"Master, where are we?" Angra's eyes widened as she took in the forest around them. She clutched Abad's clothes and held him close. He surveyed the abandoned temple. It was exactly as he remembered it. The stone gazebo above him was still worn, the forest was still dense, and the teleportation seal below his feet was still faded.

"We're at an ancient temple to the Goddess of the Moon, Yslene."

"Yslene?" Her nose scrunched up. "Why would you take us here?"

"Do you remember how we separated after leaving the vault last time?"

Her eyes looked empty. "I only really remember the story you told us. I don't remember much... I just remember you weren't there."

He remembered how he'd lost many of his memories after his first death. He wondered why he retained them now. He'd have to think about it later. "We were separated, and this is where I ended up."

"Oh..." She looked around, taking in her surroundings. "This is nice than wherever I was. I remember being cold."

"You ended up on Draekenspire. Likely because that's the place that was most significant to me in life. I don't know why I was brought here, but I have a feeling it's part of fate's design."

She squeaked. "Draekenspire! That's right. I flew down into the valley and slept down at the castle. Our old bed was musty, but it was comfortable. I cleaned it up a lot. I'll show you when we go." She looked up at him with a smile.

"That sounds great, Angra." He patted her head and smiled. He didn't have the heart to remind her all her work was gone. When she beamed up at him, he knew he made the right choice.

Turning to the ruins, he searched for familiar landmarks. While he had many more memories this time, they still felt hazy. He tried to remember the details. What was the first thing he did? He remembered exploring the ruins. He found the temple and the statue of Yslene. He had been drained, so he took a nap, but he was interrupted when Firtz and A-Nis showed up. Then...

The dead monster!

He turned and went to the bushes where A-Nis had found its bones. After a few minutes of searching, he found them. The head was sawed off. They'd already come and gone.

"Angra, can you transform and scout ahead?" He pointed to the northwest. "There should be a party of three adventurers that way. Find them for me and return." He might be able to catch up to them in time before the trolls...

"Of course I can. That's trivial for me!" His familiar's body grew black, and her form shifted. An instant later, a massive raven with jet-black wings took her place. With a caw, she took off. He watched her fly away, then searched around for the deer trail A-Nis had followed. After some searching, he found it.

The first time, it took them about a week to make it to the destroyed wagon, but he'd been slowing them down. However, if he hurried, he might just make it in time.

He cast his [Mask of Many Faces] and marched into the forest.

***

The smell of death assaulted him as he climbed a familiar hill. He knew he'd find the felled wagon at the top.

After two days, Angra had returned. She'd found them in the forest, but they'd gotten close to the Silverway. Knowing they were still alive, he doubled his pace. He was much stronger than he had been, but he wasn't adept at tracking like A-Nis and had to double back several times. Luckily, Angra helped by being his eyes. By the fifth night, he'd managed to make it to the Silverway.

He knew, however, that he was likely too late. He could only hope they'd managed to survive without him.

As he crested the hill, he saw the wagon in the distance. Vultures were picking at the corpses, and the smell was even worse than last time. He marched up to the bodies and saw that they were indeed further decayed than he expected. By his estimation, he was around a day late. He walked to the center of the felled wagon and cast a spell.

[Essence Transfer]

He absorbed as much essence as the bodies had left to offer. He turned to continue on, but a familiar book caught his eye. He walked up to it, pried Bahra's hand off of the cover, and opened its pages. It was as he remembered it. That was good. Things hadn't changed, at least as far as he could tell so far.

He opened his [Vaultkeeper's Pack]. Inside, the pack seemed normal, if well-crafted. The stitching was well done and the material was high quality, but it looked like something any traveler might carry. He knew it hid its secrets well. He placed the spellbook inside the bag, closed the flap, and gave it a mental command. He felt the smallest pulse of magical energy. Opening the flap again, he found the inside of the bag was empty.

He mentally thanked the Grimoire.

Another memory came to him. He turned to the wagon. He doubted the boy was within, but he had to check. Pulling back the torn scrap of cloth concealing the toppled wagon's interior, he found the inside empty. He shuddered when he remembered what was inside the child. If the trolls didn't kill the party, he feared the boy would.

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A nearby caw pulled at his attention. He'd had Angra fly ahead. By the sound of her voice, he could tell she found something. He searched the sky. She was circling overhead, guiding him west. His heart sank.

He followed as the great black raven flapped her wings and guided him forward. He marched on

***

Several hours west, he found what Angra was leading him to. Eight massive bodies littered the road. For a time, he let himself believe that the three had survived the ordeal. Their corpses were nowhere to be seen. However, any hope that his companions had survived was dashed when he found scraps of hair, bits of shredded armor, pieces of bone and flesh, and a broken bow.

He cursed aloud as Angra landed beside him and transformed.

"They're only mortals, master. Don't be angry."

He shot her a look. She flinched.

Calming himself, he walked to her and beckoned her to climb up to his shoulder. She happily obliged. "They were..." He paused. Allies? Traveling companions? No. "They were my friends, little one. And I've failed them yet again."

Her soft hand rubbed his neck. "But you haven't, Master. You didn't have time. It's not your fault."

He sighed. It didn't feel that way. "Help me find something of theirs. I'd like to have something to remember them by."

She gave him a knowing look. "That's like you. Of course, I'll help." She hopped off his shoulder.

"I don't feel much like me anymore." He began searching for anything he could.

They searched for a half hour before he found something suitable. Sticking out of the back of one of the troll's heads, a hunting knife with a carved wood handle was lodged deep into its skull. He pulled it free, wiped it on a scrap of cloth on the ground, and placed it in his pack. As he did, he saw something glinting in the grass nearby. Walking to it, he found Firtz' holy symbol. He packed that away as well. Angra approached with the hilt of a sword. He recognized it as Shani's. He put it in his pack with its fellows, then willed the objects away.

A loud crack nearby told him he wasn't alone. Reaching out with his senses, he felt four trolls hiding in the treeline. One of them was much stronger than the others.

"Come out, Graul. I know you're there." He called out. Angra stiffened. He reached out his hand and ruffled her hair. "Fly away, little one." His jaw clenched.

"Who you?" The massive troll stepped out from behind a nearby tree. Three others stepped out with him. They were covered in blood and gore.

He let his [Mask of Many Faces] fade. He heard the four creatures suck in air as they took in his true form. They looked at one another.

[Burn the Weak]

"I'm Eater, and I'm ready to feast."

***

Abad smelled like putrid smoke. Nothing he did could get the smell out. Not that it mattered. He'd avenged his friends and absorbed as much essence from the beasts as he could, empowering himself and healing the blisters that had formed on his feet. He was, however, getting hungry and had no way to get more food.

He knew he wouldn't reach Keila in time to hitch a ride this time, so he resigned himself to foraging. He slowed down as they walked and looked for anything he could find that was edible. He wasn't much of a forager, but he did manage to find some mushrooms that he knew were edible, and Angra caught a small rabbit. That night, they had a small feast over an open flame. As they ate, he drifted into his thoughts.

Before Abad destroyed Graul, the monster had screamed something about its master. From his experience with Helia, he knew the troll's master wasn't her. That confirmed the information he'd learned from Drugg in his last life. There was another master somewhere in Nolei. He remembered seeing a vision when the troll died. A hill with a tree on it, but that's all he knew. He wished he knew more.

The thought that there was another master unnerved him. Something told him that whatever force was working through the trolls, they were at least as powerful as Helia, but he had to assume they were more powerful. The fey'ra were designed to be obedient to the sod'ra. It was both a part of their culture and a compulsion. Trolls were not. And considering some of the trolls could talk, unless they'd evolved that ability over the five hundred years since his first life, he had a feeling he knew who their master was.

Zaros had always enjoyed toying with life.

Abad didn't want to have to fight Zaros. At least not yet. The man was nearly as strong as Abad had been at his peak, and he was likely stronger now. And while Abad was stronger than he had been, he was nowhere near strong enough to take his old ally on. He'd need [Final Law] to be able to pull it off, but even that was an if. Zaros was as cunning as he was strong.

A thought came to him. He needed to find Helia. If he could get to her first, he might be able to break her out of her prison. If he did, she would possibly feel more amenable to working with him. He could use a powerful ally like her. She'd once been his most devoted servant. If he could get her to return to the fold, he'd be in a much better position moving forward.

He cursed himself again. He'd been upset when Graul appeared. Had he used [Dominion], he might have compelled them to search for her prison. However, that would have likely tipped off their master that he was alive again and in Nolei. Until he was strong enough, he couldn't risk that.

He didn't know what to do.

"You look worried, Master." Angra took a bit of a charred rabbit leg and chewed it loudly.

"Just thinking."

"Yeah, well your thinking is making you look worried." She stretched, and he noticed her tail flick behind her. It reminded him of a cat stretching in the sun. "What are you worrying about?"

He stared into the fire. "Things aren't going well. I've already failed, and I haven't even started."

"So we'll just have to start over!" She grinned widely, her little fangs bared.

A new thought came to him. One that opened a pit in his stomach. "That's another problem." A million thoughts shot through his mind. "What if there isn't anything we can do? What if we're destined to go back to the vault again and again, forever, because I was arrogant enough to think that I could change fate?" He looked up and met her eyes. They were glowing in the firelight.

"Then we'll make the most of it." Her voice was confident, as was the grin on her face. "Don't worry so much. You're too smart to keep failing forever. I believe in you."

Abad felt something as he looked into her eyes. He'd missed her more than she would ever know. "Thanks, dear friend."

"And?" She looked at him with smug satisfaction.

"And you're absolutely the best familiar ever."

She grinned wide. "And...?"

"I wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"Anddddd???" She jumped up and put her hands on her hips, her nose straight in the air.

"You've got rabbit on your face." She squeaked and wiped her face, smearing grease and soot across her lips. He laughed. "That's a good look on you."

She continued wiping her face and huffed. "I hate you."