Perspective: Paul

There is something different about this group. They aren't like Duke and Layla. I'll have to be much more cautious with how I approach this.

The woman sheathes her sword and extends her hand out. "My name is Nitocris Merchant." I shake it and look over towards the grizzled man.

"Barbatus Fonteia," he says. The young girl walks up to me, accompanied by some bizarre animal I've never seen before. "Inge Red Glissando."

Now the woman who was accompanying her walks up to me. "Caterina Rossi."

"Nice to meet you all," I say. "As previously stated, my name is Paul. I have brought my friends Duke and Layla with me to assist in this endeavor." Duke burps. "Pardon him. He hasn't taken his loss too well."

"Neither have any of us," Barbatus says. "I still feel the woes of the Patrian citizens, even after by resignation."

"That brings us to our next topic," I say. "It would benefit all of us if we knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. I will go first. Although I am simply a normal human, I have the ability to open up portals between any two points I know specifically or can visualize. I was able to get here, a place I've never seen, because I was able to sense... something. I'm not sure exactly what it is beyond the fact that Leviticus and the golem had already opened up some sort of portal to this location."

"I," starts Duke, "am a weapons master. When I traveled with... well, let's skip that. I have had reasons to train myself to use every kind of weapon I can think of, even those new contraptions that can fire metal balls with a black powder."

Nitocris and Barbatus look at each other. "...You mean guns?" Asks Barbatus, holding back a grin.

"Uh... yeah," says Duke, embarassed.

"You mentioned a Layla," says Caterina. "Where is she?"

"Here," says Layla. Nitocris is slightly startled and jumps back at bit when the fox talks.

"Oh, please, Nitocris. You've fought armies of indestructible stone soldiers and terrifying beasts from the Uncreated Night, but flinch at a small fox? Ha!" Laughs Barbatus. His face becomes serious. "But if we're going to be fighting such a powerful opponent, it would be benefical to have an army backing us, no?"

"An... army?" I ask Barbatus.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Yes. I used to be the God-Emperor of the mightiest military state in Arcem. I can't guarantee I can sway the army back to my side, but..."

"Any help would be appreciated," I say. "After all, better safe than sorry."

----------------------------------------

Perspective: The Thaumaturge

I sit in the skirmish room of the tower, watching cultist after cultist try to bring down The Rebis and fail. Even my praetors could not defeat it. Curious of the limits of its power, I send Winter to go fight it. As I watch the spectacle, Leland sits in a chair next to me.

"I have a question, uh, sir," he says.

"Ask away," I reply.

"These notes outline a spell focus that can travel through time. You haven't given me the necessary, uh, enchancements to be capable of understanding how it works, but if you can travel through time, why not just travel back and kill Merlin before Yahweh ever gives his people manna?"

"A common question, and a good one. Stories have perhaps told you that time is a web: This is wrong, and frankly, dumb. Time is linear. If I could go back in time and try to kill him, I would, but if I do now, it will make no difference."

"Why not?" Asks Leland.

"Think about it. Is he dead right now? No. If I go back in time and try to kill him, something would happen and prevent me from doing that, or else he would never have been a problem for us in the first place because I would have killed him before he could cause us any trouble. This is why you can't change the past with time travel. The same applies to going into the future and taking him by surprise, but I can't quite explain it as well. Consider this: That the future is still the past of a further future. Therefore, a similar rule must apply."

"I see..." Leland says. Our conversation is cut short by the sound of The Rebis pinning Winter to the ground, proving that even his immense physical strength is not enough to overcome my greatest creation.

"After we kill Merlin, I will begin preparing you for your research. I would prefer not to alter your body in any way, so I will first equip you with as much warp-supressing gear as possible before altering your body."

----------------------------------------

Perspective: Barbatus

The soldiers put up their guards almost immediately as I enter the throne room, my face known to nearly everyone in Arcem as the man who stood with The Lich. A woman, the newly appointed temporary Empress of Patria, stands up from the chair.

"You can't be here, Barbatus," she says. "You know that."

"I've changed, Maggie. Besides, I'm not here to reclaim the throne. You're the best mortal leader this country could ask for."

"I've appreciated your covert counsel over the past few months, but you still can't be in here. The nobles will lose their minds."

"This is bigger than any of us, Maggie. We've found a man who claims to know what happened to Fikre and The Lich."

Maggie looks shocked. "Wow. If you're willing to admit something is bigger than yourself, it must be important," she says. I scowl.

"Look, I know you're skeptical, but I'm calling you in my time of need. An infinitely more dangerous opponent has appeared to us, one that transcends beyond even the Uncreated Night. I don't quite understand it myself, but whatever he is, the man I'm getting this information from makes it sound like he's powerful enough to destroy all of Arcem."

Maggie's face gets a concerned, wrinkled look. "If it's that dangerous, I'll rally the troops. But if they don't want to fight for you, there's nothing I can do."

"That's just fine," says Barbatus. "Let me speak to them and I can handle the rest."