Reial stood on The World’s Throne, a colossal Remnant that sat in the heart of Aunesfern. Built out of a rare shade of dawnstone, it appeared like a third moon, dwarfing the sprawling city that had once been considered Yushiloc’s envy. He had always admired the building from afar, but to be here, to be finally standing on the same behemoth which countless monarchs had claimed as their own…

> Well, the feeling was indescribable.

Reial tilted his head up, glimpsing the dark clouds distorting about the impossibly tall spire. They phased in and out of reality, like wisps of smoke, as they struggled to reestablish themselves.

To most people, Reial would’ve been looking sideways, but to a Veil Strider like him, angles were meaningless. Why wouldn’t they be? The Firmament bent to his whims, not the other way around.

Tyyon’s piercing green light pierced the dark sea, scattering Aunesfern with its warmth. It bathed the nearby, looming terrace in its ethereal glow. Of the twin moons, Tyyon was always Reial’s favorite. If not for its odd color, then for its stubborn nature. She did not recede as her brother did.

The scenery was tranquility incarnate. A soothing reassurance to the fair-minded, but not to Reial. He had to leave. This place, his home, he didn’t belong here.

He had never belonged here.

That suffocating lifestyle, his overbearing parents, all those tutors, and for what? To drive him away as they had done now. It wasn’t fair. Hyvas, why couldn’t it be fair?

Crouching down, Reial stared at his reflection in the demi-glass. No one was inside the tunneling staircase, at least, no one he could see. Did Rei ever pass through these halls, thinking of what He could do to better the lives of His subjects? All while choosing to stay and fight instead of turning tail like some coward.

He was a great man. Great at everything He did. Creating laws, understanding, uniting an old world, and fending off foreign invaders. It didn’t matter what came, for His strength was the strength of the Ancients. A power that everyone but Reial seemed to possess.

His only proof of his shared lineage with the man was his scarlet eyes. Of blood and red-hot pride.

Reial stared at them, ignoring the ever-growing pit in his stomach as his mind urged him to look away. They shouldn’t have belonged to him. Others were more deserving of His blood, Reial knew that. He just…wanted to believe that he could be worthy of such a treasure. Even for a moment.

Reial forced on a small smile in an attempt to recreate the ancient king’s kind visage. Wise, yet measured, just like his portraits. Someone who could listen to your troubles with an unclouded heart. Their grin like Solvaylius above. Then he heard it. Relamene’s screams, the blood, Scorch’s whimpers.

Not again. Not now.

The reflection’s smile quickly faded.

Reial had better things to do than to entertain such thoughts. He had the whole of Yushiloc to explore! A world filled with wonders; wonders which had tempted his childhood fantasies!

Reial couldn’t just let this opportunity pass him by. He had to take it. That’s what he would’ve wanted, right? The child that had once been.

Reial’s reflection grew longer as he stood at his full height.

They deserved this much. Even if he wasn’t as smart or dashing as an Aunesfernish man should have been, he was still worthy of this small happiness. Right?

Reial suppressed the distant memories. No, he knew that he belonged in a university somewhere, learning with others, studying for a profession that he didn’t care about. He needed to be better. For his tutors, and his family.

If all Reial did was entertain his fantasies, then he would stagnate. Never achieving what should have been expected. Hyvas, why couldn’t he just focus? He had responsibilities to attend to! Yet here he was, wasting his—

Reial? What’s taking you so long? Charette’s voice cracked through their Link. I thought you were going to be quick, not ignore me for the last half hour!

Sorry…I was just thinking, Reial lied.

Think later! We need to get going, and fast.

I know, I know. I’ll be down in a second.

Good.

Reial drank in the sights once more. This fortress, one of humanity’s greatest bastions, would be nothing more than a distant memory in time. The bright lights dotting every street, the glowing Solvaylian Projections advertising food and commercial products, the pitiful, sloping skyscrapers that failed to reach even a tenth of the Remnant's height. Desperate to mimic its greatness despite their dawnstone-make.

They were the final reminders of a world that had once been. A people whose lifetime work had been shattered in the span of a decade, yet it remained proud all the same. Acting as a foundation for the greatness that would one day revitalize the world.

A hope to cling to.

Reial glanced at the nearby redwood forest. It had been his only refuge growing up. A location devoid of the hustle and bustle of city life despite the titanic trees rivaling the skyscrapers, and he would be leaving it all behind. As if they were nothing more than scattered leaves.

Jadica, his mother and father, Eston, those warm summers shaded beneath the towering redwoods… Hyvas, Reial could even hear the shrill “songs” of a blinding redtail if he strained his listening. That’s one thing no city could ever replicate: the tranquility which graced the countryside.

It almost made him want to stay. The World’s Throne might have been his ancestral home, but it could never compare to those memories that warmed his heart. It was a thought deserving of ridicule. No sentiment could surpass the awe-inspiring allure of a Remnant. They were perfect in every sense of the word, and yet—

BROTHER! Came Charette’s ear-splitting message.

Reial flinched. Right, his sister. The same one he had abandoned some several miles below. Probably not best to keep her waiting.

Reial summoned a rift from beyond, tearing open the Firmament as a stream of ruby Essence wound about his legs. It filled him with the irresistible desire to move! He was a Veil Strider, after all. Choosing not to would be a waste of the Almagest’s blessing.

With a single breath, Reial burst forward, blazing down the sloping surface with a Stride. The dawnstone reformed beneath his every step, coaxing an explosion of ruby sparks with each click of his heels. Every inch of the god-sculpted mountain gave way beneath his will, reducing itself to a divine pathway.

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

Reial pushed each Stride harder than the last, painting the air with arcing ruby joy. Their very forms sinking into the Firmament. He wasn’t a master of movement like those of the Vaesian persuasion, but he was confident enough in his technique to get around.

Reial’s Veil Sight clipped the blurring world together, enhancing every detail to such a vivid degree that Yushiloc resembled more a painting than reality.

A blast of light flooded the world as he came within the range of the Skyscrapers. Their sloping architecture mirroring that of the Remnant. Made from equal parts steel and dawnstone, these aspiring wonders bore the proud colors of the state: Gold, black, and red.

The marks of wealth, strength, and wisdom.

Reial adjusted his footing as he broke into a slide, kicking up a wave of ruby energy as he snaked about the metal bulge of a Projector. Once he was cleared, he thrust himself forward again with all the strength he could muster, breaking past the shuddering veil of the Firmament.

He could make out the vast courtyards below, decorated in an endless array of sculptures, paintings, and calligraphy that ranged from Old Almanesian to High Brulasce, though the latter was fewer in number. A veritable remnant from Mysvrel’s rule, no doubt. The Restorer of the World.

As Reial came within fifty feet of the Remnant’s base, he leapt, using his accumulated speed to crash beside the unsuspecting figures of Scorch and Charette. Sparks splashed in real time as he relinquished his hold on his Veil Sight, and though they looked to the skies, it wasn’t long before one of the dancing sparks caught Charette’s attention. Sound followed suit as she yelped at his sudden appearance.

The two shared many of the same features. Pale sandy brown hair (though he would argue hers was more of an acorn), nearly-glowing scarlet eyes, and a light Aunesfernish complexion, though hers was a shade or two darker. They sported tailbinds for winter and spring, but their approach to the conventional Aunesfernish garb couldn’t be any more different.

Reial’s was traditional, patterned with an enhanced feather motif around the cuffs, hem, and collar. All of which were colored black. The main body of the jacket was red, while the lapels were embroidered with a golden, wing-like design.

Charette opted for a more modern approach. Doing away with the prominent feather motif for a collection of ruffled fur. Just like a newly hatched chick. One half of the jacket was colored black, while the other was white, though an overarching design of golden-bordered brown shapes stretched from sleeve to waist.

Aside from that, she wore dignified frilled shorts over black leggings and a pair of booties. Comfortable enough to wear, yet stylish enough to travel in. Reial took after her in that regard, wearing a pair of dark pants with fine boots from the same brand as her. He thought they were pretty sturdy and reliable. They were aesthetically pleasing, and that’s all he cared about.

Now all he needed to do was explain himself.

“Sorry about the wait,” Reial said, though he couldn’t really muster the tone to prove it.

Charette rolled her eyes. “Don’t be dwelling stupid. You can’t just Stride up a Remnant. Even if we do technically own it! What if a dragoon saw you?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one fly that high before.”

“Well, you never know,” Charette muttered.

Realizing that something was amiss, Reial scanned the area and found Scorch meticulously clawing at the impossibly winding walls of The World’s Throne. Almost as if he were trying to climb it. The thought brought a smile to Reial’s face.

Scorch had red and orange scales, with golden fur that ran along his belly and head. Whereas one would imagine a stout hound, he was as sinuous as a serpent. The atypical build of a drog.

Charette lifted a heavy-looking bag from the ground and pressed it against Reial’s chest. It was filled with many of his personal possessions, as well as rations, a map in case they got lost, and money for the journey. Fortunately, Yusanian dollars weren’t as cumbersome as the Khaantanese coin currency.

Reial accepted his backpack with a small thanks and slipped the leathery straps over his shoulders. He was ready now, but even as he instructed his legs to move, his eyes couldn’t help but wander. The city was enormous. Greater than any that had come before or even after it, and he would leave it without a proper goodbye. Never having explored it.

It felt wrong. Reial should’ve been browsing the shops, not leaving for good. That’s what they had always dreamt of, was it not? Just a chance to go out and explore the world, starting with the mysterious city that should’ve been home.

Its vast monuments spanned for miles in either direction. A veritable treasure trove of the past stuck in the present. Reial would’ve given anything just to wander these streets and lose himself for hours.

If only she were here to enjoy this moment with him.

If only he hadn’t failed her.

“Let’s get going,” Charette said without further delay.

Reial nodded, though he soon found himself staring at The World’s Throne. The Remnant was ancient. Made in a time before the Invasion of the Nether Dwellers, and the founding of the first Aunesfernish Empire. No one knew why it was here, or why any of the Remnants existed for that matter. Not even Reiyrlet or Exania Mechora, two of the brightest minds to grace the human race.

Was that what made them all the more awe-inspiring? Because they didn’t know why they were here? Only that they believed them to be special because of their presence.

Reial tore his gaze away from the Remnant, but instead of finding Charette further down the street, she was standing in front of him. Pouting.

“You were ignoring me again, weren’t you?” She whispered to him.

“What? No! I was just…distracted,” Reial half-lied.

Charette huffed, then made her way down the street. “Let’s get going then so you can get ‘distracted’ by other things.”

Reial frowned as he quickly followed after her, feeling like a fool all the while. Not only had he forced her to lie in wait for half an hour, but he had also been too distracted by the dwelling Remnant to even respond to her. If only he could melt away into the background until he came up with a suitable apology.

As they passed through the vacant streets of Aunesfern, Reial’s attention was drawn to a flickering lamp outside a closed store. Is the route-work faulty here too? He wondered as they came upon it. Essence-based machinery—as well as items powered by the property—were supposed to be efficient. It was a technology that was meant to last a lifetime. Then again, it was an intricate field that probably saw more than its fair share of errors. Not that he knew anything about it.

Bright Solvaylian Projections painted the space above shops, promising discounts, and sales of brands he’s never heard of. He even spotted several golden statuettes of the Empyreans sitting in grand display windows. Surrounded by treasures and technology that had once been common in their era.

Reial wished that he were more familiar with these shops. Maybe then he might feel something instead of this distant yearning.

“So, where are we going?” Charette asked though he could still hear her previous hurt.

“I…don’t know,” Reial mumbled.

“You don’t know?” She gaped at him. “You left home in the middle of the night, Strode up one of the tallest Remnants, and you don’t know?”

Blood rushed to Reial’s cheeks. It wasn’t that he didn’t truly know, he just wasn’t expecting her to follow him. The girl was sharp. Much more than he gave her credit for.

“Well, where would you like to go?” Reial asked.

Charette hummed, her scarlet eyes focused on the sky. “How about Thírion? I’ve always wanted to see the glades there. Not to mention the Remnant residing in the kingdom’s capital.”

“I believe you’re forgetting the bit about the Solvaylian University,” Reial teased.

“Of course, I want to go there! I just didn’t want to make it seem like that was the only reason.”

Reial turned towards the east, though it was impossible to see anything but buildings clouding the horizon. There weren’t that many ways to get to Thírion, at least on land. The only options were either the Yuson Steppe or somewhere around Geschen. And he’d rather not freeze to death in an effort to get there. Then again, it was preferable to sticking around in Yusanik.

A hired Courser wouldn’t be able to reach them if they were to stray from the republic’s borders.

Reial clicked his tongue and nodded. “To Thírion we go.”

Scorch yipped happily, bouncing up and down with excitement as Charette smiled. Her revived grin was a pale reminder of the past.