Alicia sat atop the starlit hill that claimed many hours of her youth, standing over a piece of rubble from her home village that she’d planted at the top. The rubble was adorned with wildflowers that she’d found in the surrounding area. There wasn’t much she could do with it, given she didn’t have any tools to carve it, but she did about as much as she could. The night air was unwelcoming and cold, a far cry from the burning heat of the flames that had seared her skin just an hour before. She knelt down on the mountain, clutching the golden pocket watch her mother gave her in her hands, looking out into the horizon. From behind her, Miranda approached, kneeling down next to her, a look of remorse on her face.

“How’re you holding up?” She asked, it was clear she was barely holding together herself.

“I’ll manage,” Alicia said quietly, looking out blankly into the distance. The Edge of the Island wasn’t far away, and all Alicia could think about was throwing herself off and into the ocean below. If she was lucky, maybe Franklin would find her body.

“Allie… you don’t need to lie to me.” Miranda quietly said, putting her hand on Alicia’s shoulder. Alicia just quietly kept staring out over the horizon, kneeling in the rubble-strewn grass. She still hadn’t fully processed anything that had happened. She was still expecting that she’d wake up. As the adrenaline began to fizzle, nothing felt real anymore.

“Miranda, do you think she went to the Far Beyond?” Alicia calmly asked, looking down at her makeshift gravestone. Miranda paused for a second, before sitting down beside her and looking off into the horizon with her.

“Well, Allie. She was always good to you, wasn’t she? Unless she killed someone without you knowing… I’d say she’s safe from being a wanderer,” Miranda stated, reflecting on her own actions throughout the last twelve hours. Her necklace turning black felt so far away now, and she didn’t even know what to think of Alicia’s Pilgrimage.

“I suppose you’re right,” Alicia stated, staring at her gravestone still. It wasn’t half as good as her mother deserved, but she was trying. “I just can’t imagine her soul wandering around the ocean forever. It’s too much to handle.” Miranda just nodded and quietly held her hand as the two looked out over the horizon. They stayed like that for as long as they realistically could, until Kane found herself behind them, looking over the two of them as they stared into the horizon together.

“Children, it’s time for us to depart.” She said, her cold voice as unwavering as always. It could be admired, to an extent, just how calm she could be under this pressure. Miranda stood up and scowled at her.

“In a minute, lady,” Miranda spat out, rolling her eyes. “Let Alicia grieve.”

“We do not have the time for her to grieve,” Kane responded, turning tail and pointing south. “I must depart for Ulthos immediately, the Great Council and I should be able to decide the fate of the Church.” This caught Alicia’s attention, causing her to snap out of her trance, looking up at Kane’s steady face.

“You mean… you’re not coming with us, Instructor?” Alicia asked, feeling a ball of anxiety swirling around in her chest.

“I cannot. There are pressing matters that I must attend to. Calarina, the center of Eternity’s world, has fallen in just one night. The other Great Nations are going to be vying for the crown. I may be able to calm tensions for a while, but conflict is surely on the horizon.” Kane finished, letting the southern wind blow her cloak around her body, her hair slowly flowing behind her. Although she was standing lower on the hill than the duo, she still stood taller than them. Kane knew precisely what she had to do, and she would go to any lengths to achieve it.

“Then what do you expect us to do, Kane?” Miranda asked, practically shouting her question. “You claim that Alicia has a great destiny to uphold, but you refuse to elaborate on what exactly we need to do to achieve that. I’m beginning to think you’re making all this up.” Miranda said, standing on her tip-toes to be at eye-level with the priest.

“There is no ‘we’, Miranda. There is only Alicia.” responded Kane, as she walked towards Alicia and rested her hands on her shoulders. “Alicia, listen to me and listen well. To the east of here there is a great lake, and on its bank rests the Lakeside Town of Oscis. You must go there and speak to the Elder. He can explain the pilgrimage to you better than I can now.” Kane finished, before turning around and facing the great southern plains that awaited her. “Write me a letter as soon as you reach Oscis, and I will try and instruct you from there.”

“Yes Instructor,” Alicia responded, looking at the floor, her hands finding their way to her necklace. She still barely knew how to use the thing.

“As for you, Miranda. I’d advise that you find a place of your own somewhere and remain there for the time being. We can fill out the necessary forms for you to immigrate to Mistwood or Ulthos. For now, just find somewhere to live.” Kane said, taking a few steps towards the dark plains that awaited her. “I wish both of you the best of luck.” She finished, before finally departing on her own adventure, walking past Miranda as she stared at her in utter disbelief, making broad strides as she tried to move as quickly as possible. Ulthos was several days south of the ruins of Calarina, so it would take the former priest quite a while to walk there on foot. As soon as she departed, Alicia turned towards Miranda with a grimace.

“I suppose this is goodbye, then,” Alicia gloomily noted. Kane’s advice was pretty thorough, after all. She had specifically said that Alicia had to go to Oscis and that Miranda was to find shelter somewhere else.

“Don’t be stupid, Allie. I’m going with you.” Miranda responded, crossing her arms. “You need someone to keep you out of trouble, after all.” Alicia laughed a bit at her comment, amused at her confidence.

“Miranda, no offense, but I’m entirely sure you’d be the one who’s gonna get me into trouble,” Alicia said, rolling her eyes. “Remember that time with the bread rolls, where you-”

“Alright, alright. Fine. Point taken,” Miranda grimaced, throwing her arms up in the air. “In my defense, the guy didn’t seem to WANT the things.”

“I’m sure he didn’t want them to be thrown into the hearth fire, either…” Alicia responded.

“Then he should’ve specified!!!” Miranda shouted, before bursting into laughter. Alicia did the same shortly after. The gloomy atmosphere had lifted just a little bit from Miranda’s presence. Regardless of whether it was the right choice or not, Alicia was happy that Miranda had chosen to tag along, whether she liked it or not, the two were stuck together like glue.

“So… we’re heading to Oscis, right?” Alicia asked, standing up from her giggle fit.

“That’s what the witch said, yeah,” Miranda responded, walking over to Alicia’s side. “Are you ready to head out?” Alicia simply nodded, and the two of them slowly began to walk East, continuing to converse as they walked.

“What do you think we’re gonna find there?” Alicia asked, looking over at Miranda.

“More old people who talk too much,” Miranda responded, a smirk forming on her face. Alicia just rolled her eyes and continued to walk. Although they were exhausted and barely able to put one foot before the other, they still persisted onwards.

Their journey was only beginning, after all.

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As the sun began to rise once more over the rolling hills of Eternity, the duo was feeling more exhausted than previously thought possible. Alicia had slept after the ceremony, of course, but the adrenaline that was pumping through her body had long since ceased. The harsh winds of the night had begun to turn warm, indicative of the early fall season. In just a few weeks, the green trees that dotted the brilliant meadow they were walking towards would turn orange and yellow and red, and their leaves would slowly begin to trickle to the ground like raindrops. The conversation between the two of them had long since stopped, shifting their focus to keeping themselves upright. Kane hadn’t said exactly how far away the nearby town was, and Alicia was praying it was nearby. They hadn’t packed any food or water, and both of them were a uniquely hellish combination of starving and parched that was typically reserved for political prisoners.

“Y’know Allie… Kane really should’ve told us how far away this place was,” Miranda groaned as she kept walking, before lazily looking out over hills. They were halfway up a rather large hill, making a decent headway through it. “Are you sure we’re going in the right direction?” she asked, partially wheezing.

“I’m pretty sure. She said it was to the east, right? Isn’t that where we’ve been going?” Alicia responded, starting to wheeze a little herself. Both of them were on their last legs, and their voyage hadn’t even started yet. After several more minutes of struggling up the hill, they eventually reached its summit and stared down at the glittering lake below.

“Haha!!! Look, Allie!!! We made it!!” Miranda cheered, before falling onto the grass below her. Alicia followed suit, gently sitting down on the grass beneath her feet. Usually, she’d be rather upset about the grass staining her robe, but she didn’t see the point in it. She’d hopefully be able to get new clothes from Oscis, anyways.

“Hey, Miranda?” Alicia asked, looking over at the small hamlet that awaited them at the banks of the lake. It looked bizarrely different than what she’d expected. Several small buildings were clustered together on the southern side of town, and a great factory resided on the northern side. The little town itself looked hazy and had fallen into slight disrepair, while the factory looked practically brand new. “This doesn’t look like a place where we’d get advice,” Alicia stated, looking out over the little hamlet. Miranda sat up and took a little look at herself, raising an eyebrow.

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“Y’know… you’re right,” Miranda replied, looking at the billowing smokestacks of the pristine factory, a bit of unease in her voice. “Well, no time like the present to find out.” She said, standing up and beginning to walk down the hill.

“Hey wait a minute!” Alicia shouted, bounding after her, grabbing ahold of her arm. “We need some sort of plan before we just go charging in there. What if they eat 16-year-old girls from Calarina… or something?”

“Allie, you worry too much. We’ll be fine if we keep our wits about us.” Miranda responded, practically dragging Alicia along toward the little town. “Besides, what’s the worst they can do, fish us to death?”

“I just think we should reconsider!” Alicia responded, trying as hard as she could drag Miranda back toward the top of the hill. As was evident, she was very clearly failing. Miranda, not wanting to take no for an answer, practically dragged Alicia kicking and screaming to the entrance of the town.

“See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Miranda asked, grinning.

“I feel like I just died in eight different ways,” Alicia responded.

“Eh, you’ll recover, probably,” Miranda replied, looking up at the gates of the town. They were slightly rusty and half open. The air smelled like smog and oil, and the environment that inhabited said the air was exceptionally rough-looking. The little fishing hamlet looked far more dilapidated up close, and the thick clouds above had almost completely blotted out the sun. “Well then. Let’s get moving, shall we?” Miranda announced, walking into the town’s gates like she owned the place. Alicia followed behind nervously, looking at the abandoned houses that lay to either side of the entrance. She was apprehensive, but she knew better than to try and convince Miranda to back out. As they made their way through the streets of the little town, Alicia’s sense of dread only began to grow. Miranda however, didn’t seem to be all that affected by the dreary atmosphere. In the distance, a faint voice could be heard echoing through the streets.

“Wait, do you hear that?” Alicia said, turning her ear towards the voice. She could barely make out what it was saying. After a second, she moved slightly closer to it, trying desperately to make out its words without being seen.

“...we must… el… and…” the voice said, causing Alicia’s frustration to grow. After a moment, she looked at Miranda, giving a little nod, before the two started walking towards the mysterious voice. After a minute or so of wandering through the town’s densely packed streets, they found themselves in the town center, alongside a rather large crowd, and a terrifying looking man standing on a pedestal in the center.

“As I was saying. Due to business concerns, taxes on the fishers will be raised by roughly 15 percent. As for those who work in the plant, your taxes will not increase,” he said, continuing to babble on and on. The man looked bizarre, even by Alicia’s standards. His body was normal enough if dressed a little gaudy, but his head appeared to be a rather large pufferfish, rather than anything even remotely human. Each time he inhaled, it inflated slightly, and each time he exhaled or spoke, it deflated. Combined with his form of dress, he looked like an aristocrat who had bad surgery in a fish plant.

“Oh, gross,” Miranda said, looking at the man with a pained expression. “Who the hell would use soul power to make yourself look like that?”

“The town meeting is henceforth dismissed!!!! Begone, fools!” The man shouted, as the crowd around him quickly dispersed. As Alicia and Miranda approached the pedestal, they were met with a very strong odor of fish.

“Can I assist you two?” Said the man, looking down at them and gagging. “Truly, your outfits are most objectionable. I wonder why I even bother to speak with women of the tabernacle such as yourselves.”

“Women of what?” Alicia asked, before clearing her throat and adjusting her robe, before continuing. “Apologies for the bother sir, but we come from the great city of Calarina to the west. I have been selected for a pilgrimage and was told to get advice from someone in this town. Would you happen to be the town’s Elder?”

“The ELDER?!” shrieked the man, putting a hand on his silk-covered chest. “Do I look like a decrepit Buffon?! I am Theodore Rhodes Maximus Arillion Puffs XVIII, thank you! If you choose to berate my appearance, then I have no need for mitochondria such as yourself!” He said, before storming off angrily towards the factory.

“Mitochondria?...” Miranda asked, seemingly just as confused as Alicia.

“Well… he’s not the elder,” Alicia responded, watching the bizarre-looking man storm off, his pufferfish head inflating and deflating rapidly with his rage. As the two stood in confusion, an old man slowly approached them, clutching his cane in his boney hands.

“Forgive me for asking, but I heard you asking about the Elder… did Lady Kane happen to send you?” He asked, wheezing between the majority of the words he spoke.

“Yes, she did,” Alicia replied, turning towards the man quickly. “Would you happen to be the town elder?”

“I was, for a time. Until that dreaded Puffs arrived.” He sighed, scornfully staring at the factory. “But enough about that, follow me, please. I’ll tell you everything from the safety of my own home.” The old man said, smiling for a bit. His heavily sun-weathered face smiled as he saw Alicia walking alongside him to his little house. It was just across the way from the central plaza, easy to get to by someone of his age. Upon walking inside, he sat down on the chair near the door, wheezing heavily. Alicia and Miranda sat on the chairs across from him, looking around his house. It had seen better days, for sure. The flowers on the windowsill had long since died from the lack of sunlight, and the bright wallpaper was faded and peeling. The old man looked over at Alicia, clutching his cane as tight as he could.

“So… you’re Number Five, then? The last on the Pilgrimage trail?” He asked, blinking slowly.

“What do you mean, sir?” Alicia asked, seemingly puzzled at what he meant.

“Goodness… you know less than I thought you did…” He muttered, before clearing his throat. “The Pilgrimage is a simple thing, really. Those who were gifted with the Soul of Laius have an obligation to travel to the Three Temples of Eternity, pray at each of them, and then go and deposit the Soul at the Grand Shrine, in the center of Eternity.” He finished, sighing slightly.

“That’s it then?” Alicia asked, tilting her head to the side. It didn’t seem particularly complicated.

“Sort of. It’s not a particularly easy journey to make, you know.” The old man said, coughing as he did so. “You must travel to the wooded lands of Mistwood, to the industrial jaws of Ulthos, and then travel to the Forgotten lands of Zephyr. Only then will your prayers finally give Laius’ soul enough power to fuse with the other fragments at the Shrine.”

“So then… we just take Allie here to the different parts of the world, loop back around to this Great Shrine place, and that’s that? That’ll defeat the monster that destroyed Calarina?” Miranda asked, taking in the information.

“You’re a sharp one, aren’t you? Yes, that’s exactly the case. Your ‘Allie’ is lucky enough to be the last soul fragment of the five that we need, so the second her journey is done, Laius will have enough power to destroy Sihn once and for all.” The old man finished. As he was about to start speaking again, a much younger man walked in, carrying a bucket of fish at his side.

“Delivery for Old Man Yellow?” He said, setting the fish on the floor. He looked far more chipper than everyone else did in Oscis. A hearty smile was on his face, and his blue shirt, though stained with fish oil, was brighter and higher quality than the rags everyone else wore. He stood tall, as opposed to hunched, and his tanned skin seemed to radiate warmth.

“Yes, yes… thank you Sean…” The old man said, looking over at the delivery boy. “Jacques with you today?” He asked, trying to look out the door.

“Not today, Oldie. Puffs made him fix one of the machines in the plant. He’s on his way home now.” Sean responded, giving the old man a wide smile. “You want ‘em frozen today?”

“Yes, please… you know how much my old teeth love biting through frozen flesh,” he responded, looking at the bucket of fish with distaste.

“You’re not supposed to eat ‘em frozen, Oldie,” Sean responded, moving a hand up to his neck. Alicia hadn’t noticed before, but a necklace was wrapped around it, identical to her own.

“Wait, you’re a Soul user?” Alicia asked, looking over at Sean.

“Ha! That I am, little missy. The gods didn’t give me anything fun, though. All I’ve got is control over temperature.” He responded, ripping the necklace off his neck and holding it in his unused hand. While one hand held the necklace, the other moved towards the bucket of fish. The second it made contact, the whole bucket became covered in a white frost. He beamed a bit, before the necklace vanished from his hand, reappearing around his neck. “Ha! Still got it.”

“You’re a lot more experienced than I am,” Alicia said, looking at Sean with awe. “I can barely take my necklace off yet.” Sean laughed at Alicia’s comment, before looking at the duo closer.

“It’s not all that hard! You just gotta focus on what you wanna do, and rip it off! These things are power inhibitors, you know. Can’t do anything if you don’t at least take em off. They’ll re-appear around your neck when you want ‘em to. So go on, try it!” He seemed jovial, and Alicia was in dire need of some practice. She stood up and concentrated hard on what she wanted to do. She began to think about supplies, getting food and water for the journey ahead, as well as anything else she’d need. With a forceful tug, she tried to rip it off, and…

“It’s not coming off!” Alicia said, sighing.

“You don’t have a clear goal in mind. It’s alright! Happens to a lot of rookies, just keep practicing.” Sean said, gesturing at his own necklace. “Took me quite a while before I figured out how to use it. Don’t stress, everything will be alright.” Alicia smiled at his little comment, seeming more confident around Sean than she was normally. She sighed a bit and sat back down in her chair. Sean gave a little wave and started to walk outside, before turning and looking at the Old Man. “...Hey, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Miranda asked. Before she could even get it out of her mouth, Sean was already rushing out the door. Alicia and Miranda followed close behind, concerned at whatever it was he was yelling about. As he ran through allies and sideroads, the two of them tried their absolute hardest to keep up, occasionally jumping over a broken bottle or two. Once they arrived, they saw exactly what Sean had heard. A man was lying in the middle of the street, his forehead was bleeding, and his eye was blackened.

“Jacques! What happened? Are you ok?” Sean asked, checking the man for injuries, holding him gently in his arms. He coughed a bit, before trying to respond.

“Puffs… Puffs’ men did this to me. I couldn’t find the problem with the plant, so they beat me up and tossed me out here.”

“God damn it,” Sean said, looking at the factory with immense distaste. “First he clouds the skies, then he tries to tax us to hell and back, and now he’s trying to take you. Is there anything that monster won’t try to take from us?” Sean’s disposition had completely changed. His voice had dropped, his shoulders were lower, and the cheerful smile he put on was gone. He stood up, holding Jacques in his arms, and laid him at the edge of the road.

“What are you doing?...” Alicia asked, looking over at Sean.

“I’m going after Puffs.” He responded, leaving a heavy silence in the air. The factory was close-by, and they could very easily charge in if they wanted to. From what everything Alicia had heard, you’d need to be insane to try, but Sean was looking pretty insane right about now.

“Alright. Then we’re coming with you.” Miranda said, causing Alicia to stumble back in shock. She knew Miranda was reckless, but Puffs sounded dangerous, if a bit foolish. Alicia just quietly looked at Miranda, trying to let her know what a bad idea it was, but she was cut off by Sean.

“Alright then. Follow me,” Sean stated, making direct eye contact with the factory. “We’re going in.”