To anyone of those watching who were truly paying attention, Victor and the others would have instantaneously vanished, in reality, it took far longer, especially to those experiencing it. Victor instinctually fought against it, which made it worse for him. Pain tore through him as he was drawn from Earth to another place, another plane. Everything he experienced was magnified to extreme levels, even breathing hurt, the closest experience he could compare it to would be being electrocuted with broken ribs, but the pain was spread everywhere.

Suddenly the pain vanished and he found himself in a void, a blank unending abyss devoid of anything else, light, sound, everything. Soon enough the ever-present silence was broken by an ethereal voice belonging to an unseen woman.

“You are different from most of the usual rabble summoned by the Races. You are a protector; you do not needlessly break your foes, though you hold the power to do so easily. It took great effort to intercept you, though you are not the Hero the Kingdom wants you are the one their Goddess wants.”

A melancholy sigh wafted about the expanse before the female voice continued.

“The others cannot go against her, not yet, not while the threat to Aethion persists. Even among all the summoned heroes, you will be exceptional, but not without a cost. You have suffered much my Hero, and you will suffer more, but you will become a champion without equal, Heroes such as you have rarely graced Aethion. I am sorry for what you must go through, but go Victor, do what you do best My Protector.”

After the voice finished speaking the darkness around him started to dim, as the bright light that had initially enveloped him returned. As light grew stronger, and the magic enveloped him once more the voices words faded, but a sense of worry filled him. Soon enough his final destination came into view, a small circular room made of stone. He could not see much of the room due to the blinding light being emitted from the intricately engraved magic circle that dominated the room.

~~~~~~

The look on Theresa’s features could only be described as anxiously excited. She was about to meet someone she owed so much to, but as she took notice of the changed surroundings, that look bled away and morphed into something else entirely. For but a moment there was an indescribable rage on her face of such intensity that had they been able to see it Tyler and the others would have been shaking from fear.

That look was only momentary however, when she took in the strange sights around her that look fled from her face, replaced by a peculiar calm. She and the others were all standing in what appeared to be a large white room, though no walls or ceiling could be seen, just a massive white expanse. In front of them stood an utterly breathtaking woman, clad in a white dress that clung to well, everything, from breasts to hips.

Tyler and his cronies froze just as Theresa did, but theirs was due to a much more primal reaction than shock. The three of them were staring at the woman with undisguised passion and lust etched into their features. Though Magnus and Francis were usually less polite and controlled than Tyler when it came to attractive women, it was still a rare occasion for them to be so blatant in their admiration of a females form.

A brief nearly imperceptible smirk crossed the woman’s lips at their reactions, moments later her lips parted and she spoke. Her voice was as beautiful and enchanting as her appearance, it held a lyrical quality to it that made one want to just spend all their time listening to the voice speak.

“I welcome you my heroes. I cannot speak with you for long, the other fools are wary of my plans for you. You have been summoned to a world so very different from your own, but for a very honorable purpose, to save my people.”

Following her rather brief statement, their surroundings changed once more. Rather than a featureless room, they found themselves in a barren yet ornate room, with intricately carved murals and mystical runes everywhere one could see. The only thing marring the intricacy of the runes and murals were the heavy metal doors that could be seen spaced out around the room.

The first to recover was Theresa, if you could call what she did recovering, she had not been able to rant and rave about the unfairness before, while the woman calling herself a goddess was present. In this new location however, she was free to act, but she didn’t, no matter how much she wished to scream towards the heavens. Instead she calmly and coolly observed the room and began to take note of those present.

It was not the soldiers, the knights, those who had killed, that drew her attention. Even in modern days those that have fought or killed were not so rare a sight, no what really drew her notice was the elaborately garbed holy many and the four garbed similarly to royalty. The shortest among the four was an older man, bearing an elaborate crown and a regal, noble demeanor, presumably the king.

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Though he was notable due to his demeanor, it was the other three that drew her attention more. The three were all good-looking, not in a normal way however. The king was handsome, despite his age, but the other three were on a whole different level. The first one she appraised was the taller man to the Kings left, he held a head of short blonde hair. That alone was nothing exceptional, but when coupled with his fair features it gave him a near angelic countenance.

Although the man was thinly built, it was a lithe, toned thinness, rather than the thinness of someone who was just small. Despite holding a handsome appearance one could see that he was quite capable, he held himself like a warrior. His beauty was not the pampered carefully sculpted kind like Tyler Logan Jefferson possessed. Regardless of how handsome he was, Theresa held no real interest in him, she for one preferred less pretty men. In her experience such pretty men were weak and their personalities were less pleasant than their outward visage.

She looked away from the beautiful man, the Crown Prince, and observed the other two who caught her attention. They were women, twins near identical in appearance who looked older than herself by a few years. The two were unquestionably beautiful that was certain, but their mannerisms and way of dress set them apart from one another easily.

One was undeniably a warrior, she was clad in formfitting leather armor of a crimson hue, not too far from the shade of her hair. Her body was not largely built, she was no Amazon, but had rather lush curves which only barely hinted at her strength. She had two visible blades on her person but seemed like the type who would have more than a few hidden weapons. She wore a crimson mantle which hung from her shoulders and acted much like a cloak would though more adorned.

The appearance of the other woman was refined and regal in appearance and though holding a similar appearance to the crimson warrior she seemed softer, more svelte and elegant. She was clad in a flowing dress which covered much of her form while hinting at her form. Theresa bit down a derisive snort, most would think her reaction was due to envy or jealousy, in truth it was derisive. She had met many like the elegant woman before, behind her gentle smile here was a barely contained sense of superiority and righteousness.

As she appraised the royalty, Tyler and cronies were recovering as well. Francis was glancing about the room at the various soldiers and guards, trembling all the while, his gaze not even lingering on the two princesses. Magnus on the other hand was nearly the complete opposite to how the smaller man was acting currently. He calmly looked at all those present, only briefly lingering on the soldiers, he paid much attention to the princesses, his eyes caressing their forms.

Tyler was reacting in a similar way but in more wary yet simultaneously composed manner. His gaze barely took in the guards, registering their presence but it was the women which caught his eye. Tyler had always had a deep appreciation for the female form, but the two forms in front of him were especially fine. They drew his attention equally, both being roses in his eyes, one just had more obvious thorns on display.

While the Heroes appraised their environment, the Princesses did the same to them. Caitlin indifferently glanced over most of those summoned, barely taking notice of Theresa, with Magnus and Francis getting even less attention. The only one who got more than a cursory look was Tyler, and even then only due to his looks. Caitlin gave a slight smirk of pride at how Tyler and Francis had gazed at her, she worked meticulously to ensure that she drew more gazes than her sister.

Emma meanwhile appraised those summoned with a much more critical eye.

She cared not for their looks, she preferred those who could fight more so than how pretty they were, no what she looked at was how they held themselves. She could tell only two of them had real fighting experience, the only girl among them as well as the larger of the three males. She could not tell how skilled the two were with a simple glance, they were from another world after all, but she knew they had combat experience.

After recovering from his shock and appraisal of those unfamiliar to him Tyler cleared his throat and began to speak. As he spoke one of the soldiers present whispered a message into Caitlin's ear, before delivering the same message to the other royalty in turn. Caitlin was somewhat annoyed by the disturbance, Emma was intrigued while the King and Prince Julius were more passive. They were there for show after all, Caitlin was the hook to draw the heroes in before they had their turn.

"My name is Tyler Logan Jefferson. I apologize if this seems rude, but who are you and why have you--"

Shortly after Tyler began to speak he was interrupted by Caitlin, her clear enchanting voice cut through his polite tone.

"I apologize for interrupting in turn, but I think it would be best if we delay pleasantries. While you have recovered something has happened in a sub chamber which we must attend to."

Her words were accompanied by a gesture towards the room Victor had been summoned into.

"You can follow if you wish, Heroes."

Following her brief words she sauntered towards the sub-chamber she had gestured at not moments before.

~~~~~~

While Theresa and the others summoned had been able to adjust to their surroundings, Victor was not so fortunate. He appeared at the same time the others did, but the guards in his chamber had been expecting something less human. When they did see him, one of the guards present reacted much as the Mafioso from his father's estate had, he panicked and acted out in a violent and foolish manner.

The guard in question was holding a halberd and brought it to bear as he charged the short distance towards the massive figure. Normally the guard would be more composed, but the figure was more fearsome than any orc or Weseh-Kin, it had an aura about it which told him if he did not act he would be the first to die. The halberd whistled through the air as it pierced towards the large figure.