"Begin the feast!" Princess shouted to her people. She tentatively sniffed the air. The smell of everyone present and the myriad aromas of all the prepared dishes gave her a clear view of the dining hall. However, the one scent she longed for was absent.

Patience. she told herself. She waited while resisting the urge to sniff the air. She inhaled deeply, almost tempted to hold her breath; instead, she let it out in a slow contented sigh. The effort behind her smile faded; joy replaced her forced smile with a beaming grin. Her appearance took on a brilliant radiance that was missing just moments before. Jaden is here.

Walking through the dining hall, she patiently weaved her body through the crowded Xelia and other obstacles with ease. She relied on her ears and nose to discern her path. An invisible, silent assassin blending into the light of dawn, she approached her mark. Along the way, she retrieved two beverages.

Princess arrived undetected at her destination, sneaking next to her target, or so she thought. He caught her off guard, wrapping his arm around her waist before she made her presence known. She pouted, scrunching her face. She dropped her invisibility so he could see her displeasure and pushed a glass into his empty hand.

"Thanks," he cringed, taking the glass. "Araya."

"I wasn't aware you are familiar with our tongue," she stated.

"You mean before yesterday?" he asked, pulling her closer; the distance between them disappeared. Her arm snaked naturally around him.

"That's not what I meant!" the pitch of her voice higher than she intended, she calmed herself. "What is the meaning of Araya then?"

"The light," Jaden replied, turning towards the door. Evan and Brawn entered the dining room.

"King Jaden. Queen Araya." Brawn gave an exaggerated bow, drawing attention to the two figures. Araya's body momentarily emitted a gentle glow that quickly passed through all of her people before it faded entirely.

What was that? Jaden mused before his train of thought was derailed.

"Long live the King! Long live the Queen!" a unified chorus replaced the clamor of utensils clinking against dishes and idle chatter.

"Okay. That's enough; it's time to eat, isn't it?" Jaden gathered their attention with a wave of his hand, ending the rising chant before it reached a crescendo. He forced a smile. The Xelia returned to their prior activities. Brawn dragged Evan towards the buffet table in the center of the dining hall.

Jaden robotically prepared to drink from the glass, bringing it to his face; the aroma pierced his nose like a spear, and he moved the glass away in disgust. Araya felt the subtle change when his body tensed; she tilted her head to the side. Curiosity took over. She had been aware of something pleasant in the air; looking at the beverage in her hand, she identified the source of it. 

She wasn't sure what it was, but it appealed to her at an instinctual level. She sampled the taste. The flavor assaulted her tongue, awakening a craving that she couldn't deny. She tilted the bottom of the glass up, flipped her head back, and downed the drink in a shot.

"If you don't want that, I'll take it," Araya smacked and licked her lips, her greedy hand reaching to snatch away his drink.

"You don't know what this is, do you?" he questioned, hesitating to give it to her. Jaden looked around, noticing all the Xelia were eating and drinking with relish.

"Dosh'n mather," she slurred, the effect of the drink quickly making itself known. 

"Let's get a bite first, then you can have another." he led her to the buffet table.  They each filled up a plate with various dishes from the serving platters and made their way to a table reserved for them.  Jaden ate slowly in contrast to Araya, who couldn't seem to eat fast enough.  He tried to make small talk between bites; she was too enthralled with her meal to notice.

"Araya?" Jaden watched with fascination as she devoured her food. Her plate bare, she rose from the table and returned to the buffet; abandoning appearances and ceremony, she tore into the buffet ravenously from where she stood.

Jaden sat there, silently observing. He caught sight of Evan calmly partaking. Next to him, Brawn had a pile of used plates stacked up. Araya had gathered the attention of everyone present. Their Queen had abandoned grace, the Xelia gathered around beside her and dug in.

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After the celebration died down, Jaden took a relaxed stroll through Talhaven with Araya by his side. She leaned heavily on him; her body weighed down from overeating and drunkenness.

"I told you to take it easy with the drink," he reminded her. She walked with his support, unable to defend her actions. Brawn and Evan approached the pair in a rush. Jaden turned to Brawn.

"Ah, good timing. I was hoping to help with the ceremony for the dead."

"Huh? But..." Brawn replied, trailing off and scratching his head. Jaden stopped.

"You attended the feast. We carry the burden of the dead with us always. We have become one. As is our way." Brawn replied, signaling Evan to follow. Evan chased after the large rat giving a slight groan in answer.

Jaden, there are some things we must discuss.

Okay?

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Vivian is defending the city by herself.

Can Mother handle it?

She is holding her ground for now, but ultimately she cannot win as she is.

Sasha. Could this be the catalyst she needs?

That might be possible if this opponent does not kill her first.

Images of the sphinx flashed through his mind.  What is their objective?

I am missing that information; they just started attacking without a word.

Is a peaceful coexistence truly beyond the reach of this race I've created?  I'm on my way.

"Araya, I'm sorry to leave like this; there's an emergency I have to deal with," Jaden stroked her cheek lightly, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Take meh wif yew," she slurred, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're not in any condition to go anywhere,"  Jaden looked upon her disapprovingly.  Araya pushed herself up on her toes, pressing her lips against his.  She pulled back, blinking her eyes slowly.

"Be as cute as you like, I'm not changing my mind," he hooked his arm behind her knees and swept her effortlessly off her feet. The smile that grew on her face and the slight pink that colored her cheeks were enough to make him pause. But it was the twinkle in her crystal eyes that sent his heart racing. She rested her head against his shoulder, her fingers dancing on his chest. He released a sigh, and they disappeared from the street.

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Jaden rushed through the city gates, Brawn and Evan trailing behind with Queen Araya in tow.  He shook his head in annoyance and pushed himself faster.

Sasha, there was more you wanted to discuss?

I request permission to hack the Xelian system.

I thought you already had.

I stole information at that time; I am referring to injecting data now.

What is your goal? What if it goes wrong? Any risks of infecting their system with the anomaly?

Creator, do you doubt my motives?  Like mother, like son.

Back when I named you APHAS, I knew what your goals were.  Now, it's a mystery even to me.

My goal is to put an end to the endless conflict; that hasn't changed.  And as you know, I am also preparing for that event.

Request denied.

Are you concerned about the fate of others' creations?

I won't deny my view of life has changed after getting a new perspective.  Jaden cast a backward glance; Brawn and Evan had fallen too far behind to see.

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Vivian raised her staff, carefully deflecting the weapon coming at her harmlessly to her side.  Her opponent had committed too much to the strike, his momentum carried him forward, open for a counter.  She threw a punch connecting with his jaw.  The impact shuddered through her body as if she hit a sturdy rock.

Typhan dropped his staff, catching her in his arms as he passed by and stopped himself.  He started to squeeze her in a bear hug.  She screamed in pain and struggled against his grip. Swinging her free arm, she punched his head. She kicked her legs, and her feet impacted his body.  His arms continued tightening, crushing her and preventing her from breathing.

"Not good enough," Typhan grunted mockingly.  "Now, before you die, tell me where the chosen brat is."

Brains sat helplessly beside Daryl and Bayne, racking his brain for any solution to this problem.  The strongest among them had lost, and from what he could tell, it was either a miracle she lasted this long, or the opponent was toying with her.  

Vines with sharp thorns sprouted from the ground, wrapped around Typhan's legs, and crawled up his body.  He smirked and ignored them.  The thorns bent and broke while attempting to break his skin.  Anya frowned in frustration; the vines wrapping around him tightened on his limbs.  She pulled the vines, his legs separated, and his arms loosened slightly.

Vivian inhaled sharply.  With difficulty, she extracted herself from his bear hug while Anya's vines impeded his movement. Grabbing hold of his arms, Vivian pushed herself up, planted her left foot on his face, stomped her right foot down next to it, and kicked off, putting some distance between them.  She landed elegantly on the ground but immediately dropped to a knee, gasping with heavy breaths.  Her eyes transfixed on him.

"Thank you, Anya." Vivian rose to her feet.  Adrenaline, and something else, throbbed through her body.  Something within her blood boiled.

"I am the Guardian.  I am the Protector," Vivian paused.  Her white eyes glistened in the sun, glaring dangerously at her opponent.  

Are you sure about this, Vivian?

The next line, she shouted as a challenge to her opponent, a burden for her to carry the rest of her life, and finally, a declaration accepting who she is.  All rolled into one.

I am the Matriarch!

Her voice rang crisp and clear, blanketing the surrounding lands for miles.  Daryl, Bayne, Molli, Lulu, and Emily looked upon Vivian with new reverence. In the woods, an approaching figure stopped his breakneck pace to stand in awe.

"About time." Typhan clicked his tongue, muttering to himself, looking over the gray glow Vivian exuded. Then his expression soured, breaking himself free from the vines.

Vivian calmed her breathing. Together she and Typhan kicked the ground disappearing from the spectators' sight.