If Ethan had to sum up the atmosphere of Klax’s party in one word, it would be 'cathartic'.

The whole grand hall of the palace had been redecorated for the occasion – its chandeliers and long tables polished to perfection. Once again, Ethan found himself in awe of the hybrids ability to make the most of their situation. Around him were people who had come together in celebration of one of their eldest – the man who was currently receiving gifts from those closest to him.

“Be taking thissss, good master Klaxxxx,” Frax the ratman was currently saying as he offered the bemused wolfman a flask of incense that looked equal parts alluring and utterly diabolical in its makeup. “Disssstilled from Lady Gyko’s glandssss themssssevlessss.”

“How…fortuitous,” Klax replied as those around him began to chuckle. “Thank you, Brother Frax..”

Ethan stood alone – something he had often done in those few parties he’d went to back home. Those were house parties, mainly – occasions for pre-drinks before the senses were obliterated during club nights or the Karaoke bars that dotted his home city. The latter he actually did enjoy, though his current Undead throat didn’t have much talent for singing.

Someone who did though was little Miss Fauna. As the night rolled on, she had drunkenly stumbled over to him and asked him about his ‘cultural heritage’ as a human – probably half out of curiosity and half out of the desire to mingle with him during the party. Now, Ethan could have snatched the booze from the Hopla’s hands and told her she’d had enough, or…he could do what he did instead.

“Where I come from,” he told her surreptitiously. “There is an ancient song sung by our ancestors to commemorate the birthdays of our greatest champions.”

He told her the song’s name and she nodded furiously, committing the words to memory as he elaborated, trying to hold back his laughter in the face of her seriousness.

Presently she was talking with Klax – probably receiving an apology from the birthday wolf judging by the latter’s awkward demeanor. He’d said what he’d said to her earlier out of desperation, not spite. She knew that. Ethan knew that. But still, it was nice to see that he knew when he fucked up just like the rest of them did.

Ethan sipped the cold drink in his hands and threw his head back.

I gotta admit, the vibe’s nice here, ain’t it?

You’re asking me?

You’re one of us too, Sys. Whether you believe it or not.

When Sys didn’t reply, Ethan caught the eyes of a rather regal-looking Tabika. A lizardwoman carrying a ruby stave in her hand – its color matching the fluorescent shade of her eyes. Her turquoise scales glimmered off the dim lights of the chandeliers above, emboldened by her cream-crimson robe. As she glided towards Ethan, nodding to him in respectful recognition, he was put in mind of a kaleidoscope of moving colors.

“Lord Ethan,” she said – her voice deep and gravely. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

“The pleasure’s mine,” Ethan replied, surprised by her formality. “Miss..?”

“Lamphrey,” she said with a slight curtsy. “Lamphrey of Darkwater Bay – though these days, that title means less than nothing.”

“Lamphrey…so you’re the mage I’ve been hearing about. The one who helps Fauna with her kids…the one who’s teams been trying to fix the portals.”

“'Trying' being the operative word,” the lizardwoman sighed, coming to stand beside him. “We’ve been working tirelessly for the past 24 hours and – finally – I’m pleased to report that we’ll be finished probably by the time Klax’s celebration has concluded.”

“That’s…that’s great!” Ethan beamed. “Hope it hasn’t stressed you out too much. I feel like I can still hear old Borlor’s anxiety levels hitting the roof as Klax told him to get the portals fixed.”

Lamphrey nodded. “If I am being honest, sir, that’s the reason I’m here. I’ve already informed Mr Klax, though he tells me there is no reason to rush these proceedings.”

Well, that makes a change…

“If I may,” the snake-woman continued, “the Delve you will be entering will not be as those you have seen before. The City of Illusions is a rare dungeon, but those Delves that spawn for the Archon’s normally do so out of necessity – as challenges that can allow each Archon to overcome a particular limitation. They also, in turn, present unique challenges to each Archon – challenges specifically catered to that Archon themselves.”

The scaled face of Lamphrey turned ice cold, her eyes boring into Ethan’s crimson demon eye at the base of his hat form. It was as though she were looking right past his physical body into his mind itself.

And for a moment, the whole atmosphere of festivity changed to one of dark glibness.

“The City will test your mind,” the lizard mage said. “Yours, and those of your companions. And, judging by the chaotic state of the portals, perhaps more than that. Whatever happens, Lord Ethan, you must remember one thing: hold on to reality. Hold on to truth. That thought must be your guide.”

Ethan knit his scarred brows at the lizardwoman’s words, but he nodded. She had the air of a knowledgeable sage about her.

“Hey,” he murmured. “Why don’t you come with us? Seems like you know more about this place than we do.”

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“Only four to a Delve from one side,” Lamphrey replied with a slight lisp. “And besides, I’m needed here. Who else will look after the Wild mages of sanctum if I’m gone?” she said with a strange twitch that might have been a wink. “But – there is something I can give you that may aid you on your journey. A gift given to me by Jun’Ei herself before her departure from us.”

She took Ethan’s pale hand and squeezed it, bringing a small glow of light from her palm into his. There was a moment of friction. Then – burning, almost like he was being branded. He didn’t detect any ill intent from this mage though, and so watched as she concentrated on her operation, coming away with a small sliver of sweat running down her scaly forehead.

Ethan looked down at his hand to see a small circle etched into the pallid skin there – a thin crimson circle with two lines intersecting.

Appraisal: Success!

Glyph acquired: Rune of Memory

“Glyph?” Ethan asked when his appraisal skill would yield no more.

“An old kind of magic,” Lamphrey explained. “Magic known only by sages and Prophets of the second age. The time of Gelsadra. A time when the serpents of the world rose up from our temples in the swamplands and followed our Archon into the maw of the Enemy. Glyphs such as these were used to store memories that often had to be erased with the use of a Mind Wipe spell. Otherwise, captured servants of the Archon could reveal precious information to the humans and their beastly Greycloaks.”

Ethan could see pride in the snake-mage’s memory, and closed his fist around the new inking in his hand.

“It stores memories?”

“A more powerful tool than you may think, Archon Ethan. Especially where you are going. In the City of Illusions, you will have to hold on to all the good memories you have.”

Ethan then spied Tara ambling over to him out the corner of his eye.

“Thanks, Lamphrey,” he said. “Though I wish there was more I could do for you. You’ve been such a great help to us that I-“

When Ethan turned to face her, he saw nothing but stale air where once she’d been.

“Do not worry, Ethan Hawke,” her voice echoed from somewhere nearby – faded, as though she had taken flight from the party altogether. “There may come a day when you can repay me, soon.”

Ethan shuddered as the voice left him, waving to the jovial Minxit who came to rest her back beside his.

That gal’s about as cryptic as you are, Sys…

“Heya, Big A,” Tara winked as she joined Ethan. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I just thinking how many mysteries there still are in this world, not the least of which are down here.”

“Oh, really? Surely you don’t mean me. I’m an open book, aint I?”

“Maybe too open,” Ethan sniggered.

“Admit it – my plan tonight was executed with perfect precision. With thanks to your skills. Gotta say – that Mass Hide thing is pretty useful.”

“Sure is,” Ethan replied.

They allowed a few moments of silence to pass between them – both watching the lights and the dancers pass them by without a care, totally absorbed in their own frivolity.

“We ain’t had a night like this in a long time,” Tara suddenly sighed. “It’s – well – it’s nice, y’know?”

“And here I was thinking you were a heartless, bloodthirsty kitten all this time.”

“I’m still some of those things,” the Minxit retorted, feigning a dramatic pout as though her pride had been wounded. “But – meh. The old dog’s been a sad sack of shit lately. It ain’t good, y’know? We all got baggage down here, but he holds on to his like it means everything to him.”

“Doesn’t it?” Ethan asked. “C’mon, Tara, you must have baggage too.”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t let it define me.”

“Sometimes it’s not as simple as that.”

“Isn’t it? Fauna does alright. She’s quiet, she’s docile, but even she doesn’t get absorbed in her own misery like ol’ Klaxy does.”

Ethan pondered that for a moment – finding the Hopla in the midst of the crowd and smiling as she giggled among friends.

“Fauna’s done the right thing,” Ethan replied. “She’s taken her trauma and used it to fuel something positive. I think Klax is doing the same thing. I think the fact he’s looking for Jun’Ei is the one thing that keeps him going.”

“Even if she’s been dead this whole time, Ethan?” Tara asked, her devilish eyes fluttering up at the Undead face of the Archon. She kept a smile on her face, but the question was far from a gentle one.

“It’s better to believe in something rather than in nothing, Tara, isn’t it? Isn’t that what the party we’re throwing here is all about, really?”

At her questioning glance Ethan swept an arm across the function hall.

“Everyone here knows we’re risking our lives every time we Delve. Everyone here also knows the Archon’s never won – and this time might be the last shot your kind gets of surviving in this world. Yet here we all are, partying like there’s nothing to worry about.”

Ethan paused, pointing out Klax among the crowd.

“Sometimes it’s worth believing the lies you tell yourself,” he finished – not really knowing what innate desire compelled him to speak these words. “After all, at least they’re yours.”

“Ethan the philosopher-Archon,” Tara murmured as Klax then approached them. “Never thought I’d see the day…”

The wolfman nodded to both his compatriots, still smelling slightly of his old skunkish form.

“I believe I owe you both my thanks,” he said as he raised his glass to them. “A well executed plan, if I do say so myself.”

“Don’t look at me,” Ethan laughed. “Whole thing was Tara’s idea.”

“Was it indeed? Well, then – thank you, Tara.”

Ethan noticed the Minxit girl look away from them both, murmuring her next words into her shoulder so that they barely heard them:

“…don’t get used to it. I did it for the team.”

“Then – you deserve my thanks all the same. For keeping us together.”

Ethan noted Klax’s awkward stance, his whiskers twitching and eyes darting around the room as he tried to catch the catgirl’s.

“You two really need to kiss and make up, already.”

As both his companions started stuttering, each trying to avoid the others’ eyes yet again, Fauna then took to the stage and made an announcement to the partygoers.

“T-this one goes out to Klax!” she belched amidst the rising laughter of the guests. “It – it is an ancient song from our Archon’s home-dimension!”

Tara and Klax dropped their pretenses entirely, each one staring up at Fauna as she sang a song that couldn’t have been more foreign to them all, while the rest of Sanctum listened rapt with attention, cheering the girl on as she belted out every lyric, some of them even joining in with the chorus:

“Never gonna give you up!

Never gonna let you down!

Never gonna turn around and – hic! – desert you!

Never gonna make you cry!

Never gonna say goodbye!

Never gonna run around and desert yoooou!”

While Ethan tried to hold in the laughter building in his ribs, Tara and Klax merely shook their heads in surprise.

“She’s…eh…quite the singer, eh?”

“…yeah. She is.”

And when Ethan couldn’t take it anymore, he threw back his head and roared with laughter that shook the entire hall. As Fauna kept up her ditty, getting into it with more gumption than he’d ever seen anyone put into that song, he looked at the small sigil Lamphrey had imprinted on his hand.

“This is a memory I wanna keep,” he said to himself. “No matter what happens next.”

But what happened next wasn’t anything Ethan could have expected.

As soon as the thought occurred – of enshrining this moment into the sigil – his hand seemed to burn with a blazing, killing light.

“Ethan?” someone said nearby.

But the voice was faint. Already, Ethan could feel himself falling away into…into the void.

“ETHAN!”

The music, the singing, the whole world spun, and with it he felt his consciousness fade away.

Then he fell.