My Cardinal Time Chapter 1

 It's been a while since I've been able to write, but I've found new motivation in beginning the following story. In "My Cardinal Time," cynical witch Ruby Wing and troubled student Alex Lark form Cardinal Mystic Consulting, a team dedicated to using their magic to help clients with insurmountable problems. Love, drama, and magical intrigue await in Comalan's first new tale in years! This story will likely be my main creative focus for the foreseeable future, so be sure to check out our Patreon if you're enjoying it! The latest chapter will always be posted there first!

Chase the Shadow

If there was one thing Ruby Wing hated more than anything else, it was strangers. What a cruel irony it is that finds me in the business of helping people, she gloomily reflected one summer night as she stared at her latest client across her desk with a tense expression on her face. He held a pistol in his hand, pointed toward the floor, and wore a crazed, desperate look. 

“I was to believe that you would have an answer for me by last evening!” the belligerent client roared, his ashen face contorted with pain. “If I am to be married–tomorrow, mind you–let it be with the knowledge that nothing has happened between her and Felix or not at all!”

Ruby stared deeply into her desktop as she fetched an envelope from her tote bag, a weary gloom seeping into her face as she began to explain, “Not at all, from the looks of it. Yes, I’ve been busy, but I had a look in after you called me this morning. With this in hand, your family won’t mourn the lost dowry. ”

The client took the envelope and emptied the photographs into his trembling lap. Upon studying each of the seven images in turn, his face drained even further of color. With a ghastly wail, he hunched over in his seat, propping his chin up with the muzzle of his weapon. 

“Dowry be damned! Don’t you see that I am undone?”

Ruby sighed and extended her right hand in the man’s direction, palms facing downward. Her eyes flashed with a red glow as she quickly clenched her hand into a fist. 

“That is quite enough of that,” she growled, and the weapon was quickly reduced to powder. 

In response, the client could only gawk.at her as she stood from her desk with a roar of frustration. She began to slowly and stiffly pace the room, a cold energy crackling from every pore as she passed by the man, who had begun to shrink into his chair. After a straight minute of this, she finally rounded on him and growled, “I think you fundamentally misunderstand the services I provide. So far, you have tasked me only with finding the truth of your fiancee and your friend and I have done so, despite making it perfectly clear that any civilian investigator could have done so far more cheaply!”

Ripples of sleet began to fall from the ceiling as Ruby continued to rant, “So let me remind you that the purpose of this firm is to use magic to solve difficult problems! Now that we have finally identified your true problem, why don’t we finally discuss what you actually need from me so urgently from me in particular that it is worth prioritizing you over other cases of life-defining import?”

The chill immediately dropped into the air and the sleet began to dissipate. Ruby took a seat behind her desk. “If your aim is truly to die, that can be arranged, or would you, perhaps, prefer for me to use time magic to un-fuck her?”

Finally, the little man in the chair finally found his voice. “I no longer want her, but I am terrified to live without her.”

Ruby sighed dramatically and whipped her wrist, causing the door to the lobby to swing open. In a distinctly monotonous tone, she mumbled. “Don’t be. You’ll find a way to live on. Focus on yourself and remember that life is too precious to throw away for fleeting pain. You already know what you need to do and you’re going to do it because that’s how this all ends with the least pain.”

The man’s face fell as Ruby silently allowed him this moment of introspection. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, 

“I have to take the role in Amora”

Ruby nodded with relief, her frayed nerves already calming. “Yes, please move away! If it helps you, there is important work in your future for which you can expect all due reward if you heed my words.”

The client bolted out of his seat and smiled awkwardly. “Well, as ill-tempered as you’ve been, you have genuinely helped me. I assure you that your payment will be made in full by tomorrow morning.”

Ruby shook her head roughly. “It will be made in coin, by your own hand, at my residence exactly three hours from now.” Her eyes pierced his very soul as she added, “And don’t you dare assume that I’m unaware of what exactly you meant by payment. I promise that any attempt to cross me will end better for me than it does for you.”

“Madam Wing, I’ve nothing but gratitude for your unique solution to my crisis!” the man said with a pleasant nod as he put on his hat and made for the door. “I assure you that you will have your coin! Have a pleasant evening!”

Ruby, knowing full well that he was lying, only smirked and said with a particular emphasis, “Enjoy your new life in Amora, Director Starr.”

Then, knowing full well that the client was already on a timeline that did not lead to him taking her advice, she watched him walk away with a sigh. It is something I will have to deal with later, she thought as she glanced at the clock.

This latest case, nothing but a waste of time in Ruby’s mind, had taken up too much of her evening, because tonight was supposed to be a special night before this apparent scandal had ruined it. She had worked for over a month to get a decently reliable tip on a much more important case. Tonight, had she been at a certain place at a certain time, she might have had a chance to spot Bron. The name clung to her mind as a wistful stare into nothing sharply contrasted her previous frustration. 

Needless to say, thanks to this insecure lordling and his drama, Ruby was not in that particular place at that particular time. Realizing that she had missed her date, her mood completely soured once more. She wordlessly cleaned up the office, now empty apart from her and stumbled out the front door, nearly shattering the glass with the force with which she had closed it. She sighed momentarily with relief before locking the door and dragging her feet dejectedly down Twilight Street. 

Clearly, it was time for a long visit to The Dark Library.

***

Turning down Page Street as it intersected with Twilight, Ruby couldn’t help but smile as her eyes drank in the familiar sight of her favorite establishment in Seres. The Dark Library was a place that stood out in more ways than one in this city of scholars. Firstly, the tiny, black wooden building was nestled tightly between two gargantuan offices of marble construction. As if this didn’t make it hard enough to miss, a large sign which nearly covered the entirety of its front wall proudly bore its name in glowing red letters. 

Ruby approached the building and suddenly felt an urge to look behind her. Seeing nothing there, she pushed the burgundy door open with a sigh, then a shrug. Inside, she would see a much larger space than one could possibly contain with such tiny walls. While it looked from the outside as if fewer than five people could occupy the building shoulder-to-shoulder, the inside was a sprawling sea of tables of varying sizes, with three of the surrounding walls covered in bookshelves. At the opposite end from the entrance lay a bar, currently manned only by the owner–a man who made it a point to conceal his identity with a faded yellow shroud. 

“Welcome Madam Wing,” the shrouded man said gruffly. “It’s a slow night, so take a seat wherever you like.”

“More like a slow month, right, Sunny?” Ruby said with a frown as she gazed across the empty room–a rare occurrence for this place.

The bartender nodded and gave a long, drawn out sigh in reply.

“Exams, I take it?” Ruby asked, rolling her eyes somewhat. 

“Whoever’s bloody idea it was for every college in town to hold their exams at the same time owe me for weeks of lost business! Your coin is paying my rent this month, Madam!” the man called Sunny roared in a booming voice.

The Dark Library, one of only two drinking establishments of note in the city of Seres, was almost tailor-made to appeal specifically to the legions of harried scholars who called the city home. To Ruby it was a place where one could enjoy a quiet drink and read from one of the thousands of tomes which surrounded her. She wasn’t displeased to see it so empty, but could understand why Sunny might be.

“Chin up, Barkeep! You know the week after will be a lively one! You have so many celebrating future graduates and poor test takers in need of consolation to look forward to!”

Sunny nodded and said, “I would thank you for your encouragement, but I know your motives aren’t selfless! You are still paying my expenses in the meantime, so no complimentary drinks for you this evening!!”

Ruby sighed and muttered “You’re welcome, dick!” before retreating to her favorite table, a smaller one in the corner closest to where the entrance was located. Though she had always appreciated that the owner of the bar wasn’t one to mince words, what he had just said had hurt her feelings somewhat. Is that what people think of me, that I would never do something so simple as to reassure someone who is struggling without any ulterior motive? Such a thought would normally have never bothered her under normal circumstances, but it came to her then on a night in which she had begun to question the value of helping people. Her business, moderately successful as it was, seemed to warp into something that was both drastically different from what she had originally envisioned and difficult for her to control.

What’s the point? It’s just meaningless busywork for entitled assholes with more money than genuine problems!

The sour mood that settled into her mind was quick to abate as she called a book to her table with a lazy flick of her hand, a tome that would avail to her the true tales of heroes who reached for the gods’ power and changed the world for their troubles. How did they do it? She wondered to herself with a bittersweet smile as she pored over a page which described the day a hulking warrior blanketed an invading army of aberrations under a river of flames with a single swing of his gargantuan blade. It took more than power, she knew, for she had more than plenty. But to change the world in a meaningful way like the legendary figures she so admired seemed so far beyond her grasp.

With her abilities, she could bend whole cities to her will with minimal effort, but her disdain for mankind didn’t extend so far as to actively want to cause another’s suffering. For her, it was important to be known well for something that left no bitter memories for those who were part of her story. Why she felt this way was a mystery that continued to elude her even after roughly three decades of life to ponder it.

As she continued to read, the reason she had so recently struggled to find for the work she chose came back to her– as it did every night she returned to the Dark Library. Through Cardinal, she had hoped to be a hero to her community, educating others about how magic could be used to better the day-to-day lives of the people around you. How it had been twisted into something so insignificant was a question she asked herself every night that she ambled into this bar. Yet, every time she always walks out with no answer, but the faintest glimmer of hope that the tale she read that day was possible in the world she experienced every day..

But today, she would have her answer in the curt warning Sunny gave her before she took her seat. Could it be the case, she wondered, that there is a good reason the only clients I attract are so undeserving of my aid? What if the difference between me and these heroes is something I’ve done to the people around me? 

These thoughts brought a prickle to her skin. As if suddenly regaining her awareness of where she was, she began to feel uncomfortable that she had just dipped into such honest introspection in public. With a sigh, she closed her book and lifted it into the air, giving it to an unseen force to carry back to its shelf. Feeling a strong desire to continue these thoughts while nestled beneath her warm and soft bed covers, she left a few coins on the table–even suppressing her petty urge to pay in Galean conches in retaliation for his last comment. Finally, she quickly gulped down the rest of her third drink– a neat, dark amber cocktail with plenty of ice– and waved to the barkeep on her way out the door. 

It was with a slightly improved mood that Ruby stepped out onto Twilight Street, resolving to think more about her unhealthy attitude towards other people and how her business might improve from changing it. After all, she couldn’t expect people to ask for her help if she had a reputation for being so stingy with it that she couldn’t even offer a friendly word of encouragement without any expectation of benefitting from the act.

As she continued to ponder the latest major lifestyle change upon which she had decided while drinking, she stumbled slightly in her solitary trek back to the office–which was also her residence–seemingly oblivious to a presence that had been shadowing her since she left the bar. In truth, she had spotted the squat man behind her had entered The Dark Library while she was reading and had been following her ever since she left, presumably impressed with his own sneakiness.

Instead of turning down Page Street as intended, she walked past the intersection and turned instead onto an alleyway that separated a coffee shop from the neighboring Midanian restaurant. She could practically hear the snicker of her shadow, likely confused as to why she would turn down that way. But when he followed her into the alleyway, he found himself looking at Read on Twilight, the bookstore across the street, behind whose sign he had hidden just moments before. Perplexed, he rounded quickly on the spot, as if expecting to see something different. Unfortunately, what greeted him was the very same store. 

Gritting his teeth, the short stalker charged into the alleyway, attempting to ignore the iportal that now stood before him through sheer willpower, with the result being to end up back on Twilight Street each time. After several moments of this, Ruby chuckled, unseen by the hunter-turned-prey. On his next attempt to bluster through her spatial magic.he instead found himself in an empty lot that he recognized as the unused space behind The Dark Library. There she stood, glowering at him with a cold stare.

“I’ve had a long night and much more important things to think about than you,” Ruby whispered coolly as a frigid chill seeped into the lot, “So I will give you exactly one chance to tell me why you’re following me and pray that I’m not dissatisfied with your explanation.”

“I’ve also been given a chance to prove that I know better than to speak of the man who sent me,” the man said steadily. Though his expression betrayed no hint of emotion, Ruby’s spell of empathic sight made the terror he felt plain to see. Whatever his goals, he seemed to fear retaliation from someone controlling him far more than the irritated witch who was threatening him at that very moment. But he didn’t need to speak. Of all the people who are capable of terrifying a man so thoroughly, there was only one known to have any interest in her: The Hourglass.

It seems Bron has found me first, Ruby thought as she gently thumped him on the head, causing him to instantly lose consciousness. How fun for me, she continued as she strode off quickly to put some distance between herself and her enemy’s lackey. When he woke up, most of his memory of the evening would be gone. But since she could understand his impulse to blindly obey the Hourglass out of fear, she was merciful enough to leave him the memory of their confrontation in that lot in the hope that Bron would understand this man’s failure as a result of her own skill as opposed to any failure to follow his directions. If nothing else, hopefully he’ll know what it means to cross me again, she prayed as made her turn down Page Street at last.

Nearing her office, she stopped outside the nearby park upon catching sight of a young man sitting alone on a bench, seemingly uncaring of the broken lamp above him or the darkness which surrounded him. With a pang in her chest and a huff of realization, she immediately saw this boy’s pain. This is where it started for me, so devoid of love and trust! Without a doubt, this is the look of someone who is about to give up on mankind. 

With a wistful glance to the nearby warmth of her office, she turned and walked toward the bench instead. If I’m going to fix my image, she thought with a hollow smile, what better time and place than here and now?

Once a Blade Pt. 1

The following is an unmarked letter found in the barracks of the Blackstone Monastery's Knight Quarters. An investigation to determine the letter's recipient was launched, but the trail ran cold when they discovered the carrier had been killed. There was no sign of a struggle, but evidence of magic found on his body has led to the involvement of spellwarriors. To this day, neither they nor the templars have managed to discover who this unknown writer was addressing with such a hasty scrawl and no one else described within has been located.

 War came for the entire family when I returned from the Winter Festival. The fog surrounding the "holy" city of Karatal masked the approach of their ship. As it was, we only noticed them floating in our part of the marina just this morning. When I say an enemy ship dropped anchor in our port, you must imagine an army of soldiers who've pledged their lives to some greater cause that somehow involved the Blades' demise. But since you were once a Blade yourself, I shouldn't have to explain the difference between that and the world we live in.

The Northern Lights is what they call themselves. Before you wrack your brains, no you've never heard of them. They were a small time family the last time you visited our world and, since you only stepped in last time to kill Pops, they weren't exactly bound to come up in conversation. But they've been busy in the past decade. They posture as an anti-crime family, which always seemed to mean that they were too clean to do what we do, but too grimy to join the church or just enroll in Hem Academy. We've been running circles around the spellwarriors and the Royal Guard for years, so what's some punk brigade of wannabe vigilantes to us, right? We didn't take them seriously enough.

We came to find out that the Northern Lights was founded by a fucking RAI spy. They had us fooled this whole time, thinking they were some stiff-necked chumps, but their intel gathering only seemed to improve when this rat bastard, Sheldon Hawke, passed on his skills to them. What this guy was doing leaving the Royal Army to hunt gangsters is anyone's guess, but he managed to take down the Krakens, the Demon Dogs, and the Falcons. Three of the five strongest families in Karatal are either pushing daisies or staring at four walls of iron and stone because of these rat bastards and, now, this city is nowhere near what it used to be.

If I think about it, I can almost imagine you'd love to see what the Northern Lights have done with the place. With a bunch of do-gooders running this town, it's getting harder and harder for the Blades to make any money. They even walk around in broad daylight like they own the fucking place. The sheep love these guys and the spellwarriors don't consider their work as worthy of their attention as ours. To the grimy folks like us, these bastards winning the city feels like the fucking apocalypse.

But the Blades have never gone down without a fight. If that's what they've come looking for, that's exactly what they're gonna get. It's been years since we've seen such a blood bath, but no one here is about to back down. Sharpy even came back from Hem to give us a little magical help, so you can imagine we're definitely not fucking around. If this is the last chance I get to write, I should warn you of something. I know the only reason you haven't come after us yourself is your past allegiance with us. There may be no love in your heart for any of the family, but if word were to get out that you used to be a blade, the templars would be done with you. 

That is the understanding that kept you out of our business, but it looks like it might be in your best interest to drop by and help us because the Northern Lights know all about you. For the sake of your career and your second family, you have to come help out your first family.. These guys don't give a damn about your redemption and, if they put us down, they'll be coming after you next. If you sit this one out, the whole world's gonna know you're my brother one way or the other.

So I'll see you soon, if not in the city, then we'll meet in the Forge.

Scouting Report From the Northern Reaches

 Following the conclusion of Comalan's first interstellar war, which saw the liberation of the botanical world of Allene and the end of the aggression they faced from the aquatic world of Mennon, a victory celebration in Dalaska was marred by the capture of a suspicious individual lurking in the city's vacant Chaotic temple. The man remains imprisoned in Heron, having refused to answer any questions. Among his personal effects, the authorities found only a wooden token depicting a wolf standing on a mountaintop and a single document, which only raised more questions.

Though we have discovered much of note in this expedition, it seems appropriate to address the phenomenon that launched our expedition. The mystery of the skybound stars took little time to solve after making landfall on the northern continent. Our journey has taken us across three borders and everyone we've spoken to has spoken with mixtures of worry and excitement that the four nations of this continent, and the system of islands to their immediate east have all banded together to make war beyond the confines of our world. They accomplished this with five large vessels that can fly beyond our skies into the reach of the plane of stars. Even now, their cause is difficult to wrap my head around. One thing is clear, however: despite the spider's foolhardy challenge to their lands, the northerners are unconcerned with any threats from our side of the world.

Our tactical assessment remains inconclusive, however. What our people must understand about the northerners is that, while they have developed some interesting technology--particularly in the southern nation, but some notable examples exist along the eastern shores of Resta and among the visitors from the isles of Midania-- the source of their power lies firmly within the free practice of magic. Here, there are no Eye Witches and Shadow Witches. Their disparate cultures hold distinct views on magic, with the northernmost country being the only region to hold anything approaching a realistic attitude towards the gifts of the Judges. The worst offenders lie within the eastern region of the continent, where magic is practiced freely by commoner and noble alike while two armies of spellcasters wield the official sanction of their royalty.

While this land, known as Resta, wields more magical power under its banner than every single banner that stands over our lands combined, what makes them most dangerous is their political ties to the other countries in the North. While the others have conflicts to exploit, the neutrality and wealth of this kingdom make them a friend to all. Any campaign on this continent must not begin here for to attack them is to provoke four other nations as well.

This leaves the other four nations, which are bound with Resta in an accord of convenience against their otherworldly enemies. But beneath this facade of unity sands two essential alliances, from which the strongest threat stands apart entirely. The southland has developed a warm relationship with the woodlands to the west despite the stark social differences in their cultures. These southern nation, which is called Galeon, feels a lot like home in terms of both society and climate, save for their tolerance of the caste system of their strange, long-eared neighbors. Imagine forming an alliance with the Black Crown and you will understand the confusion with which I observed the relationship between these unlikely allies. There is justified unease among the people of Galeon over this association, but a growing alliance among each of the powers who threaten respectively seems to make it necessary.

The other alliance consists of the archipelago to our northeast and the northlands from which I write this report. The Galeans have come to fear the island nation for their powerful navy. and its recent conflicts with Galean fishermen and oceanic research vessels. Here in the northern nation of Heron, the people are forthcoming with discussion of their centuries-old enmity with the woodlanders of Tanis. While their hostilities have been set aside for now, they are half-expected to resume with the defeat of their common foe. Shrewd politicians from the isles have capitalized on this hatred and the friendship between their foes and Galeon--with whom Heron shares a cold, mildly cordial relationship as is-- to form a compact. Similar to the all-encompassing threat I've referred to in Resta, to launch an attack on Heron is to declare war on Midania as well--and vice cersa.

If you're looking for a weakness in this realm, there are a few bright sides to the dark tidings I've reported so far. The first is that, while their technology has taken unexpected leaps, their most advanced weapons may have been a match for ours no less than twenty years ago. The second is the population itself. From what we've been able to tell, our banner alone carries half as many bodies as all of their combined. If we could get enough ships through the storms, we could overwhelm  each country one at a time. If Raven Hills combines their might with ours, we could claim the entire continent before the red banners realize what's happening.

In conclusion, the northern realm carries a lot of power, but it is not untamable. Although it remains the prerogative of his imperial highness and the Senate whether action in the north realm is appropriate, I offer the following actions in my duty as a scout.

Resta-- This nation is not to be trifled with. Its combination of magical power and political connections make a direct assault on their throne the most dangerous proposal one could make to the Senate. However, their flagrant abuse of the Judges' laws makes them a clear target. A campaign against them must be carefully planned, but cannot be executed swiftly enough from what I can see. But if we conquer their allies or cut their diplomatic connections first, we can put an end to their twisted abuse of magic with little trouble.

Galeon- Limited contact is recommended. Given their agreeable culture, pre-emptive aggression towards this country could be detrimental to morale and their strange ethic of nonintervention would make them poor military allies. Attempts to sabotage their diplomacy with Tanis would be simple and worthwhile, but only to deprive a much higher-priority target of a crucial ally. Whatever we do, we can expect contact with their impeccable spy network. But that is all the more reason to avoid making an enemy of them too quickly.

Tanis- The woodlands are a suitable target for our opening move. The oppressive caste system that guides their society is something few would miss and their reliance on magic is second only to Resta's. Fortunately, nonviolence is their way, so if diplomacy fails, there is little to stop us from subduing them with force once we break through their meager defenders.

Midania- Midania is second in two critical ways. Behind Resta, their legendary navy and political savvy makes them our second-largest threat and their geographically scattered population places them behind Tanis when ranking easy targets. It may be necessary to disable their fleet if our entire army is to make it across the sea.

Heron- Opening a campaign that far north would be most difficult for logistical reasons and their average martial skill could make the empress worry. Not to mention the fact that, while their culture is not as similar to ours as Galeon's, their respect for magic makes them among the least troubling force on the continent. An alliance with Raven Hills would make such a prospect even more unattractive for the same reason I wouldn't ask our own people to attack Galeon. If there was any reason to recommend an attack against Heron it would be the cabal of flame casters that seem to be leading a push to accept magic in the same perverted way the rest of the realm has.

Finally, I would recommend caution around those the north realm folk call Avatars. Their renown is high throughout the entire realm and they are spoken of in the same tones as our own Heroes. But since all of them were involved in this otherworldly campaign, any report I could give on them would be inconclusive. They are said to have been given incredible powers by the Judges, who they have dared to assign names to. It is claimed that each wields the power of a Judge, but the truth of that cannot be determined until they return to the realm. My investigation will continue with these individuals. However the Emperor and Senate choose to act on this information, I reaffirm my commitment to expand the reach of our light.

Dead in Daylight Part Two

Ash

As I left my bus behind and began the last leg of my trek to Lake Whitetree, I thought about how this would be my first time doing field work alone. As an apprentice, I spent most of my early months working with veteran experts and other recently certified archaeologists. It was on one of these group expeditions that I met my love, offering his usual services as an escort to the scholars. But how I could ever have done this before him seemed to escape me just then.

The lake was silent but for the morning bird songs coming from the trees to the west. I had beaten the weekend tourists who tore up the lake during the day and could not have expected anyone else to be there. But for the beacon that researchers had given up on ages ago, the lake was just a lake. It provided water for Blackstone Farm--and possibly some elven settlements on the other side of the border-- as well as the perfect climate for an afternoon playing in the water. In happier times, I would already be dressed down for a swim because Nathan would never have let me get any work done otherwise. But on this still morning alongside the great lake, I was free to focus as much as I possibly could.

The beacon had fallen back to its original place at the bottom of the lake due to years of neglect, but that was of little concern to me. Using a spell scroll I purchased abroad, I was able to part the water long enough to drag the ancient construct back to shore.  There was little to examine in this object-- a massive yellow crystal sealed in a tarnished cylindrical casing made from brass with spindly legs attached to it--that hadn't already been exhaustively covered in my studies, but with fresh eyes, I located a symbol in the etchings that I had been interested in revisiting. When translated from this arcane language that predates modern scripts, this particular symbol was believed to mean "blood"-- a misunderstanding that has led to many researchers cutting themselves open for the sake of knowledge. But looking more closely at it, I realized that the word could also translate to "ash".

Ash was never mentioned in any source that referred to the beacon, so I knew I had to be on to something. But this only led to more questions. Was I supposed to burn something to activate it? Was this a warning of what could happen to those who did? There were many possible ways to interpret the full line as it was translated now.

"Lost in ash, hope is found"

As I pondered this puzzling clue, I would hear a rustling in the tall grass to the east. My heart jumped as I scanned the landscape. Most people who visited the lake did so with the most peaceful of intentions, but I couldn't discount the possibility of an encounter with a wild animal or mischievous fey; no one is more vulnerable to ridgewolf attacks than the traveling scholar. The source of the noise did turn out to be a person, but he still turned out to be a more frightening sight than a hungry beast.

The man had a somewhat average build, but that was about all I could tell you about him because his entire body was covered in various gloves, shrouds, and bandages. The only physical feature of his that remained visible was his cold, lifeless eyes. My mentor, a sai'mul, told me about how her people would always soaked their body in medicinal bandages to keep their skin from rotting but this was different. The cloth that covered this man's body was completely dry and gave off no scent. Apart from that, he walked in lively strides that most sai'mul could never hope to mimic.

He walked right past me toward the beacon I uncovered. He stared at it lying there on the shoreline for a few seconds before looking right at me. The man's eyes seemed to be searching for something in my own, but he soon began to walk away. Clearly, he knew something I needed to about the subject of my studies, and Nathan would never have allowed me to let him get away. Swallowing the fear I felt at his unnerving appearance, I rushed up to him and begged his pardon while I asked him some questions. But his response left me so chilled that I hadn't even noticed him leaving.

"The dead ones cannot speak."

Dead in Daylight Part 1

Grief

The day I completed the education I needed to become an archaeologist was the second happiest day in my life, just barely edged out by the day I met Nathan. As an adventurer, it was only natural for him to cross my path as I exploring an underground temple outside of Beldor. The ruins were said to have been abandoned since the mythical Age Zero, before the gods gave mortals our independence, but that didn't matter to him. I explained that there was likely no treasure to be found, but still he remained, saying that he was there for the thrill of doing something no one else had done before then. I delighted in the irony behind our respective reasons for being there. I went to that temple to learn what people did there in the past while he seemed to have his hopes on setting a standard for future thrill-seekers.

And there were plenty of thrills to be found. These decrepit halls may have predated the technology behind even the most rudimentary of traps, but they also seemed to predate the age-old techniques of competent builders. After roughly have a millennium, there were more holes in the cobblestone floor than there were unbroken stones. We kept each other alive in this crumbling site and developed what modest people would call a deep appreciation for each other and our work. And at the end of it all, I found a treasure trove of previously unknown information about our tightly-controlled ancestors. That was how we became partners, both professionally and intimately.

This was over three years ago now, which left us two years and five months of excitement and discovery. Nathan, the one with the eye for danger, looked out for me and I possessed the knowledge to make sense of all of the places we have been. It was an ideal relationship for someone who struggled to come out of her shell like me and I like to think the context I could place our adventures in kept him alive.

Until it didn't.

Last fall was our last adventure together, across the southern sea atop the legendary Dragon Pillar. After deciphering one of the ancient glyphs that the windlords had recently uncovered, a tornado formed just above us, threatening to throw all of us into the unforgiving blue. I was the first to be picked up by the wind, but Nathan was quick to grab me. It took all of his strength to pull me to safety in the lower chambers, leaving none left for him to save himself when he too lost his footing.

The search party took a week to reach the Pillar and only two more days to give up their mission. Nathan's last act had been to save me from the inherent dangers of my work once again, but it wasn't long before even I was forced to conclude that there was no hope of finding him. I wanted to throw myself into the sea when they broke the news that they were calling off the search, but even then I could hear his voice in my head, assuring me that would be a pointless and disappointing way to die.

One thing was certain, though: after losing the love of my life to such a random calamity, I couldn't keep exposing myself to danger. What if I were to die on my next outing? Wouldn't I only be wasting the life that Nathan gave his own to save? I returned home for the first time in five years and withdrew into myself, leaving the house only to buy provisions once a week. But I could never settle into such an uneventful life for good. To do so would only tarnish the memories we made together. Last month, I decided to get back to work as I had before Nathan came along but with no clue where to begin anew.

So I returned to my old university to reconnect with my colleagues. The well-wishers and sympathetic ears were abound from the moment I set foot in the halls of my former place of learning, which was the last thing I wanted. I went back with the hope of getting back to normal, but everyone insisted on treating me as a fragile thing, just one odd recollection or insensitive statement from a complete breakdown. In hindsight, I wonder if they were right to worry about me, but since I made it through the next few weeks with nothing but a few spots of irritation I suppose we'll never know.

But still, there was only so much I could take. With no one offering me anything to latch on to besides my own misery, I withdrew my original thesis on the broken beacon discovered under Lake Whitetree over thirty years ago and began to examine my own conclusions. After so many years in the field, what I had to say about the beacon and its hypothetical function seemed rather naive. For that reason, I decided that my next project would be to dive further into this unsolved mystery. With my research already completed, I decided that my first step would be to get a closer look at the beacon to see if there was anything I or the many sources I cited in my work had missed.

But what I saw there, rather than illuminating this mystery of the decades, only exposed me to yet another.

The Legend of Prismix

Following the birth of Nidarys, word has begun to spread of yet another god. His existence was previously known exclusively to the second order of the Mages of Destiny and Resta's current royal family, the Baldus family. But in the wake of a great miracle, such news could hardly be contained for much longer. Initially ncovered by the Second Archknight, Lord Prismix has come to be known by the Mages of Destiny as an amalgam of heroes from four separate worlds who share a unique bond. Together they discovered that the four worlds which comprise what would come to be known as the Plane of Doran shared a spiritual link, which allow a person to reincarnate on any world within the plane.

This connection was first discovered by a woman known only as The Scholar. Her first incarnation, who died on a world called Dresnuk, would reincarnate on another world called Sarosed in which she sailed the seas as a mercenary witch. Upon dying once again, she discovered a way to retain her past knowledge. Taking her secret into her next life, she was reincarnated as a seeress on the world of Porvia who traveled the stars only to end her short life on Earth. When she finally came to Comalan she took the form of a spellwarrior who is well known for her longevity, madness, and the legendary bloodline that followed her.

As she began to shape her own reincarnation cycle, the Scholar's grip on her sanity loosened even as she grew in power. As the site of the scholar's most recent life, it fell onto the gods of Comalan to sanction her complete destruction for the good of the sacred realm of Doran in its entirety. But in the weakened state that Geos' rebellion had left the gods in and the wisdom she possessed of worlds that were unfamiliar to them, they were unable to subdue the Scholar. So they turned to an even higher power; the former king of their race. With eyes on each of Doran's four cities-- Fadal, Heaven, The Moonstone Expanse, and Plaisnu-- this unrecognized deity was uniquely suited to oversee the Scholar's movements. With the tiniest hope of unveiling any sentimentality he could take advantage of, he entrusted the footwork that would lead to her downfall to the Scholar's own children.

From Dresnuk, he called upon its greatest mind; a scientist who sought hope for their broken world by reaching past the world's dimensional boundaries. From Sarosed, he called a humble bounty hunter who altered time to steal her brother's greatest achievement out of necessity and, in doing so, saved her world twice. From Earth, he summoned a space captain who bridged a peace between two planets by intertwining his heritage from both. From Comalan, he summoned the legendary Champion of Chaos himself. It was from him that the Mages of Destiny-- his descendants all-- learned what was happening beyond their world.

While nothing is known about their otherworldly journey, the reward that awaited them at the end of it was an ascension the gods never counted on. These four siblings would join together and, with the blessing of Doran's king became a new god-- Prismix.

Nothing is currently known about Prismix's capabilities or proclivities except for one thing: as a being borne of four different dimensions, his presence is not limited to Fadal in the way the other deities' are. He is also a denizen of Heaven, Plaisnu, and the Moonstone Expanse. This fact is why he is hailed as Lord Prismix, the God of Four Worlds. The descendants of Prismix believe, however, that he represents the coming together of four disparate souls and that the power that comes from their unity is a testament to the gifts of diversity.

All Gone

Took you long enough.

I'm sorry. I tried to come as soon as I heard, but the road was snowed in until just this week.

You're really not good at your job, are you?

Mind your tone, boy! I've been balancing eight different investigations since most of the spellwarriors left for the Crusade! I'm doing everything I can for dozens of people at once!

Well, you can just drop this one. You clearly can't do anything for my friends at this point and I'm sure you'll need the time for the seven cases you haven't blown.

I can't do that. Not without confirming exactly what happened.

You want to know what happened? First my friend Mel disappeared, then her brother Merric, and now their mum's gone! Nobody here has any new information for you!

That's what everyone else I've spoken to so far has said, but no less than three people have indicated that you might.

I talked to Miss Miranda right before she left. 

Well, whatever you discussed might be the only information I have to close my report. Let's hear it.

...

Joseph, do you have a moment?

Ma'am, I don't think I can tell you anything else. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen!

It's alright, dear! There's nothing to worry about.

But Mel and Merric--

Are gone forever. But I know where. I'm going to see them soon.

If you're sure about that, don't you think you should tell Sir Rain? 

Actually, I was hoping you could tell him!

Why are you laughing?

I have spent the whole winter praying for that man's success! Now I know he's never going to bring my children to me, but I'm going to see them again anyway! Doesn't that seem funny to you or have I truly lost it?

No, that's funny.

When you see that useless oaf again, tell him that my family doesn't need his help anymore. We're all going to be fine!

That book you showed me said the creature only likes children.

You misunderstood. They prefer children for practical reasons, but giving my children everything they want is what this one is supposed to do.

And they want their mum?

Exactly! It won't be long before they're asking for their friend as well. You'd best be keeping an eye out your window at night.

...

Son, you should  not--

I know! I can't speak for my friends and their mum, but there's something untrustworthy about a creature that tricks people into coming with them.

Has anyone ever told you how smart you are for your age?

I think it would have been better to ask if anyone had ever failed to tell me how smart I am for my age.

I'm serious! You have the instincts of a spellwarrior! I know I might not have been giving you the best impression of our order, but we could use more minds like yours!

Is that an offer to sponsor me for the Academy?

I suppose it is! It's the least I can do after failing your friends.

I shouldn't accept without talking to my family first, but I'm definitely interested.

Happy to hear it! We should go now. If your parents are in agreement, I'd like you to leave with me and start your apprenticeship today.

Why the rush?

I know you don't want to follow the nauveil, but if your friends wish for you to be there, the creature will adamantly pursue you. It can be both patient and persistent. I think it would be best to get you as far away from the nest as possible.

That's right. Well, when you put it that way, I'm most likely going to be joining you.

That would be best. With your friends' last connection to this village safely out of the nauveil's reach all that remains is to tell Sir Merrow what happened to his family. Once we do so, I'll take you to the Academy.

The poor man. To have spent so long fighting to protect his family from the fishmen only to find out they were taken by a fairy?  He's not going to let this go.

He'll be free to look for them on his own once he finishes his  tour and-- as my senior-- he is more than capable of doing so. I'm out of threads to clutch. I have to close the case.

I guess they really are all gone, then.

Glimmering in the Snow

You're obviously starting to crack, mate.

I know what I saw! 

And I know what you think you saw was impossible.

She was there!

She was outside your house last night, standing in the snow wearing her night clothes and no shoes? And she was.. glimmering?

That's what I said!

If what you saw was real, it still can't be her! How could anyone survive that?

She was waving to me!

I'm telling you that you are being tricked! Either by your mind or something else! 

Shut up!

Have you told your mother about this?

Of course I did!

What did she say?

Nothing. She just cried.

I guess she finally lost hope. It has been months.

That's not funny!

...

No, it's not.

I know what to do!

You wouldn't--

The next time I see her, I'm going to follow her!

You shouldn't--

I'm going to find out where she's been and bring her home! Then mum will be happy again!

Merric--

Don't tell anyone! Melany's coming home!

Don't be st--

I better go! Mum wants me home by dark!

Just stay--

Bye!

...

Madam, a moment of your time?

What in the world do you want now?

I had some information that you might find useful.

Do you know whether my daughter is well? I doubt you have anything useful to tell me otherwise!

I'm afraid her whereabouts and current status remain a mystery. But I found something that might give you some insight into what happened that night.

That sounds better than nothing. What happened to her.

Take this book. I've earmarked a page that references the creature we think might have taken your daughter. It's called a nauveil. It's a fey with a peculiar symbiotic relationship with people. They lure people to their haunts, then use their magic to placate their victims' every desire in exchange for a steady trickle of their own energy. They seem to prefer children because they are easier to please and usually have a lot longer to live.

How is this supposed to help me right now?

If I'm right, this means that your daughter is well cared for, at the very least. It's not in the creature's best interest to harm the people they take. Beyond never being allowed to leave the nauveil's dwelling, it might feel better to assume that Melany is happy and healthy.

...

I think you should go.

Pardon?

It doesn't sound like you're sure of this. It seems more likely that you have nothing and you're just here to placate me with the most hopeful theory you could find. I may know nothing of your work, but I'm not stupid.

Honestly--

Save it! Every second you spend trying to inflate me with false hope is a distraction from doing your job! I don't care what might be happening to her! Please, just find her!

I am true to my word. I still intend to find her. I just thought you could use some cheerful news.

Sorry, but it didn't help as much as you thought.

Worry Not

When was the last time you saw your daughter?

I tucked her into bed last night. Eight o' clock as always!

Have you seen anyone suspicious wandering around the town lately?

Well, no! Who would come out this far-- wait, you don't suppose it was bandits, do you?

Ma'am, that's--

Those Heronite dogs! If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times, a border town is no place to raise our children!

Mrs. Merrow, I assure you bandits have never ranged into Resta before. Even without the Desmond clan to provide a mighty deterrent, I don't suspect they would come just to steal a child from her bed in the dead of night.

Well, who else could it be?

For the moment, there remains no evidence that Melany didn't leave of her own volition--

She would never go out on her own at night, especially not in this weather!

In that case, a good place to start would be with family members and acquaintances. Most kidnappings are committed by someone the victim knows.

It can't be anyone in the family! All we've got are my husband and his mother. Dianna is too old to travel and Frederick is serving in the crusade!

Worry not, ma'am. I promise we're going to find her by magic or investigation. Your husband will not come home to tragedy. For now, I'm going to need you to tell me everything you can about your family's immediate acquaintances, those your children see most frequently.

Merric, you stay where I can see you!

...

You need to tell her about the fox.

We did! She didn't believe us!

Then tell her that Mel left to follow it!

She still won't believe me! Mel is afraid of the dark! She doesn't like the cold either!

It's been two days, Merric! Do you have any idea what is happening to her right now?

No!

No one does! And no one's going to find out unless we tell your mum the truth! That spellwarrior is just going to waste her time talking to my family! Then he's going to to talk to everyone else in the town! By the time she realizes no one around her knows where she is, it'll be too late!

I'm going to be in so much trouble.

We both are! And it's only going to get worse the longer we wait!

Tales of the Starlight Crusade: The Watch List

The walls of the Morta nearly vibrated with activity in the midst of its pre-launch testing. Between the hum of its engines and the frantic pounding of footsteps from Restan soldiers still working out where they needed to be, this was the only time Ellie could get aboard unseen. As the vice-captain of the fleet's recently-designated flagship, she could have requested access to the information she required easily through the fleet commander, but the captain she was dealing with was quite tricky. Going through the normal channels seemed like the thing any Avatar would insist on, but with two so firmly opposed, she couldn't trust any information Captain Maloran freely gave her. The Archknight had to be making moves against Tir ever since she began to insist her mentor's betrayal was not dealt of his own will. There was no way she could find evidence by demanding to see his files upfront.

The Windlord stopped just before entering the Tactical Information Terminus to apply a new Lightbend mantra to herself before she became visible again. Then, she took in a sharp breath and rushed in after Clint, the Morta's own vice-captain, just as they had arranged. Every move she made had to be perfect. Even if Sir Maloran lacked the fully-honed senses of any other spellwarrior, he would more than make up for it with a mountain of external security measures.

Esia, she quickly murmured, causing her eyes to glow with the magic that would allow her to see other magic.

As she thought, the walls were lined with similar glyphs to the one inscribed on her mantra. Hugging the walls would probably dispel her magic and make her visible once more. Worse still, she also spotted magical-cantrips on the ceiling which were likely invisible to the naked eye. These traps would probably spring on any cluster of magical energy that passed beneath it. This explained the sign outside forbidding the use of magic on the bridge, which was ironically unique to the ship owned by a kingdom that virtually founded the practice of magic. Ellie wanted to curse as she studied the area above the captain's chair. It was surrounded by these traps, so approaching it herself or even collecting the tablet she so desperately needed with her wind powers wouldn't work.

Carefully maneuvering around the cantrips, she sneaked into the launch bay for the Voidwalker and Hermes armor units and opened one of the lockers within. Inside, she found the uniform for a bridge officer that would suit her needs. She removed her own yellow-trimmed coat and sash and replaced it with the white-trimmed coat that was specific to this ship. Then she removed her mantra and applied a quick glamour to make her hair dark brown, thinking that the rampant use of such magic would be enough reason for the Archknight to make an exception for it. With a more presentable appearance, she strode back onto the bridge casually, but with purpose. Sure that no one was paying attention to her, she made a beeline for the captain's chair. Gyanda nearly turned in her direction as she passed, but was quickly distracted by Clint, who had stopped to ask him something about the navigational synchronization tests that she herself would be involved in later.

Ellie picked up the command tablet and, with the code she was supplied by Clint, scrolled quickly to find what she needed. Within moments, she found the security code that would allow her into the Captain's Office. She then swabbed the chair with a blank Identify mantra and returned to the launch bay to retrieve her original uniform and apply a new Lightbend mantra. She then crept surely through the ship until she found the source of her quarry. With the Identify mantra wrapped around her wrist, she punched in the security code and, with the panel believing she was the captain, the door slid open.

Rifling through his files was full of enlightening information about the Restans who served on the Morta's crew, but that was not her concern. It would take her ten minutes, twice as long as she would have liked, to find what she was looking for. Here, sandwiched between two innocuous personnel files, was a list of some crewmembers from across the fleet that Gyanda had marked as potential sympathizers of the so-called "Betrayer". The Commander's name topped this list of course, she found her own name as well as that of Clint plus dozens of Galeans, Restans, and Tanisians all helpfully coded by which ship they served on. Curiously, she found the name of an S-rated soldier known only as Bolreck who was serving as a mercenary for the Amologra. As far as she had been able to gather, Broger had never had any contact with this man, but her investigation only went back fifty years. Could the two sai'mul have met each other in life? If so how did Gyanda get access to this information before the windlords?

Troubled with the notion that Gyanda might have been any number of steps ahead of her, she put the list to a Copy mantra and escaped the ship as quickly as possible. Though this list didn't say much about the Archknight's plans, what she found needed to be reported to Tir as soon as possible.

The Boy Who Shouldn't Exist Part 12

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Kaleth peered anxiously into Aennin's eyes as the other Avatar stared intensely into his own.

"How am I supposed to do that?" The boy asked nervously. "If saving everyone really hinges on me figuring out these powers we're going to be waiting for a long time!"

Aennin shook his head and pulled Kaleth from his bed. "Bullshit! Your Avatar powers aren't all you have to offer! Do you think Geos would have chosen you if he thought you were too weak on your own?"

"I'm a druid!" Kaleth protested weakly. "A pacifist! What can I do against an undead army?"

Aennin shrugged and raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't they teach druids healing magic? That's pretty much all Volt wants to do most of the time when she's doing stuff with us!"

Kaleth sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, but that's what I was learning to do before the sai'mul crashed into Orion."

"That's no good," Aennin replied with a frown. "Well, either way we can't have you sitting on your hands now that we know you're part of the team. I'll go talk to Volt to see if she can teach you how to heal, but I can think of some ways your transformations can be put to some use too. We have until Spring before we can get out of Heron to do anything useful, so we might as well use this time to help you get ready.

So began a long winter of what Kaleth would come to know as Avatar School. To be even one Avatar short, Aennin declared, was a disadvantage that no one could afford. In the mornings, he would train with Atunis to sharpen his reflexes by sparring just like his father used to do. During these sessions, the Salican Avatar would talk about the Kartal that he knew and how their templar training informed their decision-making as Avatars. During these times Kaleth struggled to resist asking about how the Kartal from this other timeline differed from the father he had grown up with. Atunis seemed constantly stressed by the idea of his dearest friend causing so much damage by abusing Geos' power and Kaleth couldn't see no good in making him think about it any more than he did. In truth, both of them needed the distraction they found in swinging sticks at each other.

When the two tired of sparring, Kaleth would next go to see Tir to learn what she could teach him of Intalan magic. Aennin adamantly stressed that telepathy in particular was an important skill as a scout when used in concert with his transformations. This was a matter of some irritation to Crane's Avatar as she specialized not in telepathy, but in divination and engineering. Still, she relished in the challenge of linking the principles of these disciplines to the skill Kaleth sought to acquire and learning alongside him. It was during these times that Kaleth would learn about what was happening in the world outside Heron. Through her frequent contact with her predecessor, Mr. Broger, they had learned that the Serene Avatar, Ekera, was alive and using the benefits of her sai'mul body to gather information from the enemy. This role wasn't without risk as she had learned that some of the undead army were able to distinguish the mindless sai'mul they had subjugated from those who still thought freely. But with newfound allies among a guild of warrior artisans, she was already making moves against their adversaries that would hopefully lay the groundwork for the Avatars' return from isolation.

After lunch, Kaleth would seek out Volt, a notorious late sleeper whose lunches were actually her breakfasts, to continue his training in healing magic. These were some of the hardest times for him because she was rarely in the best of moods. She had counted on the power of Geos to save her husband from whatever fate had befallen him in the midst of this sai'mul onslaught, but hearing that Kartal caused all of this to happen by doing the same for his wife should have soured her to the idea. This didn't change her mind at all, however. No one seemed more interested in his progress in mastering his Avatar abilities than she did and the fact that he was focusing more on his worldly skills did nothing to cheer her up.

This left Kaleth looking forward to his late afternoons with Aennin. The person he had once known as an acerbic rogue quickly became the most welcoming presence among the Avatars. Unlike the others, who had looked to him to master his powers quickly in the hopes that he would single-handedly fix everything, Aennin was the only one who made him believe that he could be useful with or without Geos' blessing. To Aennin in particular, Kaleth was a valued member of the group he was thrust into just as he was. Instead of forcing him to think of his place among the chosen figures of the divine, Aennin's training felt more like playing. Every day, Kaleth would face the challenge of sneaking on the elf in order to steal something from him, spy on him, or ambush him in whatever beastly form he expected least. This gave him an opportunity to explore Dalaska through the eyes of a falcon, mouse, stag, dog, cat, or crow. Although he rarely seemed to surprise Aennin, the elf was always sure to point out when he believed he would have fooled anyone else.

It was always in the evening that Kaleth spent any time thinking about Geos and his future as his Avatar. It had been a month before he reached an important breakthrough in understanding these dilations of time. As it turned out, finding a pattern in the speed-ups and slow-downs had been besides the point. The more he thought about it, the more random they seemed to be. But as contemplating these powers became routine, he found that he could predict these occurrences more accurately when he was completely relaxed. Eventually he realized that this was the key to controlling his powers. It was during these moments of gentle contemplation that he ceased to predict these changes in the flow of time and began to mentally trigger them. 

He decided to demonstrate this power to Aennin during one of their games. He had been tasked with stealing Aennin's coin purse. Normally he would do this by sneaking up and pouncing as a cat or diving from the rooftops as a bird. But he knew Aennin would be on the lookout for these tricks now and he started to doubt he even needed to do so anymore. So, he merely donned a cloak and shadowed him for most of the afternoon. He was sure that Aennin had spotted him before the time had come to make his move, but it no longer mattered. He took a deep breath and concentrated on slowing everything down. As expected, even the quick reflexes of his teacher weren't enough to stop him from sprinting up and snatching his prize for the first time with his own hands. In his excitement, he lost control of the power and Aennin smirked at him.

"See? I knew it was only a matter of time before you started to pick it up!" he declared proudly. "What did you learn?"

"I'm not sure," Kaleth said uncertainly. "I just stopped stressing about it so much and figured it out naturally."

"That's the trick," Aennin said with a grin. "None of the others would know this because they were already far more confident with themselves than you were when they first found out they were Avatars, even Atunis. But the trick to gaining control of your powers is gaining control of yourself. These abilities are a part of you now and the only way you were ever going to learn that was by sharpening your original skills."

"So, what's next?"

"What's next is continuing to practice with this new skill until you are able to use it confidently and doing yourself a favor by keeping this a secret between us. The more progress you make, the more pressure everyone else is going to put on you which we now both know isn't going to help. Just focus on what you're already doing until you're ready to move on to reversing time."

"Wait, what?"

Aennin sighed. "Your dad wasn't always able to avoid getting hit in battle. He only seemed that way because, as Geos' Avatar, he was able to undo any damage he took by reversing the movements of whoever hit him. It's not the same thing as going back in time, but kind of winding the clock backwards. If you can control the speed at which time flows, eventually you'll get the hang of controlling the direction, right?"

"I guess so," Kaleth replied uncertainly. 

"You have to know so," Aennin emphasized with a roll of his eyes. "Remember that confidence is the key to unlocking your new powers."

Kaleth nodded a little more confidently this time. "I will!"

"Good! You should have extra time to work on it tonight since you finished today's mission more quickly than usual," Aennin said with a smile. "I'll be sure to come up with something more challenging tomorrow.

"Okay! I look forward to seeing what you have in mind," Kaleth replied with a smile. 

The two then prepared to go their separate ways until Volt approached them with some important news.

"Ekera's here!"