~10~ Our Salvation or Damnation?

Prince Cato walked into the training arena that was in the middle of the back courtyard of the castle.

"Are you okay?" Cato asked, Ruy jumping slightly at the sudden voice. Cato swallowed, the dim lights and Ruy's general tall and intimidating stature making him seem unapproachable.

"Yeah, just worried." Ruy shrugged. Cato bit his lip, trying to understand where his brother was coming from. Surprisingly, Ruy started the conversation first.

"Are they cool?" He asked smirking.

"What?"

Ruy pointed his head to the pair of leathery wings on Cato's back.

"Oh, yeah. It's pretty awesome. I got my- our Father's wings. I really want mom's feathered ones, though. The updraft is much less killer on those typed wings. I'm sure you are going to get dad's leather wings when you learn to open them." Cato chuckled, awkwardly shuffling his wings.

"Yeah, I guess." Ruy shrugged.

"Do you not think you can open your wings?" Cato asked.

"No, I'm just... not that attached to opening them. This is all so new to me, and I don't really care about flying. I mean, it seems cool, but I would use it for convenience, for the practicality of having this Dunmer side of me." Ruy chuckled slightly, "Listen to me, I might have the ability to fly and have all these new abilities to help people, and I'm bitching about them. If Soph heard me saying this, she would smack me. She can't stay out of the sky, she is always on Ricin, riding as far as the horizon can take her and exploring new areas. That is one thing I think I could use the Dunmer side for, seeing new places, exploring areas never before seen." Ruy admitted. Cato sat down on Ruy's bed, opening up a box of candies he had on his desk. Ruy didn't even know they existed until Cato started snacking on them.

"Tell me about them." Cato smiled.

"What?"

"Your family? What are they like?" Cato asked, sitting forward in his seat. Ruy puckered out his lip in thought.

"Well, there is Maria and Filomena, they are Sophie's aunts, and Alexios's mothers. Filomena has a tendency to be a bit overbearing. Still, she is the kindest soul you have ever met, and she makes killer pastries. Maria is a bit of a fanatic; if she finished one thing, she is starting another. She runs a fashion line, holds down one of the main Cyevan spy bases in Renisanca, is the head technopath of the guild, and is a popular socialite. If she isn't inventing some new weapon, she is hosting a gala." Ruy smiled.

"Then there is Alvar and Mansi. Alvar is an elf, who stumbled across Inalia years ago, and has been a part of it for years. He is actually one of the voices of reason among the inner circle, but he always somehow gets over his head. Mansi is an extremely powerful pyrokinetic Vatarian from Wamponoug; she joined the Cyevan guild years ago after she escaped a slave trader dealio with Nour and Sophie. She is somewhat hot-headed and loud, but she is awesome to hang out with, and one of the strongest fighters I have ever seen. She and Alvar recently got engaged, actually!" Ruy explained.

"Really? Are they doing an Elven wedding or a Vatarian one?" Cato asked.

"No clue. They haven't had much time to talk about it, things have been a bit crazy ever since they got engaged, with the whole, protecting the world, working in the shadows, the whole deal." Ruy noted.

"Then there is Maha, the hopeless romantic spy who, I swear to the gods, has saved our asses so many times. She has secret identities all over the place, even snuck into the Elven Council as an elf. She is bubbly and light-hearted, but she knows how to be serious when it matters. Then there is Nour, who is honestly the exact opposite of Maha. He is quiet and stern, loves quiet calculation. But once he is around those he trusts, he loosens up a lot, and trust me; he knows how to party. He and Soph are pretty close." Ruy laughed.

"And then, Alexios. He always comes off as this intimidating hulking guy, even a renowned lady killer. In all reality, though, he is a huge dork. He loves astrology and reading, also an amazing trainer for the newcomers. Better then Soph, she just scares the crap out of the newbies. But, he does have a history of, uh, sleeping around a little bit. He hangs out with his sisters, Sophie and Lilac, all the time. They do a bunch together, from planning revolutions to helping with the dishes. But Sophie and Alexios tend to butt heads a lot; I think it is because they are so close together in age." Ruy smiled.

"And... Mentore Morretti? What about her?" Cato coughed. Ruy smiled, nudging his brother a little bit.

"You seem awfully interested in my gorgeous-badass-warrior best friend." Ruy chuckled. Cato laughed, not wanting to admit that he has starting to get feelings for her. Just little a crush, and Cato knew she was too old for him. He barely even knew her.

"It's nothing big..." Cato countered.

Ruy smirked slightly, and he sat back in his chair.

"She's relaxed and composed, and huge dork when she is around people she trusts. The fastest mind I have ever met, one of the biggest hearts aswell. She sometimes has a hard time showing it, but she cares too much about even the smallest things." Ruy smiled slightly.

"She likes to sleep with the windows open; she always trains at 8 in the morning, trains on the nearby beach. She likes adventure books, but also surprisingly enjoys a good romance book. She loves to wear her hair down but will wear it up when she is working. She loves the sky, more than anything."

Ruy droned on in a happy daze, a small smile on his lips.

"She likes red, thinks it's pretty and all, but she really loves azure, more than anything. I still don't know why. She used to like teal a lot, but she fell out of love with the color." Ruy breathed.

"You know a lot about her," Cato noted.

"We are best friends, we have both been through a lot, so it helped us get close," Ruy responded.

"Even though your mom did... you know? It seems like you two should be mortal enemies." Cato cringed. Ruy took a shaky breath.

"She never judged anyone on their parents or past mistakes. She sees them for how they treat others, how they carry themselves, how they believe the world should be." Ruy shrugged, "She surrounds herself with dreamers."

Cato looked like he wanted to say something, but Ruy's attention went elsewhere.

Ruy glanced at the stone walls surrounding the castle, and his eyes widened as he noticed the gathering crowds outside the palace walls. The Dunmer people tried to fly over the walls, but plunked against a forcefield surrounding the palace, and were forced to land. They seemed to be curious and almost worried.

"What are they doing?" Ruy asked.

"They are trying to see you," Cato explained.

"Me? Why?" Ruy asked, worried they were ready to riot.

"Everyone in any Dunmer cavern has heard of the Lost Prince. Even though nothing official has come out, it is no secret that he has come home. He is the eldest of the King's sons, and people want to see the newest member of the royal family."

"Agh, jeez. Am I going to have to, like, kiss babies and smile for pictures and stuff?" Ruy groaned.

"No, maybe a little, but nothing too bad. If you don't want to, make Kalem do it. He loves to have people kiss his boots." Cato snorted. Ruy went silent, glancing at the walls once more.

"Show me around." Ruy decided.

"What? No, we can't leave the castle-"

"What if it isn't us leaving?" Ruy proposed.

"Uh, no. You may not be recognizable yet, but I am-" Cato watched in confusion as Ruy pulled out two cloaks.

"I'm an Assassin. Let's just say sneaking in and out of places is my forte." Ruy smiled. Cato took the cloak in his hand, awkwardly shuffling it to cover his wings. Ruy pulled the hood up, and right before he left the training grounds, he closed his eyes and focused. He tried to hear if his friends was calling for him if they needed him.

But he felt no transmissions.

Ruy didn't know if he should feel relieved or more worried.

But Ruy turned to his younger brother and smiled, and Cato led them out of the castle to explore the Dunmer Kingdom.

Ruy followed Cato's lead as they snuck out of the castle through the servant's quarters. He followed as his younger brother somewhat expertly passed the guards. Ruy made a note to teach his youngest brother some Assassin techniques.

They walked down the side of the cavernous hillside, delving deeper and deeper into the city. Cato awkwardly jumped over a stone fence and into an alley, Ruy smoothly following after him. The two princes stepped out of the alleyway, and Ruy's mouth went dry. Towering stone buildings built in towers, temples, shops, everything.

There were humming crystals and glittering gold casually scattered about, almost like they had an abundance of all of these priceless commodities.

Some Dunmer were walking on the beautiful cobbled roads with their wings tucked behind them; some were casually gliding around, holding baskets or bags of their items.

It was a menagerie of horns, wings, tattoos, claws, fangs, almost everything.

In comparison to some of his people, Ruy's father was quite bland.

Cato nervously held his cloak around his shoulders, and Ruy elbowed him slightly.

"That only makes you more suspicious," Ruy whispered.

"How would you know how to blend in?" Cato snapped.

Ruy looked at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Right, Assassin, sorry." Cato breathed. Ruy easily kept his hood up while also looking casual.

"Keep your shoulders loose; only bring your hood far enough down to cover your eyes, put your arms at your side." Ruy breathed. Cato followed Ruy's instructions, and he blended in much more.

Ruy followed as Cato guided through the intricate city, the buildings so tall they seemed to touch the top of the crystalized cavern.

Ruy stopped by a stall, a small little thing run by a man with crooked wings. The man made small talk with Ruy as he happily looked over the trinkets. Cato was off to find some item he wanted, leaving Ruy to look around himself.

"Have you heard about the new Prince?" The man asked. Even though Ruy tried to restrain it, he flinched, but he looked at the man innocently.

"Can't say I have." Ruy sighed.

"The Lost Prince is rumored to have come home finally. A handsome one, by the reports of the maids who have glimpsed him. Powerful, too, has mastered his Vatarian soul, and is rumored to have been training with the Cyevan Assassins." The man whispered, leaning forward. Ruy spat a curse under his breath.

They shouldn't know so much about him; they shouldn't.

"What do you think about him?" Ruy whispered. The man hummed in thought, blowing out a breath as Ruy plucked up a small golden object and observed it.

"I think he is our salvation, in all honesty." The man chuckled. Ruy's blood turned to ice, and he turned to the man open-mouthed.

"You can't be serious. No offense to the Prince, but he is the bastard born half breed son the king had almost 20 years ago. What effect could he have on all of you- on us?" Ruy breathed. The man glared at Ruy and simply shook out his crooked wings.

"Say that if you will, but I was alive when that little boy came. Half Vatarian, Half Dunmer royalty. The mother was never quite... there, but the King? The King was overjoyed to have his little son! King Dorian did everything for him, and when that vile mother of his stole him from our King, he shut down. He became empty, inactive. He eventually married our wonderful Queen, had the Princes, but he was never the same after he lost Ruy." The man looked at Ruy with so much hope in his eyes, Ruy was slightly overwhelmed,

"That boy is now the age where he is intelligent enough to make his own decisions. He is half Vatarian, he could be able to be our key to flying beyond the cavern and reuniting with the Vatarians above. But our King... he is still damaged. Anyone snaps at him, and he will either explode or slink back and go quiet. Maybe the hope of his son returning can give him back his hope, his fire that the stupid mother stomped out of him when she robbed him of their son." The man slumped down.

"Does everyone think this way?" Ruy asked quietly, the sudden weight of this man's hope pressing down on his shoulders.

"No, a lot of people share my expectations of Prince Ruy, but the hope I have for the royal family and the King?" The man sighed, looking over the bustling crowds of the Dunmer citizens.

"After he lost his son, the King just... stopped operating in the way he used to. He still ran the Dunmer kingdom, but, he just lost his luster. And, since then, people have started to lose their faith in the crown." The man admitted.

"Is it-"

"What are you going to do about it?!" A voice called out. The stallkeeper and Ruy whipped their heads around, staring at a newly gathered circle.

"Is that Prince Cato?!" The stallkeep gaped, glancing at the confrontation. Ruy didn't answer, instead of pushing his way through the wings and people to the center.

In the middle, was a crowd of maybe three 17-year-old Dunmer kids, two boys, and one girl. They all hounded on Cato, who's hood was ripped off his head, revealing his face.

"Tell me, princy, what are you going to do about it?" One of them asked, holding Cato's object out of his reach. In the older boy's reach, was a carved and polished azure stone. CAaved around it, was a slender crystal dragon.

Azure, Sophie's favorite color.

Damn, Cato was head over heels for Sophie.

"Take it from me, take some action. You won't, just like your dad, you will sit on your ass and wait for it to come back to you." The boy mocked. Cato's face was one of fury, and his fist was clenched as he tried to swipe away the jewel.

"Give it back to me! I need to meet someone-"

"Is it your little girlfriend, have you finally managed to not scare away anyone? Is that why you got this little thing?" The Dunmer girl cackled, snatching it out of the hand of her friend.

"No, stop-"

"Hey!" Ruy roared. Everyone went quiet as Ruy stepped forward, watching him as he stepped in front of Cato. Cato barely moved from his spot, but Ruy noticed that his younger brother took the smallest step closer to him. The three others looked him up and down, squaring him up.

"And who are you?" One of the boys asked.

"Doesn't matter to you. But harassing him?" Ruy snatched the small jewel out of the girl's hands, her wings bristling with surprise.

"Does matter. Get lost, you act high and mighty, but you all are spoiled brats that don't know how small you are in the scale of the world." Ruy snapped. They stared blankly at him, and the girl looked him up and down, biting her lip when she spotted Ruy's pointed canines.

Ruy scoffed.

"I'm not interested, toddler. I'm into those who treat everyone with respect. Go. Home."

"Don't talk to her like that!" The boy snapped. Ruy slammed the crystal in Cato's hand, closing his fingers around it.

"I will talk to her better when you all learn to act like grown adults and not bratty children." Ruy spat. He turned on his heel, placing a hand on Cato's back and leading him through the crowd.

Too many people, there were too many people looking at them.

Ruy was stewing in his anger that he didn't even hear the footsteps running up behind him.

And he couldn't react fast enough as one of the boys yanked down his hood.

Sophie would have scolded him, snapping at him to never get too lost in himself to ignore his surroundings.

Ruy cursed as everyone gasped, huddling away from him.

The Lost Prince glared daggers at the now shaking teenager.

"He looks just like the King!"

"Could it be him?"

"No, he is too young to be the king..."

"But the right age to be Prince Ruy!"

"That's him?!"

Whispers broke out among the crowd, and Ruy stepped closer to the shaking kid.

"If you make me repeat myself, I'm going to punch you so hard you are going to see stars. Leave my brother and me alone. Do I make myself clear?" Ruy seethed. They all nodded, and the whispers continued as Ruy and Cato pushed their way through the crowd.

Ruy pushed up Cato's hood, leading him by the back through the crowd and into one of the shadowed alleyways. Ruy didn't say anything, and everyone knew better than to follow them.

"I'm sorry." Cato breathed. Ruy didn't answer.

"I just wanted to get something for Amalia, to... help her alliance with the Dunmer. When someone landed, the wind they made blew up my hood for a second. They pounced the minute they saw my face." Cato explained quietly. Ruy was still deadly quiet, his eyes trained outside of the alleyway as he scanned for any more possible threats.

"I'm going to train you." Ruy finally turned back to Cato, "When we get back to the castle. You need to know what to do if that happens again."

"Dad says I'm not allowed to train until I'm older."

"Well, it's a good thing I don't give a shit what he thinks. I'm not going to let that happen again, do you understand?"

Cato nodded silently.

Ruy let out a breath.

He smiled, and his eyes glanced over the stone in Cato's hands.

"Azure, huh?" Ruy smiled. Cato nodded, holding the crystal out for Ruy to examine.

"Could you hold onto it? Until we get back?" Cato proposed. Ruy smiled, and he brushed his fingers over the crystal. He gripped it in his hand, and a sudden sensation overcame him.

"Ruy?" Cato asked as Ruy fell to his knees. Ruy coughed, watching as blood dribbled out of his mouth.

Again? Why does this keep happening?!

"Ruy!" Cato hissed as Ruy propped himself on his elbows. Cato tried to grab the crystal from Ruy's fingers, but they were gripped tightly around it.

A woman flashed in front of Ruy's eyes.

Blond hair, shaking body.

Cato tried to shake Ruy out of his trance.

She looked up, trying to look for someone.

Brown eyes.

Ruy cursed as Sophie wobbled up on her feet.

Cato's desperate words droned out as Sophie's hiccuped pants echoed in his head.

Quietly, almost silently, he whispered,

"Blondie?

Sophie didn't look at Kynareth through her mop of unbound hair. Sophie's white robes and silver armor slowly started to decay, the cloth rip and the metal turning to rust on her body. The pain only continued to roar through her spine, and Sophie snarled her teeth in anger. Kynareth only tucked her fingers underneath Sophie's chin and forced the Assassin to look her in the eyes. Sophie glared at the goddess and was well aware that she wore an amulet around her neck that supposedly held Kynareth close to her heart. Right now, Sophie wouldn't mind if Kynareth dropped dead.

"Go to my temple, in the neutral territories atop the Throat of the World. Only then will you know how everything fits into place for you..." Only the smallest amount of fear was in Kynareth's eyes when she glared at Sophie, "And for me."

Kynareth looked at the frozen Vespera and looked lazily back at Sophie.

"Don't worry, you will have a sliver of the power I grant you for this little scuffle of yours. So you realize I'm not your enemy." Kynareth smiled.

"Get bent," Sophie snarled through her gritted teeth, blood spurting from her mouth. Kynareth only glared at Sophie, and got so close to Sophie, she could smell the metal tang of Sophie's blood from her mouth.

"You will do as I say. And if I can't convince you," Kynareth only chuckled.

"I'm sure your little Lilac will be able to change your mind." She smiled. Sophie turned even paler, and she tried to lift her shaking body off the floor.

"One hand on her, I swear, one hand-"

"Or your loyal brother? Or those little elves you work so hard to protect?" Kynareth proposed. Kynareth's face slightly lit up with an idea, and she stared at her groveling Heiress.

"Maybe even that Prince of yours." Kynareth smiled. Sophie nearly went limp.

"He isn't mine, he is his own person, leave him out of this-"

"He has been through so much. The abuse from his mother and that Neverseen group, being treated like a weapon and not a son. Being suddenly thrust into the Dunmer royal family, not allowed to fight with his real family..."

Sophie shook from anger, not from Kynareth taunting her, but for Vespera.

Sophie didn't care what Vespera used to be, that she used to be a cheerful young girl.

She was responsible for the Fall of Inalia.

She was responsible for her Father's death

She has put Keefe through so much, in alliance with Gisela.

And Ruy, treating him as a weapon, marter, and tool to be used for her own selfish gain.

Sophie was going to rip her limb from limb.

Sophie looked up at Kynareth with a new rage in her eyes, and the goddess only smiled.

"Now you know, I'm not your first enemy. What's that human saying? Choose the lesser evil? No matter what I say, you are going to see me as an enemy and obstacle for your own endeavors at the very best. You need me, and I need you." Kynareth noticed that the black void was starting flicker and delay. She looked over her shoulder, a violent wind ripping at her snowy hair and long furs, and she smiled. Her teeth shone as brightly as the glint of her black horns, and she made Sophie feel so small.

"See you at the temple." She smirked.

She snapped her fingers.

And she was gone.

The pain in Sophie's back slowly started to dull away, but Sophie remained on the polished black floor, staring at herself as she took long panted breathes. Her body slowly began to regain strength, and Sophie pushed herself onto her feet. The only sound in the void was Sophie's pants, and she reached up behind her to feel for her back. There was no pain, no open wounds, no blood. But when Sophie ran her hand over where her hand-inked tattoo once sat in her skin, she gasped. Even if she couldn't see the tattoo, she felt it.

And it was something entirely new.

It breached beyond the crook of her spine, branching off to her whole back and the edges of her shoulders. Instead of roots, they felt like swirls of moving ink. The ink was beneath Sophie's skin, but it felt like it was there, almost like it was a breath of a cloud among her fingertips as she poorly traced the lines. Right in the middle of the crook of her spine was three different shapes, but Sophie couldn't identify what they were just by feeling their breathy ink. Sophie tried to look for an exit, for anything.

But came up empty-handed.

Sophie noticed Vespera was also gone, but she had a feeling that was Kynareth's doing.

"Hello?" Sophie called out, her scratchy voice echoing.

Alone, brutally alone.

A familiar feeling set into Sophie, the sense of loneliness in the sight of a massive threat, calling for help, and having no one there to truly help her. To guide her without any expectations of payment. Her body still ached, still barked in pain, and taking steps hurt every part of her legs.

She felt a chill from gods knows where, and realized, she was completely bare, her armor rusted off her body from Kynareth's doing.

She barked a curse but felt a brittle whirl of wind from behind her, and she swiveled on her heel. Behind her, was a poorly made black cloak with undergarments and red hand wraps, that's all. Sophie neared it carefully, noticing a piece of parchment resting atop the clothing.

Make your own way out, and not only will you be in your mortal lands, but you will get a taste of what belongs to you. Of your real armor, your right weapons.

Your true power.

Sophie crumbled the note in her hand, throwing it aside and quickly clothing herself. It wasn't real clothing, but it was something to cover herself.

Sophie took her aching mind and body, reaching out for anyone. But in every direction her powerful telepathy went, she hit dead ends. The crushing fear of loneliness suffocated Sophie again, her panic setting in. Her family was out there being slaughtered, and she couldn't even find one stupid exit.

Her telepathy turned wobbly, turned frantic as Sophie let out a sob. She hated this, she hated her weakness. She hated the fact that the darkness wasn't the warm darkness she learned to love but a cold, brutal, and unforgiving black that had none of the love she found in the quiet of night and twilight.

She hated the fact that the only sound was the sounds of her barely contained sobs.

Her telepathy went dead, and she shuddered in defeat.

Anybody, that was what she needed.

Anybody that could hear her that could see her-

"Blondie?" A panicked voice sounded from behind her. Sophie whipped around so fast she nearly got whiplash.

It was a column of gentle light, looking almost like running water. And, almost like a fantastical hologram, was Ruy Ignis. He stood in the light, his hands pressed against the running light virtually like it was a pane of glass holding him from her. Sophie let out a gasp of relief, and ran her hands through the light, trying to reach him.

But she couldn't feel his warmth, couldn't smell him, couldn't truly hold him. The minute her hands touched the light, she felt her body go light, almost like she was being evaporated. The light didn't do Ruy justice. It didn't show the handsome straights of his face, made his hair look shorter and cleaner compared to his real windswept strands. His eyes didn't have their signature bronze and violet glow among the azure iris. Almost like it was a poorly made painting of him, but one where you could recognize him. By the looks on his face, his image of her was just as blurred and inaccurate.

"Soph, what-"

"How is this happening?" Sophie breathed, her body slowly beginning to feel lighter.

"You did this. I did this? The crystal..." Ruy breathed.

"What?"

"I- don't- there was a crystal. A crystal that I grabbed, and it just started... showing me you hurt and tired- where are you?! What's happening?" Ruy tried to reach for Sophie too, but the sheet of light made it impossible. Sophie continued to feel lighter, and the black mass flickered again and again. Ruy looked over Sophie, looking over her face and her poorly clothed body.

"What happened to you-"

Sophie began to feel heaviness in her body, almost like there was a real mass returned to it.

She was going back to reality.

"Ruy..." Sophie sobbed, her knees wobbling as fell to them. Ruy dropped with her, him yelling words at her as he tried to get her to listen to him. She realized that this connection between them, it wasn't telepathic. It was something more. But ringing filled Sophie's ears, she couldn't hear his desperate words.

She didn't know how this was happening, but at the moment, she didn't care.

"Help..." Sophie whimpered. Ruy's face dropped as she whispered that word.

Sophie looked him in the eyes one final time, the black void flickering and bending as Sophie was pulled from it.

"Help." Sophie begged louder, her voice cracking. A tear fell Ruy's eye as Sophie begged him, but in the blink of an eye, Sophie was ripped from the void and back into reality.

Sanaa groaned as she hiked up the hill, stretching out her creaking bones. She glared up the hill, which only had a few more steps to go, and tucked a strand of her silvery gray hair behind her ear as she kept going. She had this image, an image that she felt Amalia would be able to help with. An image of the old Inalia and the new coming together to reestablish themselves in society. But to do that, she needed to find the old Vatarians before she could introduce them to the new Vatarians.

Along with Sanaa herself, others want what she wished aswell. Three days ago, she was approached by a cloaked winged woman and a wingless cloaked woman. They both pulled down their hoods, revealing themselves as the Dunmer Queen Sarai and her attendant Lysandra.

Sanaa listened as Queen Sarai explained how she wished for the Republic to be established once again, along with the old ways and forms of the Ancient Vatarians. Sanaa questioned why the Queen would wish of this, but she was very mysterious of it all. Queen Sarai and Lysandra explained how they would help Sanaa rebuild the old Vatarians; in all of the Vatarian cities, if Sanaa could just locate the Ancient Vatarians. Then they could help with the rest.

Sanaa hummed sweetly as she thought about the old Inalia. Her family was immigrants from Avrima, they lived in a small village outside of the capital of Inalia.

Hell, the Vatarian cities weren't cities to begin with, they were Kingdoms. Vast territories with cities worshipping the center Capitals.

Now they were small cities hidden by hasty technology.

Sanaa stopped dead, her nose filled with scents she hasn't smelt in years.

"Impossible," Sanaa breathed. Sanaa's carved cane could barely keep up with her as she waddled the last couple of steps up the hill. She scrambled over the peak of the hill and gasped.

Miles upon miles upon hundreds of more miles of tents, fires, and Vatarians.

The Ancient Vatarians.

Not just Ancient Inalians, all of the Vatarian Ancients were camped out.

"Gods above-"

"Sanaa?" A voice called out. Sanaa whipped her head around, watching as a small group of Vatarians hiked up the same hill, holding large amounts of firewood bundled in their arms.

"Hello," Sanaa smiled at all of them.

"Sanaa, is it really you?! The Sanaa?" They all claimed. Sanaa stretched out her back, holding her cane for them, the infamous cane that she is known for. They all gasped and exclaimed in wonder at Sanaa, the Ancient Vatarian who has traveled the world.

"Who is your elder?"

"We have multiple elders since we have thousands of Ancient Vatarians in this camp." A young lady piped up, her ears pointed, and her fangs poking out.

"Bring me to where I can speak with them," Sanaa asked, leaning back on her cane. They all scrambled to help her, one of them allowing to take their arm as they descended down the hill.

"What do you need to discuss with them?" The young Vatarian asked, holding onto Sanaa's arm.

"Reuniting with the Vatarian cities, along with the modern-day Vatarians living in them," Sanaa answered. They all squeaked and went quiet, but Sanaa just smiled and continued into the encampment.

It was time the old traditions and way of the Vatarians was reunited with their cities.

Along with reinstituting the Old Republic as the government for Inalia once more.

"The Elders are often gathered up there." A young vatarian explained, pointing a clawed finger to the top of the mountains. Through the clouds shrouding the tips of the snow-covered mountains, a massive stone temple could be seen.

"Why in the name of the gods are they all the way up there?!" Sanaa complained, moaning about her old and tired feet.

"That is a temple of Kynareth, along with it being build by a forge of Byzanthar. The elders go up there to discuss life-changing decisions and altering information. They call it the Throat of the World. The Elders say images have come to them in dreams, of who they believe is Kynareth whispering to them about an Heiress."

"An Heir?! You are joking; even in the age of my prime, they didn't exist!" Sanaa gasped.

"It is just village gossip, but it is the most reliable way to know why they locked themselves up there. But, we all feel it. All of the gods are shifting in their realm, not just Kynareth." One of the young Vatarians shrugged. Sanna bit her lip in thought, something coming up in the back of her mind.

Amalia's little guild has Kynareth as their matron goddess, even if they are more guided by reality rather than their god. Could it be possible for one of them has been selected by Kynareth? Sanaa kept using their arm to keep her shaky hands steady, but she looked up at the peak of the highest mountain.

"Interesting." Sanaa decided.

"Would you like us to summon them down from the peak-"

"No, no, I can handle this. It is only a few thousand steps." Sanaa groaned, looking up the thin set of snow-dusted stairs leading to the peak of the mountain.

"Sanaa, you cannot be serious! I don't mean to be rude, but in your age, it may-" Sanaa thwacked the worried Vatarian in the leg with her cane, glaring at them.

"I just spent weeks upon weeks walking and exploring trying to find this stupid camp, I can handle a few more stairs," Sanaa claimed. The wood collecting Vatarians glanced at one another. Sanna's knuckled fingers tightened around the top of her cane as she sized up the mountain.

"If the gods are unsettled, then our times are changing. So are our realities." Sanaa explained.

"Are we really going to rebuild the Vatarian kingdoms?" one of the Vatarians asked.

"We can hope. That is all we have."

Nour watched as Vespera and Amalia vanished into thin air, gone in a flash of light the minute their hands touched the rope. Keefe didn't even blink as his melder hit his mother straight in the chest, knocking her unconscious faster than Nour even knew what was happening. Keefe's body was angled to protect Councilor Bronte, and he had not a single flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Keefe let out a breathe and met eyes with Bronte and Nour.

"Not bad," Nour smirked. Keefe glanced at where the golden rope was once levitating, and he whipped his head around for Sophie and Vespera.

"Where-"

"We have no clue. The minute their hands touched that thing, they disappeared." Nour explained. Bronte was gaping at the hulking Assassin, staring in confusion at the mark under his eye.

"Staring is rude you know," Nour snapped.

"Councilor Bronte, this is Nour..." Keefe trailed as he blanked on Nour's last name.

"Nour Dawound." Nour spat.

Keefe smiled in thanks, "He is one of Sophie's closest friends and a high ranking soldier in the Cyevan Assassin guild. He and I were sent to retrieve to the golden cord, but, that didn't go too well." Keefe butt in, trying to keep the hulking Assassins away from the scared Councilor.

"You are working with them?!" Bronte asked.

"Yes, I trust Sophie and her family. Everyone who is apart of my team is working with them." Keefe chuckled. A sudden boom shook through Foxfire, and Nour cursed in what Keefe guesses was Egypitnat.

"What the hell just happened?!" Keefe asked, holding onto the wall as the building shook. Nour held up a finger and he closed his eyes, pulling the same trick he did earlier when he searched for Gisela. He paled, and he glanced at Bronte.

"You need to go downstairs with your people. I am sensing large amounts of people leaving the building. My first guess is they are evacuating the school."

"Already? I thought we had more-" A massive boom shuddered the school again, the floor rumbling and walls shaking. But there was a sound Keefe recognized anywhere.

The sound of silence.

The sound of the roaring firewall extinguished.

"Mansi..." Nour breathed worriedly. He glared at both of them before glancing at where his Mentore once was.

"We need to get you all out of here. Now."

Nour swallowed the bile in his throat.

"The wall was just broken through." Nour breathed.

Sofia blew air out of her nose in the empty Vacker mansion. Her family told her where they were going, and that she was going to lock the doors and stay hidden.

But it was super boring!

She was worried about her family, about her siblings. But she was also worried about Amalia, Lilac, and Alexios. Or how they were fighting off the hordes of Neverseen soldiers.

Sofia remembered the big basket of Inalian goodies Amalia packed for her a while back, and she snacked on big golden apples and fluffy pastries and giant marshmallows, reading through the Inalian books and games they included. They were fun, but better with friends.

What would happen if the Neverseen got through?! What if...

Sofia's eyes got hot when she thought of the mortal danger her family was in.

Her loving parents, her siblings... what if they don't come back?

What will happen to her?

Will she-

"HELP!" A shrill voice pounded through Sofia's head. Sofia gasped, dropping her glass and holding her head, the cup shattering on the floor.

"Owwwww, ow, ow, ow!" Sofia moaned, holding her pounding head.

"SOFIA, HELP!" The voice screamed. Sofia gaped, finally recognizing the voice. How is this possible, she wasn't a telepath-

"SOFIA, ANSWER ME!" Lilac's voice screamed through her head.

"Lilac?!" Sofia breathed.

"YES, YES, SOFIA IT'S ME-"

"How is this possible?! How-"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

Big boy chapter!

Btw, the picture of Kynareth is actually what she is described as, I tried to include it in the last chapter when she is introduced, but I couldn't find it in my camera roll.

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_Sibylline_