The wind blew through her hair, her eyes dancing with delight as they crossed the golden plains outside the city. The low hum of powerful wings beneath her legs sending a buzz through the air that vibrated against her skin. The sun beat down from above making the smile in her heart even brighter. She leaned back and savored it, her eyes falling shut for a moment as she just basked in the moment. It was exhilarating. She threw her arms up over her head and let out a whoop that was joined by two more, a pair of frightened shouts, and claws digging into her neck for security.

Teyva laughed out loud, opening her eyes as the rilk beneath her dipped to follow the curvature of a particularly high hill on the otherwise open expanse. The sudden change of direction sent a wave of mixed excitement, anxiousness, and nerves through her body. The forces pressing on her were nothing she was a stranger to, frankly she moved much faster than the little creatures on their own. And yet the strange but familiar experience was enough to rouse the adrenaline junkie in her. She leaned forward as the wind pressed against her face, reaching down to grab hold of the harness as they picked up speed before darting out over the waves of golden grass.

Five dark bullets launched out across the wilds, uncontested, unbarred, free.

“I love this world!” Teyva crowed, throwing her arms out and reveling in it all as the rilk banked to the right. She glanced towards its destination and smiled. The small pond head of them glittered a brilliant blue. She leaned forward and pat it on the side, “Thirsty are we, love? You drink all you need,” She soothed and rubbed its flank as it came in for a landing.

Teyva hopped off the side as Nephral grumbled in her ear, she reached up and scratched his chin, “Oh don’t complain,” She whispered and kissed the feline on the head. She glanced up as the other four flying rilk came in for a landing, the massive beetle-like ants alighting on the ground and allowing their riders to disembark before ambling over to the pond to join the first in a drink. Azrael ran over to her and they grasped one anothers arms, “That was amazing! I can’t believe I haven’t tried it yet!” Teyva said quickly.

“I told you!” Azrael laughed, “Nothing quite like riding a rilk across the wilds.”

Myranda made her way over as well, grinning ear to ear even as her face looked a little green. Teyva snickered, “You look a little… green, priestess.”

Myranda grunted before glancing back at the rilks that had settled in for their brief respite, “Beautiful creatures, too much bobbing and weaving for me, though.”

“We’ve got a while yet to go,” Teyva said, “Hang in there.”

Mack and Delilah joined them next, both of them looked pale and winded by the experience. Mack’s hands were shaking as he looked back at the beasts with wide eyes before looking over at Teyva, “I-I spent wuh-weeks hiding from rilks, s-so long, h-huh hiding,” He stammered, “It-it was like a rollercoaster. In-incredible! They’re so fast!” He babbled, looking down at his hands and holding them up to Delilah, “Dee, I’m shaking! Look at me! I’m so excited I’m shaking!”

‘Dee’ took out a handkerchief and dabbed her brow a bit. She was looking a little less pleased about the method of travel but made it a point not to complain in the least. She just smiled patiently at him, “It’s certainly a first, I’ve never ridden a roller coaster before,” She said with a sigh, “I’m afraid I might have nearly passed out.”

Azrael glanced at Teyva, “Rollercoaster.”

Teyva scratched her chin, “Remember those ‘train’ things I told you about?”

“The fast moving structures on rails,” Azrael nodded, “I recall, Perry-” She paused and then cleared her throat, “What about them?”

“Imagine really small trains without a roof over them, narrow tracks that the wheels are secured to,” Teyva tried to explain, using her hands to demonstrate, “Now instead of riding them in a straight line on an even surface, they curve and go up and down at sharp angles to increase speed and those sensations you get from intense movement.”

Azrael’s eyebrows shot up, “Why in the world would you do that?”

Myranda chimed in, glancing from Mack and Teyva, “Pure entertainment. No practical purpose. A way for people who live in a peaceful place to experience a thrill in a controlled way, is that correct, Majesty?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Teyva blinked at Myranda for a moment then nodded a little dumbly, “Uh… yeah that’s exactly it.”

Azrael narrowed her eyes, “That ‘Earth’ place sounds like a home for lunatics,” She crossed her arms and grinned at Teyva, “Case in point.”

Teyva stepped forward, “I seem to remember hearing someone else whooping and hollering when we went over that hill,” Teyva said, grinning at her sister.

Myranda shook her head and walked over to the two heroes who were looking between the pair with mild concern as the bickering began, “Is this normal?” Delilah asked hesitantly.

“Very,” Myranda said with a sigh, “Sisters down to their bones, without a doubt, I should probably interrupt otherwise they’ll scuffle but this is a good chance for me to chat with you two.”

“But doing it on purpose-” Azrael barked off to the side.

Myranda turned her eyes towards the pair, “You’re rather brave to be coming with us, I imagine the heroes will be suspicious you are deserters,” She pointed out, “Even with the quest as proof you were ‘lost’ there will always be suspicion.”

Mack cleared his throat, “I don’t plan on being there for long,” He said flatly before nodding to Teyva who was currently gesturing emphatically at Azrael, “She treated us with real kindness, even if there is more to this and she’s using us, I’ve accepted it. Her way of doing things is far better than the life of a nobody back in Katal.”

“...then you jump off the bridge!” Teyva laughed as Azrael gasped audibly.

He scratched his nose, “Besides, she’s way different than I imagined. She’s funny.”

Myranda raised an eyebrow and shot a look at the yammering sisters, “That’s only because you haven’t seen her angry yet,” She murmured, “Titles must be earned, isn’t that right?” She said and the boy tensed, she pat his arm.

“Myranda!” Teyva called over, “Are you talking shit?”

Myranda straightened, “Just informing them that appearances can be deceiving,” She said with a small smile, “And that if anyone can protect them, it’s you.”

Teyva cleared her throat, “Well you didn’t have to put it like that, makes me sound like a scary demon lord or something…”

She and Azrael exchanged a look before snorting and bursting into laughter before turning to walk over to the other three. When they came to a stop Teyva put her hands on her hips and regarded the two heroes, “Since we’re taking a bit of a break and we’re away from Osan, I think it’s about time we fix a pretty glaring problem here,” She said sternly even as her lip quivered from the remnants of amusement.

The two heroes paused only for Teyva to open her inventory and two stones to appear in her hands. One was transparent and seemed to ripple when she shifted her grip on it, there was a palpable weight around it. The other was pure white and glowed brilliantly as it cast everything around it in shadow by comparison. Teyva tilted her head and smiled at the two of them, “I’ve been holding onto these two for a while now, I figured they might be useful to you.”

Delilah stared at the stones, “Aspect Stones?”

“Good ones,” Teyva said smugly, “See for yourself”, she added and put the transparent one in her hand and the bright one in Mack’s hand.

She already knew what they were going to see when they held the stones, of course and pulled up the details for reference.

You meet the requirements to consume this [Aspect Stone of Force]

This Aspect Stone contains formless pressure.

Requirements: [None] as per [Spark of the Outsider]

Would you like to consume this Aspect Stone and gain access to the Force Aspect Tree?

Yes / No

That one had been acquired by Paraklytus in the past and had been part of his collection for a while. Teyva had swindled it out of him after some lengthy conversation and a little wheeling and dealing. She’d given him permission to engage in a project that fascinated him from her world in exchange for the precious object. The other, on the other hand;

You meet the requirements to consume this [Aspect Stone of Light]

This Aspect Stone contains the pure essence of light.

Requirements: [None] as per [Spark of the Outsider]

Would you like to consume this Aspect Stone and gain access to the Light Aspect Tree?

Yes / No

Abel. Champion of the Army that had been sent by Katal to exterminate her people. The man she had beaten to an inch of his life and killed without a shred of guilt in her heart. Even thinking about him caused a twinge of fury to boil in her guts even as she remembered the last moments of her father, and what she’d been asked to do. She closed her eyes and let out a breath before resuming her smile, “Those, are for you, use them well. You need something to show for your absence besides bringing us back, after all.”

You two will be the first heroes I raise as my own, to set an example of what I can provide. It starts here.