she? You don't know it's a girl." "You only have the one friend, Mel. Plus if you got a second doubt it'd be a boy. I've never seen you willingly talk to a lad my whole life." "That's not true! I've definitely talked to a boy before." "Someone working the register at the grocery store doesn't count Mel." Is that true? Have I never talked to a boy before? Now that he mentions it, have I only been friends with girls? The memory of the kiss from the thrift store assaults my mind and I feel blood rush to my face. "Haha. You figuring some stuff out about yourself huh!?" he pointed at my blushing face. "Shut up!" I shouted while slapping his shoulder multiple times. Just then his phone started to ring. "One second Mel." he responded to me after looking at his phone. Getting up he walked a ways past the coop and took his call. Grands always seemed to be taking life one step at a time. Never thinking too deeply and enjoying life. I wonder if it's his personality or a sign of his age. It's been something I've been jealous of for a while now. Just one of the many reasons I look up to him. "Yeah? Really? Alright, alright I'll come over. Give me thirty minutes. Yeah, yeah. See ya soon. Sorry Mel gonna hafta cut this visit short. The guys at the brewery want me to go talk a sale through. Too bad that young kid didn't work out. Was great at pitching a sale, liked the craft a bit too much. Real tragedy what he did to that family with his honda civic." "Jesus Grands. Be any Blunter." "I could try. Haha. If you need to talk anytime you know my number kid." Grands gave me the rest of the donuts and walked off towards the front yard and his car. "See ya soon Kid, Love ya!" "Right back at ya Grands!"

Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be Mom's days off, or at least they were. With the rise in crime she ended up forgoing two days off a week and started doing a biweekly approach. It worked for a month I think, if she even made it that far. Before she even realized it she started pushing her days off even further. Nowadays it's closer to one day off a month. Didn't help that she's part of the first generation to grow up with, and around super powers. Mom turned seven, the Hubble space telescope was launched, and Adolescent Anomaly Aikido Aardvark's got a live action movie, and The Rainbow appeared. The first public super powered person recorded on video. There had been rumors about them for a while, but he was the first one on camera. It happened in the canal right here in Fort Lain. A paddle boat named the Crown McSherman started sinking. It was a horribly unlucky accident, an infestation of wharf rats had holed up in the engine room. They'd knocked over an old oil lamp in the captain's quarters while stealing his beef jerky. The lamp had started a small blaze on his bed and ended up burning through to the paddle mechanisms. The wood burnt away and the heavy metal bits fell down and punctured a hole straight through the hull. A sinking boat is awful under normal circumstances, in the autumn or winter doubly so. The cold really doesn't do humans any favors. For whatever reason its waters are always excessively turbulent. Swirling almost dancing water hypnotizes the eyes while you look at it, demanding your attention and almost pulling you in. Gramds always warned me to respect the canal when we'd eat our ice cream looking out at it. "You fall in their Mel and you're a goner. You'll be dead before I can even think about how dumb you are for falling in it." he warned. "You won't save me Grands" I remember starting to choke up. "Oh, no I mean. I'll try and save you but I'll definitely drown with you after jumping in. I'm way too old to be fighting the canal so Mel be extra care-" I remember crying really loudly and for a good while after thinking about Grands and myself drowning in the canal. Grands was never one for subtlety, a bit too blunt for a five year old. Me being a crybaby and a Grandpa's girl wasn't helpful, poor guy. He did manage to make me remember to be careful around all bodies of water though. An irrational fear of drowning among a few others. I can't even imagine how scary it must have been that night on the McSherman. A sinking burning boat in the pitch black night spinning around in the canal. The coastguard and news teams got there as quickly as they could. The ship had already sunk nearly halfway down as the coastguard started transporting people to shore. Most of which had ended up in the canal, jumping from the flames that were slowly consuming the boat. The few still on the boat were still weighing their options between freezing and burning. Personally I'd pick burning, I still can't swim in a pool without an inner tube because of Grands. There were too many people in danger that night. Rescuing the people freezing in the water and getting to the ones choking to death from the smoke soon to be burnt alive. A truly rotten day to be on the coast guard. Luckily though, as all hope seemed lost. A rainbow was seen streaking across the sky. Emanating from the mouth of a middle aged man. Dark tanned skin, brown hair with hints of gray appearing, wearing what could only be described as a clown outfit and a masquerade mask, gold and covered in glitter. Looked like he found his outfit at the party store down the block. "Fear not all! For you shall all be saved! Calmly remain on the boat!" While he spoke a blue light poured from his mouth. Its rays reached far out into the canal and illuminated the paddleboat. After his final word a small rain cloud appeared above the boat. A calm and sudden rain, not expected by the meteorologists, emerged from the cloud. As the fire was contained and slowly put out by the rain the boat became still, no longer sinking or spinning in the canal. All in attendance victims, personnel, and onlookers continued on in silence. A tranquil ending to what seemed like a horrible accident in my city's history. After all was said and done the next morning we found out that no lives were lost and no serious injuries accrued, except the boat captain. When he jumped off the boat his arm got stuck on a rope and ripped off. Actually that might be fake now that I think about it. How could there be no serious injuries but one guy's entire arm is lost. That might be a rumor. The storm had come from a mundane natural source according to news sources. The boat's sudden stop at sinking was found to be a sand barge. The sand barge was also deemed to have been under the canal the whole time low enough to not impede travel by non-sinking ships. The news blew off the rainbow mouthed man as a very uncouth showman. Arriving at the best possible time. The fact that all of the stars had aligned to make his stunt a heroic one and not totally tactless. That was all before the slow and steady appearance of others with powers that weren't as debunkable as his, like Carburetor or Gigante El Pelicano. Took a good year or two for people to really mark The Rainbow as the first powered, there's still some online debate whether or not he had powers or if he just happens to be a great street magician. The only reason that debate even still exists is his disappearance, or the lack of reappearance. The rainbow mouthed man had disappeared as quickly and as unseen as he arrived that night. It's been thirty seven years since then and he's never been officially seen again. Just rumors here and there on the web. Supposedly his last sighting was T'bilisi. No pictures or videos have surfaced though. He's like the sasquatch in the Patterson-Gimlin film. Unlike The Rainbow, other powered people couldn't stay out of the limelight. Nowadays it's not uncommon to see a costumed vigilante out and about during lunch. Helping after a car accident, clearing the streets during a storm. Less commonly you'll hear about a powered person committing a crime, a villain. When that happens it always makes the news, it's also the only reason that heroes are allowed to be vigilante. Originally vigilantes were illegal, technically they still are, but they passed a costumed law. It's called the Vigilante System, allowing costumed individuals to assist in fighting crime so long as they adhere to three rules. 1.Don't get in an emergency personnels way, defer to them when able. 2.Appear before the city when summoned. 3.Give the city your secret identity. Worded a little bit more legally. There's a couple other parts to the law stating how property damage is handled, injuries, death, copyright, getting paid, taxes, and what have you. It's amazing it got passed when you think about it. A law that lets random civilians with freakish powers do vigilante work legally. They're given a license and boringly called Licensed Vigilante's. Not really a vigilante anymore if you think about it? The law took a while to get passed but was needed. For every vigilante out there they say three powered criminals exist. Fort Lain having a known hero count of 11, me included. That means there are about 33 criminals out there with powers ranging from night vision to kaiju creation, ironically that power appeared in Japan. The law enforcement had no choice but to acknowledge the powered who wanted to help to keep up with these now real super villains skulking about. It's especially bad in Fort Lain. With the boom in industry we've seen a boom in population and a boom in crime. Lots of gangs have been formed around powered individuals. They're constantly fighting for control of different parts of the city and its surrounding towns. If only my Mom didn't work so high up in the city. I can't go official with my heroics until I turn eighteen, technically no one can. I could register early with a parent's signature and get a chance to meet someone already on the job. Get some tips and maybe potential contacts. The biggest obstacle of heroics aside from criminals and danger is money. You have to either get help from another hero or strike lucky and get a sponsor. Kind of like online streamers. You either get a shout out/collab or make it big by going viral in some way. Popularity is a hero's greatest triumph. unless you just want it to be a hobby. Plenty of heroes just volunteer in their free time. Most heroes are just local people who drive around with the firefighters or walk around town taking pictures with kids. I kind of want to hit it big personally. Get a chance to meet the big names in heroing, like Cramblestein. Of course I had to get a Mom who's afraid of letting me ride the bus and hates the vigilante system. If she finds out about this she's gonna hire a bodyguard to stalk me 24/7 and take away everything I own, I don't think she'd even leave me any books this time. I can imagine it so clearly. Me all alone in my room, totally empty aside from my bed, a dresser, and a guard watching me while I sleep. Realistically it'd probably be Mrs.Navarro our house keeper, I can't imagine her trusting or paying a second person to be in her house. At least if I wait to be caught or come clean when I'm eighteen I can run away to Grands. He'd let me be a vigilante through the system, he'd also let me keep my phone. I'll be eighteen soon enough, better to worry about today. The bus finally arrived at my stop, right in the center of the city. Fort Lain's central hub surrounds a large octagon shaped building, the Emperio Building, the E.B. The ugly thing is one hundred floors high and covered in hexagonal windows. It has an odd appearance with black metal walls, and yellow windows. Apparently the city's prosperity and growth all owe itself to the building's completion. I can't imagine how unpleasant it is to look out into the world through a yellow window. I'm more interested in the shops surrounding it though. The shops closer to the E.B. are high class and flashy. A little further out they change to tourist traps styled stores with costumed performers and food carts lining up in front of them, desperately trying to make money from tourists. Then even further out you get to my favorite spot, the battle zone. Here the stores are more middle class styled. The rent is super high but so is the foot traffic. The stores here live in a constant state of high risk high reward, because of that there's always super competitive sales and new stores taking over for the recently deceased ones. My favorite store among them all is Rebuyers, a thrift store that rents out a big old building. It's huge, three floors each a hundred feet wide by 300 feet, I think. It's crazy and full of weird stuff. Being located here in the center of the city they get so many donations, sometimes from the tourists even. I always find something to go home with when I come here. I could spend the entire day searching and finding treasure if it weren't for my "curfew". Today's shopping goal is simple. I want to find some fluff for my costume. I want to add some cuteness to it, remember? Maybe a feather boa or some kinda weird scarf? Hopefully nothing cotton or whatever old people use to make couches out of. That stuff holds onto dust and smells funny. It's not really organized outside of the clothing and home goods section on floor one. Everything else just gets kinda crammed onto the shelves on the second and third floor. Seasonal stuff is crammed into a closet on the third floor. It's nice to be able to find a pumpkin and a Santa hat off season, in case you need one. First floor is awful. Clothes are boring to look at and there's a lot of people on this floor, about thirty today. Hard to walk around them with the small isles and whenever you actually find something to look at you're in somebody else's way. Luckily most of the clothes here are womens, not as lucky, nobody is my size. Saves me time I guess, finish the adult section fast and head to the kids. Plenty of coats and sweaters are in rotation. Nothing I really envision for my costume though. Nothing has that fluffy vibe I want. Oddly enough, enhanced sight doesn't help shopping much. Sure I can see the clothes from farther away and a bit "clearer", but all that does is make me look like a weirdo standing still in odd locations in the store. Being able to perfectly see a shirt 60 feet away from you isn't very useful when shopping. My outfits tend to be old band Tees and ripped jeans. I've struck gold here more than once, but most of my outfits I have to get off of O-bay. The chances of finding a shirt that's in good shape, not a band that sucks, and for a child is hellish. Not all that surprising, nothing is jumping out at me down here. Maybe they have a blanket with a fringe or something on the second floor. I don't think I'll find anything near the cookware down here. "The sticker says three dollars." a middle aged lady in oddly tight neon pink pants with green and blue flowers yells at the clerk. "I understand that Ma'am but it's for a painting. It says so on it, somebody must have swapped the stickers." the poor clerk responded half heartedly. He looks especially tired and uncaring. Nobody can get paid enough to be yelled at, well at least yelled at over a three dollar blouse. "So you are just not going to sell me it at the price you have listed? It's not my fault your store can't keep things labeled correctly!" "It's the store's policy. We get to many kids in here everyday playing pranks like" his voice fading away as I head upstairs. Or it would if I didn't have super hearing. Instead I've been learning how to ignore and block things out I don't need to hear. It's going okayish. Not even halfway across the second floor and something catches my eye. Hanging in a plastic bag on the wall surrounded by knick knacks and toys trapped in plastic pouches. A big old bag of assorted yarns. Looks like seven or eight balls off it. None of the balls are the same type of yarn and over half of the colors I don't want. But there's two really good bushels, a nice tan and this fluffy frazzly texture. It's a little dusty in the bag, but you can't beat the price. All this yarn for three bucks is a steal. Over at the craft store this much yarn would cost at least eight bucks, and that's not even including all of the extra colors I'll have left over. PLUS all of the yarn I don't use I can re-donate here if I end up not wanting it and get a 5% off coupon. You learn to be frugal when you're given such a small allowance and not allowed to get a job. "I can't believe I'm being treated like this! Do you understand I shop here all the time and you are telling me you won't just let me buy it!" her voice raised an octave higher, clearly she's starting to lose it, if she ever had it. Glad I got Grands to buy me these earplugs, christ. Makes her screaming sound like she's speaking at a normal volume. Some people really just exist to make everyone else's day worse. I didn't plan on going to the third floor today but I really don't want to go wait in line behind her. Hopefully she'll be gone by the time I finish looking through it. Third floor consists of the weirdest of weird stuff. Some would eve call it garbage, they'd be wrong though. It's more stuff that just hasn't found its purpose yet. A lot of broken stuff in organized piles. There's a pile of microwave doors near the back that I've had my eyes on for years. Mom would throw them away if I brought them home. Soon my pile of doors. When I have an apartment I can make some kind of coffee table out of them. Or maybe a small shelf. I don't know what I'd find for my costume up here. Not really thinking of adding any appliances. Maybe some kind of armor out of trash can lids, or shin guards from a blender. Maybe just something shiny to hang in Penellope's coop.It could always use more decorations. Rummaging my hands through the metal bin is a little tricky. I've cut myself more times than I'd like to admit up here. The things I do for love~. My hands find something not sharp at all, not even metal. A small wooden box with a latch. Big enough to hold two VHS tapes maybe, It's covered in scratches and the latch is a little finicky. I wonder why it's in the metal pile, maybe it's full of silverware. I'm not proud of how much energy I needed to open it. The latch broke on me too, sucks. Inside was a bunch of metal cubes, gold bronze dice. Hollow dice made from soldering metal together and folding it by the looks. One of them fell apart actually, split in half making two little pyramids. Just big enough to put on the end of my finger like a little claw. LITTLE! CLAW! These are perfect for my costume! If I cut them up into, what, fourths? I can attach them to the tops of my gloves like claws. Maybe even add some to my boots. They aren't that reflective either so I wont lose much in terms of stealth. Man I should thank that crazy lady downstairs, these rule. Not bad! Found what I was looking for plus some extra, and it only took 45 minutes. Man, sometimes even I shock myself with the efficiency I get things done with. Definitely one of the better traits I inherited from mom. Even if that lady is still in line I bet with me standing behind her she might get sick of screaming and I'll be out of the store in 20 minutes at most. Every step down towards the main floor released an ounce of stress from my shoulders. Even with all my planning and success I never feel fully confident. Anything could go wrong. When I got to the main floor I noticed. Everyone was standing with their arms raised. The only people left not doing so are over by the register. The cashier, crazy lady, and a group of punks? Like literal band punks. Four of them. One was a shorter Irish looking guy maybe 30, with a black shirt that said MURDER PIGGIES!!!!!!, denim jacket, pants, and a denim cowboy hat. He was peeking outside the front door window. Another member had just left and was blocking the doorway. She looked kind of like Arnold Schwarzenegger if he worked at a gas station, ripped jeans, a nondescript red shirt, and huge brown grease covered boots. An average built black kid, maybe 20, with bright pink hair slicked back and skinny leather pants was standing next to the cashier, he looked a little shaken. The last member was a tall woman, maybe six feet. A large electric guitar hung over her back, looked custom, the body thick and metallic, blue. She is paler than most four piercings on the bridge of her nose, a screw in her left ear towards the top and two chain links on the bottom. A Mohawk that she wears down covering most of her right eye. The left side of her scalp shaved smooth showing a large blue stylized thunderbolt that wraps from the back of her head over her left eye. Another huge tattoo, of a crow, wrapped around her back. The wing onto her midriff and the cawing head onto the right arm. For clothes she had a yellow bikini top and an old ripped pair of jeans, the right leg totally gone, showing fishnets underneath. Her fashion sense is totally wild, but I dig it. I don't think most people can pull off the look but she works it. Oh and the kid has a gun on the cashier. Wait... SHIT Doesn't that mean this is a hold up. Gotta get low, really don't want them to see me. Can't believe I've gotta get involved in this while out of costume and running against a timer. I wonder if they'll be done soon. Should I call the cops? Honestly so long as the clerk gives them money and they just leave I really don't have to. If the police get involved while they're here this could take all day long and I'll never get away. Plus if they do show up there's a greater chance they might actually fire the gun in desperation. I'll just keep my finger on 911 in case they fire and we need an ambulance. Maybe I'll take an ear plug out and hear what they're saying better. WAIT If they fire their gun without my earplugs in I might pass out. Do they have a silencer? Yeah no way I'm taking these out. I'm not an idiot. Just wait and see most robbers are just down on their luck and want the cash, not to kill anyone. Unless they're junkies and not thinking straight and ... Damnit please just take the money and ditch. You're ruining my day here. The kid with the gun seems really nervous. Definitely not his idea. The two at the door seem cool and collected, and the giant. Dammit she seems really happy. I don't like that. She doesn't have the gun though that's good. The emergency exit is halfway through the first floor, behind a large coat rack. I bet I could crawl my way behind all of the clothes and make my way over there. I could sneak out. If I get out I could anonymously call the cops when I'm a bit down the street. Now that's a plan I can get behind. Alright slow and steady don't let them hear or see you, only walk when they speak and stay below eye sight. Don't touch anything. Sneak sneak sneak. "C'mon man you tryna fuck with us!? What's the holdup?" "I'm sorry the register is old and sucks. I swear I wouldn't mess around for a job like this man" "Ya ha ha. Give him a break Zeke. Skeel and Kez have the front door on lock, not like there are any windows that'll show your gun off." "Not my gun, but they might see the people all standing still with their arms raised as they walk by the front door!" "Oh, yeah. huh. Good point, uh. Everybody! Unless you want me to snatch Zeke's gun and go to town on y'all, move over to the right half of the building! Less visual, ya know?!" the giant woman motioned to the side of the building I was working my way towards. Of course I got halfway there and now they'll be looking this way. If my luck couldn't be worse a middle aged guy came waddling my direction way too fast. Of course he didn't see me and kneed me right in the face. He stumbled and fell into the book case nocking everything off of it. Why, why, why!? Stupid idiot use your eyeballs I know i'm crouching but I'm not that small for fucks sake. I hate him so much if they see me because of him, so help me i'll cry. "Oi what's the problem tubbs!?" "Uhm uh" he looked directly at me. Why!? Please are you really going to screw me over this hard tubbs! Just shut up, you tripped, you're scared, please! Don't rat me out here!! I'm so close to bailing!! "I uh, I tripped o-over the clothing rack." She chuckled "Try and be a little less clumsy idiot. Stand up and lemme see those hands again." Thank you Mr.Tubbs. Maybe I was too mean, he's not so bad. My plan's still fucked though. There's no way I'm going to get out of here now. Her attention is completely trained this way. If only somebody made a distraction. "This is ridiculous! Couldn't you lott rob somewhere actually useful? The thrift store really? How much money do you think he has like 300 bucks? Why don't you go rob a gas station or bank like normal people!" There is no way. Is that the rude chick from earlier? She's still in the store!!? Was she still chewing the cashier out when they came in? And now she's actually being useful!!? I really need to thank her later. Maybe being crazy and rude has its perks. For me at least. While she screams I can open the door. Almost, almost. "You're not even real criminals, just hopeless street urchins. Go back and crawl into whatever slum you came out of and steal the drugs you need. I'd like to get back to my home sometime soon and I still have a blouse to buy!" Crazy is trying to get shot over a three dollar blouse. Don't worry, I'll send the cops over as soon as I get out. Maybe i should call an ambulance too, She's not making me feel confident that nobody is going to get hurt. I really hate victim blaming but cashier man you gotta hurry the fuck up. The door! I finally made it. So old, creaky, and filthy. Covered in more scrapes and dents than... Uhh, a not old door. Getting a little caught up in my excitement. Just gotta time my open perfectly and I can bolt. "Dumb lady! Do you really think now is the time to be a badass!?" I can hear the giant lady walking over towards her, what else? She's moving something, the guitar off of her back? "What? Are you going to play us all a song on your guitar? Can you even play it? As far as I'm aware you need to afford lessons to get anywhere near being decent at guitar, or any instrument for that matter." Okay this seems like a good moment. As soon as the giant starts responding i'll swing open the door and bolt. Deep breaths. God why am I pausing here. A hero can't be afraid to take action, just grab the handle. "Oh I'll play you all something, but i don't think you'll actually get a chance to hear it." "Is that some kind of threat you— BOIIIING!!!!!! CRUNCH! My fucking ears! Where'd my left ear plug go? Thump...Someone screamed. What was that....? Don't look. The doors open just leave. Don't look, don't look, don't look. I looked... Clearly visible from under the clothing racks I can see it. The crazy ladies head on the ground. Her face covered in blood, jaw dislocated... The back of her head looks okay. Maybe. The blood is all coming from the front. Her teeth sticking out of her upper lip. She absolutely obliterated her with that guitar. This is bad. I don't think she's gonna just walk that one off, I gotta go get outside and call the ambulance. "Ya ha ha! That'll shut you up!!" "Skekz, are you kidding!!" "What? She deserved it, no worries." "Tell that to the customers! That one won't stop bawling! And now the cashier is under the desk. Get back to it idiot she's not the one who has you at gunpoint!!" "Jeez man calm down. Better yet everyone calm down." She sings slightly while flinging her guitar strap over her shoulder and getting ready to play it. "Skekz wait a sec!!" "Nah get ready idiots!! Call this one, Simmer Down Sunset ♪ " Nobody else heard it under all of the yelling. If I had a power that wasn't so stupid I wouldn't have either. The choking gurgles of a lady drowning in her own blood. My finger hit the call button I've been hovering over the whole time and my body ran towards her. As I bolted towards her the music started. The guitar shrieked as the woman began to sing. "♪♪ The sun drools over the horizon! We all see it fading! As it disappears from our view, ain't it something amazing! Time to drift away and wait for tomorrow! Another day ending with our heads sagging! See y'all tomorrow it's time to start napping!!♪♪" My eyelids started coming down as my legs fell from beneath me. My muscles are losing control. What the hell is this, I'm not moving right. It's just so nice, I might fall asleep. The music feels so goooo- THE MUSIC. She has a power! Could this day get any worse. What does it do! Makes you tired, and lose motor control? But with a guitar that sounds like a harp? What about the others? Looking at them they're all already down on the ground. Are they okay!? Looking at them through my half closed lids they're breathing, asleep. All of them are asleep. Why? I'm not asleep. I'm closer to her and can hear her better shouldn't I be asleep too? Wait. The ear plug. I fumbled through my pocket, it's not their. Right it was in. It fell out because of tubbs! It doesn't work if you can't hear it well? Jesus Christ where did it fall! I frantically looked around, my eyes darting all over and my head swiveling every witch way. If I don't find it she's going to drown. Where is it! THEIR! In her blood pool! That's too perfect! Something is going right! I grabbed it! Now just to put it in my ear. Stupid music is making this impossible, hurry up! Slow and steady is the most annoying saying out there. Only because it's so true. My hand missed my ear and I dropped the plug. I didn't see where it fell. Where did you go! Please, I'm so close! But I'm starting to lose all control. Sinking to the ground, until. The music stopped. She's done? My body is back to normal in an instant. I'm fine now? Where's the ear plug if She starts again... Wait... I don't hear her anymore. The gurgles stopped. NOOO!!! CRAZY LADY!!! Bonus Facts!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the section where I'll toss in extra lore or random things that I think help flesh out the world. Or just stuff that I feel like is interesting. It's totally extra and not needed to read it, feel free to skip Bonus Facts! This week's Bonus Facts! Cramblestein! Cramblestein is a Hero currently employed in Green Bay Wisconsin. His power is the ability to create and brand of beer from his Ring fingers. He can create 7 gallons of beer from 1 ring finger every minute. He has a Love score of 89/100. His costume is a custom made full body beer stein. His color scheme is brown and green. His large brown beard has a small braid at the bottom.

Good morning, Dear Traveler! Ready to pick back up where we left — Oh my Great Sage. Did you sleep out here all night? What are you babbling on about? Safe? You literally camped out at the mouth of a cave . There could be wild animals living in there! Worried? Me? Worried about you? In your dreams. You're a paying customer. The only thing I'm worried about is getting my tip when this is all over. Let's not waste any more time discussing your poor hotel choices. Let's get back to the story, shall we? ~ ~ Sun Ritsu ~ Sun Ritsu did not know what to do. He glanced back and forth between Anari, who he barely trusted, and the pig, who he trusted would definitely get them caught. "We have to bring the pig," he told Anari. A dangerous noise came from her throat. "That is not happening." Ritsu protested, "But he'll squeal." "That's right! I'll squeal!" The pig repeated from the back of the room, his voice desperate and shrill. Anari whipped away from the door; her braids aided her stalk across the room like an ominous cape. "I can easily rectify that situation." Ritsu saw the whites of the pig's eyes wax in horror. "Lawful, benign monkey, call back your arthropodal companion!" There was the sound of a match being struck. Fiery light illuminated that corner of the room. The pig's pink snout trembled. Ritsu shut the door and tried to make it over to them in time. With seemingly no effort, Anari hoisted the pig up by the folds of his neck and held the burning match under his chin. "Prepare to be food, pig." "Lawful, benign – no, benevolent monkey!" "Anari, wait!" Ritsu stumbled into the spider. The collision resulted in both the pig being burned and Ritsu's tips spilling out of his apron pocket in a torrential ker-plunking downpour all across the concrete floor. The ruckus harmonized nicely with the pig's hysterical squeals. Anari dropped the pig, the light blew out. She braced herself for Ritsu, but they both wound up on the floor anyway, stacked like a fresh batch of moon cakes. "Get off of me," the spider said calmly but, the fuzzy tips of her glamoured mandibles at the base of his neck suggested a strong or else. Ritsu rolled away and absently tried to gather up his loose change. One coin, having landed on its spine and traveled towards the pig, remained perfectly upright. From beyond the door, there was a shift in conversation. The voices of the trolls paused and then took on curious and demanding cadences. "We're dead," the pig whimpered. "Degenerate ape, you've murdered us all – Heeeeaaack !" Something spherical and fuzzy tumbled past the pig's tusk and onto the floor. It glistened even in the darkness. The pig groaned and vomited another. Anari got to her feet and pointed. "Sun, look there. Your pig just gave us a way out of here." "Sweet immortal peaches," Ritsu swore, "those are sweet immortal peaches ." The pig belched and cleared his throat. "You aren't – well, to put it tactfully – the most nimble toad in the pond, are you, lawful monkey?" Anari picked them both up and held them before Ritsu. "Here, eat one. I hear the trolls coming." He covered his mouth and shook his head. "Uh, no thank you." Anari's glamour flickered. "It wasn't a suggestion." She shoved them into his arms. "Eat the damn peaches!" The feel of the fruit coated in the pig's stomach juices yielded a violent reaction in Ritsu. Seconds later he was looking down at the peaches covered in two layers of vomitus. Anari took a step back and blinked her large, glassy eyes. "Sun, I don't know what malady of the brain you suffer from, but if you don't pull it together and eat one of those peaches, those trolls will catch and completely overpower us." "Lawful, benign monkey. Pardon me, but how could you be so impolite in the presence of a lady?" Ritsu clutched the slimy peaches against his chest. "You did it first!" The pig regurgitated a third, glistening peach. Ritsu mirrored his actions. This new cascade did not sparkle quite like the pig's. "There they are!" Four or five trolls fought their way into the spice pantry. They didn't grant Ritsu the dignity of finishing. Contents were still running down his apron as they dragged him, Anari, and the pig to the center of the restaurant. Ritsu heard Gong-jon pleading in the background. "Brothers, leave the boar be. He is a valuable ingredient for our future menus." The pig grunted as he was tossed beside Ritsu. Gong-jon wailed, "He played no role in this, you have my word!" "Silence, insect filth," the heaviest troll growled. He carried a club in one fist and Anari by the hair in the other. She didn't fight back, but her body language did not read defeat. Not in the slightest. The customers looked on with a mixture of intrigue and disapproval. Yet no one moved against the trolls or left the noodle house. Some even carried on with their dinner. Gong-jon kept his head down as he begged, "Now that you've found your spy, can you please take this outside of my establishment? I'll even let you take the sun clone. Just leave the pig, merciful brother." Anari's captor slammed his club mace against the wall and shoved her to the ground between Ritsu and the pig. "I said, be quiet!" Lying beside Ritsu, Anari looked up at the ceiling of the noodle house and asked, "Are you hurt, Sun?" Ritsu wiped away the leftover vomit with the back of his hand. "I'm okay. You?" "I wish you had eaten the peach." Anari closed her eyes and smiled. "But it's all right. I don't want to go back to my boss anyway. He's an asshole. So maybe being clubbed to death will finally let me off the hook." Ritsu sat upright, the three gooey peaches still cradled in his arms. "Hold on." He glanced at the trolls arguing with Gong-jon. "The Yingchi Bastards want to kill you?" Anari and the pig sat up and stared at him. They exchanged eye contact with each other briefly before staring again at Ritsu. Anari whispered, "Did he really just – " The pig nodded. "He did." "Right, thought so ... Wow." Ritsu didn't want Anari to die. She was scary and definitely not attracted to him. But in less than an hour, he had spilled hot tea on her, fallen on top of her, and vomited twice in front of her. And after all that, she had asked if he was all right. The girl was about to be sent to the Lake of Ninefold Darkness by trolls and she wanted to know if he was hurt. Ritsu placed two peaches in Anari's lap and saved the third for himself. "Hold these for me?" While the trolls were still occupied, he used his apron to clean off the peach. The pig looked up at Anari. "I'm sure there's a good reason he didn't do that before giving those to you." Then Ritsu bit down on the glittering peach. A familiar calm overcame him as the taut, fuzzy surface tore and unleashed the sticky, immortal nectar. The customers looked on. Anari and the pig held their breaths as he chewed. Gong-jon pointed between the trolls and roared, "Stop that clone! He's got a peach!" Sun Ritsu swallowed the last of fruit, discarded the pit, and licked the sweet film from his lips. Then he, Dear Traveler, lost his balance and collapsed before the trolls' pimpled bare feet. Why , you ask, Dear Traveler? Well, why else? He was asleep!

Dear Traveler, It is time to learn the truth about the pig. You see, this talking swine is not really what he seems. Ham Song, as he goes by, was in fact a dragon. For reasons unknown, our Ham Song was damned long ago to occupy a porker vessel. Whoever bewitched him made sure to curse him further by blocking his ability to speak about his affliction. Before you begin to weep, Dear Traveler, I must tell you that there is an upside to this curse. Ham Song carried with him a tremendous amount of Luck. Not luck, you moron – Luck ! Of course you cannot hear the difference. You have the IQ of a mushroom. Anyway, it wasn't clear at the time why, but Ham Song needed Sun Ritsu's help. Sure, it was always his intention to break out of the noodle house pantry, but there was something about our underwhelming sun clone that made the pig especially desperate for his company. There's something else I should mention before we continue. Based on your blissful, unapologetic demonstrations of ignorance so far, I will assume that you are not aware that here in the Ninth Heaven, pigs are not well regarded. They hold a reputation for being greedy cheaters. For this reason, they rarely travel the giants alone. So as you might imagine, Ham Song's chances at survival were pretty slim because he simply had no porker companion to swindle him out of becoming a chop. Why didn't Ham Song seek a friend from his race for protection, you wonder? I already told you, he's no real pig. He's a dragon! He couldn't break bread with the common sow even if he tried. Think if I decorated you with a monocle. Would you suddenly know how to act intelligent? Our Ham Song was doomed to suffer by the hands of spiteful spirits unless he could somehow enlist Sun Ritsu to help him break his curse. ~ ~ Ham Song ~ For three weeks, all Ham Song had known was darkness. And food. Lots of food. Capsule after capsule of teriyaki noodles, jajangmyeon, pho broth. An abundance of eggs – boiled, fried, drizzled raw over rice. Snack bags of dehydrated shrimp and congealed duck fat. Tubes of strawberry cakes, banana pudding, and watermelon slush. Cartons of every milk drink imaginable. The cooks made sure that Ham Song ate whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. And then some. The pig wasn't stupid; he knew that his captors were merely trying to fatten him up as quickly as possible. But at this point, he had given up. It was hard enough convincing the average spirit to go out of their way to help you. Throw in a curse that prevented you from explaining what it was, and it became damn near impossible. Ham Song had tried everything to get around it. He couldn't provide any sort of hint. Not even on accident. What was worse, because the pig wasn't Ham Song's true essence, he couldn't develop or purchase glamour for it. He had to traverse the Ninth Heaven as a naked quadruped. He would never get used to the humiliation. There was a time when Ham Song had accepted his existence as a pig and went to go join the rest of them. The season had barely begun when he decided that he could no longer bear it. He was a dragon. Not a Luck-hoarding, money grubbing swine. It was then that he understood that his curse was meant to make him suffer a slow and painful death towards the Lake of Ninefold Darkness. For many seasons, Ham Song had fought the inevitable. He realized that there were only two ways to shake his curse. One was to find a sun clone who carried the sign of the gold lotus. That or hope that some spirit noticed that he possessed none of the personality traits of a pig and all of the ones associated with dragons. The problem was that not many spirits these days remember what the dragons were like. Society only knew them for their flaws. The dragons had gone down in history as prideful, selfish wraiths. As far as Ham Song's first option went, the chances at finding a sun clone with a rare and cryptic brand like the gold lotus was about as unlikely as his curse wearing off long enough for him to tell his truth. So finally, with no hope left, he had allowed himself to be caught and dragged off to a noodle house somewhere in the Horse Province. He squeaked and oinked like a regular, dumb hog; he ate all of the junk food they gave him. He was content on facing the chopping block in the next few days and being stripped of his essence so he could join the rest of the Ninefold spirits in their subterranean lake. Ham Song was content to die ... until he saw the impossible. One day a worker entered the storage pantry where Ham Song was being held. He wasn't a cook. From the shadows, Ham Song lifted his eyebrows at the sight of a sun clone. What were the likes of a monkey spirit doing in a dump like this? What it some kind of trick? Some clever game the clone played in his spare time? Whatever the reason, this clone was indeed an employee. And to the pig's astonishment, he carried the prophetic sign of the gold lotus. It glowed like a beacon in the middle of his back. Ham Song could not recall a moment when he felt such hope. He still had a chance! He didn't have to resign to being eaten by the spirits of this unfortunate establishment. At least, not yet. He did, however, detect a problem. It was clear by the sun clone's demeanor that he had no clue that he was marked, or "blessed" as some spirits called it. This did not surprise Ham Song. Most spirits these days could not perceive interruptions in essence or even remember how they acquired such things. Ham Song himself could not remember who had cursed him. He barely remembered what it was like to be a dragon. For what seemed like millennia, the focus of his existence had been trying to reclaim his true essence. Quite honestly, Ham Song wasn't sure what it was about the gold lotus insignia that could help him. His certainty came from the same place as the rest of his knowledge of his curse: He was a dragon trapped in the essence of a pig, he was physically unable to discuss the particulars of his curse with another party, and if there was ever a chance at breaking it, he needed to seek out a sun clone blessed with the gold lotus. After Ham Song's brief encounter with the sun clone, he slowed down on the binge eating and worked on a plan to break free. It was time to put all this Luck he had to proper use. So he dipped into his endless reserves, coated his hooves in Luck, and waited. It was only a matter of time before the clone would be back. ~ Poor, poor Ham Song. His only chance at freedom rests with the likes of Sun Ritsu. Yes, he is very Lucky. What of it? No. No. Stop. Just stop before you hurt yourself. That is not how Luck works. He can't just dust his hooves and poof everything works out. Luck is about increasing the likelihood of things turning out in your favor. It's not a guarantee. Otherwise, everyone would be able to get what they wanted willy-nilly. Look, there's still so much that you need to learn about Luck. Trust me, it isn't just going to click overnight. For now, we need to circle back around to our so-called hero, Sun Ritsu. Of course you forgot about what's going on with him. Dear Traveler, I don't know if anyone has told you this lately, but you really are an idiot.

How are you liking the story so far, Dear Traveler? See any similarities between you and our simple-minded hero? Would you have fallen for the spider maiden's double-edged plea for help? Speaking of which, would you care to have some more insight on our mysterious fugitive? She didn't know it then, but her and Sun Ritsu's paths were linked. For now, all the she-spider wanted was a place to hide so she could plan her next move. ~ ~ Anari ~ Anari was too exhausted to keep running to and fro along the giant's spine. She had been inside too many bars and boarded at too many inns. Though this city wasn't small, most of its business owners knew her face by now. There was a lot of work for her here, so keeping a low profile wasn't really an option. Which was why it pained Anari to admit that it was definitely time to get the hell out there. It was no secret that a local brotherhood of trolls controlled more than half the city. And they didn't appreciate a foreign she-spider taking out city officials and businessmen who kept their names and records clean as long as the brotherhood kept their pockets fat and healthy. Usually Anari wouldn't stick her fangs in the business of petty crime lords, but when the enslavement and distribution of Ninefold spirits is the backbone of their profits, something had to be done. How Anari's director had learned of this spirit world slime, she had not yet figured out. The giant she currently occupied was remote and couldn't be found on most maps of the Horse Province. It was a pain trying to book a ticket here. After her budget had taken such a blow, she'd had a hard time recovering. Especially when most of her money went to bribing storefront owners in exchange for intel on the gang's activity. She wouldn't be surprised if it was one of them who tipped off the trolls. From what she had observed over the past few weeks, the community on this little giant was tight and the brotherhood's methods were ruthless. Someone was bound to crack. Now every ounce of muscle the gang had to spare was chasing her around the giant. Anari's only hope was to disappear into the outskirts of town. She hated stealing, but she had to sneak a boat off of someone's property just so she could make it to the giant's knuckles. The fare to rent a boat was too high and she needed what little money she had left to haggle a ticket off this giant eventually. If that didn't work, there was always Luck. But Anari didn't have a knack for calculating her personal reserves and she didn't like relying on it. It seemed that every customs office counted Luck differently. No, it was better to rely on money when traveling. When she had gotten off the boat, the first building she came across was a noodle house. It was a dump, but it made the perfect hideout because it was large and crowded with loud, diverse customers. Anari picked a booth that was elevated above most of the drinking and gambling. It was positioned in a way that gave her a direct view of the entrance without easily being seen by newcomers. When a bored-looking feline spirit came to take her order, she just asked for hot tea and to be left alone. Now all Anari needed was a distraction for when the trolls inevitably showed up. That and a way off the giant. She had precious cargo hidden in the city, but it would have to wait until things calmed down. Anari scanned the space with all six of her eyes, thinking of the best way to cause a commotion if and when the trolls arrived. One hour later and all she had to work with was a greedy manager who stole tips from his sun clone employee. Anari sighed. This whole time she had managed to avoid sun clones. In fact, she hadn't seen a single one until tonight. The one that worked here – a waiter – looked pretty low in rank and kind of clueless. Still, even without all of the decorations that came with the Immortal State, there was no mistaking that he was a Sun. A sun clone was not Anari's first choice in a situation like this because, well, it was complicated . Suns could be unpredictable and reckless. Whenever they have access to holy peaches, they became unbelievably powerful. One minute they could be loyal and trustworthy, and the next, they might sell you out for something bright and shiny. Anari had met her fair share of Suns. She had even loved one once. And she wasn't sure if the risk was really worth the reward. The she-spider was still in the middle of making her decision when one of her eyes caught him pretending to wipe down a table nearby. It was now or never. "Sun. Over here." The clone turned. Up close, he was cute, she had to admit. Most of his simian features were suppressed under his glamour. But the sideburns were a dead giveaway. High cheekbones. Eyes the color of unfiltered honey. Anari made sure to keep her glamoured eyes on her teacup while her spider sight scanned him for more details. When she told him that his boss had been cheating him out of his earnings, she didn't get the reaction she had hoped for. Adding that she needed his help didn't seem to improve her situation either. Anari kept up a cool exterior, but she was beginning to panic. What kind of sun clone would be content with working in a dump like this? Monkey spirits were known for their obsession with increasing their rank, no matter the cost. Anari reminded herself that this particular Sun could simply be baiting her to offer more of an incentive. But I'm broke. "Look," the sun clone said, "I don't have any holy peaches, okay?" So that's what he wanted. Of course. The clone was probably stuck working at the noodle house in the first place because he couldn't get his hands on an energy source. This was Anari's last chance. She stretched one of her limbs and secured it around the clone's wrist. She readied her glands just in case she would have to seduce him. She hadn't fully recovered from binding up her victims, but at the moment, she didn't really have a choice. The Sun's golden brown eyes widened at her audacity and his arm tensed. Too quickly, Anari gave up her name and explained her situation, making sure to add, "I'm not a bad person." Why did she say that? She wasn't on trial before the clone. Anari caught his eyes and added, "I know where to find the peaches. Lots of them." This was at least half true. The peaches were a long way from here and her access to them depended entirely on the director – her boss. The sun clone stared at her, deciding. Relieved, she relaxed her glands when he pulled her to her feet. She didn't expect him to be so much taller than her. Most clones only acquired a boastful height when they entered the Immortal State. The sun clone and the she-spider went unnoticed as he led her through the noisy noodle house to a door near the kitchen. They slipped inside a pantry and the clone cracked the door so that a thin column of light broke up the darkness. "Now what?" He asked. The vein of light on his face was enough to reveal the hopeful desperation there. Good. Let him think that I'm his only ticket out of here. Anari opened her mouth, but her words were drowned by a ruckus coming from the restaurant's interior. Five trolls trundled inside, issuing threats and death glares. Anari's description rolled off their pimpled tongues. The sun clone inhaled sharply. "Sweet Immortal Peaches." He looked back at her. "What the hidden lotus did you do to piss off the Yingchi Bastards?" Not on trial, Anari reminded herself. "I'll tell you later. Help me find a way out of here." "Not so fast, lovebirds!" Anari and the clone turned away from the door, letting the light shine on a lump against the far wall. At first Anari thought it was one of the many sacks of rice. Then her eyes registered a pinkish, bristly surface and a single dirty tooth. "It's just a pig. Let's go." The lump gave another alarming squeal. "One that will scream loud enough to draw those graceless trolls in here. So show a little more respect and untie me." ~ What's the matter, Dear Traveler? Too much action and suspense for you? I wasn't even going that fast. Fine. Rest a while. Next time we'll see what this swine spirit is all about.

Thirty-seven. The number of noodle orders Ritsu had served that day. Eighty-three. The amount he had been tipped that same day ... in change. "Sweet immortal peaches," Ritsu swore as he prepared to balance yet another bowl swollen with noodles on a thin, chipped plate. He had spent enough time in the spirit world to understand that it was appropriate to speak these words in times of unchecked injustice, which to say was pretty much constant for Ritsu. Tonight, however, his luck was particularly rotten. Circumstances forced him to cover the shifts of two spontaneous no-shows. Ritsu somehow always got stuck with the crotchety, cheap customers. The ones who expected to be waited on like lords and were never happy with anything they ordered. And yet they still managed to devour everything. The tips they left behind made Ritsu unable to decide if he was being mocked or pitied. When he had first arrived in this corner of the Ninth Heaven, he desperately needed a job. This one was about as pleasant as a pile of tiger shit, but he didn't complain. These days, however, he didn't know how much more he could take. "At it again, Sideburns?" Thrice went the clang of the metal spoon's concave surface against the greasy wall. Ritsu turned to see the head of a life-sized fly – his boss – ducking through the opening into the kitchen. "You don't get paid to stand around and make faces in the broth. Get back to work!" Ritsu waited for the fly spirit to turn away before sneering. He garnished the noodles with a sprig of cilantro before delivering the order without ceremony. He'd given up trying to appeal to the better nature of this particular customer. Ritsu deliberately chose not to hurry back to the cramped, sweaty kitchen. His feet took him to the edge of his assigned section near a booth occupied by an uncommon customer. Correction, Dear Traveler – an uncommonly beautiful customer. Even through his periphery, Ritsu could tell that she was some manner of arthropod spirit, like his boss. But unlike that overgrown housefly, this girl did not openly express her feral essence. Same as Ritsu, she chose to adopt a more mortal appearance, even going as far as wearing modern clothes. Of course modern was a relative term in the spirit world. With a loose leather jacket detailed in fringe and matching boots that climbed up her strong thighs, this customer could have easily warped in from a disco era. Her hair was the only contradiction. No iconic afro, but rather thick, glossy braids that cascaded down her back, blending with the leather fringe along her jacket's seams. Ritsu took his time wiping down an already clean booth. He found himself trying to commit the customer's face to memory. Under all that leather and fringe, there was a regal posture that could not be faked despite the hunch in her shoulders as she savored her order of hot tea. He studied her harder. A spider spirit, he realized, with skin the color of raw amber and a youthful, but intense profile. Ritsu quickly turned his back to the customer when her eyes drifted up from her cup. He sighed. He had about two minutes before Gong-jon would send one of his legions to spy on the monkey. That customer was probably starting to get weirded out by him hanging around her booth. So he tucked the cleaning rag in his back pocket and headed for the kitchen. "Sun. Over here." Ritsu turned. The spider spirit kept her eyes on her tea as she spoke. "The big fly. Is he your boss?" Her accent was ... different . As if it were born in warm, shallow waters. Not this miserable stump. Ritsu nodded and reached for her kettle. He replaced it with a full one and topped off the tea in her cup. Once again, he slowed down his movements. The girl glanced up and lowered her voice some more. "He swipes your tips when he thinks no one is looking. But he always makes sure to leave the change." Ritsu didn't pull the kettle back in time. "Damn. Sorry about that." The spilled tea was scalding, but Ritsu didn't care. He'd rather burn his hands than allow it to spill onto her lap. Thankfully, the boiling water distracted him from his mounting frustration. "Are you sure it was him?" The girl confirmed through eye contact. Ritsu swallowed at the full view of her large, dark eyes. The diameter of her irises was wider than normal. The difference wasn't extreme enough to be off-putting like Gong-jon's, but it prompted Ritsu to do a double take. Somewhere in the primitive corner of his mind, he identified her as a predator. Zzzrp. There it was. That buzzing directly in his ear. Gong-jon was looking for him. Ritsu swatted the miniature fly away and took another hard look at the girl. Could he trust her? "Why are you telling me this?" Spirits didn't let themselves become snitches without a reason. Once again, the girl fixed him with her unavoidable gaze. "You need a new job and I need your help." Oh. She was trouble. Either that or she was in trouble. Whichever it was, Ritsu didn't need that kind of drama. He shook his head, trying to ignore the way her eyes both pleaded and demanded of him. "Thanks, but I've got a whole season under my belt and I'm not trying to screw it up." The girl's brow formed a question mark. "So you'd rather be screwed over instead? Are you sure you're a sun clone?" She went back to sipping her tea. It wasn't the first time Ritsu had been judged for his lack of drive to leave this junk shore town and look for something, anything better that the Ninth Heaven had to offer. Ritsu huffed, "Look, I don't have any holy peaches, okay? I'm low on Luck and I have no idea where anything is." Zzzrp! "Sorry, but I have to go." Something fuzzy and solid locked onto his wrist. Ritsu thought it was the fringe on her jacket coming to life, but that was simply glamour cloaking one of her eight segmented arms. "My name is Anari. In about sixty seconds, some bounty hunters are going to come in here looking for me." Ritsu tried to free his arm. "Why?" Anari didn't ease her grip. "I can't tell you. But I'm not a bad person. Plus," she smiled, "I know where to find your peaches. Lots of them." She could have been lying. And yet ... there was something in Anari's vice-like grip that helped Ritsu warm up to the idea of quitting his job and running off with her, even if she did make him feel like he was nothing more than a snack. Besides, the promise of holy peaches was just too tempting to pass up. "C'mon." Ritsu used the girl's fastened limb to lift her to her feet. ~ Dear Traveler, if Sun Ritsu was being completely honest with himself, agreeing to help this spirit was not a good idea. He was already unfamiliar with his environment, living on the margins of poverty, and especially Unlucky. But the spider's magnetic eyes and powerful hold left him no choice. For the first time since he arrived in the spirit world, Sun Ritsu had met someone that brought him excitement and made him realize that there were better ways to get screwed than by wasting away as a waiter in a greasy noodle house owned by greedy flies.

~ Anari ~ The light inside the paper space that cradled Anari was cloudy and crepuscular. She awoke already glamoured and lying on the top half of her bunk bed. The bottom was overcrowded with half potted plants and a whole mess of gardening tools. Anari rarely came down from the top bunk. She had everything she needed. Her sketchbooks, gameboy, snacks under her pillow. And built into the wall, there was a door to a refrigerator. Anari opened it, knowing what would be waiting for her inside. She reached for a sweetly decorated package and popped it open. The unleashed aroma made her feel like she was standing inside of a bakery. She bit into the egg tart and for a moment, she was soothed. The walls of her room moved and swirled in various, whimsical patterns. The pastel tones darkened as her glamour dropped. Her bunk bed faded away, as did all of the plants and mundane objects. Naked, true in her essence, Anari balanced on a bed of silk that she had woven herself. The groovy apartment had given way to a webbed labyrinth. The walls that had once appeared close and cozy were now concave and cavernous. The air echoed with muffled cries. Anari swallowed the last of her egg tart. She didn't want to respond to those cries, but she had put them off long enough. She leaned back until she was upside down, letting her four back legs splay open. It was so much easier to think upside down. The suffocated sounds were coming from her prey. She had cocooned the two Yingchi bastards in silk nearly a week ago. Nothing too tight. There was room enough for them to breathe. But they weren't all that happy about it. She could eat them both. Heaven knows she needed the fuel. Still, they were trolls, which were not popular among the spiderfolk for their flavor. They were big too. The bigger the prey, the longer it took to die. If you stay here belly-aching all day, you'll never eat. Anari fought back the urge to get to work on the trolls. She was a professional after all. So she reached for the thread that would wire her straight to her employer. Her heart casually thumped as she dialed the line. She knew she didn't do anything wrong. The mission went as planned with only some minor hiccups, but he didn't need to know about all of that. It was normal for her anxiety to spike whenever she had to check in with the director. He was a Sun, afterall. One day she was his best agent. The next, she was his biggest disappointment. It was all up to Luck now. The line rang. Anari held her breath until she heard the click. "Next Dimension Inc, please hold." Anari steadied her breathing. She usually was put straight through to the director. Why was Tabitha answering the phone? "Management speaking." Sun Bai's gruff baritone caught her off guard. Anari wanted to keep the report as short as possible. As she went over the details, she could sense the amusement in his silence, as if he were waiting for her to get to a punchline. When she was done, he held out the pause for a while before asking, "And you phoned me because ... ?" Because it's policy. Sun Bai already knew that. He wanted Anari to go along with his little game. It would appear that she had caught him in a playful mood. She was done playing his games. But he didn't need to know that. "I just want to know what you wanted me to do with them." She glanced at the writhing bundles. "They're ripe." "Oh, is that so ..." he mulled it over. "Well, in that case, I think the Yingchi Clan has suffered enough. Let's give them a season to see if they get the message and reform. How many hostages did you say you had?" "Three." She did not dare lie. "Nar-Nar, you sound tired – " She hated when he called her that " – did the trolls get your web in a knot?" "I'll be fine." And she would as soon as she could get something to eat. "Hmm, you work too hard, Nar –" Because you give me all the impossible assignments! " – let two of your hostages go so they can take the message back to their clan leader. Save the one who gave you the hardest time. Hopefully he's the juiciest." It was a carrot – one of many that Sun Bai took pleasure in dangling before her. These days, ignoring the carrots was more costly than becoming further indebted to him. "Thank you," she said, intentionally weighing down her voice with more gratitude than she truly felt. Then she added, "Do you want me to return to headquarters after?" "No, that's not necessary at the moment." The deadly humor was mostly absent from his voice. He seemed all business now. "Take a vacation. You deserve it. I'll drop you a line when I need you." He didn't wait for her to respond before he hung up. Anari stared at the thread, still vibrating from their conversation. She waited there until her heart rate returned to normal. Sun Bai's final words echoed in her head. Take a vacation. It was a sign that he was pleased. For how long, only the Great Sage knew. Once Anari's nerves were in check, she made her way towards her hostages, which had gone quiet. She approached them tentatively. One had gotten loose. As soon as Anari realized his absence, she was attacked from behind. She didn't have enough energy to stop the blow. So she rolled with it, and took the troll down with her. This was her paper space after all – her domain. The hostages had not a clue in all the Ninth Heaven what they were doing. Together Anari and the hostage slid across one of the surfaces of the web labyrinth. She could hear the other two gasping from their silky cages. Even though the troll that had attacked her had lost control, he fought viciously. Anari merely treated him like a marble underfoot. She maintained her balance and did not try to steer where his tumbling took them. "Get off me, you eight-legged witch!" Anari saw her chance when he turned his neck to the side. She sank her fangs there and held fast even when he gave her a bloody nose. Usually she didn't feed in front of other prey, but this time she made sure the two hostages watched. They would make sure that their leader would know what was waiting for him if he tried to break the law again. When Anari had finished and let the other two go, she stepped back into her glamour and let the paper space return to looking like a cozy flat suspended in twilight. She felt so much better. Not only was her stomach in the right place, but her mind was clearer. She thought back to the events at the noodle house and regarded them with light chuckles. If she hadn't been so close to getting busted at the time, she would have found the situation a lot more amusing. Sun Ritsu's face came to mind and she paused. A handsome monkey indeed. A complete idiot, however, when he was outside of the Immortal State. She wondered if he and the pig ever got out alive. Guilt poked her at her gut. He had saved her life and she had barely thanked him. She owed him more than that. You're already in the debt of one Sun. You don't need to be beholden to another. But it was more than that. This Sun Ritsu didn't seem like he craved reimbursement. Something else compelled him to save her and the pig. Even when he was Radiant, he seemed different. It took Anari a moment to realize that she was staring off into space, her face tingling like some bashful school child. Take a vacation. The spider rolled her shoulders, her fine bones clicking underneath all the glamour. She wanted to see that Sun again and properly pay her debt. Didn't he say that he needed help looking for a staff or something of the like? How hard could that be? Anari hadn't left any sort of tracker on him, so she would need to use all of her skills as a predator to find him. What better way for a hunter like herself to relax than to chase after something – not for food or to satisfy an employer. No, if Anari went looking for the Sun, it would not be for survival. It would be for sport.

What do you think of the story so far, Dear Traveler? Our mediocre hero is not so mediocre when he's in his Immortal State, is he? Yes, that's what we call it – the Immortal State. In fact it has many names. Ascension, the Radiant State, the Resplendent Glory of the Highest Sun or the Glorious Resplendence of the Highest Sun. Do I have an Immortal State? Well, of course I do. I am a sun clone after all. Dear Traveler, did you notice how surprised the other characters were by Sun Ritsu's transformation? There's a reason for that. The journey to the Immortal State is not meant to be that immediate. Our Sun Ritsu is a bonafide freak of nature. Why? I have no clue why. Well I do, but I'm not telling you. At least not yet. Ha! Because you haven't earned it. So hush, and pay attention to the rest of the story. ~ ~ Sun Ritsu ~ Sun Ritsu woke up to pain in his neck and pretty much everywhere in his body. He felt wet and sticky in some places and cold all over. He blinked his eyes open and looked around. How did I wind up on the roof? Something at his elbow snorted. He looked to his left to see the pig from before curled up beside him. The sweat coating his body glistened under the morning sun. The pig's warm pink hue reminded Ritsu of the peach he bit into last night. Was it even last night? How long have I been asleep? Well, however long it was, he definitely had to pee. Sun Ritsu went to the back of the noodle house to take care of his business. He was startled by the body lying there among the jagged boulders. The tide of the liquid void lapped at the spirit's heels. "Hey man, be careful. That stuff burns after a while." There was no response. In mid-piss, Ritsu squinted at the spirit. Oh, he's asleep. He stared harder. And ... he's not a spirit. Since returning to the spirit world, Ritsu had not met very many humans. Still, he knew that some were capable of gaining access to the Ninth Heaven. This one appeared to be a monk. Whoops. Ritsu got control of his aim. The monk was already covered in bruises and dirt. It was clear that he — or she??? — hadn't bathed in days. Possibly months. A little urine wouldn't make things that much worse. "Lawful, benign monkey! There you are!" Caught off guard by the pig, Sun Ritsu turned, spraying the monk even more. The pig snorted and leapt back. "Watch it!" "Sorry." Ritsu zipped up his pants. The pig waddled over on four stumpy legs. "Were you just pissing on that monk? If you had a soul, you would go to hell for that." Ritsu touched his temple and leaned against the wall of the restaurant. "How did we get here? Where did Anari go?" The pig sniffed in the direction of the monk and violently sneezed. "You mean the she-spider? Oh, she ditched." Ritsu slouched against the wall. "Oh." Was it something that I did? Something I said? The pig trotted up and rested a sympathetic hoof on his ankle. "I wouldn't get too hung up on the spider, monkey. She had no need for you anymore. So she left. Such is the nature of most spirits." Ritsu sighed. "I know that. It's just ..." he stared at the pig. The memory of the spider momentarily dissolved. "So, if you're not a wild pig, then where is your glamour?" The pig gave a shuddering oink, as if in pain. "I don't have one." Ritsu opened his mouth to ask why, but the pig piped up first. "Can we ... talk about something else , please, monkey?" Ritsu shrugged. "Uh, sure. I don't think I ever got your name." The pig sat on his haunches and flared out his batlike ears. "Ham Song." Then he held out his little hoof. Ritsu knelt down and gently shook it. "Sun Ritsu." Ham Song shook Ritsu's hand and smiled as much as a pig possibly could. "My dear Sun Ritsu. You don't remember anything that happened last night, do you?" Still smiling pleasantly, Ritsu confessed, "I do not." Ham Song spun the tale of Sun Ritsu's victory over the Yingchi Bastards. He assumed that because of his unnatural amount of Luck, they were not detected on the roof. "You were unbelievable, monkey." Ritsu groaned. "I can't believe I lost my job." "To be clear, you quit," Ham Song corrected. "Right after you called your boss ugly and putrid." Ritsu groaned again. This is what you get for trying to go on an adventure without thinking things through! "Lawful, benign monkey," said the pig, "We have to get out of here before Gong-jon realizes we're still around." His tone was patient, but his words were urgent. Ritsu nodded as he rubbed his face a few times. From between his fingers, he caught sight of the monk again. Lowering his hands, he said, "We have to bring him." Ham Song's ear twitched. "Who? The monk? I don't think that's a good idea." "Why? The void sea could burn his skin enough to send him to the Lake of Ninefold Darkness." Ham Song stomped his hoof. "Sun Ritsu, I'm sorry, but look at him. He's a drunk." Ritsu tilted his head. "I think he looks more like a she ." ~ ~ Bodhi ~ Bodhi became aware and pulled themself upright in – they looked around – a restaurant booth? So I never left the noodle house? Fantastic. Hold on ... Their vision came into better focus. This wasn't the same noodle house. In fact, it looked more like the inside of a floating snack depot. The walls and furniture were painted orange and white with accents of green. Sitting across from them was the monkey and the pig from the noodle house. The pig blurted, "Are you a boy or a girl? Sun Ritsu thinks you're a girl, but I disagree." Bodhi looked around. There was a pork bun sealed in clear plastic on the table next to a styrofoam container of instant ramen. The monkey said, "I didn't know which one you wanted. I know monks are vegetarian, so I got the noodles, but you also smelled like you had a lot to drink so I thought maybe you weren't a real monk and got you the pork bun too." Bodhi cocked an eyebrow at the pig, who was also chowing down on a pork bun. The pig licked his single tusk. "Don't ask." Warily, Bodhi went for the bun. "I am a real monk." The pig turned to the monkey. "Now that the monk's awake, I agree with you, monkey. She does look more like a girl." Bodhi went for the ramen after swallowing the pork bun. The monkey stammered, "So that was actually supposed to be mine– " As if they hadn't heard him, Bodhi broke the seal on the chopsticks and barked, "Waiter! Can we get some hot water over here?" When it was clear that the monk had no intention of handing over the noodles, the sun clone got up and wandered down an aisle. The pig stretched his plastic wrapper out over the tabletop with his little hooves as he licked it clean. "We found your sloppy ass down by the ditch behind Gong-jon's. You practically had one foot in the Lake of Ninefold Darkness." Someone dropped off a kettle of boiling water. Bodhi poured some of it into their container. " And , pig?" "Ham Song is my name," he said. "And you could show a little gratitude to the monkey. He's gentler than the average spirit." Bodhi drank the scalding broth first. "So what you mean is, outside of his Immortal State, he's an idiot." Ritsu sat down. "It's okay. I just got another one." He cheerfully opened the pork bun sealed in plastic. "But that was the last of my money." ~ What's wrong, Dear Traveler? Don't you want to know what happened to Anari? Don't worry, we'll return to this riveting conversation over pork buns. Trust me, our lackluster hero has nowhere to be but right here in this snack depot until we get back.

~ Bodhi ~ Bodhi thought they would have to come up with some kind of distraction, but to their delight, there was no need. There were trolls down on the ground floor, interrogating helpless customers. The owner of the establishment was doing his best to pacify the situation. Everyone, including Bodhi, watched on like it was some kind of live gangster opera. The monk, however, did not forget why they had come here. They prowled the upper floor of the noodle house on silent feet, waiting for spirits to be looking away before pouring the unsuspecting customers' unfinished booze in their own personal gourd. Rice wine, rice liquor, beer – it mattered not to the monk. It was all going towards the same cause after all. The squid spirit at the next booth did not detect Bodhi's presence as the latter gently tipped the former's wine flask over, delivering the contents into the gourd. The commotion in the belly of the restaurant intensified. Bodhi craned their neck to see the trolls dragging some spirits out of the kitchen. Bodhi slowed down the thieving and counted three spirits total. One was a pig – Bodhi recoiled at the stench – a deeply cursed pig it would appear; they noticed the leader of the Yingchi Bastards had a girl by the hair. The monk squinted their eyes. No, not a girl, but a well glamoured spider spirit. The hog was hauled out and dropped in the center of the floor. The third spirit was deposited beside it. This one was tall, skinny and also wearing glamour. The monk arched an eyebrow. Oh? What a handsome little monkey king. Bodhi stashed their gourd away, helped themself to a pitcher of beer, and found a seat at the top of an empty booth. There was nothing more entertaining than a wild sun clone birthing chaos in a crowded noodle house. Especially if it was covered in peach puke like this one. Bodhi wondered if the monkey had any experience with martial arts. Based on the way he was letting the trolls handle him like a sock puppet, they very much doubted it. Bodhi groaned. Well now that the damn monkey had passed out, there would definitely be no show. They chugged the rest of the pitcher and hopped down from the booth. "Excuse us, monk, but there's something that you owe us." Bodhi (barely) stood before the squid spirit and some other manner of marine essence. A tiger shark perhaps? Bodhi staggered. Oh, shit. "Let's fix this with a wager," the monk suggested, thankful that their own drunken haze protected them from the caustic gazes of the customers. They only had enough sight to perceive that these spirits enjoyed playing with numbers. The tiger shark (who was looking more and more like a hammerhead now) exchanged glances with the squid. "We're listening, monk." Bodhi leaned over the side of the wall and made a split assessment of what was happening below. What do you know? The unconscious monkey slumbered while wearing a blissful smirk. A telling development in the noodle house gangster opera. Bodhi hooked their thumb over the wall. "See that mess of trolls down there? If the monkey cleans it up, you let me go free." The aquatic spirits took a look and broke into simultaneous laughter. "Not a chance in Ninth Heaven," said the squid. "You sure you want to call that bet? Cause if the clone can't stop the Bastards, we'll make sure that you're the next dish on the menu." The shark winked. "In other words, we'll take the last of your Luck and give you a makeover for the road." Oh, how clever you two are, Bodhi thought, but kept the damning words to themself. The monk just gave a humble little bow and said, "We have a deal!" ~ ~ Anari ~ The pig's ability to generate immortal peaches made Anari suspect that she had chanced upon an oddly generous amount of Luck. That or it's all coming from the pig. The pig might have been Lucky, but the sun clone was without a doubt an idiot. He was going to get her killed. Why had she hung around after he had thrown up? What was she thinking? Well, for one, her powers were weak. Otherwise, she would have transformed into something miniature and stealthily crawled the hell out of there by now. Had she been at full power, she would have poisoned the clone for knocking her over like that. <Quit overreacting,> the voice of the saboteur protested. The saboteur reminded her that she had been hit with much worse on the job. So the clone's added weight had not really bothered her. The monkey was lanky and warm and smelled like old mushu pork. She hadn't minded that either. Anari's sense kicked in. All the more reason to get the hell out from under this idiot clone. She pushed the saboteur's contradictory commentary aside. She knew better than to listen to it. So she couldn't escape and she was stuck with a hog spirit and a monkey that had no idea what to do with immortal peaches. When the trolls were dragging them all out into the open, it occurred to her that she did not want to see the monkey harmed, despite his overall uselessness in her plan to escape. There seemed to be a glimmer of hope when the sun clone finally ate the peach, but then, for no apparent reason, he passed out. An absolute moron, this monkey. <But a cute moron,> opined the saboteur. Hush, you . The trolls laughed at the monkey's flounder. The leader walked over to Anari and lifted her upright by her braids. Still chuckling, he said to the fly manager, "It looks like your clone swallowed a spoiled peach." He nudged the monkey's limp body with the edge of his foot. "Simian waste." The troll spat on the monkey, but the loose phlegm landed inches from his head thanks to an involuntary movement. The troll grunted, but decided that meeting his target was not worth his time. He hauled Anari with him; her mind raced, trying to think of how she could talk or barter her way out of this one. Her thinking was interrupted by the troll, who had tripped. It took a great deal of effort to catch his fall. Anari was impressed that he had not dropped her. The entire restaurant gasped. Anari thought she heard some spirits stifling laughter. The spider looked down and noticed that one of the clone's legs stuck out at an odd angle, but he was still asleep. The floor of the restaurant rumbled under the troll's growl. The monkey merely yawned, stretched out his limbs and curled back up in a fetal position. "Damn monkey!" The troll lifted his leg and drove his heel down on the clone's ribs. Once again, the spirit rolled away in time. His eyes never opened and his body remained relaxed and curled in slumber. A whimper came from the fly spirit at the sound of the troll's heel crunching through the wooden floor of his establishment. After the troll managed to wrench his foot free, he trundled over to a deserted table and slammed Anari down on her back. "Don't move, spideress! I have my men watching you." The surrounding brothers patted their clubs and fortified their stances to emphasize his warning, but their eyes were all glued to the sleeping clone. The leader dropped his own club off with a nearby member. "You! Hold this." With free hands, he approached and seized the monkey by his collar. Then he tossed his unconscious body in the opposite direction and roared, "On your feet, you monstrous ape!" Like a paper kite, the monkey spiraled clumsily across the restaurant, his eyes still closed, his body awkwardly slack. He stumbled until his back hit the table where Anari lay. He flopped over and landed face-up. Anari studied him closely. What sort of strange devilry was the clone up to? Quick and quiet, the monkey peeked open an eye and caught her gaze. In a voice built on tricks and mirth, he greeted, "Hey." The monkey closed his eye before Anari had time to even blink. His face was peaceful again, as if that playful little presence had never surfaced. But then his jaw twitched into the ghost of a smile and Anari heard the words "watch" and "this" right before his body slid away. Anari sat up to get a full view of the leader of the Yingchi Bastards swinging the monkey around and around by one ankle. Then, sensing that a weight had been lifted, she looked down at her arms. The peaches! They were gone. When she looked back up, the monkey was not decorating the back wall in a gooey puddle — no. The trolls, the fly, the pig, every spirit looked on in disbelief as the clone stood atop a round table, radiating a warm, celestial glow. His hair had gone from black to the golden brown of his eyes. His glamour had dissolved to reveal his authentic essence. Dear Traveler, Anari was not prepared for what was about to happen. You must brace yourself. For once I speak these words, they cannot be unspoken: Behold! Resplendence meets brilliance meets splendor! Enter the sweet-talking, cloud-walking mind-bender! Tracksuit white, shirt black, too shiny He enters the world, dripping Nike A handsome clone, that much is clear His sideburns flared before each ear A lazy grin, naked teeth Proud canines, wildness beneath His eyes glistened gold, they beckoned like treasure Customers struggled to keep it together Anari, the Spider, suppressed her awe At the angle and strength of the Monkey's jaw Between two sips, the Monk glanced up And unimpressed, they downed their cup. Shocked by the state the ape was in, The Pig, dear reader, barfed again. Ritsu soaked the moment's adoration And with a peachy blush, an adrenaline rush, and a microsecond's meditation, He centered on his singular goal Of woopin' ass on every troll! . . . Congratulations! You just completed the first arc in TRS! I'm still new to Honeyfeed and I started posting my story here as well as other sites because I'm in desperate need of fresh feedback. I'm looking for engagement-related feedback. So stuff like: your impressions of the characters, how the story is unfolding, overall reactions. Also. Is it funny??? You've probably realized by now that Sun Ritsu is the primary protagonist, but the other three spirits are a big deal too. If there's a spirit that you connect with the most or find intriguing in some way, please let me know your thoughts. I'm really trying to get a sense in how these characters resonate with readers before going into edits for volume 1. Lastly, what do you prefer in terms of updating? I am willing to update as much as 4x a week. However, if I do this, the chapters will be denser and broken up by POV. If you like longer episodes like this one with mutliple povs, then 2x a week is a better fit. Please let me know your preferences in the comments. Thanks again for reading this far! That means a lot!

~ Ham Song ~ Dear Traveler, you may have remembered from our last telling that the pig barfed when he saw the previously underwhelming sun clone become resplendent and godlike. For clarification, he barfed real barf this time – there was nary a peach in sight. Well, you could only imagine Ham Song's joy when he saw that the gold lotus the monkey was branded with grew even more pronounced and intense. I've never seen a sun become so respendlent in such a short amount of time. He's the one! He has to be. In that moment, the pig vowed that he would not leave the monkey's side. No matter what. Ham Song watched on as the Radiant Nameless Sun crouched before the body of fuming trolls and rocked on his heels like one tender and juvenile. Legendary peaches and monkey spirits. The combination was truly as awesome as it was unpredictable. Somehow the monkey's dirty apron and serving uniform transformed into luxury activewear. His feral essence gave him a manuka honey complexion. The hair on his head and face resembled a texture closer to fur. The golden brown of his eyes did not change; however, all the minutiae of muscles surrounding them were knowing, mischievous, yet at the same time idle and wandering. "You there, troll." Radiant Nameless Sun pointed to the leader as if he hadn't just pitched him across the room moments ago. "Have you seen my staff?" The trolls made no indication that they heard what the monkey had said. "Kill the baneful monkey!" The leader roared as he drummed his club against his thigh. The troll minion closest to the sun clone volunteered to impress his leader first. "Have you seen my staff?" the monkey repeated as the troll barrelled in his direction. When the troll got close enough, the monkey dodged the swing of his club, took hold of his wrist, and flipped him onto his back. Then he stepped over him. "Thanks anyway." One troll after the other launched themselves at the Radiant Nameless Sun. He evaded their attacks without pausing to anticipate how the troll would move. He just reacted. After which, he immobilized his attacker. It was really quite a fascinating scene to behold. None of the customers would dare root for the baneful monkey in the presence of the troll gang, but you could tell by their faces that they were eager to see what he would do next. The radiant clone made his way to the table where the spider spirit was being held captive. He struck up a conversation with her as if there weren't a dozen trolls attacking him from all sides. Ham Song could not catch what the monkey was saying, but he suspected that it was more than just "Have you seen my staff?" The leader of the Yingchi Bastards barked a harsh warning at the monkey to get away from the spider, but the chances of the monkey even acknowledging him was laughable at this point. In the end, the monkey helped the spider to her feet and after a few evasive flips and cartwheels he escorted her through the front door of the noodle house. A grunt came from the troll outside, who had been stationed to guard the door. "Lawful, benign monkey!" Ham Song wailed after him. So even with the mark of the gold lotus, this ape is no different than the rest, Ham Song realized. Once he gets his hands on some Luck and a few peaches, he's off to increase his rank. The trolls hesitated as their master roared at them to pursue the monkey spirit. Some complained that they could not stand. Some did not even bother to rise from the floor. The tension in the room that radiated from the customers deflated as soon as the monkey left. They eased back into their own conversation. Several called over waiters for their checks. Gong-jon took advantage of the distracted trolls. Ham Song squirmed as he approached. "Come here, pig. Back into the pantry with you." For once, Ham Song did not want to return to the dark guest room and binge on yummy junk. "No!" He squealed. Although his hooves were still bound, he bounced away towards ... towards ... There was nowhere for the pig to go. He flopped over onto his sensitive, fleshy snout and cried out. Tears collected around the pink pockets lining his bright, dark eyes. The monkey hadn't just been his means of escape from the noodle house. He might have been something more. Ham Song's eyes pinched closed. I don't want to be alone anymore. "There he is!" The doors burst open in time with the pig's eyes to see the monkey cartwheeling back inside the belly of the restaurant. Ham Song gaped in disbelief as the monkey whistled past his trollish oppressors. When he came face to face with the pig, he scooped him up just like he had the spider. Ham Song didn't know what to do except sob in gratitude. "Oh, my little porky companion," the monkey cooed as he skipped atop the skulls of the trantrumming trolls, "you didn't think I would leave you here in this derelict noodle house, did you?" The fly boss pursued them, surprisingly nimble despite the stampede of trolls in his way. "Sun Ritsu! You better drop that pig right now or I'll –" The monkey leapt onto the nearest rafter, paused and swiveled until he was facing Gong-jon. "Or you'll what? Fire me?" Gong-jon's glamour quivered. "MAYBE!" The Radiant Sun Ritsu threw back his head and laughed long and deep. "Goodbye, Gong-jon, you ugly, putrid fly." The monkey backflipped off the rafter onto the second layer of the noodle house and crashed through a window. A shower of broken crystals fanned around Ham Song, but he was protected by Sun Ritsu's warm, furry embrace. The air was damp, but satisfyingly chilly as the monkey sprinted through the fog across the rooftop. "Lawful, benign monkey," Ham Song said, "not be rude, but where are we going?" Another low, uncultivated laugh. "My plan was to ride a cloud through the Ninth Heaven until I found my staff." He came to a stop at the edge of the roof. "But I need my staff in order to cloud-somersault. So that won't be happening." He put Ham Song down and knelt beside him. After using his canines to tear off the rope binding the pig's feet, he said, "And the spider lady disappeared somewhere. So I can't ask her for directions ..." He began to curl up beside Ham Song. "Monkey, what are you doing?" Sun Ritsu yawned. "Even though they were covered in your belly milk, those peaches were so good. Let me know when you have more, 'kay little pig?" Ham Song nudged the monkey spirit, squealing, "We haven't even left the noodle house!" But it was no use, for Sun Ritsu was fast asleep. ~ Dear Traveler, you need to ease up on our half-baked hero. It takes a lot out of a sun clone to hold his own against a family of trolls with just the aid of three immortal peaches. No, Sun Ritsu and Ham Song are not out of the woods yet. What happened to Anari, you ask? Oh wouldn't you like to know. Bodhi too? I can't talk about all of them at the same time. I know it's hard to believe, but I'm not that talented, nor do I get paid enough to even try. So how about this: I'll tell you about the spider and then we'll move onto the drunk. Yeesh, Dear Traveler. You are impatient as you are brainless. But worry not, we'll work on that together.

Look at you. You finally made it. Congratulations and welcome to Flower-Fruit Mountain – your last stop before Cave Heaven. You have two choices. You may continue forward to Water-Curtain Cave or you can take a break, catch your breath and listen to a tale while you rest your weary feet. Really, you should do something for them – your feet that is. Soak them. Or better yet hide – ah, cover them up. Here's a complimentary shroud. No offense meant by it. It's simply my job to make you comfortable after such a long journey. So, what do you say? Would you like to hear the adventures of Sun Wukong right here in the very spot where he was born? Indeed, we are currently standing atop the legendary immortal stone that – hold on. What do you mean 'Who is he?' Who? You mean to say that you know nothing of the Handsome Monkey King Sun Wukong? Were you born under a duck's ass? If you haven't heard of the handsome and intelligent god king until now, what in Fruitful Heaven's name are you doing on this tour? You know what, it doesn't matter. Save your senseless explanation for some other sun clone. Just pay me and you'll get your story. Then we can move on with our lives. Sweet immortal peaches ... tourists these days. Uh, excuse me. You call this payment? Haven't you insulted me enough already from your crustugated bare feet to your imbecilic derangement of handsome divinity? Pardon? You want to take it back? As if! I'll accept your damn pocket change, but it won't be worth an origin story of the Monkey King. For a cheap duckass spawn like yourself, you'll get to hear about one of Sun Wukong's clones, like me. And no, it won't be me specifically because I'd have to be dumber than a troll's only tooth to share any sensitive information about myself with the likes of you. Understand? More questions? How thick are you? Yes. I am a clone of Sun Wukong! Can't you tell by my tail, my teeth, and not to mention my handsome sideburns? You've made it this far on the journey. Surely you've met at least a dozen Sun clones by now. No? Hmmm ... well, I suppose it would be rude of me not to properly introduce myself. I am Sun Duza, one of the highest ranking bards among the clones. To be honest, I don't care what you call yourself, so you can put down your hand. I don't intend on shaking it. Now, back to the story. You will hear the adventures of quite a forgettable, underwhelming clone named Sun Ritsu. That's precisely what you paid for, so quit your whining. Do you want to hear the story or not? Thought so. You'll probably like this one because where our story starts, Sun Ritsu is as dense and ill-bred as you, Dear Traveler. He winds up working for tips in a remote noodle house for the spirits. Everything about his inadequate existence turns upside down the night he serves a spider spirit on the run from the law. There was a bounty on her head that marked her as wanted – dead or alive ... .

~ Ham Song ~ "Before we start discussing things, I need to know," Ham Song anchored his hooves on the table and leaned forward, "are you a man or woman?" The monk scrutinized the pig for a moment. Ritsu munched on his pork bun, glancing curiously back and forth between the two. With a wry smile, the monk said, "That depends. Are you really a pig?" Ham Song's throat immediately clamped up. He fought to find a way to answer the question without really answering it, but it only made each one of his respiratory muscles constrict more. Amused, the monk chuckled, "I'm waiting." Ritsu took a curious bite out of his pork bun while Ham Song continued to gag on his own cursed tongue. A few agonizing seconds slipped by before the monkey looked around the depot and then back at Ham Song. He swallowed his food and cleared his throat. "Uh, Ham Song? Could you keep it down? I think you're making a scene." Ham Song strained to glare at him. Damn this miserable bi-ped! The monk took his/her time folding his/her hands over the table. Finally, as if releasing Ham Song from his temporary torture, he/she said, "I will say this once. And afterwards, if either of you question my biological nature again, I will drop-kick your asses so conclusively, that you will wake up in the Lake of Ninefold Darkness. Do I make myself clear?" Together Ham Song and Ritsu vigorously nodded their heads in understanding. Now that Ham Song was free of having to come up with a response to the monk's first question, the curse ebbed and his throat relaxed. He took in a grateful inhale. The monk said, "I am they. Depending on a variety of factors of which I have almost no control, you might look at me and be inclined to call me she or he . You may not know the difference. With that being said, no matter what you feel when you look upon me, I am and will forever be they . Now, let's move on to more important things." Ham Song didn't really feel like the monk had properly answered his question, but he kept his confusion to himself. If the monk wished to be confounding and alien, who was he to say otherwise? They stabbed the air with their chopsticks. "Since it goes against my moral code, I don't carry around money any longer than I need to. Therefore, I'm completely broke." Ritsu cocked his head to the side. "Wouldn't eating meat go against your moral code though?" Under normal circumstances, Ham Song would have chimed in, but he feared the consequences of angering the monk. So he kept his snout shut for the time being. The monk pointed to Ritsu as if they hadn't heard his question. "Like you told us earlier, Sun, you recently spent your last dime on a pork bun. So now you're broke." Then they aimed their chopsticks at Ham Song. "And you , pig." Ham Song gulped. "Judging by your lack of glamour and any other personal effects, I'm going to assume that you also are not currently holding onto any funds." Ham Song scraped his hoof against the surface of the table. "Listen here, monk! It's not my fault I've been tied up in the pantry of a noodle house for the past month." The monk spared no sympathy for the hog. They chuckled, "Something tells me you're lying about that too, pig." Ham Song gritted his teeth. "I told you already, monk. It's Ham Song." "By the way," Ritsu cut in, his natural speaking volume sounding like a whisper against Ham Song's shrieking, "we never got your name." He looked at the monk as he said it. The monk rolled their eyes. "Why should I give you my name when it appears that we are of no use to each other in any capacity?" Ritsu took another bite of his bun. "What do you mean?" Once again, the monk gestured among the three of them. "You need a job. Ham Song here needs life insurance. And I," they looked at the bottom of their empty styrofoam ramen container, "desperately need a drink." Ham Song's ears perked at the monk's respectful usage of his name. He said, "You've been unconscious for some time, monk, and you've missed a few things." They stopped gazing at the cup and arched a well groomed eyebrow. "Oh, have I, my dear Ham Song?" The pig leaned forward. "Indeed. You see," he gestured to Ritsu on his right, "this is no ordinary Sun. And I am no ordinary pig. I have Luck, understand? Luck like you would not believe." The monk relaxed their eyebrow and leaned back. "Go on." Hoping this would win them over, Ham Song said, "Come with us. My Luck may be low at the moment, but it'll come back. I guarantee it. Help us make a little money and when it does, you can have as much of it as you want." The look on the monk's face was one of keen interest. Were monks even capable of greed, Ham Song wondered. It went against his instincts to trust a drunkard claiming to be a student of enlightenment. And yet, here he was. All because the benevolent monkey spirit beside him proved time and time again to be lacking the basic foundation of a typical brain. Yes, it seemed that they were going to need all the help they could get.

Miraculously, our heroes survived the night in the cheaply made paper space. And now they were on their way to the annual Peach Festival. It was hard for Ritsu to ignore the fact that he and his companions were not at all dressed appropriately for the festival. Bodhi sported a set of clean, but incredibly plain monastic robes. Ritsu wore faded denims with holes in the knees and an old hooded jacket over a plain pullover. Hardly festival garb. And Ham Song? Well, he was still naked, Dear Traveler. Oh? Did you say something? What was the spider wearing, you ask? Dear Traveler, Anari has not been present in this story for some time now. Stop making predictions and let me do my job. Next time you have one of those, keep it to yourself. As I was saying, when Ritsu looked around at the traditional costumes and polished glamour of the spirits attending, he suddenly became very aware of his own lack of wealth. Apparently spending the night on the floor of a virtual trolley hadn't been enough to get that through his head. ~ ~ Sun Ritsu ~ Ritsu noticed that Ham Song was breathing the loudest once the three of them reached the top of Ripe Peach Mountain. The passing spirits gave them a wide berth, whispering behind their decorative fans as they drifted by. "I always forget that this festival is free admission. They'll let just any old riff raff up here." Ritsu looked around to see who made the comment, but honestly, with all the glares they were getting, it could have been anyone. Bodhi must have picked up on it too, because they said, "I used to have finer fabrics and prayer beads and shit. But I pawned it all off for booze ages ago." Once Ham Song caught his breath, he looked around with bright eyes. Seemingly unaffected by the unwelcoming stares, he said, "Don't you just love festivals? It's the only time you can count on the authorities to take down those ridiculous steel towers and bring back the fresh air and mountainside views!" Indeed, the natural streets that stretched before them were heavily shaded under willows that had been transformed into wishing trees. Every vendor and gaming booth was wooden and hand-painted in garish hues. Ritsu gave Ham Song an odd look. "Steel towers?" Admiring a paper wish that dangled overhead, Bodhi gently clarified, "He means the apartment buildings." Ritsu didn't fail to notice that Bodhi's features seemed softer now than they did the day before, making them appear undeniably feminine even with a shaved head. "So what's the plan?" Ham Song prompted. Bodhi pulled their attention away from the wishes and looked to Ritsu. Ritsu let his eyes wander to the top of Ripe Peach Mountain. "That's where they have the Garden of Immortal Peaches. The high ranking spirits meet there and drink tea on the terrace. Then at dusk, they feast. The only way you can get into the tea party is if you're invited or you buy your way in." Bodhi grunted, "Last time I checked, that pork bun wrapper was not a VIP ticket." "Right," said Ritsu, "I was getting to that. We'll have to pay our way in. And that's how we're going to do it." He pointed to some distant wooden structure. Ham Song and Bodhi followed his finger until they realized what he meant. "A game, lawful monkey?" Ham Song scoffed. "We're going to make enough money to buy our way into the Garden of Immortal Peaches by playing a game ?" Sweeping his arms wide, Ritsu explained, "Not just one game. All the games. With your Luck, Ham Song, we can get the high scores and later on, sell the prizes. Then we can use that money to buy our way into the garden." Bodhi folded their arms and raised an eyebrow. Ritsu wasn't sure if they were impressed or skeptical. Or both. Ham Song considered. "While that is a clever way to utilize my Luck, it could backfire on us. These festival games are not meant to be won. People might think we're cheating. And then we'll get thrown off the mountainside for sure." Ritsu held up a finger. "Not if we split up." Ham Song and Bodhi exchanged glances. Finally, Bodhi dropped their arms. "Comrades, this might actually work." Ham Song fought to hold back a squeal. "I think I have just enough Luck saved up to get us through this. Let's continue this conversation over there." The three of them momentarily ditched the crowded streets and retreated to the privacy among the wishing trees. After Ham Song had handed over some of his Luck to each of them, Sun Ritsu – Seriously, Dear Traveler? You can't just interrupt me while I'm in the middle of a tale. Can't your silly little question wait until later. It can't? Fine. I guess I'll pause the story. The things I do for you ungrateful tourists. What do you want to know? How does Luck work? Right! I forgot about your total ignorance on the topic. Fair warning, it would take too long for me to explain everything about Luck to you. So I'll just cover the basics, okay? Luck is ... Luck is ... Hold on. I've never really had to explain it before. Let me get my thoughts together. ... Luck is everywhere. Kind of like pollen, I suppose. And like pollen it accumulates on just about anything and everything. This, might I add, is the slowest and most inefficient way to acquire it. There are a lot of factors involved that determine how quickly one can naturally absorb Luck. Ham Song, for example, is bewitched in such a way that allows him to naturally collect large quantities of Luck over very short amounts of time compared to the rest of us. Also, due to Ham Song's true essence, he has more surface area, shall we say, on which the Luck can collect. The more essence a spirit has, the higher their potential for Luck is on average. Are there other ways to obtain Luck, you ask? Well, of course there are. You can pass it on as a gift, like what Ham Song did just now for Bodhi and Sun Ritsu. Lucky gifts are rare outside of close knit families and clans. Most spirits are pretty stingy, you know. You can gamble for Luck. You can cheat someone out of their Luck. And you can ... well, you can take another spirit's Luck by, um ... hurting them badly enough to send them to the Lake of Ninefold Darkness. Of course, that last way to get Luck is strictly illegal in all twelve provinces of the Ninth Heaven. Some provinces are better at enforcing the law than others ... . Sorry. I didn't mean to digress so much. So, do you get the idea? Still confused? Hrmph. What else is new, Dear Traveler? Regardless, I'm going to go back to this story. Our mostly-dumb-but-not-a-complete-moron of a hero split from his group, feeling Luckier than ever. Not long after, he spotted a gaming booth with an ultimate prize. It was a contest of strength. The high score winner would be rewarded with – you won't believe this – an enchanted quarterstaff. Is it the real deal, you wonder? Hmph. You'll just have to wait and see.

~ Sun Ritsu ~ "A bus?" Ham Song snorted. "This paper space is nothing more than the inside of an old bus cart?" Ritsu took in the foggy green lighting and the dated advertisements. There were two seats facing opposite each other. Despite his complaints, Ham Song had already helped himself to one of them. Ritsu took a seat on the other one in an upright position. Ham Song took notice. "Benign monkey, what are you doing?" "I'm going to stay up and wait for Bodhi. I'm guessing they don't want to just sleep on the floor." He noticed the disapproval on Ham Song's face. "Don't look at me like that. Without Bodhi's help, we would have nowhere to sleep, and you know it." "Suit yourself, monkey. In my opinion, you give that monk too much credit, but what do I know?" Ham Song grunted and rolled until his back was facing Ritsu. "I'm nothing but an old pig." Ritsu leaned back in the seat and preoccupied himself by staring out of the artificial window above Ham Song. He saw a sleepy cityscape forever frozen in twilight. Every now and then, the image would flicker, as if to remind Ritsu that his essence was at the mercy of whatever was happening on the outside of the little paper crane. Ritsu waited to the point where he could no longer keep his eyes open. As he drifted off, he lost track of time until a noise other than Ham Song's snoring brought him back to attention. The monkey pulled himself out of his slouch to see a lump curled up on the floor of the cart. Thanks to the peachy light coming in through the window, his eyes quickly adjusted. Ritsu realized that the lump was Bodhi, curled up tightly and trembling at random intervals. Without thinking, Ritsu left the seat and stretched out alongside the monk. He looped his arms around their middle and pulled them against his navel. He suddenly registered the lavender bath oils clinging to Bodhi's skin. Taking a big inhale, he whispered, "You smell nice." "Ape," Bodhi hissed through chattering teeth, "w-what do you th-think you're d-doing?" Ritsu only held on tighter when Bodhi tried to squirm away. "You looked cold. There's not enough room for both of us on the seat, so I thought I would just come to you and help you warm up." A particularly violent shiver passed over Bodhi. "These shakes have nothing to do with the temperature. I'm going through withdrawal, you dumbass." By then, Ritsu was too deep in slumber to hear Bodhi's insult. Now unconscious, his glamour became untethered, covering Bodhi in a layer of warm, velvety fur. Their shaking became less and less frequent. They were close to drifting off to sleep themself when another presence plopped down next to them. "Don't mind me, monk. I'm just trying to get warm." The pig grunted before he went back to snoring. Bodhi sighed. Whether it was out of frustration or satisfaction, no one might ever know.

~ Anari ~ Don't come over here. Don't come over here. Don't come over here. Anari's internal mantra did not keep the immortalized monkey spirit at bay. He moved as one does through a cultural exhibit – to him the trolls were nothing more than installations on display, to be ignored or acknowledged as the monkey pleased. <What are you, stupid?> The saboteur taunted. <He can get you out of here and then some! Look how powerful he is. See how his aura shines!> The problem and the solution were one. The immortalized monkey was too strong. Anari had never seen a clone's strength develop like this. It typically took hours, sometimes even days for them to amass such radiance. <So what if he's a freak of nature? You like him.> The monkey was standing in front of her, glowing and handsome. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder and smiled a boyish grin. "Did you see what I did back there? Cool, huh?" "What do you want, Sun?" There was no way that the clone she had met before was in any form of control. There was chaos all around them. Half of the trolls moaned while the other half attempted to suckerpunch the monkey. He paused periodically to fire a kick to the face or elbow a poor victim in the eye, not even looking as he did so. "Well, I want to find my staff," he said, glancing around hopefully. "But I also want to go for a walk –" A troll came bellowing from the right. He smashed a glass bottle over his head and tipped the stunned monster over with his big toe. " – with you." "I –" Anari gasped as the monkey swept her up in his arms and said, "Excellent! I know just the place." Moments later, they were on the roof. The monkey had already let her go before she got around to demanding that he release her. She didn't want to thank him, but he had gotten her away from those trolls and that was worth acknowledging. "You didn't have to do that." <You call that a thank you? Where are your manners?> The monkey had his hands folded behind his back. He was looking up at the moon. "You smell like saltwater, shy spider." He sniffed the air, his eyebrow rising. "And do I sense a hint of cane sugar?" Anari's saboteur wrestled her tongue from her. "Peach soda pop," she caught Sun Ritsu's eye, "is what you smell like." They walked to the end of the shingled rooftop. Anari noticed that the monkey's overwhelming glow seemed to step aside for the soft moonlight. When they reached the edge, they could see out across the liquid void where more parts of the giant peaked through as craggy little islands. "I have to go," Anari said, searching the rocky bay for some manner of boat. "Come with me," said the monkey. "Just until I find my staff. I've been gone for a while and I don't really know my way around the Ninth Heaven like I used to. Everything has changed so much ..." Anari sighed. "I have better things to do than escorting a sun clone around." "Of course you do," he slapped the side of his head. "How incredibly insensitive of me. How could I ever begin to repay you? Let me see." Anari backed away. "You don't have to –" "I know! The pig! He's got Luck. Where is that Lucky porker?" He slapped his knee. "Oh damn. I left him back in the restaurant. Wait here, shy spider. I'll be right back!" He cartwheeled away. Anari looked around helplessly. <You really like him,> said the saboteur. "Shut up." She was angry now. And tired. The night had gone on too long. This mission had gone as sour as those peaches the pig had barfed moments ago. The only thing that would give Anari peace of mind and silence the saboteur was to prove her wrong. ~ ~ Bodhi ~ Bodhi had a feeling that the squid and the shark spirit thought that they were setting them up. Bodhi tried to convince them otherwise, but the spirits weren't buying it. So after the monkey left for the second time, the gambling spirits escorted the monk to a more private booth and proceeded to violently rob them of their Luck. Bodhi let the spirits beat the shit out of them. The attackers didn't stop until Bodhi puked the stolen alcohol. The spirits tried to take away the monk's gourd, but instead, poured its contents over their head once it became clear that it was just a sloppy concoction of drinks. The shark and the squid dumped Bodhi outside in the bay. The rocks felt sharp, but cool against their face. They could have ruined those two spirits. It would have been easy. But then I wouldn't be able to enjoy this. The monk went from the inside of a dumpster to the edge of this landmass giant, still drunk, still unsatisfied. They had experienced a brief moment of pleasure, watching that sun clone wreak havoc on those trolls. And it was sweet how he had come back for the pig. Sweet, but bizarre. The monk would have never gone back for anything or anyone, they were sure of that. As they drifted into painful, blissful sleep, they wondered, If the monkey had seen those spirits going in like that on a poor monk, would he have come back to help me? They imagined it and how sweet it would be if it were so. The rocks were slick, threatening to let Bodhi slide into the liquid abyss. The sea of Ninth Heaven was no place for humanae. Their body was not fastened well to the rocks. They slid closer and closer to wet oblivion. But they were too drunk to really care.

~ Sun Ritsu ~ The monk had finally given up their name: Bodhi . "What? That's it?" Ham Song snorted. The monk sneered. "What do you mean?" "Bodhi Li, Bodhi Xu, Bodhi Guo, Bodhi what ? Certainly you have a surname." Bodhi's expression lightened. "Bit of an old fashioned hog, aren't you?" Ritsu, who was looking out through one of the cloudy square windows, wondered if he would ever see that spider spirit again. Come to think of it, she hadn't provided a surname either. Based on the richness of her skin and the texture of her hair, he would be surprised if her name ended in anything like Li or Xu. Anari. Ritsu wasn't sure why he couldn't stop thinking about her. It was clear that she was serious about her work, however risky it was. A career-focused spirit like her wouldn't have time to waste traipsing the Ninth Heaven with a sun clone, a pig, and a so-called monk, looking for an extremely powerful and ancient staff – !!! "My staff!" Sun Ritsu shot to his feet, disrupting not only the people at his booth, but all of the customers in the cramped snack depot. The store manager shook his fist from behind the register. "Listen here, you crazy ape! I won't have any of that monkey god buffoonery in my place of business, you hear me!" Bodhi and Ham Song were staring up at Ritsu like he had grown a second head. Ritsu took a few steadying breaths, waved at the shop owner and apologized in earnest. The spirit grumbled something else about the lunacy of monkey spirits before he went back to reading his dirty magazine. When it was clear that he didn't have any intentions of throwing Ritsu and his friends out, the rest of the customers lost interest and went back to milling about. As Ritsu slowly took his seat, Bodhi dipped their chin and said, "You want to explain what all that was about?" "Sorry. I just remembered something." Bodhi leaned in a little closer. "We heard. Something about a staff ?" Ham Song nearly squeaked. "Benevolent monkey, back at the noodle house, you were asking around if anyone had seen your staff. You were in the Immortal State." Ritsu did his best to sharpen the fuzzy images connecting back to Ham Song's story, but his brain just wouldn't give. "I-I sort of remember that. I just know that I had a quarterstaff once. It let me do a lot of things. With it, I could even fly." Bodhi interrupted, "Cloud-somersault. Not the same as flying, Sun." Ham Song's pink snout darkened. "Monk, stay out of this. He's trying to remember. From the likes of it, you probably just want the staff for yourself." Bodhi rubbed their chin. "You're right, Ham Song. Something as valuable as a sun clone's quarterstaff I could easily sell and use the money to buy an infinity gourd. Then I would never run out of booze." Ham Song looked at Ritsu. "I told you we couldn't trust them." Ritsu scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, Bodhi's just kidding... I think." "Sun Ritsu," Bodhi's face grew serious, "I don't know if you're aware, but there are not that many quarterstaves left. Only Suns of the highest order keep them. To claim that you are the owner of such an artifact is not something you should be announcing in a place like this. Or any place in the Ninth Heaven for that matter." Then Bodhi looked around to make sure no one was listening before dropping their voice. "If you want to find your staff, I would start by looking in places with Suns of status." Ritsu nodded eagerly. "Uh okay. Places like ... ?" Without looking, Bodhi swiped the empty pork bun wrapper from under the pig's hooves. Ham Song protested, but Bodhi pushed it across the table. "Places like this. The Horse Province's annual Peach Festival. A handful of very powerful Suns host it. And lots of aspiring clones will be there." Ritsu picked the wrapper up by its edges, careful to avoid the parts that were coated in Ham Song's saliva. In bright sharp writing it spelled out the time, date, and specific location of the Peach Festival. The banner was also decorated with peach blossoms, fans, and pitchers of beer. "I help you get that staff," said Bodhi, "and you pay me handsomely in Luck. Do we have a deal?" ~ Dear Traveler, are you still paying attention? Just because there's a lot going on doesn't mean you can just tune me out! Well, I'd say that it's about time our disorganized heroes get the hell out of this snack depot. It's off to the Peach Festival! Don't you just love them? All of the games, and the costumes, and the booze, and the– Say what now? You've never gone to a Peach Festival? Why does that not surprise me? I guess I'll have to charge you extra in order to compensate for your lack of culture. Okay fine, don't pay me. Just don't expect the next installment of this tale to have any descriptions of the festival whatsoever. Ha! Thought so. You may be uncultured, but at least you know what makes for an interesting tale.

We've finally made it, Dear Traveler. We have reached the part where the spider spirit reunites with the rest of Sun Ritsu's cadre. How did she manage to find him? Well, it seems that you've finally learned how to ask the right questions. Though Anari was a skilled tracker and huntress, there was really no need for her to rely on any of that sort of expertise. The annual Peach Festival was so popular, she was bound to run into an advertisement or twelve. Once she saw the details of the event, she figured that it would attract any and all sun clones in the area. Therefore, the odds were in her favor that she should run into Sun Ritsu. Let me tell you, Dear Traveler, the spider was more than pleasantly surprised when she happened to pass by a typical gaming booth and spot her benevolent monkey waiting in line to test his strength ... ~ ~ Anari ~ Sun Ritsu caught Anari's attention at a time when she hadn't really been looking for him. He stood in a line, towering above half a dozen other spirits. He was dressed casually, too casually for a festival in fact. Anari herself wore a cornflower blue robe tied in the traditional way. An even pattern of finches and berries stitched with fine golden thread stretched across the seams. The hem of the robe brushed her at mid-thigh, making her stand out among those whose robes dropped down to their ankles. For shoes, she had to forgo her usual boots for a pair of wooden platforms. This morning she had felt confident in her attire, but after seeing Sun Ritsu, it made her second guess everything. Pull yourself together. Sun Ritsu's golden brown gaze wasn't even focused on her and she was already losing her head. As he edged closer and closer to the booth, she felt his mere presence pulling her toward him. But she had no idea what she would say to him. She tore her eyes away from the monkey, if only to clear her head. That's when Anari actually recognized the premise of the gaming booth. And the prizes. In a booming, sonorous voice, the rock spirit running the booth said, "The spirit mighty enough to bend this bamboo into a full arc will be rewarded with an artifact better than any trophy. They shall receive the monkey god's staff!" The prize was most definitely a toy replica, nothing more. No one in the line except Sun Ritsu seemed to even care what the rock spirit was going on about. Most of them were already tipsy and simply there for the fun of the challenge. That's right. He did say he was looking for his staff, Anari remembered. Before she lost her nerve, she made her way towards the monkey. This was it. Only a few more steps – "Ay! No cutting!" A burly sun clone blocked Anari from getting any closer to Sun Ritsu. She caught her balance and glared at him. "I wasn't cutting. I just needed to talk to him." She pointed to make herself clear. Someone else pushed her. "Get in line like everyone else!" Anari stumbled again. "Watch it!" That's it. If another one of these ugly baboons touches me – A hand closed around her bicep. Falling back on instinct, the spider clapped her hand over the intruder's and held it in place while she spun and drove the flat of her palm towards their skull. She blinked in disbelief at Sun Ritsu, who was on the ground with an arm over his bleeding nose. "Sun!" she gasped. The other spirits looked on with a mixture of interest and intrigue. The burly monkey from earlier muttered, "What an idiot." He shook his head in admonishment. "How could he just give up his spot like that?"

Oh, hello there, Dear Traveler. Are you ready to hear another addition to our so far underwhelming tale? Yes, then let's begin. A drunken monk lay face-up in a dumpster somewhere in the Horse Province. This dumpster could be found only a few miles away from Sun Ritsu's shanty noodle house. Ah, what are you doing? If you continue to flap your hands about like that, I won't be able to concentrate on relaying this – what was that? What happened with the pig, you ask? Do you think I'm that forgetful? We'll get back to that in time. Right now, I'm going to tell you about this monk, so shut up and listen. As I was saying. This monk, might I say, was fully realized and had attained Nirvana. It's the only way a human can exist in our world. With that being said, the monk was not like most humans. Their anatomy was very different compared to the majority of mortals. They could change, shift, morph at their own will. The monk's anatomical capabilities also allowed them to complete great feats in combat. Their strength, speed, and reflexes often rivaled us sun clones. Anyway, our story would not be complete without someone to teach Sun Ritsu the ways of kung-fu. Because as you've probably guessed by now that until he met the monk, that liver-brain had no idea that he had an affinity for any sort of martial art. ~ ~ Bodhi ~ Bodhi woke up in a dumpster. They did not find this to be a problem or even disgusting. Bodhi would have happily remained here, blissfully living out their existence as a unit of breathing matter – the featured exhibit for the scavenger spirits. Quite true, they would have gone on gladly with this humble meditative enterprise, that is if ... they weren't so regrettably, unmistakably sober . Bodhi drew a laborious breath as they hoisted themself upright while forcing open the lid of the dumpster in the process. Blackout drunk and disoriented, being hungover – hell, Bodhi would have even taken death over this . They vacated the trash heap and landed firmly on the back of the giant. They groaned. Firmness. Stability. Steadfastness. If they thought about it anymore, they would empty their guts right there on the spot. So Bodhi closed their eyes and focused on the task at hand: Getting a drink. They bowed their head and assumed a cross-legged position at the base of the dumpster. Their hands naturally rested on the peaks of their knees in the gyana mudra , an appropriate hand sign to enable concentration. A few breaths later and Bodhi was scanning their surroundings. Though these senses originated from within, they now extended outward along the island giant's spine. There. They found the solution to their problem. Trolls. "Where there's a troll, there's booze," Bodhi whispered in satisfaction. They drew in their senses and unfolded until they were back on their feet. Ignoring the fact that they had no idea what giant they were on or how or when they arrived at the cozy dumpster, Bodhi bade farewell to their temporary home and went on to pursue the scent of the cadre of violent trolls stalking prey down some nearby populated, urban strip. *** "Go away, monk." Bodhi did their best to appear as non-threatening as possible. They said, "All this weary traveler seeks, my dearest trollman, is a pitcher of water. My throat needs moistening and my hands and feet need a little washing is all." Move your crusty ass aside so I can sneak in and swipe some booze! The troll thumped his misshapen mace-head in the palm of his enormous hand as he tried to glare Bodhi into submission. "I'm going to say this one more time. Get lost, monk." Usually Bodhi would use this as a chance to impress the troll by bragging about how they obtained Nirvana and how their strength could rival some of the toughest spirits. But who am I kidding? Spirits are never impressed by the spiritual feats of humanae. Bodhi could tell by the way the troll huffed and shifted his stance that he was running out of patience. There were no blind spots where Bodhi could sneak in undetected by the troll. They had already checked. Pure defiance was their last resort. "Monk, you stink. Go!" the troll growled. Bodhi assumed a cross-legged position at the troll's feet. "I will leave when I've gotten some water. Otherwise, get used to the smell, my friend." The monk held their breath in case the troll decided to kick them, but surprisingly, the bouncer held back the urge and glanced hesitantly inside of the establishment. After fighting back Bodhi's stench for a few more moments, he snarled, "Don't move." Then he disappeared into the noodle house. Success! Bodhi popped to their feet and looked around for any passerby. Once the coast was clear, they used the rafters to hoist themself to the slanted second floor windows. From there, getting in was fairly easy. That troll wouldn't be happy when he returned, but that was no longer Bodhi's problem. Their primary concern was to find something warm and alcoholic to pour down their throat. ~ So, Dear Traveler, now that you have met Bodhi, do you have any ideas on how they will factor into Sun Ritsu's story? Yes, of course monks can have vices in the spirit world. Up to this point, they've lived out each of their mortal lives whilst following the highest moral code available to them at the time. They've reached the end, the final frontier; therefore, the incentive to be saintly no longer exists. Hmm, but I do see what you're saying. Bodhi's lifestyle seems a bit extreme. I don't know why a monk would want to spend their days blackout drunk at the bottom of a dumpster. There could be more going on underneath the surface than we are aware. We won't find out any time soon. We've got to get back to our witless hero and his spidery companion. Where was it we left off? Oh right, the spice pantry in the back of the noodle house. Thank you, Dear Traveler, for reminding me. Seems like there's hope for your liver brain yet.

~ Anari ~ They were not standing at the entrance for very long before Ritsu wandered over to the far end of the Jade Pool. "What are you doing?" Anari asked. The enclosure was large and from where they stood, seemed vacant. But she could hear the distinct signs of a crowd gathering near one of the walls that ran adjacent to the garden filled with nobles. Ritsu knelt at the pool's edge and stared at the fully blossoming trees running parallel on either side. "I get the feeling that I've been here before. Only instead of pear trees, there were peach trees." Anari joined him. Swimming in loops at the water's surface was a cluster of rainbow koi. She thought back to how the guards had hesitated earlier. "Let me see your staff, Sun." When he handed it over, she used it to knock down the lowest branch. A fat pear easily broke from the tree and sank in the pool. When it bobbed back to the surface, it had transformed. Anari used the staff to drag the new fruit to them before the koi could devour it. "Great Sage," Ritsu whispered as he fished a glistening peach from the pool. It looked identical to the ones in Ham Song's barf. Anari handed back his staff. "Here you go." She fought to keep her temperature cool as his awe shifted from the peach to her. "An enchanted pool?" Ritsu looked back at the water in uncertainty. Anari nodded. "I don't think we're supposed to know. You should hide that peach." He stuffed the holy fruit in the pocket of his hoodie. Anari wanted to ask him so many questions. Starting with, why are you traveling with a pig and a wayward monk? She was also curious about his fascination with the butcher earlier. It was no secret that the nobles capitalized off of the local spirits in nearly any way they could. The skeleton's story was nothing special. So why had Sun Ritsu pretended like he'd given a damn? Maybe he wasn't pretending. Relaxing a bit and drawing circles in the shallow pool, Anari said, "I wonder what would happen if you dropped that staff in here." Ritsu held up the wooden replica and angled his head to the side. Despite his glamour, his movements gave away his feral nature. It also made Anari want to reach up and scratch behind his ears. Instead, she gently nudged him with one of her elbows. "You should try it." His ears reddened at the contact. "Alright. Let's see what happens." He held the staff upright and carefully dipped it in the pool. Anari sat up straighter when the water around the base of the wood began to bubble. The fish started behaving differently too. They turned into something more like a swarm, creating a tight orbit of multicolor scales around the pole. Ritsu let go, but the staff stood upright on its own, slowly sinking into the bubbling rainbow blur. He and the spider leaned forward over the pool, following the staff as it melted into the tie-dye whirlpool. It descended until it disappeared under the knot of color and bubbles. Anari wasn't sure when it happened, but one of her segmented arms had slipped through her glamour and wrapped itself loosely around Ritsu's hip. He was too preoccupied with the magical pool to notice. Anari narrowed her eyes at her disobedient limb. Get back here. Now. Like a contrite child, her leg unraveled from the monkey and curled back inside the glamour. "Where did it go?" Sun Ritsu's question drew Anari's attention back to the pool. He was leaning so far over the water that he cast a shadow. "Sun, maybe you shouldn't –" "Ow!" The pool burped up something shiny and small and spat it right at Ritsu's face. To Anari's surprise, he did not lose his balance. She supported his back as he leaned away from the surface and studied the bejeweled object. He held it up in the light. "It's my staff, but ... prettier?" The staff was indeed more ornate than the wooden toy replica from before. However it was also so much ... "Sun, the pool shrank your staff." Ritsu pinched the trinket between his index finger and thumb. Then he dropped it on the ground. Anari reached out her glamoured arm and rubbed his back. She tried to distract her brain from registering the cords of lean muscle flexing just under his hoodie. "It's all right. At least you tried. Plus, I was the one who talked you into it." Ritsu shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'm sure we'll find it. I just ... don't think I'll ever understand how this place works." Anari chuckled. "What? The Jade Pool? We just got here. And this place is ancient anyway." "No, not the Jade Pool." He dragged a hand through his crown of thick, dark hair. "The Ninth Heaven." It was common for spirits who recently regenerated from the Lake of Ninefold Darkness to suffer from some memory loss. But it usually came back after a few weeks. Anari remembered Ritsu making some comment in his Immortal State indicating that he hadn't been in the spirit world for very long. "How long has it been since you came back from the Lake?" Anari asked. She picked up the miniature staff and noticed that it dangled from the end of a short chain. She glanced at Ritsu and spotted a plain iron stud in his left lobe. "I didn't come from the Lake," he said. "Uh. What are you doing?" She was on her knees, fitting the ornament to his earring. "Hold still." She straightened his head so that he was looking out at the water. "Go on. If not by the Lake, then how did you get here?" Ritsu gazed at the pool as it extended farther than any pool should. His shoulders relaxed and the usual dazed look in his expression shifted into something more contemplative. "I remember being on Earth with the humans. I was Radiant," he started. "And then I cloud-somersaulted in the direction where I heard spirits calling. The last thing I remember was waking up in someone's onion field. The next day I was outside of a noodle house, begging Gong-jon for a job." Anari shook her head. "Even in the Immortal State, that would be impossible." She was done fashioning the staff ornament into an earring. Now all she had to do was back off without massaging her fingers into his hair. <Oh, but it's so dark and disheveled. I'm sure it wouldn't be weird if you just mussed it back into shape.> Anari shut down the saboteur. It would most definitely be weird. <Not as weird as the way he's looking at you right now.> Anari settled back onto her heels as she tracked the sun clone's gaze. She liked the way his eyes admired her without making her feel like an outsider. It was a refreshing change from the usual looks. Smoothing her dress over her thighs, she teased, "Do you always stare this much, Sun?" He blinked. "I ... don't, actually. I'm sorry." The spider was tempted to say that there was nothing to be sorry about, but instead she said, "It looks good on you. The ring." Ritsu reached up to where Anari had attached the tiny staff to his stud. "Thank you, Anari." "And hey. Don't worry. We'll find your staff. Also ... shouldn't we be looking for a way to rescue your pig?" Ritsu jerked his hand away from his ear. "Ham Song! Right. Um ..." He got to his feet and held out his hand for Anari. She allowed him to help her to her feet, but kept her eyes averted. Before she could thank him, a familiar sourness accosted her senses. "Thought I might find you two here." They both turned to see the monk, who appeared a little less swaggering, but still reeked of cheap wine. Anari crossed her arms. When this was all over, she would need to find a way to shake this misfit from their party.

~ Sun Ritsu ~ Ritsu could care less that his nose was swollen and throbbing. Anari came back! They had temporarily abandoned the test of strength booth for a spot under an isolated wishing tree. She knelt with his head in her lap so she could better tend to his wound. She dabbed him with the hem of her sleeve while pressing ice cubes wrapped in cloth to the most sensitive area. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea that was you." Ritsu smiled through the pain. "Really, it's okay. I'm ... glad to see you again, Anari." Looking up at her regal features set against a sky of paper wishes and lazy leaves eased all the nerves he had around finding his staff. He just wanted to stay like this forever. Anari looked as if she might have let a smile slip through without really meaning to. Suddenly business-like, she said, "I want to apologize for my behavior the last time we met. I was hungry and tired. I should have offered you a proper payment for helping me shake off those trolls." She helped Ritsu sit upright and encouraged him to hold the ice to his nose. "I can assist you in locating your weapon. Then we can finally call it even." Ritsu considered her words. "So what you're saying is, you'll stay with me until we find my staff?" Anari hesitated. "We could renegotiate a different arrangement if you don't want to be bothered by my company –" "No!" He held up his hand. "That's not what I – Ow. Ow. Ow. " Anari gently tskd at him. "Stop talking through your nose." Ritsu adjusted his speech. "Thanks. I'm not bothered by your company at all. To be honest, I ..." his face grew hot. "I want more of it." He dared a look at Anari. To his frustration, her gaze was unreadable. All that gave her away was the parting of her lips, which could have meant she was flattered or flabbergasted. Who knew? "Who is this?" Both Ritsu and Anari turned their eyes to the newcomer. "Bodhi?" Ritsu lowered the ice from his numb face. "What's wrong? What are you doing here?" Bodhi looked a bit sheepish as they replied, "Heh. We have a problem. I lost the pig." Anari's predatory eyes slowly scanned the monk. "Sun, I thought you were traveling alone." Bodhi crossed their arms. "Hey, little miss daddy long legs. I think you've got the wrong Sun." Anari stood up. "And I think you smell like a wet frog, you bald little –" Ritsu stood up too and gently touched Anari's shoulder. She read the plea in his eyes and almost immediately, the fire died down in hers. Then she leaned cooly up against the tree and folded her arms. Ritsu turned to Bodhi and scrunched his nose. "Ugh, you do actually smell pretty bad. Have you been drinking again?" That nervous grin came back. "Right. Remember when I said I lost the pig?" Ritsu nodded. "Yeah, I meant to say that I sold him to a butcher for a barrel of rice wine."

Dear Traveler, I have a confession to make. Despite what I told you last time, we will not be going to the Peach Festival just yet. Why? Because our three heroes first need to find a place to sleep. Bodhi, don't forget, is still covered in urine and alcoholic backwash. They need a bath more than anything. Why of course all of this matters! Every part in the story matters. Trust me! I promise that by the end of this, you will have a better understanding of why patience is valued as one of society's seven virtues. ~ ~ Bodhi ~ The streetlights were on by the time Bodhi and their new companions left the snack depot. The three of them had a plan, but still no money to rent out a place to sleep. The pig claimed that he was still short on Luck and not enough time had passed for it to replenish. Ham Song said, "We're going to end up sleeping on the streets if we don't figure out something." Such a thing would not be new to Bodhi, but judging by the looks on the spirits' faces, Bodhi could assume that their companions had never been this desperate. Bodhi glanced up and down the street to make sure that no one was coming. When the coast was clear, they beckoned Ham Song and Sun Ritsu to follow them down the narrow alley running parallel to the snack depot. The concrete walls practically hugged the two spirits and the monk as they edged their way to the back of the building. Bodhi bit their lip to keep from saying something nasty to the pig, who wouldn't stop complaining to Ritsu about how untrustworthy of a monk they were. When the three of them emerged from the tight space and into the empty back lot with the dumpsters, Ham Song said, "This is where we're camping for the night, monk? Well, I must say, you really have posh taste. How many stars does this one have? Five out of five?" Bodhi shot him a cold look before going over to one of the dumpsters, lifting the hood, and clambering inside. They could still hear the pig blabbering on as they searched for something useful. "Look at that. She's back in the trash. As if she didn't smell bad enough already." Bodhi heard Ritsu correct him. "You mean they. And Ham Song, I think they are trying to help us." The sound of the monkey coming to Bodhi's defense brought a smile to their lips. Shortly after, they came upon what they had been looking for. The smile dropped from their face while they were climbing out of the dumpster and overheard the pig say, "I don't care what it is trying to do. It stinks to high heavens!" Bodhi couldn't ignore how the pig's inelegant use of their pronouns felt like a whip cracking against their insides. Without alcohol to numb such things, they had to make a deliberate effort to keep their features cool and unfazed. "You do realize that it can hear you," Bodhi said icily as they held up the origami crane they had fished from the guts of the dumpster. Ham Song's beady eyes widened and he snorted in excitement. "What's that you've got, monk? A paper space ? It looks like it hasn't even been used! What's that doing in the trash?" Bodhi wasn't surprised when Ritsu's glamour flickered in what was obviously confusion. He tilted his head and scratched it like the monkey he was. "A paper what?" Ham Song drew a little closer. Bodhi lowered their hand so the pig could get a better look. "A paper space, Ritsu," Ham Song patiently explained. "They're apartments that you can carry around in your pocket. For the spirits on the go. It's my understanding that they're very expensive. Even more so than glamour." He looked up at Bodhi. "So how in the Ninth Heaven are you holding one right now, monk?" Bodhi smirked. "It's ironic that you don't know, pig . Your kind sells modified ones off the market for outrageously cheap. Spirits buy them, use them for maybe one night and then toss them." They began to carefully unfold the crane. "Which means, of course, that there is a catch. These spaces are only good for a couple of uses. Their walls are significantly thinner than the legitimate models. There's a chance they could collapse under minor outside disturbances. And if that happens while we're inside, we'll all be calling the Lake our new home." Ritsu shook his head as he approached. "This is not making sense. How in the blooming lotus are all three of us supposed to fit in there?" Bodhi chose not to comment on Ritsu's stupidity. "You'll have to ask a snake or a rat spirit when you see one. They have all the answers to that particular riddle." They held up the half-opened crane. "Just stand near me, Ritsu and I'll do the rest. We'll be fighting over whatever beds are in this thing in just a moment." Ham Song stomped his hoof. "Hold it right there. Shelter or not, I refuse to cram myself in any sort of space with this filthy monk!" Bodhi looked down at themself. Right. I still smell like piss ... and shit. "Hold on," Ritsu said. He dug into his pocket and produced something flat and hexagonal. Then he held it out before Bodhi. "Here, Bodhi. Take this." Bodhi blinked. "A bathhouse token?" Ritsu shrugged and grinned boyishly. "Yeah. Sometimes Gong-jon paid us with those instead of real money. I only got one left." He thrust the coin forward. "Go on, it's yours." Still confused, Bodhi slowly took the token. Ritsu added, "There's a bathhouse a couple of blocks from here. I think they serve at least one complimentary drink, so there's that." Ham Song grunted at Ritsu's feet. "Benevolent monkey, you must stop being so ... benevolent ! We could have sold that bath token for some money!" Ritsu gently freed the paper crane from Bodhi's hand and steered the pig away from them. "I know that, but come on, Ham Song." It took Bodhi a moment to realize that they had been dismissed. Their fingers folded around the token. They wanted to thank the monkey, but he was too preoccupied with the pig. Besides, Bodhi didn't trust themself to be so vulnerable in front of that cursed hog. So, without another word, they stole out of the lot and headed towards the bathhouse. Once they had gotten checked in and comfortably soaking in a private bath, they allowed themself to take a moment to think. They judged it would only be a few minutes before that complimentary drink arrived, so they had to make the most of their sobriety. Great Sage, Bodhi thought, too many emotions for me in one day. This is why I travel alone. The more they thought about the monkey, the more they struggled with deciding how to feel. Back in the noodle house, the monkey had behaved like any other in his Immortal State – swaggering, boastful, and downright up to no good. But outside of that state, he was no ordinary sun clone. Against the – Bodhi had to admit – rather reasonable advice of the pig's, Sun Ritsu had saved Bodhi from slipping into the Lake of Ninefold Darkness. Then Ritsu had fed Bodhi, invited them to share a shelter, and now ... The damn ape is giving me a bath. Spirits, especially monkey spirits, did not give out things unless they wanted something in return. So far, Bodhi had been able to stay out of spiritual politics as much as possible. They only did what they had to do to maintain their drinking habit. But there was something about this particular clone, Sun Ritsu, that made them suspect that the monkey did not care about debts. "Miss?" Bodhi sat up a little straighter at the new arrival. The goose spirit's eyes widened at the water pearling down their flat chest. She tried to correct herself. "Ah, pardon. I mean, sir. Your complimentary drink. Enjoy." She lowered a tray to the stone rim of the bath before running another puzzled gaze over Bodhi's form and dashing away. As soon as she was gone, Bodhi's hand shot out and rendered the shallow ceramic cup from the tray. They threw the shot back faster than lightning and braced themself for that familiar liberating burn. But no such thing came. Bodhi growled and hurled the cup against the bamboo wall. "What am I supposed to do with this weak cup of shit?" They sank as low as they could while still being able to breathe. As they made bubbles across the surface of the steaming water, they wondered if Sun Ritsu's Immortal State could possibly have the answers to the questions they had buried deep all this time.

~ Ham Song ~ It came as a pleasant surprise that the benevolent monkey was able to hatch a reasonable plan in order to acquire a staff. However, Ham Song knew that splitting up and taking on the different gaming booths would not be as simple for him as it would be for his companions. Sun Ritsu was already long gone, but Bodhi hadn't quite left Ham Song's side. Before they could wander off, Ham Song steadied his nerve and latched onto the hem of their robe. They glanced down in confusion. "What's the hold up?" Ham Song hated being put in this position, but there was no way around it. He had to ask the monk for help. "Listen, Bodhi. I don't think that we should split up." The monk slid their hand behind the deep, slack collar of their robe and absently scratched their ribcage. "But that was the plan, pig." Ham Song oinked and wheezed. "I know that was the plan! It's just ..." Bodhi arched an eyebrow at him, letting their arm rest inside the robe like it was a sling. Reluctantly, the pig confessed, "Unless I'm heavily doused in glamour or flanked by a pack of other hogs, the majority of the spirits around here do not take me seriously." He hung his head. "I would never be allowed to approach a game booth without encountering an unnecessary amount of harassment." Bodhi looked off at the crowded streets. "I see." Then they sighed and pressed forward. "I suppose you can tag along with me, pig. We can pick booths that are next to each other. Once I set you up, I'll just go next door. So if you run into any trouble, I'll be close by." Ham Song could barely believe his ears. He trotted up beside them. "Dear monk, I cannot describe my gratitude. I thank you for understanding." So quick that he almost missed it, the monk winked at him. They walked together through the busy festival, taking in the music, the costumes, and simply appreciating the comfortable beauty of the mountainside morning. They had nearly arrived at a cluster of gaming stands when they walked by a booth that smelled richly of fermented grains. Bodhi came to a chilling halt before the panel of fabric that marked the entrance. "Oh. Hello there." They acknowledged the establishment as if it were an old lover. The pig nudged their ankle. "We have no money, remember?" "I'll only be a minute, pig. Just going to glance at the menu." Bodhi absently patted Ham Song's face before drifting inside the dark shack. Ham Song sighed and rested his haunches in the dirt. He wasn't waiting long before he could feel someone watching him from nearby. He sniffed the air before taking a look around. The rich, savory aroma brought him the clarity he needed. Behind him, on the other side of the street, was a barbecue vendor. Ham Song swallowed, quickly coming to the conclusion that the owner of the stand was checking him out. Feeling weighed down by the target on his back, Ham Song dashed inside of the tiny bar. "I told you, monk," a fed up horse spirit brayed from the other side of the counter, "we don't do samplers here." Bodhi spread their arms. "Come on. You can't spare one thimble of liquor to help a simple monk celebrate one of the most sacred and revered days on the calendar?" Ham Song pressed his snout against Bodhi's ankle. "Monk, please. I think we should go." The horse brayed uproariously. "And get that fat fleabag out of here!" Ham Song cowered at the venomous look in Bodhi's eyes when they turned on him. He tried to edge away, but his butt collided with another pair of legs. "Hey, monk." Both Ham Song and Bodhi looked up at the newcomer. A skeleton spirit. "How about in exchange for a drink, I take that sweet little hog off your hands?" Ham Song whimpered. Why does this always happen to me? Equal to Heaven, aren't I supposed to be Lucky? Not at all put off by the butcher's macabre essence, Bodhi folded their arms and gently tapped their chin. "Hmm. The monkey ... might not like that." Ham Song squealed, "Don't think so hard about it!" "Allow me to improve my offer." The skeleton brushed by Ham Song. "With what I am willing to pay, you can purchase an entire barrel of rice wine if you so desired." All contemplation dissolved from Bodhi's face as they shook hands with the skeleton man. "Oh, sure. That works for me." Ham Song was snatched up by the butcher before he could make a break for it. He watched on in horror while his new captor paid Bodhi with a fat purse full of gold. Bodhi shrugged helplessly. "Oh, Ham Song, don't look at me like that. You know it's nothing personal." They turned to the bartender. "One barrel of your finest rice wine, please!"

~ Anari ~ Sweet immortal peaches, what have I gotten myself into this time? Ritsu quickly introduced the monk to Anari on their way to the butcher's stand. Once she was acquainted with their pronouns, she took the time to assess them more thoroughly. The monk had a lithe, yet strong body that was evident in their plain gray garb. The deep cut in the collar revealed a fair amount of their chest. Had it not been for the light smattering of freckles, their face would have been forgettable. It was the monk's shifty facial movements and arrogant swagger that made them stand out. And, Anari hated to admit, granted them a sort of reckless allure. She followed behind Sun Ritsu and Bodhi, listening to them squabble. The two attempted to carry on a heated argument, but failed at it due to Bodhi's inebriated flippancy and Ritsu's overall confrontational incompetence. It was like watching a toddler try to rationalize with the densest of sheep. Finally, they reached the meat vendor, a skeletal spirit with deep sockets that, despite their hollowness, seemed to miss nothing. Something that could perhaps pass as a friendly grin stretched across his features as soon as they approached. "Ah, my esteemed monk. Back for another deal? How much will you take for the spider? I've always wanted to have a foreign delicacy on the menu." Anari knew he was teasing, but she bristled all the same. It wasn't uncommon for spirits this side of the Ninth Heaven to either mock or "compliment" her otherness. She braced herself for the monk to reply with their own scathing, tasteless comment. Instead, they narrowed their eyes ever so slightly and said, "She's not for sale." They shot her a glance and added, "Besides, something tells me you take one bite of her and you'll find she's full of poison." Anari couldn't tell if that was a slight or just the monk's strange way of defending her. Bodhi's expression shifted back into something more cheery. "We're here about the pig. You know, the fat juicy one?" The butcher started sharpening his tools. "Don't tell me he's poisonous too. I just sold him to the nobles for their feast." Ritsu bulldozed past the monk and slapped his hands on the surface of the butcher's work station. "Feast? You mean the one in the Garden of Immortal Peaches?" Keeping his eyes on his knives, the butcher snickered. "Yes. Where else would the nobles gather? Here in the dirt with the common folk? No, they have no problem buying out our most valuable wares for their satisfaction, but they would never mingle anywhere below the altitude of the Jade Pool." Ritsu took a step back. "They forced you to sell to them." Anari regarded the monkey with mild puzzlement. She caught the gaze of the monk, who looked just as perplexed. The skeleton paused in his sharpening. "Not the nobles themselves. Just their detainers. I was behind on a few debts. The only way to start a business these days is to take out a loan. And even though I work from the crack of dawn until the drunks leave the gambling dens, it's been hard paying off what little I owe." Ritsu stood with rapt attention. Under their breath, the monk said, "Uh, Ritsu? We know where the pig is, so can we go now?" Their question went ignored. The butcher prattled on, "I would have made a lot more money if I could have kept the pig and barbecued him for general admission." He shrugged. "But how can I say no when representatives of the Nine Luminaries, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Five Elders of the Five Regions, and numerous other gods of the Milky Way give me less than two hours to deliver meat only fitting for the divine palettes of the nobles? What other choice do I have when they say 'two hours or you can say goodbye to your little business forever'? They might as well threaten to banish me to the Lake of Ninefold Darkness. I stood here, thinking that this would be my last Peach Festival when I saw your pig, ripe and unglamoured as the day he was born, oinking in the dirt just across the street. Luck has its own sense of humor, wouldn't you say?" Before Ritsu could respond, Bodhi reached up, grabbed his collar and practically dragged him away from the butcher's booth. "Come on, Legs," they said, beckoning Anari to follow, "we're wasting time. I've got an idea on how to get the old porker back."

~ Bodhi ~ While the monkey and the spider went off to play games , Bodhi snuck into the Garden of Immortal Peaches and made their way to the Jade Pool. They walked past a crowd of idling sun clones, that absurdly long pool, and a forest full of fake pear trees to get to the spot where they had hidden the barrel of rice wine. Bodhi blamed their ability to sneak in and out of the Jade Pool on all the Luck the pig granted them earlier. Far from the commotion of the festival, they uncovered the barrel, fished out a shallow cup from inside their robe and helped themself to a few shots. "That feels," Bodhi sighed, "so much better." They rested their arm on the top of the barrel and leaned their forehead against the wood. "Great Sage, that was all that I needed." The monk took a few moments to let the wine take its course. That familiar burn brought both comfort and an oiled sense of clarity. "Now. Time to clean up this mess." The last thing Bodhi wanted was to drag the pig into this. But it was too late to dwell on the past. They had to do something about this before something happened to Ham Song. They hid the barrel, which was mostly full, and popped to their feet. As Bodhi made their way back to the other side of the enclosure, they saw Anari and Sun Ritsu kneeling at the end of the pool. So they found a way inside afterall. Clever little spirits. By the time Bodhi approached, the spirits were back on their feet. Bodhi hadn't failed to notice the critical way the spider assessed them whenever she could. The only way Bodhi could mask how much it unnerved them was to affect more arrogance than they truly felt. The behavior seemed to throw the spider off. A little. Bodhi would have to ask Sun Ritsu later if this was how he felt when he first met Anari. But that would have to wait. It was time to save the pig.

~ Sun Ritsu ~ Something in the way Bodhi was positioned protectively over Ham Song stirred Ritsu somewhere deep at his core. He couldn't explain what he felt in that moment, only that it did not feel new at all. But rather like something he had felt many times before. Even though they were aloft, Ritsu and Anari were close enough that it was possible to see the unyielding expression on Bodhi's face. Usually, the monk seemed so nonchalant and sometimes even bored, but that wasn't the case now. In fact, Bodhi looked prepared to defend Ham Song with everything they had if necessary. Ritsu could see why Bodhi had chosen to take on a defensive stance. There were guards cautiously closing in around that end of the table, their straight, broad swords drawn. That would explain why the few guards at the other end of the garden could not hold back the sun clones from charging in. And then there were the nobles in the middle, astonished by all the ruckus, terrified by the overzealous monkey spirits, and enraged that one of their main courses was about to be stolen from them. Ritsu wanted to help Bodhi, but without a sweet immortal peach, what could he possibly do? Though that familiar sensation lingered in his chest, he knew absolutely nothing about fighting outside of the Immortal State. In essence, he was bloody useless. To Sun Ritsu's relief, it appeared that Bodhi did not require much assistance. Even as the guards descended on them and the eager sun clones fought each other to challenge them, the monk held their ground. Now it is time that I, Sun Duza, give you this poem that chronicles this battle between the monk's unique crane style kung fu and the sun clones infused with the immortal peaches taken from the Jade Pool: The Monkey and the Spider watched rapt from the trees While the nobles, sandwiched between a thieving monk and a horde of clones, screamed The guards advanced on the Monk, who closed their eyes and became... A crane. Their fists shot forward, breaking the air like strong, white wings They ducked and fluttered around the guards As if those spirits were nothing more than stones in a pond Meant only for skipping across and perching upon The nobles wailed indignantly The sun clones roared indecently Hyped up on immortal juice, the monkeys could barely contain their strength They shoved the guards to the side and into the laps of the astonished nobles That was when the Monk truly took flight Their body shifted, changed in some ways that were subtle and others that were not The Pig, confused, strained to comprehend For how could the Monk become Man Then Woman Then Man again? How unique, thought Sun Ritsu To battle this way, But the crane was a bird that required long legs and hard, sleek strength While to avoid a sun clone dogpile, One needed to be smaller, slippery Almost like a fish The Monk could travel this spectrum swiftly They could walk like a crane And dart like minnow They could also reek like a muddy river, Thought the Spider Yet she too watched with eyes wide The Monk kept landing graceful blows to the immortal guts of the immortal clones, Bloated with immortal juice Until the clones showered the nobles with fresh, wet gifts And then profuse apologies Many a fair noble fainted While others bawled like whelped babes The guards had given up Folding their feathers, the Monk bowed to the prostrating clones, who in their defeat, Had already forgotten about the crane The Monk scooped up the Pig, along with a warm plate of roasted duck Then easily walked away

~ Ham Song ~ Ham Song thought he was going to be sick. First he had been forced to watch those sun clones erupt all over the nobles simply because they could not handle the monk's punches to the gut. Now he had to suffer being tucked under the monk's arm and in criminally close proximity with their sweaty, boozy stench . Not to mention it was coupled by the smoky, rich aroma of the plate of barbecued duck in Bodhi's other hand. Ham Song had to gather all of his fortitude and focus on not getting sick all over the monk's robes. Not that they wouldn't deserve it! Once the two of them huddled into a cluster of bamboo that crowded a section of the stone wall, Bodhi set Ham Song down. To both the pig's delight and relief, Sun Ritsu and Anari were waiting for them in the tight, hidden space. "Great," Bodhi greeted as they uncovered their barrel of wine, "you two were able to find me." Ham Song snorted, "I can't imagine it would be difficult for anyone to follow the smell back to this – sweet immortal peaches! " He glared at Bodhi. "Monk, would you close the lid on that before the guards find us!" Ham Song marched right up to the barrel, ignoring the look of murderous intent in Bodhi's stormy gray eyes. Before things could escalate, Ritsu scooped Ham Song up and clamped his hand over his snout. "Shhh! I hear someone coming." Ham Song kept quiet despite his internal outrage. If we all get caught, it will be because of that stubborn, smelly monk, not me! But all four of them kept as motionless as possible while the sound of armored feet shuffled closer and closer. Between the shoots of bamboo, Ham Song could only make out slivers of shapes. One of the guards said, "I thought I saw them over here." Ham Song winced at the sound of another sniffing the air. "Weird," she grumbled, "I could have sworn I smelled them come this way. It's almost like the trail went cold." The pig caught the partial gesture of the first guard dragging his palm along the side of his face. "Look, it was one pig and a plate of duck. The nobles have way more to be upset about. Let's go see if we can help the others get a handle on those clones." The second guard muttered something about how she'd rather get punched in the gut by that foul-smelling monk than return to the feast, but she followed her comrade away from the bamboo cluster. After a moment of uncertain silence, Anari's levelled voice broke the tension. "You're damn Lucky, Ham Song. It's the only explanation for why they would completely overlook us." Bodhi hugged the barrel close to their chest and said, "I agree with the spideress." Gently, Ritsu placed Ham Song back on solid ground. "So, what should we do now?" Anari folded her arms. "We should stay put and wait until everything calms down." As if her words had fallen on deaf ears, Bodhi handed over the plate of barbecued duck to Ritsu. Ham Song had all but forgotten about this strange souvenir. "Ritsu, you should take this to that skeleton spirit before the festival ends." Bodhi said. Ham Song didn't miss how the spider's already large eyes waxed to a new extremity as she aimed a disapproving glare in the monk's direction. Seemingly unfazed, Bodhi rolled their eyes and huffed, "Cool your lasers, Legs. I'll cover Ritsu while he sneaks out." Ritsu accepted the plate and gave one of his benevolent smiles, which in Ham Song's opinion, the monk did not deserve at all. "Thank you, Bodhi. I'll make sure the butcher knows the risk you took to save this for him." Bodhi's hand floated up to scratch the back of their neck. They looked off to the side. "Those clones were jokes. I would hardly call it a risk." Ham Song stared at the plate and blinked a few times as the words clicked into place. Digging his hooves in the soft earth, Ham Song snorted once to capture all of their attention. Once the three spirits were looking down at him, he said, "Can someone explain to me why we are rewarding the same spirit who sold me to the nobles' feast?" Clearly oblivious to the outrage in his tone, Sun Ritsu smiled affably. "Of course, Ham Song. Just as soon as I get back."

~ Bodhi ~ "Cute." Bodhi gestured to the personified peach pillow resting by Anari's feet. She said nothing, but rather regarded them warily through oversized pupils. Bodhi wondered what shape her spidery essence took behind all that glamour. The monk shifted their attention to Ritsu and admired the new jewel hanging from his ear. "Bodhi!" Ritsu waved toward the wall on the other side of the compound. "They've got us separated from the nobles." The humanae spirit tucked their arms into their sleeves. "I know. I'm going to sneak in and get the pig. You two should wait here." Anari arched a suspicious eyebrow, but Ritsu caught Bodhi by the shoulder before they could wander off. "You shouldn't be doing this alone. Those nobles have guards." Bodhi couldn't help but smile. "You're worried about me, aren't you? That's sweet." They shrugged Ritsu off. "But really, I can handle a few guards." "Bodhi, wait." There was a desperation in Ritsu's tone that Bodhi found a little baffling. They paused and looked back with a rather exasperated expression. The sun clone wrung his hands together, his golden brown eyes aimed at the ground. "Last time I left Ham Song with you ... . What I'm saying is, the nobles will probably have wine and ..." Guilt lanced through Bodhi's chest. They freed their face of all traces of annoyance. "I'm a messy monk, I know. I can get like that when I go too long without a proper drink." They sighed. "But I've had my medicine and I'm feeling a lot better now. So it's only fair that I clean up the mess I've made." Without another word, Bodhi turned on their heels and ran for the wall. They stole into a cluster of bamboo and used it as cover as they easily vaulted over the stone barrier. A rush of adrenaline spiked throughout Bodhi's nervous system as they shimmied down a tall stalk of bamboo. They made almost no sound when their toes touched the garden floor. The aromas were much richer and more savory on this side of the wall. Peach trees were everywhere, creating aesthetic archways over the long stone benches. For now there was no food across the linked table tops. Only kettles of tea and an abundance of accessories. It was enough to make any tea enthusiast salivate. But then the conversation became more lively and the attendants straightened their spines when cooks clad in white and starchy aprons brought forth several trays, some of which were so long that they needed four spirits to carry at once. Bodhi studied the procession carefully, noting that the trays held an array of fresh vegetables and marbled meats. Beads of water clung to the platters of deshelled onions, fresh leeks, daikon radishes, and a perplexing abundance of cilantro. There were baskets of eggs. Thousands of them. Drum after drum of steamed rice. And amidst all that was slaughtered, plucked, and uprooted was a bound and upturned pig. Alive and primed for the inevitable barbecue. Despite the number of nobles present, Bodhi didn't hesitate. They used their distraction to calmly stroll out from behind the safety of the bushes. Still, in order to minimize the turning of heads, the monk anchored their form like those of the servers even though they weren't dressed at all like one. The nobles, so detached from the lives of anyone who wasn't one of them, didn't turn away from their prim and pompous head nodding and chin-lifting. When Bodhi was close enough to the overly-dressed stone table, they snuck under the end that was the least populated, and crawled several feet to where that fresh, plump porker was carefully deposited for all to admire until the course was prepared. Bodhi could hear Ham Song whimpering as they approached. Over the sniveling, there were more coherent voices. As Bodhi crawled and drew closer, they were able to piece together the threads of a very new sort of discussion. "This is the first year Next Dimension Inc has sponsored this event. What do you think they might be up to?" Someone, a spirit who was very clearly speaking with their mouth full even though Bodhi couldn't see to confirm, said, "Who knows and who cares? Whatever this Next Dimension's agenda is, I'm just glad that they finally let us use that wall over there to herd out the riff raff. Nice to know that VIP means something to that organization." Another spirit titterd in agreement. "Indeed. The Garden of Immortal Peaches should always remain an exclusive reprieve for nobles. Not a tack-on exhibit for a select few bedraggled spirits that managed to cheat their way through a gauntlet of gaming booths. Designed by the swine most likely." At that last jab, there was collective laughter. Ham Song's squeal rang out over the nobles. "Come now, fellow spirits. We pigs are not all that bad. I mean, what have I ever done to you personally?" A noble snorted. "Exist." They broke out in another round of shrill laughter. Bodhi used the cover of that eruption to knock on the underside of the table where they believed the pig to be and say, "Doing all right there, Ham Song?" Up above, Ham Song made a sound crossed between a grunt and squeak. The plate rustled as his weight shifted. "Monk? Is that you?" Bodhi opened their mouth to reply with something witty and refreshing, but Ham Song cut them off with a derisive snort. "Sweet immortal peaches, of course it is." Bodhi snickered. "Whatever gave me away?" "Please. Your breath could fertilize a mushroom faster than fresh shit." Bodhi was ready to bite back with something as equally crass, but once again, their reply was cut off, this time by one of the nobles. "Pig, who are you talking to?" Ham Song's response didn't matter because several hands reached under the table and forcibly dragged Bodhi out. Though they chose not to resist, they weren't about to let these nobles fling them about this garden similar in the way they had let those shark spirits from the noodle house handle them. Now that Bodhi's blood itched and burned with a healthy dose of rice wine, they were slippery and strong enough to take back their limbs and flip onto the table without disturbing a single kettle or cup of tea. Ah yes. Bodhi made themself breathe calmness into their twitchy limbs. This was what it felt like to be alive again. They adopted an angular and crooked position that still managed to maintain a level of grace. The nobles gave them some space, mistrust and suspicion creeping across their powdered, glamoured faces. "Crane style?" One of them gasped, his mouth overflowing with flaky crumbs and sugary dust. Bodhi made a sweeping gesture, adjusting their stance into one that created an even more protective, elegant cage over Ham Song. "That's right," they crooned, "so you better stay back. Unless you want your nose to be butter in my palm when I pluck it from your face." Bodhi was about to go on about how all of them should feel ashamed of themselves for humiliating a pig, (whose very existence was already humiliating enough) but one of the nobles shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Guards! Guards! Someone call the guards!"

~ Sun Ritsu ~ It was Anari's idea to stand outside of the entrance to the Garden of Immortal Peaches and sell all of their prizes to the children of the nobles on their way to the feast. They were getting close to meeting their goal, but they still had a giant mound of peach plushies behind them. The stuffed peaches were stitched with twinkling eyes and dainty mouths, making them look positively irresistible. The parents of the noble children were thrilled about the prospect of fulfilling the insistent demands of their offspring without having to descend to the level with the gaming booths and general admission. Ritsu made sure to hide his staff behind the mound so no one would think it was for sale. Anari had been right. It was just a toy, but Ritsu wanted to keep it. He had won it fair and square. "Did you see the look on that spirit's face when you wrecked his whole contraption?" Ritsu lowered his eyes. "I didn't mean to. He told me to pull as hard as I could." Anari nudged him in his side. "Guess I gave you a little too much Luck, huh?" Ritsu smiled at her. At least she was impressed. Everyone else thought he was a freak of nature. Outside of the Immortal State, sun clones were usually not that remarkable. Anari looked at the dwindling pile of toys behind them. Correction, Dear Traveler. All that was left was a single peach pillow and the staff replica. "We've got enough money to get into the Garden now." She picked up the toys and offered the stick to Ritsu. "Here's your staff." Ritsu accepted the toy as if it were indeed the most sacred and ancient of all time. Then the spider looked down at the pillow. "But what to do with this?" Ritsu said matter of factly, "That one's for you." Anari's glamour flickered. She hugged the peach to her chest. "... Thank you, Sun." Her eyes darted from side to side. "So, should we wait for the monk or just go inside?" Ritsu set his sights on the glossy bamboo gate. "Let's go. The feast is in a few hours, and they still have to cook the food. So we don't have a lot of time." One of Anari's glamoured arms connected with his. "Sun, what are you going to do if ... if we're too late?" Ritsu tore his eyes away from the gate. Any other spirit might find the sensation of her bristled claw unnerving, but he could tell by the gleam in her oversized pupils that she was concerned. He placed his hand over hers. "Ham Song's still alive. I can feel it. We just have to hurry." She nodded and tugged him towards the gate. The spirits guarding the entrance to the Garden reluctantly took their money and escorted them in. "This way, please." Once they were on the other side of the giant bamboo walls, the guards took them on a path that ran parallel to an inner wall. This one was made out of stone instead of bamboo. It was carved into a chunky latticework of abstract lotus flowers and cloud formations. Through the openings, Ritsu could easily see the great garden and the silky pastel gowns of the nobles. "Um, sir? Aren't we supposed to be in there? With them?" The guards snickered to each other. One of them looked over their shoulder and gave a falsely encouraging nod. "Don't worry, monkey. You'll get your chance to tour the garden. Just as soon as the nobles finish up their feasting. In the meantime, you two will have unlimited access to the Jade Pool. That's where we're going now." "But –" Anari, who apparently was still holding his hand, gave him a cautionary squeeze. Ritsu bit back his protest and glanced at her. She was not looking at him, but forward, with a serene smile on her regal face. "The Jade Pool? How exciting," Anari said with a cadence that Ritsu had not heard before. "Can you tell us more about it?" The guards exchanged puzzled looks before one of them began to explain, "Well, it's directly next to the Garden of Immortal Peaches. You'll be able to hear the live music for the nobles and smell the entrees of the feast." "Delightful," Anari crooned. Ritsu noted that the snideness had practically dissolved from the other guard's face as he eagerly added, "Oh! And the Jade Pool has trees with immortal peaches just like the garden. But they're disguised to look –" He stopped when the first guard gave him a conspicuous shove. He quickly covered his coworker's blunder. "We have arrived. Enjoy the rest of the evening at the ethereal and pristine Jade Pool." Anari gave another oddly formal indication of gratitude before they stepped inside of yet another grand enclosure. Behold, Dear Traveler, exactly what the monkey and spider witnessed when they entered the Jade Pool: Merely three feet wide, but the length of a mile This pool has no circular edges, no deep basins Rainbow koi in flight, constant light bouncing off their scales and onto the smooth tiled walls of their shallow domain Bouncing back again in prismatic radiance Creating living spotlights for the fruit trees overhead They bend so low, nearly kissing the pool So heavy with divine fruit. A thousand years to ripen. Ten thousand more to deepen the sweetness. The koi try, but even their prehistoric muscles have no chance against unhinging these swollen divine gifts Only a monkey god has the right To pluck the the fruit and drink a nectar Ten thousand years in the making ~ So, what did you think about that little poem, Dear Traveler? It's a reimagination based on the original translation. Not too shabby for a humble bard like myself, don't you think? Er ... I'm aware that it doesn't rhyme. Not all poems rhyme. In fact, the majority don't. I daresay that your exposure to this artform does not exceed beyond simple nursery rhymes. You think you can come up with a better poetic description of the Jade Pool? Go on, be my guest, Dear Traveler. Be my guest.

How now, Dear Traveler? It's been some time since we touched base, and we both know what a struggle it can be for you to keep up with this cheap excuse for a monkey god tale. So then, tell me what's on your mind. Nothing? You mean to tell me that you have no questions at all? Not a question, but an observation, you say? Let's hear it then. Mm-hmm. Yes, I noticed that too. The nobles mentioned that an entity called Next Dimension was responsible for sponsoring the event. The very same entity that Anari the Spider works for. And based on that last phone call with her chief employer, we know that New Dimension Inc is managed by a very powerful sun clone. Clones such as he are also known for financially backing community events like the Peach Festival. What does it all mean? Dear Traveler, how the hell am I supposed to know? It's all speculation at this point and I'm nothing more than a humble traveling bard. Honestly, you give me far too much credit. Still, I see what you mean. It does seem strange that Anari would walk right into one of her company's own events, especially when we got the impression that she wanted to distance herself from work for the time being. Perhaps the spider did not know. Next Dimension is massive and involved in a number of projects across the Ninth Heaven. I get the sense that Anari does not spend much time at headquarters. Naturally, she may not always be updated on the company's current affairs. Based on the imbecilic expression on your face, I'd say that this is enough detective work for now. Wouldn't want your head to explode, now would we? ~ ~ Anari ~ Anari tried to not look like she was panicking, but Dear Traveler, you could guarantee that she most certainly was. The group of sun clones was closing in on her and Ritsu. She knew that if she could somehow get past the monkey barrier and to the stone wall that separated the pool from the garden, she could disappear into one of the trees with Sun Ritsu in tow. However, the longer the spider and the monkey stayed huddled together while the greedy clones advanced on them, the less likely of a possibility that was becoming. There was one way they could possibly have a chance at breaking through the monkeys. But that was only possible if Ritsu... "Eat the peach," Anari whispered. Ritsu backed into her. "What?" Another sun clone barked over them, "Don't you dare, small fry! Hand that peach over to me." Anari dug her elbow into Ritsu's side. "Eat it now!" Ritsu flinched, but obeyed. This in the end, did not bode well for him. The rest of the clones burst into a cacophony of snarls and shrieks as they launched themselves at Sun Ritsu all at once. Anari knew she would regret it later, but she was not going to let herself get pummeled. So at the last moment, she leaped high and gracefully backflipped to a safe distance. Sun Ritsu, unfortunately, was brutally tackled by his greedy brothers and sisters. It didn't take much for them to wrestle the peach from him, but then they started fighting amongst themselves. One clone seized Ritsu before he could get away and demanded, "Tell us where you got this, baby brother." The term of endearment seemed so out of place considering how roughly they were handling him. Ritsu didn't hesitate to give them the answer they wanted to hear. "The pool," he wheezed through the clone's iron grip, "it turns the pears into peaches." A few of the clones shot him suspicious looks, as if he was some thief of ancient knowledge. In the end, they were more concerned with boosting their strength with immortal peaches. As soon as the mob released Ritsu and stampeded towards the Jade Pool, Anari ran up to him and briefly assessed his physical state. A few bruises, but he would be fine. She took him by the hand and tugged him towards the currently vacant wall. "Come on, Sun. This way." The way that Ritsu was limping concerned Anari, but there wasn't any time to fuss over him. And even if there was, she thought, I wouldn't be caught dead being anyone's mother hen. In the back of her mind, she heard the saboteur scoff at her. <Something tells me that for the handsome monkey king, you absolutely would.> Anari pretended like she hadn't heard the jab. When she and Ritsu reached the cluster of trees hugging the stone wall, she let go of his hand and searched the canopy. Without looking at him, she said, "Grab hold of me, Sun." To no one's surprise, Ritsu hesitated. Anari continued to scan the upper layer of the trees and the branches that skimmed the top, flat surface of the wall while Ritsu worked up the nerve to do as he was told. "Uh, like this?" His hands rested tentatively against her hips. Even under the rich fabrics she wore, Anari's skin tingled at the added pressure. Once the spider settled on her mark overhead, she said, "Sure. If you want me to drop you." Ritsu made a sound of understanding. "Oh. Like this, you mean?" He tugged her backwards until their hips connected. Then he looped his arms more securely around her waist and tucked his chin over her shoulders. "I'm ready now." Anari thanked the Great Sage that Ritsu could not see her face. It took a fair amount of effort for her to ignore the solid, warm abdominal muscles hugging her spine. Or the way Ritsu snuggled his sideburns against her cheek, which felt equal to heaven despite the roughness. Anari bent her knees, latched onto a trace of singular focus and leapt off the ground. She sprang high, just past the treeline before floating down towards a favorable branch. From this position, she and Ritsu could witness the events play out on both sides of the wall. The spider heard the monkey gasp in her ear while they descended through the sky like a feather on the breeze. Anari couldn't help but give a little chuckle. She reached back and scratched the hair flaring out from Ritsu's temple. "We're just riding the air resistance. Perks of hanging with an arachnid." Only when they landed on the wall did the tension leave Ritsu's body. "Right. Unfortunately I'm easily excitable," he said as he disentangled himself from her while trying to stand steady on the wall. With a self-deprecating snort, he added, "Perks of being a monkey." Anari was well on her way to getting lost in his honeyed gaze and easy smile when the wall under their feet began to shake. One of her glamoured arms shot out instinctively to save Ritsu from toppling over the side. She yanked him back and righted him in place, which of course only resulted in them clinging to each other yet again. Anari sighed and looked away. There was no point in trying to hide her bashfulness. The monkey had to see it by now – the way her body reacted whenever he touched or, Sage , even looked in her direction. "Anari, look!" She turned to see what was causing the wall to tremble. The floodgates had not opened, but the horde of sun clones did not care. They were tired of waiting. A wave of both glamoured and unglamoured sun clones crested over the wall. The spirits guarding the Garden of Immortal Peaches could not hold them back. Some fled while others were merely trampled. It was clear that all of the clones had claimed a pear and used the Jade Pool to transform it into an immortal peach. Eating those peaches would explain why they had grown so bold and strong enough to overrun the barrier between the Garden and the Pool. Anari and Ritsu's eyes followed the stampede of sun clones as it traveled to the extended dining table where the nobles were. A familiar figure crouched near the end of the table. Correction, Dear Traveler, I meant to say two familiar figures. One stood on the table at about five feet, four inches. Their body was shaped like a bird guarding their nest. The words left Anari's lips before she realized it. "Bodhi." The next words came from Ritsu, identifying the second recognizable spirit. "And Ham Song!"

~ Sun Ritsu ~ The hollow eyes of the skeleton spirit waxed as Sun Ritsu approached his booth with an ornate serving tray of roasted duck. Collecting himself and sharpening his knives with a little more gusto, the skeleton grunted, "So I take it you found your sweet little ham alive, then?" Ritsu nodded with a smile. "Yes. We were able to save him in time. Truthfully, I had nothing to do with it. The monk that sold the pig to you was the hero in the end. They swiped this on their way out." Ritsu offered up the plate, but the skeleton spirit did not reach for it right away. In fact, he seemed to recoil at the boon. He did, however, pause in the sharpening of his knives. "What are you holding that up for, monkey? I've had my fill of debts. Don't need another one." Ritsu chuckled. "This isn't a deal. Just a gift. No strings, I promise." The skeleton spirit snorted. "You expect me to believe that a sun clone would just hand over a fully intact caramelized barbecued duck for me to slice up and sell to the general public? With that I could make a tiny fortune. Surely you'll want a share." Sun Ritsu sighed. "I wanted to get my pig back, Mr. Skeleton Man. And I did. You shouldn't have to sacrifice so much to earn the right to stand here and butcher meat. That's not fair." Tired of arguing, Sun Ritsu dropped the plate on the spirit's work station. Then he added, "It's your duck now. Enjoy the rest of the festival." The monkey turned his back on the gawking butcher. "Strange, benevolent monkey." Ritsu looked over his shoulder. The skeleton set down his knives and sighed. "Pardon my rudeness, but your actions betray your essence. Never have I seen one of your kind go so far to help someone else. You know not the gratitude I feel for you and your humanae friend. This act of kindness is more than you can even..." He struggled to find the right words. "Sun, you are... Equal to Heaven." Ritsu grinned softly as he shrugged. "No, sir. I'm just a monkey."

~ Sun Ritsu ~ Ritsu was less interested in the Jade Pool and more at the prospect of holding Anari's hand again as they strolled through the tranquil enclave. Well, almost tranquil. There was still the knot of sun clones gathered at the wall that divided them from the Garden of Immortal Peaches. As they walked on in companionable silence, following the aimless yet roughly linear paths taken by the rainbow koi in the pool, Sun Ritsu focused on the peach doll Anari clutched gently to her chest and the weight of the new piercing dangling from his ear. The monkey edged closer to the spider, wondering how he might find a smooth, effortless way to disengage her glamoured hand from the peach and into his when she came to a stop to admire a turtle on a rock. "How many provinces in the Ninth Heaven have you been to, Sun?" He nearly ran into her. "Oh! I – er," collecting his balance and adding to the space between them, he mumbled, "I'm not quite sure." Immediately, he wished he could take the words back. How could a spirit not know where they've been? But thankfully, Anari did not hold his lapse in memory against him. "When you were in the Immortal State," she said, "you told me that you didn't know your way around the Ninth Heaven like you used to and that everything here has changed so much." Sun Ritsu reached for the peach in his pocket, pulled it out, and rotated it between his fingers. He grunted. "Sounds like something I might say, but I can never tell when I'm loaded up on holy peaches like that." Anari's open, dark gaze left the surface of the pool and settled on him. "Then where would you go in the Ninth Heaven if you had the choice?" Ritsu let the words out before he could second guess himself. "I'd want to go wherever you go next." The spider blinked at him and her glamour flickered. Hastily, Ritsu added, "What I mean is... do you have a province that you would recommend? Which ones have you been to?" A band of color faintly darker than Anari's rich skin tone, edging towards magenta clung just below her eyes as she flicked her wrist and said, "I've been all over. For work." She faltered to carry on the discussion, for which Ritsu wholly blamed himself. He was rotten company. Before he could apologize for his failure to bring anything to this conversation, the background noise of the sun clones became very urgent foreground noise that demanded all attention. "What are they getting all worked up for?" Anari muttered under her breath. The clones, who were already hovering near the gate, were now practically trying to climb over it. They hollered and clobbered each other for purchase up the wall. It was quite the scene watching the outnumbered guards try to hold them back. The most decorated guard roared at them, "Stay put, you insufferable clones! That side of the gate is for nobles only!" One of the clones protested, "But we heard them yelling for security! They need our help!" It was obvious that the clones hardly gave a care for the well being of the nobles. They were intent on proving themselves, using the challenge of a fight to increase their rank. Some of the shorter clones broke from the crowd to try to find a way around the guards. They spread out across the enclosure, searching for a way to bypass their keepers. One strutted in Ritsu and Anari's vicinity, stopped, and pointed at Ritsu. "You! What's that you've got in your hand?" Ritsu looked down at the glistening immortal peach that was a pear just minutes ago. Anari elbowed him in the ribs. "Hide that!" But it was too late. The rogue clone's eyebrows shot up in recognition. "Where did you get that peach?" Ritsu froze. Although the other clone did not speak very loudly, somehow the mere mention of an immortal fruit attracted more and more Suns. The fuzzy peach in his possession was blood on the wind and the monkeys were nothing more than starving wolves.

Dear Traveler, why do you contort your face in that way? Are you not enjoying the story thus far? Ah, I understand. It's the spideress that occupies your mind. I agree that she seemed quite distressed at the end of her evening with the monk. Perhaps she does not know as much about her employer as she previously believed. Listen, you're not going to get any answers to her situation by sitting there and frowning at me all day. We need to push on and find out what happens. It may be a while, however, because our bogus monkey king is on a very serious mission to watch the sun come up with his new friends. ~ ~ Ham Song ~ The pig, Dear Traveler, could not understand why his benevolent companion was surprised that neither the monk nor the spider joined the two of them in catching the sunrise. Sun Ritsu looked absolutely dejected as he shuffled back up the hill where Ham Song waited and plopped down beside him in the grass. "Anari is locked inside of her paper space and Bodhi wouldn't wake up no matter how hard I shook them or how loudly I called their name." Ham Song grunted and opened his mouth, but before he could get the words out, Ritsu held up his hand and sighed, "I already know what you're going to say. Neither of them deserve my friendship or something like that, right?" The pig huffed, "Well, they don't." He squinted his eyes against the glowing glare of the dawn. "To be honest with you, monkey, I think the spider is hiding something. As for the monk, you already know how I feel about them. Whatever their intentions might be underneath that alcoholic funk, they are far too reckless to be trusted." "Ham Song?" The pig shivered a little as Sun Ritsu's warm hand came to rest on the fat of his neck rolls. "Can we just..." The monkey spirit gestured at the view. "Enjoy this moment before it goes away? In just a few hours we're going to be leaving the Horse Province behind for good." Ham Song absorbed the seriousness in his friend's face and clamped his mouth shut over his tusk. "You're right, benevolent monkey." The pig looked down at the valley. "This view is too wondrous and true to be spoiled in any way." They both fell into a reverent silence as they watched the giant on which they were perched shift. The rotation of the lands could not be felt, but rather, only registered by the eyes. All the open territory feeding from Ripe Peach Mountain dissolved and morphed into concrete and rigid structure. The change was very slow and unevenly distributed across the giant. It was quite a sight to behold. "Which way are we going to take to get out of here?" Ham Song asked. "Do you know yet, Sun Ritsu?" Ritsu blinked some clarity back into his features. "I think Anari said that the Heavenly River is where we can purchase a ferry ride to take us to the next province." Ham Song gave a little squeal as he rooted the air with his nose. "Ah. The Heavenly River . It's been a long time. Do you know about the river?" Ritsu leaned back on the heels of his palms and stretched out his legs over the grass. "I don't think I do. Can you tell me more? What's it like?" Ham Song felt honored by the monkey's request. He bowed his head in gratitude and tested his throat to see if the curse would allow him to say what he had in mind. When the pig was sure that nothing was holding him back from recalling his memories, he drew in a deep breath and said, "The dragons used to go to the Heavenly River to bathe. They overlooked the river and kept the waters clean. There was one time when they called upon the Great Sage, Sun Wukong, for help removing some unwanted debris from the riverbed." The pig peered out at the shifting scenery and gave a snort. "Perhaps I can remember enough to sing the tale. I think it went a little like this..." Are you ready, Dear Traveler, for another wondrous moment told in verse? I bet you didn't know that the pig had a few songs of his own hidden up his sleeve. Did you forget that he is a dragon and thus hordes knowledge, including the minstrels of the past? Let's see how well you do with a little history. Now sit and listen to the old dragon disguised as a pig while he reimagines the Heavenly River and sings: I have not been down to the riverbed for a long, long time Not since the days of the Dragon King or any such immortal kind But I remember when the river glew Uh. Shined. No – glowed! Or what have you such a heavenly light born from a bed of ore Iron-clad and cast aside in the Flood by the Conqueror The dragon nobles wished that it be removed but the iron was much too heavy forever stuck in what is now known as the ocean treasury Only one immortal – the high Sun Wukong – the Monkey King could be that strong To speak the language of the iron For him, it yielded, folded, shrank each time he whispered, "Abandon your defiance!" Then he blessed it with a new name: The Golden-Hooped Rod of Compliance You should have seen that Monkey King standing in Heaven's River, ankle-deep with his new toy from the treasury glowing with him under the sun his sideburns dripping with river pearls softly blending, bending the light until... in a blink, he was gone You know Sun Wukong was never one to stay for very long But to the Heavenly River shall I return to reflect on his deed through song

~ Sun Ritsu ~ Sun Ritsu hadn't noticed that Anari had left the group to order a cute consultant at the nearest welcome booth. He was still holding a half-conscious monk while he stood before a construction site that was mostly taped off from the public. Ham Song whimpered at Ritsu's heels. "Don't get too close, Ritsu. Something about that bridge doesn't smell right." "It's only half a bridge," Ritsu said under his breath as he scanned the area. The structure was not made of wood or stone, nor did it branch off from the main landing deck where the tourists gathered right before they crossed over onto the next giant. The material that made up the bridge could probably be a metal, but something about it was incorporeal. As if it didn't entirely exist on this plane. The heart of the construction site was oozing something that did indeed stink. It also gave off a neon, putrid sort of aura. There were a few spirits with hard hats picking their way around the debris. Most of them looked like dog spirits, but unlike the canines Ritsu had encountered so far, none of them appeared to be of a recognizable breed. Ham Song called out to the closest worker. "My good mongrel!" The dog spirit of an indiscriminate breed ambled in their direction. He stopped where the yellow tape divided the construction site from the paved pathways. With a low chuff, the dog said, "You two should move it along." "What's that smell coming from under the bridge?" Ham Song asked without missing a beat. He looked up at the dog expectantly and nudged Ritsu a little closer to the tape. The construction worker's eyes darted from left to right before he finally said, "If anyone asks, they were volunteers. Unfortunately for them, they weren't really skilled enough to work on this project. They got trapped under the bridge. That's their essence you're smelling. The spirits are rotting there." Ritsu raised an eyebrow. "Volunteers? What's that supposed to mean?" The dog lowered his voice, his lip coming up over his canines in a snarl. "It means, Mr. Monkey, that the victims were actually prisoners. Cute offenders of the worst sort." Ironically, he added, "You know how it is around here. You gotta pay the price if your behavior's not up to code." Ham Song stomped his foot to get the dog's attention. "How could their essence possibly still be attached? Those spirits should have moved on to the Lake of Ninefold Darkness by now." The dog's snarl dissolved into something more pitying. "You would think. But that bridge isn't a normal one. Some big shot organization is behind the whole thing. They want to build highways all over the Ninth Heaven. Standardize the way of travel between the giants and all that." Ham Song blinked. "It makes sense." Sun Ritsu, who, don't forget, was an idiot, admitted that he didn't understand. The dog sneered, "What kind of sun clone are you? I thought monkeys were supposed to be clever." With that, the construction worker returned to his duties. Ham Song and Sun Ritsu put some distance between themselves and the tape before they were approached by any tourism personnel. While they waited on a bench for Anari, Ham Song explained, "Benevolent monkey, as of now there are many ways to cross the void and travel from giant to giant. Some methods are more convenient than others, such as the ferry we came on. But some giants, such as the one home to the Ox and Tiger Provinces are notoriously difficult to reach." Ritsu understood now. "Building a highway would make traveling simpler and easier for everyone." The monk, Dear Traveler, was still cradled in Ritsu's arms. Groggily, they interjected, "It would also make whoever was controlling all those bridges very, very rich." Ham Song added, "But never mind the implications of the final product. One of the reasons why this has never been done correctly is because the void has a mind of its own. I've seen it eat bridges before. Once you stretch a toe outside the protection of a giant, there is no telling how kindly the void will treat you." "But even if you have an accident in the void, won't you just go to the Lake of Ninefold Darkness regardless?" Ritsu asked. "Those spirits shouldn't be trapped like that." "A mystery for another day, lawful monkey," said Ham Song. "Here comes the spider with one of those dyed corgis. Monk, pull yourself together, will you?" With a compliant yawn, Bodhi stretched and shimmied out of Ritsu's lap and onto the empty spot beside him. "Right." They pointed at the corgi. "Wouldn't want to embarrass myself in front of our insurance policy."

~ Ham Song ~ "And the Luck gods look kindly on you once again, my wise, young Ham Song," Bodhi whistled while Anari paid for all of their boarding passes. "I am not young," Ham Song growled. Bodhi swung their barrel to the front of their chest and chuckled before taking a sip. "Yes, I know." Ham Song fixed his dark, beady eyes on Bodhi's defenseless ankles, but before the pig could wipe the smirk off of the monk's face, the rabbit at the register took it upon himself to do so. "Excuse me? My good monk? You can't bring that wine onto the ferry." Bodhi lowered the barrel and wiped the corners of their mouth with the back of their hand. "If it's a question of no open alcoholic containers on the ship, don't worry. I'll keep a lid on this." The rabbit frowned and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that won't be possible. Kawaii Village is a dry municipality, as is the entire Rabbit Province." Bodhi blinked owlishly at the clerk before unplugging their wine and feverishly gulping down the rest of the barrel's contents. Ham Song stared at the monk slack-jawed. There had to be at least a fourth of the original amount left in that giant container. "Um, Bodhi..." Ritsu reached for the barrel. "Maybe you shouldn't–" The monk snatched their wine out of the monkey's reach and danced away with a wild look in their eye. "Nuh-uh! I'm not wasting a single drop of this wine. You know what I had to do to get this?" Ham Song could feel himself ready to erupt with rage. "Yes – please, monk, tell us again how you had to sacrifice my life just so you can drink some rutting wine!" Bodhi paused again in their guzzling to belch and say, "You heard the pig. Now don't let his sacrifice go to waste, Sun Ritsu." Ham Song dug his heels in the dirt and charged. I'm going to gut that drunk bastard for real this time! Ham Song side-stepped Ritsu, who had, by now, seen the murderous intent in the pig's eyes and knew what it meant. But the monkey wasn't able to move fast enough to sweep the pig off of his feet. Ham Song was so close to tearing into the monk that his mouth frothed with excitement. He lost track of his surroundings with one final thrust of his back legs. The pig was airborne. But then his view of the monk was interrupted by eight glossy black eyes and a pair of furry mandibles. Ham Song choked on a squeal as something tightened around his neck and all four of his limbs. In seconds, he came crashing to the earth with the smooth wire-like bonds tightening even more. Ham Song had lost sight of everything except for the ankles and feet of his companions. He writhed and grunted against his bonds, but with every shift in his movements, they only became more secure. Anari's steady voice sounded from overhead. "Sun, you take Ham Song onto the ferry. I'll board first with Bodhi." Ham Song glared daggers at Bodhi's socks and sandaled feet as they shifted their weight into a more relaxed position. "Aww, Legs. You didn't have to do that. I saw the little porker coming this time." "Finish your wine," Anari ordered, her voice not allowing any room for argument. Ham Song felt the rage leave his body as a pair of warm, strong arms lifted him off the ground. Soon, he was cradled against Ritsu's chest and being carried away from the spider and the stinking monk. He sighed and leaned his head against the monkey's collarbone. Ham Song didn't get to give the monk a piece of his mind this time, but at least he was on his way to see the Heavenly River.

~ Anari ~ For every stride Anari made, the cute consultant made three. Though she had to keep up a brisk pace, the mint green corgi panted happily. She introduced herself as Baobei and consistent with what our cadre had seen so far, she was unglamoured enough to reveal her distinct breed characteristics. When Baobei asked where they were staying, Anari once again took the reins and named a small bed and breakfast inn that she had stayed at in the past. Baobei gave an enthusiastic woof. "Oh! Baby Granny's! Excellent choice. Did you know that it's the only inn that sells real buttermilk pancakes?" Anari grinned and nodded. You see, the spider did in fact already know this. Buttermilk pancakes along with other familiar breakfast goodies were one of Anari's favorite dining experiences aside from her live catches. And she did not plan to return to work until she filled herself up with some. As Baobei led them through the very green, but bustling village streets, she prattled on about how their inn was right between the uptown shopping district and the hilly bike paths. At one point, Baobei turned to Ham Song and said, "Might I ask, what is the matter with you?" The pig lifted a bristly eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Baobei cocked one of her bat-like ears to the side. "Your posture is so poor. Is it because your back is broken, Hamlet?" Anari did her best to stifle her laughter. By the looks of Bodhi and Ritsu, they were putting forth a lot of effort to do so as well. "Broken?" Ham Song squeaked. "First off, my name is Ham Song and my back is quite fine . This is how I walk!" Baobei smoothed her pastel paws over the front of her uniform and sniffed. "Then you are the Luckiest there ever was because broken backs are not especially cute." When the group reached the adorable little bed and breakfast and checked into their rooms, Bodhi announced that they were going to take a nap to try to sleep off the booze. Ham Song made it known that he was bound for an isolated countryside path where he could escape all of this tourism and just enjoy the scenery. That left Ritsu and Anari alone to figure out how to proceed with locating the quarterstaff. "We can talk about it over pancakes," Anari suggested. Sun Ritsu, who, judging by the look on his face, had never had a pancake before, seemed content with the idea of letting Anari show him the ropes. They ate their pancakes in the common space on the main floor. Since it was the middle of the day, the room was mostly empty, for which Anari was grateful. She preferred to spend time with Ritsu when there was no one around. After practically drowning his shortstack in maple syrup, Ritsu made a cut along the seam of the oozing layers and took a bite. "Oh. I remember these." Right, Anari remembered. He has spent time in the mortal realm where pancakes are more common. Although the spider was curious about Ritsu's experiences beyond the Ninth Heaven, she wanted to get down to business. Since no one else in this strange cadre cared about sticking to their goals, it was on her to help everyone stay on track. "Sun, when it comes to finding your staff, I think I know where we can start looking." Ritsu licked the syrup from the corner of his lips. "You do?" "Yes. Most of the tourism here is dedicated to furthering the cute agenda. But there is one historical sighting left – The Hall of Perfect Light. Hardly anyone goes there these days, but it just might hold clues to locating your staff. I believe the fairgrounds will open in a couple of hours." Ritsu, who had miraculously finished his serving, fiddled with the edge of his fork and mumbled, "Would you... Would you mind... coming along with me?" Then quickly, he added, "We don't have to wait for Ham Song or Bodhi this time." Anari gently smirked as she removed her shades. Folding them and tucking her knuckles under her chin, she hummed, "What? Like a date?" Ritsu looked up from his fork. "Yes. Maybe we could get something to eat on the way there." Anari, wishing she hadn't removed her shades, blinked rapidly. She didn't expect Ritsu to be serious about this. And what was more, she didn't think she would ever say yes to another sun clone asking her on a date. (It's just one date. It's not like you're going to marry him! Come on, you're on vacation.) Meeting Ritsu's eyes more sincerely this time, Anari said, "We could do that."

~ Sun Ritsu ~ "If you look over to your left, you can see through the crystal clear waters of the Heavenly River that there is a deep and very wide chasm running along the riverbed. We call this deposit of sediment the ocean treasury. Though most of the treasure that was once here is long gone." Someone from the crowd asked the tour guide why it was called the ocean treasury when they were nowhere near the ocean. The guide held up a finger as if they were expecting this question. "Astute observation, my good goose. The answer and the truth is that no one knows! What we do know is that the high dragon immortals were the ones who named most of these territories. I imagine that if anyone questioned them at the time, they would be promptly roasted." Sun Ritsu and Ham Song listened to the tour guide continue their description of the ocean treasury and the origins of the chasm. They had gone into some history lesson of the Great Sage commanding a large deposit of iron to shrink into something small and narrow enough to be lifted with one hand. The tour guide's voice had faded into the background as Ham Song and Ritsu struck up a conversation of their own. The two spirits stood on the ferry's outer deck overlooking the shimmering, clear river current. They leaned against the railing while they speculated what Kawaii Village would be like. Ritsu mentioned that he had heard a rumor once that all the dog spirits that lived there got cosmetic surgery to make themselves resemble Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Eventually, Ham Song gave a tired grunt and asked, "Lawful monkey, I just... I can't understand why you choose to keep Bodhi in your company when they have been nothing but unreliable and disrespectful." Ritsu leaned back, holding the rail at arms length so that he could look down at where Ham Song sat by his ankles. The wind rustled his rough, dark waves. It flared out his sideburns into an asymmetrical silhouette. After a long beat, Ritsu said, "Bodhi doesn't strike me as the type to disrespect someone without being prompted." The monkey turned his golden brown eyes back out at the water and squinted them against the glare. "Back when Bodhi was finding a paper space for us to stay, you called them it , even though you knew that was wrong." Ham Song blew air out through his flared nostrils. "They tried to have me killed!" Ritsu narrowed his eyes more before fixing them onto the pig. "Bodhi has an addiction , Ham Song. They can't help it." "So what?" Ritsu tilted his head. "What do you mean, so what? Bodhi fixed their mistake. They saved you yesterday and then last night, you attacked them for no reason." Ham Song opened and shut his jaw several times. Then he abruptly shook his head, looking as if he was ready to dive into another protest. Ritsu suddenly crouched before his porky companion and cradled his pink head between his hands. "Ham Song, hear me." The way Ritsu held and looked at Ham Song so earnestly made the pig unable to look away. "I understand that you want respect, but you're never going to get there by being so harsh with Bodhi." Suddenly the monkey let go of the pig spirit. He stood up and carded his hand through his shaggy waves, clenching his jaw in a way that undermined his glamour. The pig glimpsed the profile of the handsome rhesus macaque, which stretched all the way past the tip of Ritsu's ear. His sideburns briefly edged towards a furrier, golden brown texture. His conical canines strained against the seam of his lips, and the tips of his ears elongated and widened into that signature triangular silhouette. "I can't force you to treat Bodhi the same way I would, but... you respect me , don't you, Ham Song?" Ham Song squirmed on the spot. "There's no question about that, fair monkey. You know I do!" Ritsu's glamour fell into place. Only his canines were noticeable as he challenged Ham Song with a firm, "Then show me. Don't go hurting the spirits I choose to keep in my company." Dear Traveler, I shall now give you a closer look into the pig's mind. For Sun Ritsu never has a damn clue how he comes off to his companions. And it's something you should be aware of before we move forward. Our bewitched, and at this time, bewildered Ham Song wasn't sure how the sun clone could make demands without sounding angry or entitled. The resolution in the monkey's expression came from somewhere unconditional and blameless. Ham Song could barely grasp at what it was, but whatever internal blessings that governed Sun Ritsu's attitudes and allowed him to see the good in godless spirits, Ham Song had to honor it. Or else he would forever be alone and never rid himself of this curse. Ham Song bowed his head in deference. "Benevolent monkey, you're right. I... apologize." Sun Ritsu had a mind to tell the pig that Bodhi was the one who deserved an apology, but truthfully, he wanted Ham Song to figure that out on his own.

~ Anari ~ When Bodhi showed up at the spot where they left their barrel, Anari was waiting for them. "I didn't want to accidentally spook you," the spider greeted as the monk came limping up the hill, "so I just decided to meet you here." Bodhi plopped down on the lid of the barrel and eyed Anari warily. "I'm very tired, so tell me what it is you want, Legs." Anari glanced below the monk's neckline. "I want you to lift up your shirt." Bodhi chuckled. "Sorry, but that invitation has expired. I'm flattered though." Anari came closer and knelt by the barrel. "You know I'm not here for that. Just lift your shirt up." Bodhi hesitated, but eventually obeyed and tentatively pulled the hem of their undershirt up to their ribcage. "Easy, Legs!" They hissed as Anari probed the bruised area with her fingers. "The pig got you good," she said. "You're lucky he didn't gouge you with his tusk or crack a rib. Hold on while I get something to put on this." The spider ignored the owlish look in Bodhi's eyes as she went to retrieve some first aid supplies from her paper space. Clearly this monk isn't used to having their wounds tended to, Anari thought as she rummaged through her things. When she came back to apply the salve and bandage the area, Bodhi asked, "Do you share the same sentiment as our dear old, wise Ham Song?" Not breaking her concentration, Anari replied, "What do you mean? Speak plainly." Bodhi hissed against her firm touch before elaborating, "Do you think that I'm a worm?" Anari paused to look up at them. Bodhi wasn't meeting her eyes, but she could tell that they had been watching her this whole time. "I think," she began, "that you are very good at making people mistake you for a worm. And I'll admit that for a moment, you had me fooled too." Bodhi finally made eye contact, looking a bit smug. Anari briefly admired their gray irises before returning to applying the first aid. "But I saw you fly today and now I know you're more like a bird than a worm." A shadow darkened over Bodhi's features as they leaned a little closer. "Stick around and you'll see me become all sorts of things. Tiger. Eagle. Snake... Dragon. " Anari pulled her gaze up Bodhi's folded but lean frame to find their tongue sneaking out to wet their lips. Feeling bold, the spider said, "Based on what I saw today, I'm already impressed." Bodhi didn't say anything, but the look in their hooded gaze suggested that they appreciated Anari's attention. Then Anari placed her hand very gently over Bodhi's wrapped bruise. Suddenly the monk's heavy gaze morphed into something more vulnerable. They covered the back of Anari's hand with their own. Bodhi swallowed before saying, "What the pig did... I don't want Sun Ritsu to know how much it hurts." Not needing an explanation, Anari nodded once. "You can trust me. I won't tell." Bodhi exhaled and smiled. "Now that I'm all patched up, would you care for a drink?" Moments later, Anari and Bodhi were passing back and forth a shallow cup that Bodhi refilled periodically. The spirits sat side by side with the barrel wedged between them, creating a respectful barrier. The valley stretched down the slope, grass tilting to and fro with the direction of the nighttime breeze. Fireflies burned their candle prosthetics as they courted each other. The two spirits enjoyed stretches of silence as well as light conversation. Bodhi had reached the end of recalling their fight against the monkey horde when they said, "Hopefully we'll be able to slip off this giant without attracting too much attention. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Next Dimension put a bounty on our heads. We did completely crash and ruin the feast sponsored in their name after all." Anari set down her shallow cup. "What? Did you just say Next Dimension? As in Next Dimension, Inc?" Bodhi, whose face was eclipsed in a permanent band of boozy blush, leaned over the lid of the barrel and grinned impishly. "Yeah, that's exactly who I meant. I have no idea who those big shots are, but if they want a piece of me, they'll have to catch me first." They winked. Anari shook her head and shot to her feet, almost knocking over the barrel. "Whoa, whoa," Bodhi sputtered, "where ya going, Legs?" Anari barely heard the monk's question. Her mind was racing at the speed of light. "Goodnight, Bodhi," she said without much thought. "Thanks for the drink." Without waiting for a reply, Anari stole down into the valley until she came to a more secluded grassy knoll. Then she quickly set up her paper space and disappeared inside.

~ Anari ~ Anari tried the line again. They put her on hold for the hundredth time. She couldn't even get through to Tabitha. The spider had been up all night at this. Stagnant call lines were not something new in the Ninth Heaven, but Anari had clearance . She was a Next Dimension agent . There was no explanation that she could think of that would excuse so much of this inconvenience. All Anari wanted was some answers. Why are we throwing garden parties for the nobles? These were the same people who protected the gangsters and extortionists that Anari was tasked with bringing in or taking out when directed. There must have been a reason behind that event in the Garden of Immortal Peaches. But Anari would never know until she got through to Sun Bai. (You're on vacation. You're on vacation.) Anari shook her head as she cut the line. Be that as it may, it would not automatically revoke me of my priority when the front office is taking calls. And the office was open, that much was clear. The spider was torn. What if she abandoned Ritsu to investigate and it turned out that there was nothing wrong? If she was being honest with herself, she did not want to go back to work. Yet she kept finding all of these ways to make excuses to return. (Face it, sweetie. You're incapable of letting yourself have a good time.) Anari snorted at her inner saboteur's jab, but in the end, she found that she couldn't come up with a retort. Refusing to acknowledge that the saboteur's words had any truth to them, Anari remained torn. By the time she had made up her mind, the sun had already been up for a few hours. A part of Anari had hoped that Sun Ritsu and the rest had been impatient enough to leave her behind. But when the spider emerged from her paper space, she found the three spirits waiting for her. She was so caught off guard by the relief and soft satisfaction in Sun Ritsu's expression as she stepped out into the valley, which currently looked like a bus stop. So taken was Anari by Sun Ritsu's morning greeting that she let him take up her hand in broad daylight. She didn't let go of him even as all four of them made their way towards the ferry to cross the Heavenly River. All night Anari had been on edge, but Ritsu's warm inner radiance immediately settled her nerves. "Sun," Anari bowed her head as they walked together, "I didn't meet you to watch the sun come up. I know you wanted to—" "The sun will come up tomorrow," Ritsu said without much thought. He gave Anari's hand a little squeeze until she looked up. He smiled at her. "And the day after that. We'll have plenty of chances." When the four spirits reached the ferry boarding front desk, Anari was surprised by the spike in the fees to cross the river. She was even more surprised by their new policy — all spirits must be registered with the Divine Highway Association in order to purchase tickets to ride ferries. "We're not rolling out the policy until next season," the rabbit spirit at the ticket booth explained, "but you're going to want to start registering early. As it will be required by law." Anari asked if they could have the paperwork to get started. The rabbit told them to wait. When he came back, he only had three forms. "The pig is one of us," Anari explained before Ham Song could go off the rails. "He's just unglamoured." The bunny leaned over the side of the register, tilted his head, and wrinkled his nose at the scowling, huffing pig spirit down by Ritsu's ankles. "Even without glamour, I've never seen a pig walk on all fours." Ham Song bristled. "Well, have you ever seen a pig write a strongly-worded letter? Fetch me one of those registration forms!" The rabbit's expression went from curiosity to disapproval. "I'll have to talk to my supervisor about this." Ritsu came up to the counter and pointed to something on the form. "Says right here that we can bring attendants as long as they are registered under our name." The rabbit paused, his dark shiny eyes glancing back and forth between Ritsu and the pig. "Well-meaning Sun, are you saying that this pig is under your service?" Ritsu nodded. "Yeah, I don't go anywhere without him. He's my holy peach factory." Anari's eyes darted around as she prayed that no other sun clones were near. She would later warn Ritsu against broadcasting Ham Song's barfing potential so flippantly like that. Ham Song snorted unhappily at Ritsu's description, but Bodhi crouched, yanked him by the tusk and whispered something harsh in his ear. Whatever it was that Bodhi said got Ham Song to promptly shut up. The rabbit took a moment to consider. "That should be all right." He handed over the forms and requested their payment for the ferry. Before Ritsu could retrieve his wallet, Anari took control and brought out enough to cover everyone's fee. The monkey fixed her with stunned, wide brown eyes. "Anari." The spider quickly dismissed her kindness. "It's the least I can do since you waited for me this morning." Ritsu opened his mouth to reply, but he was distracted by the rabbit leaning over the side again to call out to Bodhi. "Excuse me? My good monk? You cannot bring that wine onto the ferry." Bodhi said something in return, to which the rabbit gave a hard shake of his head. "I'm sorry, but that won't be possible. Kawaii Village is a dry municipality, as is the entire Rabbit Province." Anari and Ritsu paused to register Bodhi's reaction. Things escalated fast enough for both the spider and the monkey to realize that this ferry ride would be anything but normal or easy.

~ Anari ~ "You didn't have to make such a scene, Bodhi," Anari said as she and the monk took their seats at the bar. "They serve imperial wine here on the ferry." Bodhi grinned slyly as they waved down the pug spirit tending the bar. "You say that as if I've spoiled my appetite. But I didn't mean to embarrass you back there, so this first one's on me." Behind her glamour, Anari folded several of her arms. "I can pay for my own drink." Bodhi rolled their eyes. "Well can you let me apologize, Legs? That's why I offered." They leveled their gray gaze with the spider's black, slightly enlarged irises. After a beat, Anari clicked her tongue and slipped on her shades. "Fine." Once the spirits had been served and the wine was flowing between them, Bodhi said, "Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have overpriced imperial wine any day over the cough syrup I was lugging around in that barrel, but tell me, why wouldn't they let me bring it here when they're serving alcohol anyway?" Anari peered at them over the rim of her purple sunglasses. "Think about it. It minimizes the chance of someone smuggling wine into Kawaii Village. Plus they don't want to give you a reason to not drink what they're selling. Local shipping companies pay an arm and a leg for the licensing required to bring any alcohol in the vicinity of the Rabbit Province." Bodhi absently licked their lips, already on their second pour. "What's up with that decree anyway? Are they trying to keep tourism as family friendly as they can or something?" Anari snorted. "No. The reasons for the laws are..." She made a face. "They're not what you think. I don't know if you've ever met a rabbit or a dog spirit before. Overall, they seem pretty normal, until you meet one from this province. The spirits here have an addiction... to cuteness." Bodhi's smattering of freckles danced as they tried to hold in a laugh. "Addiction to cuteness? What does that even mean?" Anari explained, "Anything that doesn't meet their standard of cute, is outlawed. You won't see any cars for example. Only bicycles and trolleys." Bodhi leaned back and scrutinized their cup. They rotated their wrist so the contents swished around, threatening to overtake the smooth lip of the cup, but never actually spilling. "So let me get this straight. Drinking isn't allowed because it's not... cute enough? " Anari smirked as she went to pour her second glass. With a slow nod, she said, "Even the packaging matters. They all drink from milk cartons, juice boxes, and select soda cans. Portable glass and plastic bottles are prohibited." Bodhi reached over Anari to stop her. They easily unhinged the bottle from her hand and poured her drink for her. "Legs, I don't think I'm going to like this place very much. What if I'm not cute enough and they decide to arrest me? I mean, even when I'm not drinking, the smell tends to stick to my robes." Anari didn't remember asking Bodhi to pour her drink, but she didn't fuss. Instead she lowered her shades just enough to scan Bodhi's youthful band of freckles. Their lips were rosier than usual from the wine. The only reason Anari noticed was due to Bodhi's habit of rolling them in and licking them whenever they were in the middle of conversation. "I don't think you'll have any problems with the cute police," the spider said as she accepted her cup and pushed her shades back up before the monk could notice. For a moment, Bodhi appeared as if they didn't know where to look. "So, uh..." They mumbled into their cup. "What took you so long this morning?" Anari felt her glamour give a little bit. She hadn't been expecting to be asked that question, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise. She had kept them all waiting. "Work stuff." And then... the spider just let everything out. She touched on all of those annoying concerns and frustration that had been building up from not being able to get through to her boss. The spider never went into too much detail about her employer, but she did confess that she wanted to believe that as harsh as Sun Bai could be, he was still good. It wasn't possible for him to be wrapped up in some slimy, bureaucratic scandal. She wanted to believe this at least. Eyes flitting over to the now empty wine bottle, Bodhi looked as if they wanted to reassure Anari somehow. They knocked the bottle on the wood a few times to alert the bartender first. "We need more." The pug, who was only half-glamoured, sniffed the air and said gruffly, "It's a two bottle limit on the ferry." Her jowls wobbled as she spoke. Bodhi made an exasperated sound. "Good grief. Whatever – fine . This is our last round and then we'll be going." When Bodhi was sure that the pug would take care of their order, they turned their attention back to Anari and bumped her stool with their knee. "Everything is going to be okay, Legs." Anari gave a wry smile as she shook her head. "Bodhi, no offense, but you have absolutely no evidence to back that up. You don't know anything about my job or my boss." Anari saw the monk shift in their seat, but she didn't move to stop them. Her protests were soon muffled by the interruption of soft, wine-soaked lips. The contact was brief as much as it was unexpectedly sweet. The spider fought the urge to chase the monk's lips as they drew back. Eyes clear despite the wine, Bodhi gently reassured her. "Let's say that you get those answers you think you want so badly. Then what, Legs? You'll just have more questions, you know you will. So you should forget about all of that right now. You're on vacation. Focus on helping the monkey find his staff. What's the point of all of this unnecessary stress?" Anari's hand floated up to her face. She hid her mouth behind her knuckles to distract the monk from seeing her reaction. The tingling sensation in her lips made the spider very aware of how much she already missed the feeling of Bodhi's against them. "You kissed me." Bodhi sighed into their cup. "I did... I've been wanting to." Instead of taking a sip, they set the drink down and turned their light gray eyes back on Anari. "I apologize for the lack of impulse control. I won't do that again if you're not into it." Anari tore her gaze away from Bodhi's. She dragged her finger over the rim of her cup and whispered, "I'm into it." Then she looked up. "But I'm not here for a relationship. Let's make that clear." "Legs," Bodhi chuckled, comfortable enough now to handle their drink. "We're on the same page there. I'm just looking for a respectful drinking buddy. No offense to Ham Song or Sun Ritsu, but they simply can't hang... and I'm not just saying that because you know your way around a web." Anari giggled when Bodhi's features bent towards something more comedic. She scooted a little closer to the monk and poured some more wine for them. "I mean, you're not wrong." A thought suddenly came to her as one of her true eyes took a peek down the cut in Bodhi's robes while her glamoured ones focused on pouring. Anari acted on it and inquired about the state of Bodhi's bruised side. The monk made a curious sound. "It's funny you should ask. I'm pretty certain I was healed by an immortal's song this morning." Anari raised her eyebrows. "Then you were Lucky." Bodhi, it seemed, had finally consumed enough to make them grow bolder in their flirting. The monk batted their eyelashes and replied, "Lucky that you were there last night to see to my wound. It's a shame that we have nothing like that to bond over anymore." Anari mused, "I could fetch Ham Song for you. I'm sure he'll be happy to damage your body again for a good cause." Bodhi rolled out their shoulders and fired back with, "I was thinking you could rough me up a little, Legs." They clinked their cup against the side of hers. "But only if you were feeling generous." Anari knew that Bodhi was joking, but her predatory instincts fluttered at the suggestion. She smirked and laughed it off. There was no denying that this monk was pure trouble. Still, Bodhi was a very nice distraction for the time being. Part of Anari wondered if the humanae came off as such because of the wine or...were they just that determined to help her stop thinking about her job and simply relax?

~ Anari ~ Once the two spirits and the monk had found privacy in the shade of a wishing tree, Bodhi gestured to the colorful booths behind them. "The new plan is the old plan. We're still Lucky. We'll simply win the games and sell the prizes." Ritsu's eyes scanned the monk. "You said you bought an entire barrel of wine? Where did you put it?" Bodhi snapped their fingers. "Ritsu, focus! That's not important right now. And besides," they sniffed, "I hid it." Anari, who wanted to get as far as away from the monk as she could, latched one of her arms onto Ritsu's wrist and tugged him in the opposite direction. "Let's go. We probably have until sundown before they eat your pig." Moments later, she and the monkey were back in line at the strength game from before. "You know that wooden staff prize is just a toy," Anari pointed out when they were about halfway through the line. Ritsu's glamour flickered. "Seriously?" He chewed the corner of his lip. "Oh. I thought ..." < Great. You hurt the poor thing's ego. You might as well have stripped him of all his Luck.> Anari hated to admit it, but the saboteur was right. They needed those other prizes. Though she didn't particularly care what happened to the pig, she didn't want his blood on her hands. And for some reason that was lost to her, he mattered a lot to Sun Ritsu. The monkey stood with his head hung and his fists at his sides. He forced a chuckle. "Of course the prize is fake. Why wouldn't it be?" Ritsu was next in line. Anari thought fast. "Sun." He lifted his chin in response. With her more feral set of limbs, she squared his shoulders so they were face to face. Then she seized him with her primary arms, embracing him in a way that left zero space between them. She closed her eyes and pressed her profile into his rough sideburns. "For Luck. Ham Song is counting on you." When she drew back, Ritsu looked more rooted than before. Only this time, a peachy band of color stretched from sideburn to sideburn. She tried to convince herself that the tingling sensation she felt came from the Luck passing from her body to his. "Sweet immortal peaches, another ape?" The booth manager growled. "Look monkey king, I haven't got all day. You ready to test your strength or what?" Ritsu held Anari's gaze for a beat longer before he finally turned to face the platform. "I'm ready." While the booth manager showed Ritsu how to test his strength against bending a densely engorged stalk of bamboo, Anari was questioning if her intervention would make any difference. But then Ritsu stepped up, fitted his hands in the net contraction tied to the end of the stalk, took a breath, and with a single jerk ... "Sweet immortal peaches." All the spirits swore in unison. Whispers erupted from all sides. "Did he just break it? It's broken, right?" "I want my money back!" "Typical monkey. Always gotta be the center of attention."

While the monkey and spider were away, the pig and the monk needed to find a way to spend their day. If I'm being completely honest with you, Dear Traveler, one of the reasons our wise, old Ham Song wandered off was to clear his head. The scene at the cosmic bridge had left him frightened and deeply disturbed. The monk, as you know by now, only really cared about getting drunk. They slept long and hard so that they wouldn't have to be aware of how much their body ached without the drink. ~ ~ Bodhi ~ The monk woke up from their nap and was not pleased. For a while, they simply laid there on the cushioned mat, letting their mind wander. What's the point of everything? Why am I here? After a while, simple questions morphed into heavy, final declarations. I have no purpose. I'm supposed to be in heaven, but this place is no different from every other fucking life I've lived! Except for Sun Ritsu... he's different. Bodhi paused on the subject of Ritsu and wondered if the monkey's Radiant State might have some of the answers Bodhi so desperately longed for. No. The monk buried their face in the flower-printed pillow. Stop looking for answers. Forget about them. Forget about your questions too. Find the pig and ride his Luck to your next drink. Though their mind had steadied for now, Bodhi kept their face hidden in the cushion. Water threatened to rise up their throat and spring forth from their eyes, but they would be having none of that. When they were ready, the monk dragged themself out of bed and sought out the community shower down the hall. After giving themself a nice, thorough wash, they donned a different set of clothing that they kept in their roll of supplies. These garments were not of a traditional cut, but they were the same familiar light gray. Bodhi walked down to the common room of the inn wearing a gray hood, jogger shorts that opened wide at the knee, and white leg warmers that shrugged high enough to cover their legs. They had exchanged their tethered sandals for simple black sneakers. The monk found Baobei, who they only remembered from her mint green aura, waiting at a small dining table. She seemed as if she was occupying herself with something small and ovoid. It was attached to a keychain and had a screen that lit up with simple pixelated shapes. "What's that you got there?" Bodhi asked as they approached. Baobei's bat-shaped ears twitched happily as she looked up from her toy. "It's called a Tamagotchi!" She said brightly. "Usually retro stuff doesn't meet the Code, but this is one of the few exceptions." Then she turned it off and tucked it inside the breast pocket of her school uniform. Folding her arms over the table and smiling amicably, Baobei gave Bodhi her full attention. Bodhi cleared their throat. "So, fill me in on why Legs hired you again?" Baobei cocked her head to the side. "Legs?" The monk wandered over to the nearest cereal vending machine. Without looking over their shoulder, they clarified, "The spider." "Ohhh. Yes, I can explain. I'm here to help guide you through Kawaii Village without any hiccups." By now Bodhi had the miniature box of glazed flakes and a carton of milk in their possession. They grabbed a featureless plastic bowl from the counter and sat down across from the corgi. "Hiccups, you say." Bodhi mused as they prepared their breakfast. "So where is everyone now?" Baobei looked thoughtfully out of the window. "Anari and Sun Ritsu told me they were going sight seeing at the Hall of Perfect Light. Anari assured me that she knew the way and didn't require my services. The pig took a walk." After eating the cereal, Bodhi brought the bowl of leftover milk to their lips. When they drank, they were careful not to slurp too loudly. Bodhi set down the empty bowl and accepted a yellow polka-dotted handkerchief that Baobei offered them. "Thank you." The monk dabbed the milk away from their top lip before asking, "Would you mind escorting me to the pig?"

~ Bodhi ~ "What the hell am I doing?" It was the first time Bodhi had thought those words, let alone spoken them aloud in how many seasons, only the Great Sage would know. Down in the cool, dark valley, the crickets were on full blast. It wouldn't be long before the squeaking orchestra became background noise. Bodhi found some shallow water and knelt before it. They splashed their face a little, as if it would do any good to clear their head. "What am I doing?" They repeated, this time looking up at the plum-toned sky. Ripe Peach Mountain blocked most of the view. Bodhi sighed and looked back down at the water and beyond at the stretch of valley. They went to shrug their robe off when they felt the attention of someone in the background. It went against every instinct Bodhi had to not leap into a defensive position. Yet despite that hauntingly enlarged gaze and the ghostly stealth with which she approached them, Bodhi was certain that the spider spirit would not attack. They swallowed before allowing their sleeve to slip. Then they threw a teasing smirk over their shoulder. "Liking the view?" Bodhi noticed that Anari had exchanged her festive garb for something more plain and sporty. Her cascade of braids swept her shoulders as she tilted her head, regarding Bodhi like one would a gnat. Steeling themself, Bodhi let the robe slip further. "Come a little closer and I'll show something you haven't seen before." Though all of the spider's attention was on them, nothing in her oversized pupils suggested that she was the least bit curious about Bodhi's anatomy. She studied them for another beat before clicking her tongue in what might have been annoyance or dismissal before stalking off into the misty night. Bodhi watched her leave, envious of her ability to move without disturbing the grass or even the moisture in the air it seemed. Eventually, the monk went back to removing their clothes. They did not plan on staying much longer among spirits who clearly didn't want them around. But they wanted to at least smell halfway decent before bidding farewell to the only spirit in the valley who had given them a chance.

~ Sun Ritsu ~ Sun Ritsu hoped that Ham Song would stop talking soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stay awake. What he was sure about was that Ham Song was not ready to forgive Bodhi. "Pardon my choice of words, benevolent monkey, but I hate that drunk bastard." Ritsu bit his lip. Maybe forgive had been too generous of an action for Ham Song in the near future. The pig was also disappointed that after everything, Ritsu had "rewarded" the skeleton spirit. When Ritsu tried reminding Ham Song that the butcher only did what he did because of pressure from those detainers, Ham Song's response was, "Is that supposed to make me feel better? To the Lake with the butcher and that wretched monk!" Before Ritsu could come to Bodhi's defense, a familiar presence appeared out of the cloudy darkness. "Tell me how you really feel, pig." Bodhi appeared wearing the same gray monastic robes, but this time, the top layer was peeled down and wrapped about their waist. Their undershirt was white, sleeveless and still a little damp from what Ritsu assumed was water from a nearby spring. The scent of rice wine still clung to Bodhi, but it was not nearly as pungent as before. Ritsu got to his feet and told them, "The skeleton spirit was very grateful. He wanted me to make sure that you knew." Bodhi scratched the back of their neck. "Really, it was nothing. You probably could have pummeled those clones into soup if you wanted. That's how pathetic they were." Ritsu blinked slowly before letting out a bark of laughter. "Me? Are you kidding? I couldn't do anything like what you did. Not without any immortal peaches at least." Ritsu noted that Bodhi and Ham Song shared similar reactions. They both tilted their heads to the side. Bodhi narrowed their eyes. A new voice broke the silence. "Immortal peaches infuse clones with strength and endurance. Not skill." All three spirits jumped at Anari's sudden arrival. How does she always do that? Sun Ritsu wondered as he suppressed a shiver. Bodhi also rolled their shoulders in what appeared to be an effort to free themself of goosebumps. Then they said, "Legs is right, Sun Ritsu. You're already fairly learned in the art of wushu. You demonstrated that back at the noodle house. Otherwise your performance there would have never played out the way it had. Even with the Radiant State activated." With all three of his companions' eyes on him, Ritsu was tempted to fidget. Instead, he fiddled with the ornamental staff dangling from his ear. "I don't know any kung fu. I'm pretty sure no one taught–" Bodhi moved, but it registered more like a flash. Gasps from Anari and Ham Song came from both sides, but Ritsu didn't realize why until he noticed a tight fist hovering just millimeters from the tip of his nose. "See?" Bodhi relaxed their stance. "You didn't even flinch just now. Face it, Sun Ritsu. You know kung- fuck!!! " A blur of pink crashed into Bodhi's side and sent them sprawling chaotically in the grass. Ritsu gasped, "Ham Song!" The pig moved defensively in front of Ritsu's ankles, ignoring his protests. "No, benevolent monkey. I've had enough of this worm." Ham Song's voice became shrill as he addressed Bodhi. "You touch my friend again and I'll split your spine open next time, see?" Anari had gone to help Bodhi to their feet, but they dodged the spider's offer and roared back at the pig, "I wasn't going to hurt him!" Ritsu tried to intervene. "Ham Song, chill out." The pig snorted in defiance. "My friend, when are you going to realize that this monk is no good? They were there at the noodle house! They could have done back then what they did just now and helped us against the trolls! But what were they doing instead? Probably getting drunk and helping no one but themself." Bodhi finally scrambled to their feet, protectively cradling their side. "Ever the plucky one, aren't you, pig? Yes, you are correct. And just so we're clear on exactly the sort of worm I am, I was stealing booze from patrons that were too mystified by your misfortune." Ham Song grunted in satisfaction. "See, monkey? Nothing but a selfish, slimy worm, this one." Grinning madly, Bodhi added, "Sun Ritsu, it looks like you have everything you need to find your staff. I've got more than enough wine and Luck, so I'll be going now." Ritsu nearly tripped over Ham Song as he chased after the monk. Bodhi was fast, but the monkey managed to catch up to them. "Bodhi, wait. Wait! " With what Ritsu could tell was the utmost reluctance, Bodhi stopped and wheeled around. "Just let me go," they groaned. "I've created enough chaos for your little quest as it is." There was a very painful sort of desperation that Bodhi could not hide even with that mad grin they wore. Ritsu knew that if he said the wrong thing, the monk would leave and never come back. He considered their reaction back when Anari had tried to help them off the ground. Choosing his words carefully, the monkey said, "At least stay until the morning." Bodhi's grinning mask slipped. "Why." Ritsu glanced past Bodhi's shoulders at the mountain's peak. "So we can watch the sun rise together." Then he met their gaze and was pleased with the consideration, however small, taking place across their features. "The giant will roll over and take the mountain with it, I imagine. The buildings will return. This whole valley will become concrete again." Bodhi didn't appear impressed, but they didn't look like they wanted to run away anymore. "What, were you a poet in a past life?" The compliment felt more like a bite, which ironically, eased Ritsu's nerves. The monkey shrugged. "I don't know." Bodhi's freckles danced as they broke into soft laughter. After a beat, they said, "I'm going back to my barrel. Can't promise that I won't be too hung over to watch the dawn happen or whatever," they scratched the back of their neck, "but I'll stay." Ritsu allowed himself a smile. He hoped it didn't come off too warm, lest he scare Bodhi off again. He only let it linger for a second before turning around and making his way back to Ham Song.

~ Bodhi ~ Bodhi did not wake up for the sun or even for their friend Sun Ritsu, no matter how hard the monkey had rattled them. The monk was drawn forth into consciousness by an immortal song. Their body responded to the ancient voices blanketing them, becoming one and unbecoming into many again and again. Bodhi yawned as they rolled over to breathe in the morning air. They stretched their lithe, petite muscles and braced themself for the pain in their side from where the pig had bulldozed into them. But no such pain came. With a grunt, Bodhi sat up and wiped their eyes so that they could assess the damage. But when they pulled back the bandages and peered down at their skin, they found no bruising. When they poked the area with the tips of their fingers, it did not hurt in the slightest. The immortal song was coming to an end. Bodhi looked up. They could hear something familiar in the voice as it faded from the air. Oh well. Perhaps it was Luck that lured a high immortal out from wherever their kind hid to walk through the valley and heal an unsuspecting monk with their song. Bodhi stood up and adjusted their robes, realizing that the place where they stood could hardly be called a valley anymore. There were sidewalks now and street lights. The place where Bodhi had slept was nothing more than a stretch of grass running behind a bus stop. The monk gathered up the barrel, looped their arms through the straps and hoisted it onto their back like a bookbag for daycare. They figured Sun Ritsu and the pig couldn't be far. So they started marching in the general direction where they last saw them. It took a while of meandering, but Bodhi eventually found Ritsu and Ham Song standing around a floating origami lotus blossom. This one was about the size of a rice bowl. "I take it the spideress is still catching up on her beauty sleep," Bodhi said as they unhinged the barrel from their back and set it down. They produced a shallow cup from the inside of their robe and opened the lid on the barrel to get a bit of breakfast. Bodhi had a feeling it was going to be a while. They could tell by the sound Ham Song made in his throat that he did not approve of their timing with the wine. As always, the monk could care less. "Bodhi, do you have any idea why Anari would take this long to come out?" Ritsu asked. "I thought I saw her walking back from where you camped out last night." Bodhi schooled their features into something neutral. Last night they had been sober enough to remember that Anari did seem a little off towards the end of their conversation. She had left in such a hurry. Something – call it intuition or what you will – gave Bodhi the impression that Anari wouldn't want Ritsu to know that something was bothering her. Based on the timing of her strange behavior, the monk would have guessed it had something to do with the company that hosted the feast in the Garden of Immortal Peaches during the festival. So Bodhi followed their instincts and shook their head, trying to fein as much innocence as possible. "She seemed fine last time I checked. Perhaps she's sleeping off the wine." Ritsu turned his gaze back on the floating paper space and sighed. "Perhaps." Yeesh, Bodhi thought as they scanned the yearning in Ritsu's features. He's already crushing hard on Miss Daddy Long Legs, isn't he? Bodhi didn't know why they were surprised. Anari had this quiet magnetism about her that most spirits did not possess. Like Bodhi, she seemed a bit of an outsider. Everywhere you looked in the Ninth Heaven, you saw geese galore, as well as pigs, sheep, monkeys, and star-beings – all manner of spirits. But spiders? Bodhi had never met a spider before. Before last night, they had never been touched by a spider. And it wasn't until they registered how the longing on Ritsu's face reflected the same sharp tug they felt in their own heart that it became clear... they had never wanted to kiss a spider before now. The lotus blossom paused in its rotation. Bodhi held their breath as they watched it unfold. In seconds, Anari was stepping out. She was back in her leather jacket with the fringe dangling down to the waistline of her black shorts. Her long box braids rested over one shoulder and cascaded down her chest. Bodhi tried not to stare too hard. When they glanced at Ritsu, it was quite plain that he wasn't trying at all. "I overslept," Anari said in what Bodhi was sure had to be the first apologetic tone they had heard from her. Anari glanced between the three spirits and went about adjusting the sleeves on her jacket and checking the zipper along the side of her thigh-high boots. "Thank you for waiting for me." Ritsu, it seemed, had collected himself enough to approach the spider and take her hand in his. The way he looked at her made Bodhi suspect that he simply forgot that there were other spirits around. "We would never leave without you." Ritsu said, holding Anari's hand up near his chin and dragging his thumbs along the back of her knuckles. The spider's glamour flickered and for a moment Bodhi saw all eight of her glossy black eyes. "Sun." Anari's breath rushed out of her as she took a step back and lowered Ritsu's hand down to his side. Bodhi noticed that she didn't let go. "We should get going," the spider said after clearing her throat. "The lines at the ferry can get very long, very fast." Ham Song snorted, "Especially after a festival. Great Sage . Let's hurry this up!" And with that, the pig trundled on ahead of the group. Bodhi noticed the way Anari shifted her stance to hide her and Ritsu's linked hands behind her back. They tore their gaze away before either of the spirits could notice and shrugged the barrel back over their shoulders. "Wait up, Ham Song!" Bodhi called, pressing forward. "You know they're not going to let a pig hop on a ferry boat unattended!" Ham Song only glanced back to shoot an ugly scowl at the monk. Bodhi winked right back at him and grinned. They had their booze and thanks to the immortal spirit's song from earlier that morning, their side was completely healed. There was nothing Ham Song could do or say to darken Bodhi's spirits. At least, not for the time being. ~ You know, Dear Traveler, had you not kept pestering me with your interruptions all this time, our spiritual cadre would have probably made it out of the Horse Province a long time ago. It absolutely baffles me that we are just now getting to this point in the story. Sorry, what were you prattling on about just now? Go on, speak up! Oh, that? You want to talk about the obvious? What surprises you more, Dear Traveler? That Bodhi and Ritsu are both taken by the spider spirit or that she can somehow manage to find common ground with a drunkard and a dumbass without leaving us wondering if she's right in the head? Oh dear... I am going to stop you right there. Sweet Immortal Peaches, the things you tourists project onto these stories sometimes. There was nothing in my retelling to suggest that Bodhi is jealous of Anari and Ritsu's mutual interest in each other. The monk was merely observing and comparing their own feelings with what they were seeing. Not every story with romance between three or more involved morphs into a monstrosity of jealousy and rivalry. And don't you dare ask me for hints about what this all could mean. Just shut up and wait to see what happens. The monk . Jealous? As if. Can't you see by now that they are no different than the pig or the spider? Whether Bodhi realizes it or not, when it comes to Sun Ritsu, all they want is to see him happy and radiant.

Get excited, Dear Traveler. We're finally going to experience something eventful since the days of Bodhi's flashy rescue in the Garden of Immortal Peaches. If you pay close attention, you might be able to develop some theories. Trust me, it will give you something interesting to think about during the less exciting gaps in the tale. Why would someone want to actively develop theories, you wonder? Dear Traveler, I believe the better question is why wouldn't you? Besides, haven't you been doing so already? I'm simply encouraging more of that. Who knows? You just might be able to get some of the theories that you already have to connect with the new ones that you'll hopefully form going forward. Now, let's get back to the story. Our spiritual cadre had a rather smooth and uneventful trip across the Heavenly River. Their ferry parked at a waterfall that overlooked the shores of the Rabbit Province... ~ ~ Sun Ritsu ~ The Heavenly River poured down into the Heavenly Waterfall, which fed right into the ferry's destination. From the top of the fall, it was easy to see a full overview of Kawaii Village. The landscape was much hillier than where Ritsu and his companions came from, but these slopes were lower and broader. Through the blanket of green, our spirits could see pockets of complex residential areas. Even in the more central, urbanized centers, the buildings did not rise more than two stories. The roads were peppered with cyclists and wire systems that moved around yellow trolleys. Ritsu, Anari, Bodhi and Ham Song stood at the railing as the ferry docked over the roaring falls. Each of them took in the view, breathing in some much needed fresh air. Sun Ritsu's miniature quarterstaff earring danced like a wind chime in the breeze, its cylindrical jade surface catching and tossing the light. Anari's rich leather clothing absorbed the sun rays while her round shades shielded her many sensitive eyes from overexposure. The soft set of her jaw did not indicate any strong sort of emotion. Perhaps the feeling of content was the closest one could come to deciphering the spider's mood. Bodhi wasn't looking out at the wondrous view, but rather leaning against the railing with their eyes closed and groaning gently with the rocking and bobbing of the ferry. "I think I'm going to be sick." Bodhi's confession was so soft that Ham Song was the only one who caught it. The pig snorted, "Heedless monk, what did you expect? After the amount you–" "Hhhrrkk!" The view for the next few moments was suddenly not so pleasing to the eye. Luckily for our cadre, there were no village officials around to see how blatantly un-cute Bodhi was behaving. And no. It does not matter if the monk couldn't help it. Weren't you paying attention earlier, Dear Traveler? If a spirit is caught with or doing anything that does not follow the Cutest Code of Conduct, then they will risk arrest in the worst case scenario and be issued a warning and a heavy fine at best. Barfing illegal partially-digested wine into the Heavenly River would have definitely earned Bodhi a trip to the closest courthouse. Luck was on their side today, perhaps from being in such close proximity to the pig, who still had most of his Luck from the Peach Festival. Still, Bodhi's companions had good reason to fear being noticed. So Anari was kind enough to use her spidersilk in order to establish a protective perimeter. Meanwhile, Ham Song and Sun Ritsu supported Bodhi and helped them clean up after themself. Sun Ritsu found it perplexing that Ham Song was willing to help without complaining too much about it. He supposed that their last conversation together had actually left an impact on the pig. What was also perplexing, Ritsu mused as he carried Bodhi, was how light they felt in his arms. The monk grumbled some kind of protest when Ritsu scooped them up like a watermelon and held them securely against his chest. Ritsu simply assured Bodhi that he would put them down as soon as they could walk straight. "F-fine," Bodhi murmured, their eyes shut tight. Most of their face was buried in the lumpy folds of Ritsu's hoodie. Thankfully, the personnel at the docks thought that the way Ritsu was carrying Bodhi was very cute and did not look too closely at the green sheen coating Bodhi's features or the way they hiccuped every now and then to suppress the urge to burp up imperial booze all over Ritsu's chest. Since the ferry parked at the top of the waterfall, its passengers had to descend along the face of the forested cliff and cross a series of bridges before officially stepping foot onto the Rabbit Province. The spray from the waterfall created a constant shower over most of the descent, so passengers were granted complimentary ponchos to help keep them dry. Of course, the ponchos came in various adorable designs. Usually, Bodhi wouldn't be caught dead in something with a triceratops hood, but today they were grateful for the cover. Anari's poncho came in the form of a purple personified mushroom cap. And let me tell you, Dear Traveler, that brainless monkey god of ours thought she looked damn cute in it. He even tried to tell her such as they trailed behind the rest of the passengers. "They gave you a really good one, Anari." Ritsu said to her, nearly missing a step on his way down. One of Anari's unglamoured limbs reached out to steady him. "Careful," she said, "you've got Bodhi in your arms, remember." Sun Ritsu, who was wearing a personified cloud poncho, blushed slightly. "Right." Anari retracted her arm and reached out with her more human one to rub the center of Ritsu's back. "Do you want me to take them for a while?" The spider asked with an understanding smile. Ritsu tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and not jostling Bodhi around too much. He shook his head. "No, it's okay. They're not heavy and besides, I think if I move them around too much, they might... um." "Explode?" Ham Song grunted from just up ahead. Now the pig, Dear Traveler, was not wearing any sort of protection against the waterfall mist and the occasional heavenly shower. The ferry personnel couldn't find one to suit his primitive anatomy and didn't want to risk him tripping over the skirts of one, so they donned his tusk in attractive beads and dangling charms instead. When Ham Song asked how that was going to keep him from getting wet, the two lop-eared rabbit spirits reassured him that the adornments absolutely would not help at all , but that wouldn't matter because they increased his cuteness by a whole factor of ten. This was the only time Bodhi had lifted their head from Ritsu's chest to say, "Look at this way, pig. Now you actually look like a Lucky charm." And then Anari, to everyone's surprise, had agreed. "The charms do look cute on you, Ham Song." Ritsu's heart grew light at the sight of his three new friends somewhat getting along. His mind began to wander off in many directions as he considered the possibilities in this leg of their journey. As the details of Kawaii Village came more into focus, so did all of the ways Ritsu could potentially spend more time with his companions. The spirits drew near the bottom of the waterfall, where the cluster of signs and advertisements grew ever thicker. Buy a Corgi Glamour Today! First Installment Comes with 0% Interest Rate! Don't End Up in Hell! Come to Bon Bon's For All Your Favorite Pastels! Tourists! Get Yourself a Cute Consultant ASAP! They Won't Let You Down, Drown, Or Get Lost Uptown! Ritsu noticed that there was an overwhelming amount of advertisements for the latter. So he asked, "Anari? What's a cute consultant?" The spider's glamour flickered. Groaning a little, she replied, "Damn, I forgot about those. They're highly recommended for new parties of up to three or more. And after the close call we had on the ferry, I'd say that we're going to need one." Ritsu arched his eyebrow at the pictures of Corgi spirits in what appeared to be nautical-inspired school uniforms. In all the shots they were deliberately waving and winking. "But what do these consultants actually do? " Anari sighed. "They keep tourists from getting arrested, to put it simply. Although if you asked a cute consultant, they would never admit that. Generally, they are fairly nice and accommodating. Not as annoying as you'd think. The consultants are, however, very expensive." "Sounds like a racket," Ham Song grumbled. "Especially considering the obvious when it comes to dog spirits!" Ritsu looked down at the pig. "The obvious?" Anari explained, "They're slippery, Sun. Dogs interact with Luck strangely. When they're around, spirits tend to drop more of their Luck than they would otherwise." Ham Song added, "The effect eventually wears off the more time you spend around the same dog. I suppose their essence gets used to you or something like that. But in a village full of them? With everything being so rutting expensive and spirits practically being forced to engage in goods and services under the threat of violating crime laws? Surely you can see the sneakiness going on here." While Ritsu was still processing things, Anari said in a low voice, "Ham Song is right. The monopoly on tourism in this province is wrapped up pretty tight in the legal justice system. And none of it is by accident." Ritsu shook his head. "But... why? Why is it like that?" Ham Song reached the very bottom of the natural staircase first. He looked back at his sun clone companion, his gummy bear-shaped charms glistening in the heavenly shower. "Why else, beloved monkey king?" The pig gave his coat a good shake. "Greed. That's all it is." If I'm to be honest with you, Dear Traveler, Sun Ritsu found this to be quite unsettling. The word greed itself put a bad taste in his mouth. For as long as he had been in the Ninth Heaven, it always had. In fact, back when our monkey king was just a server in the noodle house, he suppressed every suspicion that his employer was taking a cut of his earnings. Though part of him had always suspected this, it wasn't until the spider Anari gave it to him straight that he finally opened his eyes to the reality of his situation. Sun Ritsu had always feared that he would see how deep the greed in the spirit world went if he ever stepped outside of the Horse Province. And now he was here. With friends, to his relief, but still... he could not ignore certain realities any longer. The sun clone's mouth went sour again when he lifted his golden brown eyes and noticed something rather awful oozing out from under one of the bridges that arched over the waterfall basin and into the cutest territories of the Ninth Heaven.

I sojourn now in the blessed lands of the Rawesan for a time, the birthplace of Her church. Many are the prophets who venture into the deep deserts in search of guidance, but few ever return with the divine scripture. Those who do are often blessed with the gift-spark and write on parchment, paper, or vellum the instruction of the divine that others may know greater communion with Her. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C As suddenly as my soul torture began, it stopped. I sensed a shift and I was no longer there, but elsewhere. With a sudden sense of vertigo, I fell face forward into what felt like earth and grass. Curled in a fetal position, I whimpered as the aftershock of pain played across my mortal body. Shadowy purple tendrils continued to whip across my consciousness, yet fainter now, slowly replaced by a plethora of error messages. I kept on begging for the agony and torment to end before exhaustion finally claimed me. I fell into a nightmare-fuelled sleep filled with visions of the deaths of everyone I had ever loved or known. * I awoke naked, gibbering nonsense to an uncaring universe. Dull sunlight mercilessly pounded my senses as I tried unsuccessfully to raise myself on fever-drunk feet, retreating instead to curl on a soft bed of grass. Rocking back and forth to a rhythm known only to the mad, I chanted "Not real...not real," to myself. Over and over, a litany to a world that did not care. Looking across the sea of green I saw that it was a gray and dark day, clouds pregnant with rain on the distant horizon. At the edges of my vision, the hint of shadowy things scuttled back into the recesses of my mind. Across from me in the semi-distance, I saw a picture from what felt like a lifetime long past; the imposing tree on the hill. I was vulnerable, naked, and alone in a place known only to my madness. Memories from another place smashed into my consciousness, a high trilling of sound flooding my senses. I wrapped my head in my hands and closed my eyes, willing the world to go away. As inexorable as time itself, a message played across my inner eyes in a bold script; CHOOSE YOUR CALLING Flustered I could not help but be drawn to the message, and as my awareness brushed against understanding new text was shown to me; INITIATE and below another choice STUDENT Just as I was musing on the incongruity of 'Student,' the text flashed static across my vision and there was a ringing in my ears. The 'Student' option had changed to display 'Acolyte.' Could I get any crazier? I felt instinctively that I had to choose quickly or there would be dire consequences. I knew in my gut that the 'Acolyte' must be some sort of hidden class. Those were usually harder to play but tended to have some real endgame advantages if you could master their skills. With nothing else to go on, no wikis, guides, or even friends to explain the choices in front of me, I mentally chose Acolyte. I heard a rumble from within as text blazed and imprinted across my mind. A rushing sense of power filled me, a feeling of completeness. STATUS Calling: $%^& Level 1 Acolyte (v@ri% Strength: 8 Dexterity: 8 Constitution: 8 Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 8 Charisma: 8 Luck: 8 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC - GIFTS - Experience to next level 0/100 It looked like the user interface, or UI, of one of the many games that I would often play. What was this? Pain Nullification!? Shock and indignation rose to the fore of my mind with this notification of a skill. Before I could fully comprehend this, new numerical markers blossomed in the lower-left corner of my vision; Health: 5/6 Stamina: 16/16 Mana: 2/6 Feeling vulnerable with my nakedness, I pinched myself to make sure this was no dream, then pinched again harder to draw a little blood. "This must be a game, this can not be real..." I felt my mind teetering once again on the brink of insanity, sibilant whispers reassuring me that it was real, followed by a far-off scream of a distant divinity. At the edges of my vision, I could sense the impression of dark shadowy tendrils, ever-moving just out of sight. The pain proved this was genuine, I must be here. Was this really the place of my dreams? An escape from the meaningless doldrums of a pedestrian life? The idea both disturbed and thrilled me. Looking at my hand, I curled my fingers into a fist before straightening them again. What power awaits me in such a world? Love? Immortality...? As I contemplated the bewildering scale of my circumstance, the next message appeared; New Quest: First Steps My being was once again hammered by the importance of the message. Finally forcing myself to my feet, I drew with leaden steps to the tree on the hill. Barefoot, step by painful forced step I made my way to the place of revelation. Arriving after what seemed an eternity, I drew a long breath and looked at the scene before me. A majestic tree that looked like some sort of acacia but with bladed green leaves, with branches that rose from its great trunk like an accusation against the heavens. A smell of strong pine mixed with lemon blossoms saturated the air around it. Beneath its generous boughs stood a crude stone altar. At its foot, fallen from its place, lay a stone carving of a female figure, a crude facsimile of the goddess. "Avaria..." I croaked, somewhere between desperation and joy. There was no answer. Yet I thought I heard again the screaming of a distant female voice. Shaking my head I wondered what madness on top of madness was possessing me. There, an echo. A tinkling echo of joyful laughter. "Who are you?" I asked in a quiet hopeful voice to no one. " I am Power Strike. " Impressions of a female voice tickled my mind, a resonance close to my ear that left me shivering. Renderings of war and conflict, the press of the melee, an image of a peasant bringing down a cruel warlord, and an unsung hero alone atop the battlements unleashing savage blows against unspeakable horrors. A solemn note entered my mindscape. A soft choir of angels. A cry of anguish and salvation. The music built up to a crescendo until there was a new voice. " I am Heal, " spoke a gentle authoritative voice, with all the kindness of a mother. New images were brought to my mind. A man bleeding by the road only to be saved by a blue light, a dying man coughing blood only to rise again. A hope to rectify a little of the pain and hurt of the world. I felt the budding feeling of real, true hope. Like a game I was being given my initial class skills, I enthused to myself, my heart growing a little lighter. With these I could grow to be a mighty paladin, slaying all who stood before me, advancing in strength, and making the world a better place. Then something very wrong invaded the last notes of tranquillity. A sense of uncaring, of change and hunger that knew no bounds. Shadowy tendrils once again played against the edges of my mind, but this time demanding attention as they pressed firmly against my consciousness. " I am Rust... " a voice uttered in a sibilant gravelly voice behind me. I turned around finding nothing, met only with dark hollow laughter. Images assaulted my senses, violating my sense of self. A sword forlorn, rusting as a grave marker to a forgotten soldier. Its serrated blade marked red with blood, corrosion failing to cut through the hide of a majestic beast. Then a pause, pregnant with all the future of a dead promise. Shaken but undaunted, I optimistically chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Another skill, this one a little more dark and edgy, probably a debuff that reduced enemy weapon damage I thought to myself as I applied my gamer logic. " But first...you must look...must look! " thundered the voice, now sounding a thousand strong. I felt the shadowy tendrils force my attention to the places at the edges of my vision. Curse of En^r*<y -20% all starting attributes. Gilt in black was an error message, the name of my curse. " What is my name? " demanded the voices, insistent and wheedling. I coughed blood as I was struck by a blow as sharp as any saber. " What is my name? " the legion cried again in savage demand. They had grown ever more unrelenting with a wrath that spoke of the last death throes of a supernova, the echoes of the silence of the grave. Visions of the dead, rotting flesh and the slow decay of alien civilizations filled my consciousness. "I don't know!" I wailed to the uncaring voices, my voice harsh as I screamed with all my might. " What is my name? What is my name? What is my name? " again and again, each utterance a hammer blow to my psyche. New visions now of the cosmos, explosions of light, the scattering of the stars, the cruel end of all things. The heat death of the universe. I saw that my Health was failing as it plummeted. A flash of inspiration struck me then, fuelled by utter desperation. "...An endless spiral of lost energy to chaos", a fragment of a half-remembered communion with the ultimate end of all things. "Entropy...you are Entropy!" I cried in a last gasp bid to live. Impressions of a smile, a tear in reality a galaxy-wide, as the true name of my curse was revealed; Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. A myriad of new system messages then flashed across my vision with the cessation of the pain. Finally, I saw a simple line of text at the end that made me smile in satisfaction as darkness once again claimed one of their own; Quest Complete STATS BY THE END STATUS Calling: $%^& Level 1 Acolyte (v@ri% Strength: 8 Dexterity: 8 Constitution: 8 Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 8 Charisma: 8 Luck: 8 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS -20% all starting attributes. Health: 5/6 Stamina: 16/16 Mana: 2/6 Experience to next level 0/100 This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

When facing a manticore it is prudent to note that the beast has little to no blind spots. The scaly hide is dense and thick and will repel most non-magical weapons, though across the belly one's weapon may find purchase. One must also observe that despite being a beast it has some capability with the arcane, with an ability to cast elemental magics from the fire and ice domains. I would recommend a party of at least five highly skilled adventurers to best one of these fearsome creatures. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch Groggily I woke to the night. Above, stars shone in the sky like a sparkling beautiful tapestry gilt with shining pearls. My eyes wandered to the heavens and I saw a single oversized blue moon through the boughs of the tree. Squinting, I fancied I could perceive great craters on the large moon's surface. Its light bathed the world with a soft ethereal glow in blues and silver, and the grass rustled to the chilly night breeze. I pulled my thoughts from the stunning beauty that surrounded me. Slowly I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to draw some warmth from the bitter cold. Shivering, I forced myself to look across my notifications, confirming the changes to my character. I noticed that despite gaining one Wisdom my maximum Mana had not changed yet. Still, I was standing now at the full six points of Mana. Perhaps the Wisdom attribute affected Mana regeneration? More importantly, I breathed a sigh of relief as I noticed my Health had climbed to an eight after my indeterminable rest and the painful healing spell. I had also gained a mystery skill 'Endure' in my sleep which was at level one. STATUS Calling: $%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength: 8 Dexterity: 8 Constitution: 9 Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 9 Charisma: 8 Luck: 10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 100/220 Health: 8/13 Stamina: 14/16 Mana: 6/6 I was hesitant to try 'Heal' once again. In some games, the system punished you if you ever reached zero in a statistic. A lack of Stamina would mean you lost the ability to move, depleted Mana stymied your ability to cast spells, and having zero Health meant, most obviously, that you died. I didn't want to die and I was willing to brave the pain again. I tried to think of it as having a very painful injection shot. I hoped the pain from the previous time was a side effect of bottoming out my Mana. Wincing at the expected suffering to come I gingerly said "Heal," and willed the spell to restore me. Once again I felt a shift of some sort of energy and an uncomfortable pulling sensation. Expecting daggers to assault my mind, I scrunched up my eyes and closed my fists tight. A comforting warmth filled me, but there was no pain. Looking down at my status I saw that my Health had risen a further two points to a much safer ten. I breathed deeply as tension fled my body. My Mana had fallen to one; I felt a little woozy but there was no hateful pain. Fighting a wave of mental fatigue I tightened my robe and rose to my feet. No doubt that if this was a game world, then this robe represented my pathetic starting gear. The mystery skill was to be investigated later. A growling in my stomach and dryness in my throat reminded me of my immediate and more pressing needs. Searching around the stone shrine I was prompted with another Quest; Restore the Shrine of Avaria? Yes/No "No," I thought to myself, dismissing the notification from my inner eye. I owed nothing to the 'goddess' who tore me from my comfortable life and thrust me into a world filled with pain and suffering. I needed to find food, water, and some form of protection. I shivered as I remembered my encounter with Avaria in another life. The cold realization that she had all but stripped me of my will with feelings of forced adulation; deigning to mold me as a mere instrument of her awful indomitable will. With the moon high in the sky, there was more than enough light to see. Searching around the altar I found a broken spear. It was split and broken about halfway up the haft. The spear point seemed to be made of sharp stone bound to the half by sinew. I had one of man's oldest and most trusted tools as a weapon. Buoyed by my discovery I searched more of the area, revealing a rolled-up piece of leather parchment tied with what looked like rawhide string. Untying the cord I noticed that there were further knots on the string at varying points down its length. I slowly unraveled the cloth under the moonlit sky, wondering if there was enough light to see by. I was not to be disappointed. Written across animal hide, esoteric symbols glowed a dull red. Fractals and other mind-boggling geometric shapes writhed and changed across the surface. I traced my fingers across the shapes awed by what I saw, feeling an electric sensation playing across their tips. A smile unbidden rose to my face as a voice whispered and a notification flashed across my inner eye; Learn the spell Identify? Yes/No "Yes!" I shouted with joy, the inner child and gamer within me feeling a rush of accomplishment. Another presence made itself felt with images of moldy tomes in a forgotten library, an explorer holding a torch searching the dark ruins of a long-lost civilization, and a wise sage pouring over a mountain of scrolls. " I am 'Identify'. Call and the mysteries of this world you will know, " whispered an echo of a scholarly voice fading into nothing in the recesses of my mind. The esoteric symbols stopped moving, their glow fading as the scroll began to crumble to dust. You have learned Identify (lvl.1) Finally a success in this inscrutable new world. I dared not cast this new spell, memories of my previous agony still haunting me. I decided to wait until I had achieved full Mana once again. Giving myself a mental pat on the back, I began humming the victory tune from my favorite game. Though I knew my night was far from over. I needed to explore my surroundings more. Walking behind the altar I saw a sight that brought relief to my weary soul. At the foot of the hill, I saw a small pond glistening silver. "Water," I thought as I licked dry and parched lips, before noticing small shapes moving around the shore and moonlit waters. I clutched both halves of the broken spear to my chest as I cautiously moved down the hill at a half-crouch. My heart beating in my chest, I stopped perhaps forty paces before the pond. There I saw dark fish-like shapes about half a meter high and two meters long with high crested dorsal fins. On the far side, some were swimming lazily in the pond, while others basked in the moonlit glow making odd yet undeniably musical gurgling mating calls. The creatures reminded me of mudskippers that I once saw in a nature documentary. So alien was the scene in front of me that I took pause. As quietly and as silently as I could, I lowered myself to the ground. Crawling along the soft moist grass I edged ever closer to the pond. Thirst drove my actions as I finally reached its edge. From earth and grass, my hands quested forwards and found fine-grained sand before the water. Resisting the all-conquering thirst for a moment, I peered at my reflection in the water, hazy in the moonlight. Wild frazzled short hair framed a gaunt clean-shaven face. It was hard to see, yet everything felt even more real than my old world. It was as if everything was set to a higher resolution. Gingerly I touched my face before a small wave disturbed my crystalline reflection. Snapping out from my reverie, hands cupped I drank from the silvery water. Slurping quickly, uncaring of the world, sweet blessed relief as I slaked my thirst. I continued to drink heavily as another small wave lapped against the shore of the pond, this time one not of my own making. A few paces away from me two googly eyes on miniature stalks rose up from the water. Bubbles formed where its mouth would be before a ball of water shot with great speed toward me. I flinched and ducked down to the ground, making myself as small as possible as the solid ball of liquid passed over me. A moment later I heard its splash as it landed somewhere behind me. Adrenaline flooded my system, my fingers gripping my scavenged weapons. This close to the creature I felt an equal mixture of sudden surprise, wonder, and fear, which was soon overridden by another scathing hot emotion. Perhaps it was the constant agony that I had been suffering, or possibly the frustration against an uncaring universe, but at that moment I felt a rage I had never felt before. Hot anger boiled within me screaming for an outlet as I scrambled to my feet, launching myself at the oversized fish. My eyes rapidly scanned over the piscine form, the size of a large wolfdog, looking for places to attack. I loudly splashed into the waters, breaking the serene tranquillity of the night as I struck, stabbing with the half-spear in my left and swinging the broken haft like a club with my right. As I engaged the strange creatures I noticed new bubbles had formed again just below the surface. A part of me registered the surprise drawn infinitesimally slowly on the fish's face as my twin blows hit it with a force filled with all of my desperation. The fish creature made a gurgling scream as it reactively launched another ball at my midsection. At this range, the creature could not miss and it felt like a cricket ball had impacted my chest. The pain only spurred my frenzy to greater heights as I repeatedly stabbed and clobbered the creature with both halves of my scavenged spear. A dark purplish film stained the roiling waters as the creature turned tail to flee as I gave a last savage twist with the spearhead. Panting heavily I noticed more of the foul creatures making their way toward me, entering the pond and swimming with considerable speed. I ran with desperation from the water, drawing rapid panicked breaths. My robes were cold, sodden and heavy. I heard splashes on the ground to my left and right, before one of the water balls clipped me on the left shoulder, almost making me drop the half-spear. I doubled my pace as I struggled up the hill, sparing a glance at my status within my inner eye. My Stamina was around half and my Health stood at just under two-thirds. A final dash led me to hide behind the tree as I peered down at the ugly fish creatures below. I gave silent thanks that they moved slowly on land. They seemed to have stopped near the bottom of the hill, a scant few meters from the shore. Panting I continued to look at them, willing them to withdraw. After what seemed like an eternity, but what could have been mere minutes, they turned back as one towards the pond, slipping once again into its silvery waters. I cried, breathing a long sigh of relief before new notifications flashed before me, bringing a sly grimace to my lips; You have slain ??? 10 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Strength You have learned Stealth (lvl.1) It seemed that today I did get the one that got away. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes