Lainor dropped the sleepy guard act as soon as the Champion's sister stepped into the mirror. He walked to the small building to his right. He opened the door and found the two unconscious and chained up Bloodstone Watchmen, where he had left them.

Lainor could've taken their uniform if he wished, but he wanted to avoid putting Meera on the defensive. She might've even attacked if she suspected trickery. Given her history with the Bleeders, it wouldn't have come as a surprise. He picked up his folded white clothes from the chair where he'd left them and quickly changed, tossing the guard's uniform in the corner.

He removed the gags from their mouths and nudged one of them with his foot. The guard groaned as his eyes fluttered open, slowly at first, then all at once, as he saw Lainor standing over him.

The Bleeder backed up from Lainor, but it wasn't like he had a whole lot of room. His back hit the wooden wall, and he squirmed there. Eyes wide like a rabbit's, who'd seen his death arrive on the wings of a hawk.

"L-Look, we won't tell anyone. I-I promise," he stammered.

Lainor never bothered to learn their names. Meera moved too fast, thanks to her infernal horse. As to the Bleeders, he could let them live, but he needed a message delivered.

Lainor pointed to the yet-sleeping Bleeder. A ray of white light launched from his finger and lit the Bleeder in white flames. But they weren't flames in actuality. The Bleeder didn't even scream as the flames reduced his body to ice chips within moments.

The horror on the other Bleeder's face was unmistakable. He backed up from Lainor into the shack's corner. He trembled from fear and, most likely, from the cold that now enveloped the small shack.

"If you don't want this to be your fate, then I want you to deliver a message to your king," Lainor said.

"A-Anything. I-I'll deliver it to the letter."

"Good. Tell Narikas that he might have succeeded in saving his kingdom from the Cosmarians, but they were just spirits. Tell him that there will be no Meera to save him next time. Will you tell him that?"

"B-But Prince Narikas is not the king—"

Lainor shot a Freeze Ray at his arm, freezing it in place. Then he stomped on it, shattering it to pieces.

The Bleeder screamed and trembled. "W-Why?"

"To remind you that when I want something done, I do not like to be questioned. Now, run."

He stumbled out of the door, clutching his frozen shoulder. It didn't bleed as the stump was frozen solid. He looked behind him with trembling eyes. He quickly touched the mirror and walked into it. Lainor didn't know where he was going, and truth be told, he didn't care. Rothedon had plans to take over the worlds, but who cared what that self-important king wanted? His time of reckoning was coming, as was everyone's.

Lainor looked up at his Lord Aetheron, encircling Mirithia, and smiled. "Soon, my Lord…Soon, you will walk these worlds…"

He placed his hands on the Gateway Mirror and selected his destination. He emerged in a circular clearing of beautiful flowers. As always, the big old man with a long gray beard sat by the bent trees, eating his thorny fruit. Lainor used Identify on him again.

[Ancient – ?????]

Lainor had tried talking to him, but he would have had better luck making the trees talk. This was a special mirror that didn't function like a Gateway Mirror, but then Lainor had powerful friends who had shown him many new magics and how to use Gateway Mirrors for more than just travel.

The first time Lainor stepped out of the mirror, the old man had thought he, too, had come from another world and inadvertently told him about Meera and Neel. Thus began the great hunt of his order.

"You're in my view, boy," the old man drawled.

There it was. The only thing he would say. Otherwise, he might as well be part of the tree stump he was sitting on. Lainor stepped aside. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that this man was so powerful that even Lainor's Identify didn't show him his level. Lainor's best guess was that he was a god, long forgotten by the world, and Lainor had no intention of tangling with him.

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He left the old man to his staring as he walked toward his destination. It wasn't far, and given that the sun was about to rise, he was late. He picked up the pace. As he walked to his destination, the trees got more crooked and sinister.

It took him less than an hour to get there, but by the time he arrived at Rothedon's Fist, the sun had risen in the east. Its rays filtered through the foliage, telling Lainor he was late.

Rothedon's fist was a bunch of rocks that looked like a fist thrusting out of the ground, but they were more than mere rocks. It was the barrier between two worlds. The world of the living and the world of the condemned. All those who had followed Rothedon, who were not Cosmarians, had their forms morphed into horrors and were now called Rakinyes.

They weren't strong enough to come even within miles of the barrier. The magics woven into the barrier were so potent that the Rakinyes couldn't even stop close to this place without being disintegrated into nothing. But the same could not be said about the man he had come to meet.

He leaned against the rocks of the fist. The magic of the barrier did nothing against one as powerful as he. He wore a fiery red armor. Lainor could feel the heat even from twenty paces away. As he walked closer, standing close to him would have been impossible if not for Lainor's class. The Cosmarian's helmet had no holes for eyes. He held a staff with a small hexagonal mirror attached to its top.

[Pyroclastic Magus – Level ????]

Given his high Identify level, Lainor was perplexed by not being able to see the Cosmarian's level. He could view levels higher than 900, so this sort of unnerved him, but the barrier protected him. I have nothing to be afraid of.

"You're late," Mirageiros, the son of Rothedon, said.

"I came when I could. Your quarry was late, so I am late," Lainor replied.

The Cosmarian paused for a long moment, no doubt staring at Lainor through his helmet. Lainor had seen enough of mirror magic to know Mirageiros could see him even without holes in his helmet.

"You better watch your tone, Cultist. I don't—"

"First things first, I don't work for you," Lainor interrupted. "We work together because your father fears dying to my Lord. We have the same goal for now, but don't think that puts me beneath you."

Rothedon's spawn breathed out heavily, and flames gushed out of him in droves. They would've been enough to light Lainor on fire, but the barrier stopped them. Though the heat was enough to make Lainor sweat.

Mirageiros thrust his hand through the barrier, gripped Lainor by the throat, and lifted him in the air.

Lainor's eyes widened. His throat felt like it was on fire, where Mirageiros's gauntlet gripped him. He struggled to breathe as he fought to break his grip.

"Listen, human, you are beneath me," Mirageiros said. "It would take nothing for me to snap your neck so you learn your fucking place." He tossed Lainor to the ground.

Lainor coughed and gagged. His neck burned. He put his hand to his throat and used his Icy Touch to cool it down.

"H-How?" Lainor asked when he could breathe again.

Mirageiros scoffed. "Lots of things are in motion…now that the end draws near. We need not waste time. Give your report and fall from sight."

Lainor got to his feet and kept his distance this time. He told him of Meera's adventures and where Neel was supposed to be or was as of a few weeks ago. But as he spoke, the only thing on his mind was how a Cosmarian had broken through the barrier. The Pact of Dalleria was absolute. They couldn't break through the barrier without breaking the pact and alerting all the gods. If Rothedon's brood could break through the barrier so casually, then the rumors of the Charred Riders attacking the villagers were true.

"And what of the Champion?" Mirageiros asked.

Lainor's mood soured. "The so-called savior…" He spat on the ground. "He hunted a few dragonlings to power the Miravane, but we lost him once he went to the one you call Craven."

The Cosmarian clenched his fists. Though Lainor couldn't see his face, he was sure Mirageiros was fuming under his charred helm.

Lainor continued, "There's more. Domina's pets were also seen on Gethys. They're after Neel as well, though for what reason, I cannot say."

"The Miseraon Twins…" His grip tightened on his staff. "The seer doesn't know she is harboring a pair of vipers who are in the habit of biting the hand that feeds them." He scoffed with a shake of his head. "Did they catch up to him?"

"No, we lost Silas and Cossus after they went to Craven's Glade, following Neel's trail."

Mirageiros was quiet for a long moment. He stood there, breathing in and out. "Cultist, I need you to deliver a message to your Frostcaller Hierarch,"

That's why I'm here, am I not? But Lainor bit his tongue. His neck still burned from where the Cosmarian had grabbed him.

"Tell him to deliver a message to the dragon, Ignis Sunbreath, on Gethys. Tell the dragon his suspicions proved true. The one responsible for his brethren's recent deaths is inside Drurith, and the Cult of Aetheron will deliver the culprit to him."

"They've already reduced the great city to ruins. The dragons will turn that city to ash if we tell them this."

Mirageiros crossed his arms. "So?"

"And if my Cult does not see the value in getting between this feud of humans and dragons that you've stirred up?"

"Then your Cult will be the first to fall, and don't think running to another world will save you."

Lainor sighed and tilted his head. "Your message will be delivered to the Hierarch."

"And my father's orders obeyed. You will deliver the Champion's sister to the dragons."

Lainor set his jaw. He wanted to tell him to piss off but kept his mouth shut.

"Don't worry. When my father prevails, he'll remember your service and take you lot with him to Midiopea." He turned, got on in his steed, which also wore fiery armor like him, and rode away.

You're chasing a myth...Only Aetheron will prevail.