"It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself."

― Epicurus

"Ooulin!!!"

Kalina snatched the sleepy turtle from Ven's grasp, eyes filled with tears. She snuggled the little reptile to her chest, a resentful eye on Ven.

"His soul fragment... he's completely gone..."

"He said he was sorry," Ven bowed his head. "And so am I."

"That's ok," Kalina sniffed. "He was always a little hero, I'd expect nothing less from him."

Ven frowned, a heavy weight in his heart. Twice, this random turtle had saved him. He didn't connect with the old reptile, but little Ooulin had become a beloved member of his family.

Family should stand together, not alone...

Mara's hand fell onto Ven's shoulder, a comfort. Her smile lightened his weary heart. He still had family here, people who would stand with him against the dark.

"Ooulin was a noble man, he did what his heart demanded."

Aangor patted Ven on the back with a mighty palm. His words of comfort aimed true. Ven smiled.

"He's definitely a good soul, if a bit cryptic..."

"Bwahahaha!" The King gripped his belly. "He was that!"

"Mmmmhhmm..." Aangor nodded, a glaze of nostalgia in his eyes. "Master never said anything plainly, he liked to watch the surprise on other people's faces."

"That's because he always knew what was coming," The King scoffed. "He lived for the shock and awe of others, and had none for himself!"

"Regardless," Aangor turned to the turtle in Kalina's arms. "Without Master's soul fragment, his heir is vulnerable."

"Don't worry about that!" Huan danced under the great ape's nose. "Daddy always protects his friends, and the little turtle is my husband's pet!"

"Ooulin is MY pet!" Kalina huffed, hands shaken under her turtle's weight. "And Ven isn't your husband, he's my little fish!"

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Husband is a fish?" Huan tilted her head, eyes lost in imagination. "Like a shark, or a cute little dolphin?"

"Dolphins aren't fish..."

"Enough," Ven sighed, his words a block to Kalina's lecture. "We're all home safe, but what do we do about them?"

A vast anthill had been raised next to the labyrinth. Formed of compressed stone and layered with armaments, an impressive beachhead in conflict with the city around it.

"They can't stay here!" The King groused. "They've already rerouted a half dozen sewer tunnels, soon my entire city will be knee-deep in..."

"I'll speak with them," Mara stepped forward. "I'm supposed to be learning diplomacy, it's time I did more than cultivate and spar."

"Alright," Aangor grumbled. "It's a good opportunity, they seem quite advanced for an insect society."

"I'll go with you," Ven chimed in. "I've spoken with them before, they seem pretty straightforward..."

The Queen seemed to have no deception in her, an honest, if disturbing face. Ven had a sudden vision. A unification of species that brought technology he'd not seen in decades. T.V. and movies, computers, and phones. The ants could make such things, but they did not need them. The beastfolk could use them, but didn't even understand their concepts.

I bet I'll see a new anime in under three years!

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"Where are we going?"

Brull struggled to keep up with Arthur's quick pace. They'd run throughout the night, a weary trek that numbed Brull's feet. The portly knight had held his silence for hours, and finally, Brull could stand it no more.

"This forest is creepy, how about we stop for lunch before we head in?"

Arthur shook his head and carried on. Brull could only follow. Time stretched until the catkin lost all sense of it. The landscape blurred to grey, misty fog reminiscent of a dream.

Brull trudged on, until his feet tripped over a heavy rock. A piece of a broken wall, the ruins of an ancient castle. The fog receded, just enough to expose a great lake, clear as glass. It held the moon, a perfect reflection.

"Beautiful..."

"Thank you!" A serene voice laughed in his ear. "We've seen better days, but I like to think I hold onto a rustic beauty!"

Brull spun. Behind him stood a woman. Every inch of her was white. Snow on frozen water, hair the color of faded mist. Her gown, pale lily and full in length, draped to the ground. A smile played about her lips, a secret in her eyes.

"My name is Viviane," She bowed. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Brull..." The cat-kin glanced around. "Where is Arthur?"

"He's waiting outside," Viviane grinned. "I banished him years ago, when he refused to rebuild and start again."

"Rebuild what?"

Brull squinted at the ruins. They marked out a mighty fortress, surrounded on three sides by a deep, icy lake. It was a perfect location for a castle, but to rebuild at this point...

"You might just want to start from scratch, everything here is pretty much gone."

"Indeed," Viviane clapped her hands. "Hence, your test!"

The world shifted. Brull found himself at the center of the ruined castle, Viviane beside him. At the peak of the hill, rammed up to the hilt in an obsidian rock, was a rusted, old sword.

"Pull the sword from the stone, and you'll have passed the test!"

Viviane faded to nothingness, her voice still on the air.

"Its weight is measured by the heart, not the body..."

Brull sighed, a deep rush of air that carried his frustrations. Arthur never told him anything, and this woman was no better. He sank into a comfortable squat, across from the weather-beaten sword.

"Let's share a meal before I try and pull you out, Mr. Sword."

Brull pulled a few flasks of ale and a strip of salted meat from his pouch. He set one flask before the sword and drew heavily on the other.

"Ahhhhh! I needed that!"

Brull nibbled on his scrap of meat. It had been more than a day since he'd eaten, all while doing heavy exercise. His cultivation carried him this far, but it was best to treat your body well.

Finished with his meal, he reached out to the second cup. He stopped, tested its weight in his hand. It's lighter... He popped open the flask to find it empty, drained of its expensive ale.

"Thirsty, were you?"

Brull raised an eyebrow at the sword. It seemed plain, but it had a heavy edge. A weight that reminded him of his father. Brull rose and dusted off his hands.

"Well, let's give this a try!"