Ivkarha strode on down the star-strewn path that lay before her through the darkest void, her face set with grim determination, even if in her eyes there was a reflection of wildness. Twice more she had been jumped by what she could only describe as things, creatures that defied logic and understanding, the very sight of them enough to send lesser men mad and yet she had persevered, as much by sheer stubbornness than else ought.

The sword that she had been gifted had done its job, seeing the off with vicious cuts and strikes and she knew that without it she would have long before fallen. Yet three such attacks had her concerned, her journey not yet done. Either the two old sages, Rahaam and Niyaro, had underestimated the dangers of the path or had kept it concealed for the way that they had spoken of it had made it sound as if she need to defend herself should have been a rarity.

It was no use in worrying about it though, for it had been done, and only the path ahead into the unknown now concerned her. She had no indications as to where it was headed, or how long it would take, and so she walked on, each step causing pulses of light along the invisible path.

Ever alert she was, her step soft, her eyes always moving about, sword in hand and ready for the slightest hint of trouble. It was only through such alertness that she had been able to fend off the most recent creature, a thing of silent wings that had dropped from above. Only at the last moment had she detected it, able to spring aside as it landed, to lash out with the bright sword.

Then, ahead, looming out of the void, she caught sight of a change in the Stairs of Night as the lights ran along them. It widened, expanded, out into a platform, and from it the stairs ran off in a number of directions. She stopped as she stepped out onto it; it was as the stairs themselves, and bore no signs or markers to inform which direction she should take, or what lay along the paths.

Slowly she turned around, looking down each path but there was nothing to be seen upon them but an endless stretch of path that disappeared into the void. It was an unexpected stumble upon the path, and as she continued turning, she realised that she no longer knew which path she had come along, as they were all identical and there were no landmarks to behold within the void.

While fear and panic may have welled up in others, spurred on by the encounters that they had previously endured, she weathered it resolutely. There would have to be a way beyond simply picking one at random and striking forth, to see where it went.

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As she continued on with her slow turns, she became aware of a slight vibration emanating from the sword she held. She lifted it up, to gaze upon it, both hands firm upon the hilt. Again she turned, slowly, keeping a close eye upon the blade, and close attention to the feel of it beneath her hands.

There, the vibrations came stronger as she turned, the blade trembling slightly. It felt as if it was pulling towards one particular path away from the platform, and she smiled. If the sword was dragging her on, then she would go that way, to see where it led and what it wanted.

She strode forward once more, a fresh spring in her step, out onto the path before her and the stars greeted her as she went. The sword seemed to hum as she walked, eagre and ever tugging forward.

A half a laugh came from her at the thought of it, of a sword guiding her way through the pits of the void along a path of stars. It was unimaginable and if any had told her she would do so she would have felt them mad. And yet there she was, and she was the one walking the edge of madness. Well could she see why some would succumb to it, to have their minds broken by the experience, for it was not one that a human mind was prepared for. Here dark was endless, and more than deep, sucking any hints or traces of light into it and the path ahead narrowed.

Who could say where it all led, where it had all come from? It was beyond her understanding or imaging. All that she knew was that there was a path ahead of her, and she would walk it, to whatever ends, for she was the last of the Ar-Amal and knew no fear.

Then once more a platform appeared before her, and this one was different than the last, for there was but the one path that led to it, and upon it grew two trees, vast and ancient, gnarled and spiralled together, their branches merging to become as one, and their leaves golden and silver, shedding a soft light upon the platform, and no further, for it did not penetrate the dark. And between the trunks of the two trees, there was a gentle shimmering of light, almost like the surface of water, if it were of a viridian hue, and upright.

Slowly she circled around the trees and looked upon them, their existence a mystery, for there was no soil to anchor their roots, no water or sun to feed them, to aid them in growth. Yet they were, solid and real.

She could not see beyond the light or through it, from whatever angle she gazed upon it, but she felt the sword tugging yet firmer towards it. It wanted to go unto the light, to enter into it, she could feel, yet knew not how.

There was nowhere else to go. She could return to the paths of stars, and wandered them, with no means to navigate them, in the hope that she stumbled upon another place, but here was one before her, and she could not be certain that she could find it again, not even with the sword’s urging.

Thus, taking up the sword and making it ready, Ivkarha strode forth and plunged into the light, and the unknown.