image [https://i.imgur.com/dbU5Tnu.png]

Azhane stood by in disbelief at her opponent's sudden lack of desire to fight. She turned her attention towards the woman and desummoned her Manifest, not seeing the point in having it out anymore.

“Hey, are you just going to stand there or what? Come join me!” The woman loudly requested, looking over at her with a smirk. Azhane sighed and slowly walked over, cautiously sitting a short distance next to her.

‘What is going on? We were trying to kill each other just a few minutes ago and now she wants me to admire nature with her?? I don’t get it.’

Azhane remained skeptical as she side eyed her foe, not trusting her for even a second.

“My how I’ve missed this sky. So filled with beautiful wonder and charm.” The woman softly remarked with a smile. Azhane looked up at the sky as well before posing a question.

“Umm, so.. Who are you?” She asked, patiently awaiting an answer. A brief moment passed until the lady glanced over with an annoyed expression.

“I asked you that same question earlier and you didn’t answer me… Tell me your name first and I’ll tell you mine.” She replied with a slight pout.

Azhane rolled her eyes at the childlike behavior before sighing loudly.

“I’m Azhane Belouis, the current ruler of Volaire.”

“Volaire? Hm, never heard of it.” The woman wrinkled her face in confusion as she tried to figure out what kind of place that would be. After a brief ponder she finally introduced herself.

“Anyways, I’m Solana, Queen of the Boundless.”

As soon as the words left Solana's mouth, Azhane’s eyes went wide with incredible rage and hatred. The memories of what the Boundless did to Volaire and Alaira as a whole rapidly filled her mind again.

“What foul critter crawled into your britches?” The woman asked, noticing the sudden surge of bloodlust coming from Azhane.

“Queen of the Boundless?? How can that even be possible!? I thought I dealt with your kind last year!”

“Dealt with my kind? What do you mean?”

Solana’s interest was fully piqued at this point, causing her to sit up and stare Azhane in the eyes. Azhane angrily told her what happened last year after the Boundless were revived, not missing a single detail.

“I slaughtered them all with no remorse and I have no problem doing the same to you.”

Despite Azhane's dark and hostile tone, Solana looked at her with very little emotion or fear. She simply laid her head back down and looked up at the sky again. Solana didn’t care one bit about Azhane’s little tantrum and instead, replied with something quite surprising.

“Good riddance… Serves them right..” Solana muttered, now seemingly deep in thought. Azhane was taken aback by this response, shocked she would be so aloof about such a serious matter.

“What? Good riddance? But those were your people! As a Queen, shouldn’t you have more care for your citizens??”

“Pfft, my people? Those were no people of mine. Every last one of them betrayed me and put me in that damn sealed chamber. As far as I’m concerned, they got what they deserved…”

Solana was clearly annoyed by the mere mention of her citizens, their deceitful actions still fresh on her mind. Azhane couldn't believe what she had just heard, causing her bloodlust to cease completely.

“Explain…”

Azhane was eager to know what happened to cause this woman to be so dismissive towards her own kind. Solana simply glanced over at Azhane, noticing her interest in the matter. She then looked back towards the sky before softly sighing and briefly pondering her thoughts. After a few moments of silence, Solana began to tell a deep story of what truly happened with the Boundless.

~MANY MILLENNIA AGO

Solana was a kind, yet steadfast ruler of her people. She had great pride in how she ran things, feeling her way was both fair and inclusive. However, there were some within her ranks that felt very differently.

At the beginning of Alaira, the three races all lived together in harmony. The Humans, the Siestians, and the Boundless coexisted and helped build up the foundations of this world. The Humans tended to the grounds, harvesting and nourishing the many flora and fauna. The Siestians cultivated the seas and bodies of water. The Boundless maintained the Core of Alaira and built up the Core Depths underneath.

All three races played an important role and worked together as equals. However, this mentality began to shift for the Boundless thanks to one individual, Briddle. As the chief advisor and right hand man to Solana, his position was very high in their ranks. Briddle felt that the Boundless were superior to the Humans and Siestians. Since they were the ones tending to the actual core, the source of all power, they had special privilege.

“The mighty Core has chosen us, above all others, to build it up. Surely that must mean we’ve been granted favor over the other races.”

Briddle would often say to their citizens. He was very good with words and could manipulate the minds of anyone willing to listen.

Within a few short months, he had the entire race believing that the Boundless should be the rulers of this world, leading over the other races. No longer equals but masters with servants. Queen Solana did not share this same mentality. She felt that they had a duty to help Alaira grow and become more unified, understanding that his line of thinking would only set the world back and end progress. Despite Briddle’s many attempts to convince the Queen, he failed to get through to her.

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In a fit of rage, he sought the assistance of a powerful Boundless shaman to prepare a sealing ritual on the Queen. This shaman was also a highly trusted aide to Solana, having been a significant influence in her life since she was a child. If Briddle's goal to take Solana out of the picture was to work, this shaman was the key to making that happen. He knew that with her great strength and power, he could never hope to defeat her in combat, so Briddle needed to utilize a more underhanded tactic.

After much preparation, the moment finally came for him. As Solana slept soundly, the shaman snuck into her room and placed a temporary hex upon her. This hex was programed to activate whenever she utilized her vocal based abilities, knocking her unconscious for a time.

The following night, Briddle thrust the Boundless city within the Core Depths into absolute chaos, staging a great rebellion. Every Boundless citizen rioted and was fully against the Queen, convinced that she was holding them back from reaching their full potential.

Once Solana realized that reasoning with them was no longer an option, she tried to make use of her power to regain control of her people. However, just as she attempted to use that powerful voice of hers, the hex triggered and Solana was immediately knocked unconscious. This moment allowed them to chain the Queen up and transport her without fear of retaliation.

When she awoke, Solana was at the center of an arena, surrounded by thousands of angry and hostile Boundless citizens. She quickly stood, and yelled out with her powerful voice, hoping to command them to stand down. However, nothing happened and the citizens continued to scream out obscenities at her.

With a shocked expression, she slowly walked forward and noticed a barrier between her and everyone else. As she placed her hand on the invisible wall, a familiar voice began to speak. Briddle, the Boundless Council, his five generals, and the shaman appeared before her.

“I hate that it came to this, but it’s time we made some changes around here. Rest assured though, I’ll take good care of our people.” Briddle said with a cheeky smile, pressing his hand against the barrier as well. Solana scowled, baring her sharp teeth before attempting to summon forth her Manifest.

However, after a few silent seconds, she noticed that her Manifest did not heed her call. For some reason, her connection to the Core of Alaira had completely ceased within this barrier. Moments later, Briddle and everyone accompanying him, stood around the barrier in a circle. They aimed their hands towards Solana as the shaman began chanting in their dialect.

The runes on the floor surrounding her lit up in a multitude of colors, one after the other until all twelve symbols glowed brightly. A massive burst of Core Energy radiated in the area until a bright, white light flashed. Once the light faded, Solana was no longer present. She had been sealed away in a chamber, locked behind twelve Affinity locks. This ancient seal could only be broken when individuals stood on the runes and used skills of that affinity in a specific order.

With her no longer in the picture, Briddle ascended the throne and named himself the Boundless King. This inevitably led to their battle against the other races, causing the Boundless to be sealed away and erased from the history books.

~

Azhane was absolutely enthralled by this story. She slowly pieced things together in her mind as she remembered what the Ocean Goddess told them at last year’s Summit.

“If what you say is true, then I definitely feel for you. That bastard Briddle put us all through so much turmoil and despair.” Azhane said, having slight sympathy for her. Solana nodded before sitting up and looking around her surroundings.

“Yeah, I shouldn’t have been so trusting of him. It’s my fault for not taking action quicker. So naive on my part…” Solana replied with a heavy sigh, clearly irritated by the situation. Azhane remained silent, not knowing what she should say at that moment.

Solana then turned her attention towards Azhane with a curious expression. She asked a few questions about the current time period and if certain people were still around. Azhane told her the year and had no real answer for the people she mentioned, confused by their names.

“So it’s been that long? Truly unfortunate…”

Solana looked disappointed by the news as she quietly processed this information in her head. The two continued to chat about various other changes to Alaira, until Solana mentioned something quite concerning.

“It’s a shame that there’s only four of us left in this world. Who would’ve thought my race would be reduced to such a pathetic number.” Solana said, looking out towards the tree line. Azhane cocked her head to the side with a perplexed expression.

“Four of us? What do you mean?” She asked, her heart slowly picking up its pace. Solana nodded as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes, focusing her senses together.

“Yeah. I can sense two Boundless hiding up in those northern mountains, that sister of yours, and me of course.”

Solana slowly opened her eyes before turning her attention towards the north, fully locked in on their positions. Surprise raced across Azhane’s face once she realized what Solana had said.

“Wait, wait, wait… What do you mean by that?? Carmen isn’t a Boundless! Stop talking nonsense.” Azhane remarked with an annoyed cadence, clearly not in the mood for jokes.

“Honey, that girl has Boundless blood running all through her veins. I can smell her all the way over here. It’s such a memorable scent from my kingdom.”

Solana turned her nose upwards and sniffed, smiling as she admired the fragrance.

“What!? Why would she have Boundless blood?? You aren’t making any sense!”

Azhane’s voice was becoming more shaky as confusion and anger started to take over. Solana side-eyed Azhane with a deadly serious glare.

“What reason do I have to lie to you? I couldn’t care less if you believe me or not. But, It seems to me that someone within your ranks is withholding information from you. You’d be wise to figure out why.”

Solana's tone turned fairly cold, as though she were giving Azhane a warning and reminding her of the situation she went through. Azhane flinched slightly as she processed this information, not sure of what she should do.

“Hmm, I see. I’ll look into it just to make sure.”

Azhane stood from the ground and brushed the dirt off of her leggings.

“Well Solana, this encounter has certainly been uh, an interesting one. However, I need to head back to Volaire. I’m sure they’re wondering where I am.” She added with a slight chuckle. Solana nodded and got to her feet as well, now standing face to face with Azhane.

“Hey, you mind if I tag along? To be quite honest with you, I rather enjoyed this brief moment. It’s been a while since I’ve had a normal conversation with someone.” Solana asked while running her fingers through her short and pristine, jet black hair. Azhane stood there silently, surprised by the request but also remaining quite cautious.

“Annnd, I don’t really have anywhere to go at the moment. Considering my uh, circumstances.” She added with a hearty laugh and smile.

“Hmm, I don’t know. We just met and given my past experience with the Boundless, I’m not sure if I fully trust you.”

“Oh I understand that, but do you think it’s wise to leave me alone out here, unattended? What if I go on a savage rampage and destroy a city or two? Their blood would be on your hands…”

Solana sent a devious yet playful smile, seeing if Azhane would take the bait. Azhane slightly scowled and looked fully prepared to start another fight, her Core Energy beginning to ramp upwards yet again. However, to her surprise, Solana burst out laughing.

“It was a joke! No need to get so upset. I swear, you really need to loosen up more, that childish alter ego of yours is kind of annoying. Plus, I really don’t feel like fighting you again. It'd be the biggest waste of both our time.” Solana said with a hefty chuckle, poking fun at her new acquaintance. Azhane palmed her forehead in great annoyance, sighing in the process.

“And if I'm being honest, I’m quite curious to see this nation of yours. I promise you that subjugation is the last thing on my mind, so rest assured.”

Solana stared directly at Azhane, her gaze looking as genuine as possible. Azhane pondered the thought for a moment until she eventually extended her hand.

“Okay Solana, I’ll trust you. However, the moment you try anything, I swear I’ll end you.”

Her tone was incredibly cold, showing that she meant every word she said. Solana nodded and smiled as she took Azhane's hand.

“I’ll be on my best behavior! Oh, and please call me Sola. Feels awkward with you calling me by my full name.”

Azhane sighed before accepting her statement, agreeing to address her accordingly. Then within a single blink, the two vanished and found themselves in the grand foyer of Castle de Belouis.

“Oh my! I must say, that ability of yours is quite handy.” Sola said, looking impressed by Azhane’s dimensional skills.

“Follow me, I’ll show you around my home.”

Azhane smiled and motioned for Sola to walk with her. The two began to wander around the castle, surprisingly enjoying each other's company. Two equals in power, now forming a strange yet close friendship.