"I'm sorry, who?"

Carmen understood he might not have heard of her. The Sundered Guard was quite secretive and most of her friends didn't know about her job.

"I am Carmen, a guardian of the Sundered Throne. I am here to bring you there."

Jason went from confused to hostile as his cloak, sword, and familiars manifested.

"Dawn told me of you. I'm not going to space jail for some stupid reason."

"You are mistaken, but Hierophant is mostly correct. We keep those who have upset the balance to, cool their heels, as you might say. We were once capable of so much more but now; we are reduced to a sorry state. I am here for your help."

Jason sat down, desummoned his dagger and cloak, and waved at the copious amounts of meat on the table.

"Well take a seat and have some food mate. I wasn't expecting visitors, but I can cook some more."

Carmen waved her orbs around herself indicating the lack of legs to sit and mouth to eat with.

"What can I do for you then?"

"The Sundered Throne was invaded by some beings that walked through the place and killed everyone. Their auras were so dense with the stench of death, it froze everyone and allowed them to kill us easily. I managed to escape to find you. I need your aura strength to help fight whatever it is."

Jason shook his head.

"Mate, I've been hit on, hit by, had my aura crushed, thrown into a dimensional incursion, dealt with multiple zombie hoards, and a bunch of other things because of gods and Great Astral Beings. I just got a break from all of that. Why would I help them now?"

"Because you're a hero? Because it's the right thing to do?"

"Yeah and?"

"Fine then. I might be able to get you something you would very much like to have. A second soul forge. Would that please you?"

"Well shoot, if you phrase it that way..."

Jason stuck out his hand.

"Then I guess we have a deal."

Instead of shaking his hand, Carmen floated an orb over his hand.

"I hope this will go well. You'd better not try anything funny," warned Carmen.

Jason laughed.

"Carmen, you have no idea how many people have said that to me."