Sammy stared at the symbol of the sun for a long moment, then looked down at the indistinct, sober face of the statue, seemingly mournful.

I’m sorry you’re dead, dude. Bet it was a hell of a run. I bet you were a killer, too. We all are. I am. But life goes on, doesn’t it?

The outside of the ruined temple showed only wildlife as far as activity went. They were almost certainly buried in some barren wilderness.

Azure studied some vines covered over the deteriorated stone. “Speckled spiny creeper. We’re likely close to the central swamp.”

Sammy did a fist pump. “Hell yeah! That’s a great fucking location. I could build an outpost or something like that here. Ooh.” She noticed something in the air and felt excitement. “Ooh! Azure, Azure!”

“What? What is it?”

“Don’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?! Tell me!”

Sammy smirked and crossed her arms, feeling smug. “Young padawan, you must reach out with your senses. Become one with your environment.” Her expression became serene, her clothes changed to a certain well-known robe style, and then she mimicked some deep breathing meditation exercises with her hands out to either side, eyes closing. “There is no emotion, there is peace…” She peeked an eye open, though.

Azure was scowling at her. She glanced around judiciously and her eyes flashed. “You can stop, now, Ms. Insufferable But Cute. It’s a high mana area.”

Nodding and smiling as she banished the phantasmal robes, Sammy brought her hands together to rub them greedily. “Bingo! Quick travel potential, isolated, high mana… Jackpooooot!”

“Unfortunately, the ground isn’t very stable, but I suppose you could fix that.”

“The ancient temple must be the source. I should probably only alter the environment after studying how much I can without accidentally ruining the benefits.”

“Ah. Good point. Perhaps renovation? And making sure it doesn’t sink any more.”

“Mmn. In any case, it’s about time we found out exactly where we are.”

Azure nodded slightly and peered at her. “Are you alright, Samantha?”

“Hmm? Sure.”

“The battle with Dreixia was brutal and bloody. The death haunts you, doesn’t it?”

Sammy opened her mouth to deny it but swallowed it. Denials were pointless with Azure. “Yeah. Not like the other fight. This is… different.”

“Yes. The nature of the killing stroke, hmm? Unlike any you experienced before. Just know that not only did you do what you had to do, but what you did was noble, however ignoble it seems. Or feels. Lives were saved from where she sought to drag them —after her to the grave.”

“I know.” Sammy looked out at the jungle landscape, feeling awkward. “I have to just eat this, Azure. There’s too much to do. If I suffer for it, so be it.” I deserve it. “I’m not taking a break. Let’s continue.”

Azure nodded slowly. She gestured at the temple and smiled softly. “Like last time, hmm? Track me down in your spirit world. Easy peasy?”

Sammy returned the smile and nodded. “Easy peasy.”

Dematerializing, Sammy left Azure at the temple and shifted over to the Limbo wilderness of the spirit world of Calrenazzod. From there, she followed her connection to find Azure and know exactly what spot on the globe they’d secured. It was relatively close to Lake Yura, perhaps 70-80 kilometers southeast and maybe 30 kilometers from the coastal bay.

Useful. Hopefully, I can get something closer to Geirkos at some point since this is over 300 kilometers away, but I’ll take it gladly.

With the location secured and locking her Avatar there anyway, the door was open to go and also secure the Bay of Mengior in the Land of Naug. Sammy handed off dealing with the location to Jeeves and her realm. Mirrors would get arrayed to bridge from the existing path to Lake Yura, and intangible Resemblants would scout the location thoroughly. Perhaps a more physical team would go in after them.

That’s the delegation life, I guess.

Soon, she and Azure found themselves basically sucked through another mind-bending, 3-dimensional portal. They stepped through hand-in-hand to set foot on rocks overlooking the Bay of Mengior, in the midst of stormy weather with rain falling. Nearby were some indistinct ruins, perhaps once a lighthouse considering the position. The choppy ocean was nearby, with sandbars peeking from underneath. In the distance, a port city could just be made out through the rain.

You have discovered a [Transition Point] on the Bridge of Edges, preliminary designation ‘Point 3’. Avatar position moved… Anchorage and transition in-world complete.

“What was the name of it, again? That city.” Sammy asked as she formed a big phantom umbrella over their heads.

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Azure was staring at the ruins nearby. “Sovar Ska. Was once an isolated pirate’s meeting place, hideout, and neutral zone. Grew to be one of the greatest ports in the world. A rogue’s den that makes Zek Sephel look tame in comparison.” She continued staring, though.

“What is it? We could go check out those ruins if you want.”

“No. I… mustn’t do that, now. I’ve been before, as a child. Many times. It’s just that my memories feel different. Deeper. And wrong versus what I see. In my mind’s eye, it is whole and gleaming, the walls and the tower like a pearl seashell. It glows, practically — it resonates with power.” She shook her head in haunted wonderment. “And I hate it whole. I was the one who destroyed it.”

“Whoa. Really? Well. Your past life.”

“Yes. It was long before even Sovar Ska existed. It was akin to a temple. There are terrible memories there…”

Sammy frowned. She wanted to ask, but not only was Azure probably hazy, she likely didn’t want to dredge it up. The memories of the Hall were curated in some way, and they could still cause trauma. Out in the wild, such triggers could be much, much worse.

Putting her arm around Azure’s waist, she made a scoffing sound. “Yeah, fuck that place! It looks lame. How about we get the hell out of here, hmm? We don’t really need to be here right now, anyway.”

Azure smiled faintly. “Indeed not. But at least we are noticing a pattern, hmm?”

“Do what?”

“The three locations. All are connected to dead deities. Or perhaps to us? Me? Regardless, there is some correlation along those lines.”

“Mmmmn. Yeah, you’re right. The sun god could be connected to you or me. The sun thing, connected to [Light]. Or your prior self might have done that crazy transmutation shit to him just like the archer.”

Azure stared at her, and realization began to dawn. “Transmutation…”

Shit. The archer. She wasn’t supposed to know! Me and my big mouth! “Azure, wait, I-”

“Of course,” Azure muttered breathlessly. Some of her color had drained from her face. “That hatred I felt. Not for you. Of course. You were tortured, shot through the heart, and traumatized forever because of me… Because I had found a way to turn even the gods inside out to repurpose their twisted shades for conquest. Including him.”

“No. Azure, no! It wasn’t you. A past life! And this only happened because I fucked with reality, remember? But we fixed it. We fixed it, Azure. It’s over.”

Azure grimaced and pulled away from the embrace to walk away a few steps, into the rain, her back to Sammy. Her fists were clenched. “You fixed it, Samantha. And bear the burden of the price for it. What did I do? What do I do? Nothing. Nothing of real note.”

The Naugite seemed to be looking at the ruins. “I can’t get away from it. Her consequences. They’re burying me. It’s wrong, Samantha. I shouldn’t be here. We’re not meant to be reborn in the same world. It cannot be normal. Why did it happen? How?”

“I don’t know. We may not ever know, Azure. We have to-”

Azure turned on a dime and swept her hand angrily. “No more platitudes, Samantha! That’s not good enough. Not for this. I have to find out, I have to know. Too many ignorances accrue. We’re just supposed to sweep all of this under the rug and go on? Don’t you hate feeling like a pawn? I do! I feel like a puppet! A doll!”

“Azure…” Sammy just shook her head. What can I say? I can’t just conjure those answers.

With a frustrated noise, Azure sagged and her head dropped. She closed her eyes. “I’d like to meditate here alone.”

“In the rain? Azure, you’re not going into those ruins.”

The Naugite beauty walked over to a higher, flat bunch of rocks nearby, and crouched to run her hand over the smooth, though wet surface. “I’ve come here to do so in the rain before. In worse downpours, actually.” She sat down cross-legged. “I grew up here. Let me have this. Please.” She looked up at Sammy insistently. “I won’t go into the ruins. Not yet, anyway. I don’t think the answers I need are in there, temptation though it is.”

Sammy sighed. “Fine. But check in soon?”

Azure had her eyes closed but nodded almost imperceptibly. Sammy sat and began the dematerialization process, remaining silent and deeply uncomfortable.

You’re such a fucking idiot, Sammy. Just blurting out whatever is on your mind, invalidating the whole reason you made a sacrifice to begin with! She didn’t need this. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Who am I kidding, really? I’ll never keep a single damn thing from her. She’s there for every consideration in my head, the counselor for every decision.

How could she think she’s done nothing of note? I depend on her!

When she shifted over to her throne on Heavenpeak, Sammy did try conjuring answers to Azure’s question. “How did the Mirror Demon incarnation get reborn into the same world?” She put the question to Fate! And! She got absolutely nothing. A blank void, like the question was invalid, or false. Missing critical components to answer.

Worth a shot, right? Perhaps we’d need to know her actual name. Which is probably impossible.

Sammy ultimately had no choice but to simply move on. Progress. It had become her nature, regardless of whether she was a ‘pawn’ or not. Who ever knew? What a privilege that would be! She believed in what she was doing. It was more than she could say about her path on Earth she was sucking ass at. Or the Faking It To Make It period when she was first on Calrenazzod. Back then, she had 0% idea what she was doing. Okay, so she only was at 10% now, it was still progress!

Eventually, it’ll be at 69%. And I’ll say: nice.

Maybe it was just some intrinsic inner faith she had in her ‘cosmic self.’ And in the likes of her previous badass selves like Ozra. The Director wasn’t a pawn. Ozra wasn’t a pawn. Maybe Ozra felt that way at one time, too. But she achieved and achieved and made big stamps on reality by her own will and determination. That’s what Sammy hoped for herself. She just wasn’t there yet — that was the rub. She was still building and learning, and that was enough for her.

Sadly, Azure wasn’t satisfied similarly. She wanted to connect all the dots, understand comparison and relation. Sammy was okay knowing the volume of a closed container with a prize waiting, but Azure wanted inside, wanted to touch and know the contents intimately. That was her nature, in contrast.

I’m sorry, Azure. You’ll figure it out. If you burn with the urge to make a mark, so be it. I support you. But I also have work to do, and it's time to get to it.