With a step into the shadows, I disappeared from the area devastated by the Nidhögg’s flames. Everything I had planned to accomplish was done and I had even gained a point in Darkness-magic from messing around with the immense amount of power left after the feeding. In addition, killing the dryad and helping the Nidhögg consume those acres of land had somehow netted me enough EXP to push me to level hundred fifty-eight. A pleasant surprise but not a tremendously impactful one.

Appearing high in the sky, I conjured up another sheet of Ice, spreading my arms and encasing parts of them in it, so I could ride the wind. Angling downward, I quickly began to accelerate, towards the distant trees, only to step into the shadows once more, appearing yet higher up and quickly moving forward.

Looking down, I could see the full extent of the devastation we had caused and a grin appeared on my face. This would light a fire under the elves, forcing them to prepare and adapt for me, so we couldn’t sneak into another of their precious trees and assassinate another dryad. Setting up defences and guards would take time and consume resources, which couldn’t be used to actually hunt us down.

Sure, we wouldn’t be able to kill another dryad and as much as I had enjoyed the look on the dryad’s face when the Nidhögg’s power had consumed her, I was okay with that. I had bigger fish to fry anyway.

No, our main objective was to cross the last remaining distance to the Mountains of Ice, it should only take another week if we could remain in the sky, longer if we had to go to ground. Once there, once I managed to find and conquer the Nexus, I would be able to channel those vast amounts of power in order to break the prison and unleash the Nidhögg proper. Maybe, with a bit of work and persuasion, I would even be able to create some sort of golem-body for it, allowing it to remain on this plane and not venture on to wherever souls went after they died.

It didn’t take long for Ylva and Lenore to catch up with me and once again, I had to wonder about Ylva’s ability to run on air. But then, considering that the primordial Ancestor who had given her the ability was supposed to be able to swallow the sun, it wasn’t as strange. If you wanted to swallow the sun, you had to get there in the first place, right? In addition, there were a lot of myths that associated wolves with the northern Wind, which could be another connection. Or maybe I was thinking too much about it and the primordial Ancestor was a deity and could do whatever he wanted. Somehow, I had a feeling that the last reason was the most realistic one.

“Morgana, you’ll have to rest,” Lenore entreated me, gracefully landing on the wings of Ice I used to glide in the air. For a moment, I looked at her dumbly before focusing inward. It was as if either her words or that self-reflection was the trigger and suddenly, exhaustion hit me like a brick, my mind blanking for a second.

“Mhm,” I acknowledged, not resisting her suggestion. Seconds later, the wings I had used turned into fine dust and I disappeared, reappearing in Lenore’s hallow. There, floating in the comfortable darkness, I exhaled, letting the tension of the day flow out of me alongside my breath.

Touching my forehead, and the gem I had encased there, I could only shake my head. It had been an act of impulse and emotion but somehow, it felt right. Closing my eyes, I immersed myself in those sweet memories of Sigmir and, once again, tears started to stream down my face.

When I opened my eyes again, I realised that I was elsewhere. No longer floating in the comfortable darkness of my Hallow but walking on the slopes of a giant mountain, stretching far into the sky. Looking around, I could see the sheer cliffs until they disappeared in the endless fog that shrouded the land below the mountain. It was as if this mountain was the only Island in an ocean of mist.

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Feeling the cool wind caress my skin, I decided to idle for a bit, not feeling a need to climb up just yet or move anywhere. Here, I could simply be, without concern or sorrow. Sitting down on the rocks, I looked out, my wind starting to wander.

Before it could go far, I felt a familiar pair of arms, wrapping around me. Leaning back into the embrace, I lay down, looking at the crescent moon and the stars above. Peace filled my heart as I inhaled Sigmir’s scent and longing for my beloved filled my soul.

“I’ll always be with you…” that familiar voice whispered in the wind and I felt the soft caress of her lips brushing my forehead for a moment, only to fade away once more.

Blinking open my eyes, I was surrounded by the darkness of my Hallow, those wonderful feelings lingering in my heart. Reaching up, I gently touched the gem set in my forehead, whispering into the darkness, “I’ll never forget you, my love.”

Wishing to see my beloved, I triggered the log-out, reappearing in my capsule space. Not on my throne, as I normally would but in my temple, right in front of the life-sized statue of Sigmir, standing proudly on her pedestal in the middle of the four deities enshrined here.

Folding my legs beneath me I sat down, telling my love about the things that had happened over the last day. Just sharing with her, my mind started to conjure up her responses and reactions. The gentle smile when she heard about my magical experiments and progress and her nodding along, listening carefully despite having little interest and ability in magic. We both knew that she didn’t care about the magic itself, but about my magic. I could almost hear her exasperated sigh when I told her about shadow-stepping into the shadow of the canopy, high above me, without a real plan, other than to keep stepping and only realise that I could conjure up wings to glide once I was up there. That sigh, a roll of her eyes and helpless chuckles as she gave me an embrace, I could see it in my mind and even feel her arms wrap around me for the briefest of seconds.

And yet, I was all alone in the quiet temple.

Rising, I walked over to my throne, sat down and opened up the various windows I used to traverse the forum and Internet. The first thing I saw was that Pantheon had launched yet another trailer and after watching it, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. But given the number of tears I had shed for Sigmir, I could only laugh at their actions.

Though, after watching it for a second time, I had to admit that they had done a good job. Their trailer made me look very much like the villain and that last bit, juxtaposing my flames with the flames that were used in the game’s logo, it was genius. The colours didn’t quite match but it was difficult to see unless you paid close attention. But I knew my flames and the flames in the logo were different, both in colour but also in the impression they gave me.

But it mattered not.

Looking into the forum, I could see that there was an animated discussion regarding the trailer, the suspected closing event of the Beta and my role in all that. Given that there were only a few weeks remaining before the beta ended. Thinking about it, I realised that I might be able to play along and even buy into it and get a benefit from cooperating with their marketing. If they wanted me to act as the villain, I should get something out of it. Otherwise, there was nothing they could do to stop me, rendering this whole campaign empty, if I simply stopped playing. To cut off all things that reminded me of Sigmir and try to move on. In some moments, that had been a tempting idea.

Looking at the rapidly rising view of their trailer I decided that I had to try to convince them to work with me. Or rather, have me work for them in making the conclusion of the beta into a spectacular event. A player, showing just what was possible in their game? That could be quite the unique selling point.

Opening the contact form I could access as part of their beta-testers, I began to type, even including a proposal for my reward. Nothing that would alter the game’s balance, just a high-end quest to bring back the Soul of fallen Natives from Hades or Hel, whichever system of Afterlife they planned to implement. Given the interactivity of the natives, I could see such a system be incredibly popular, especially once more players bonded with Natives. Maybe not as deeply as I had with Sigmir, but who knew?

Either way, I felt it was a good idea on its own, to the point that I even split my submissions, one for the idea, the other for the proposal to work with them on the final event.

Now, I just needed to wait for their replies.