"Come on, Brand. What is it?"

Mirai turned his canid around when he saw Brand didn't move. He was looking back, toward the Fortress.

"Feeling homesick already?" he asked.

"No," said Brand. "I was just…"

"What?" asked Naial, riding back toward him.

"I'm just scared I'll never see him again, after…"

"We'll see him," she said. "Your father, even if you don't know him enough, is a survivor. You'll learn that."

"He never told me his name," said Brand.

"Senn. His name is Senn."

Naial took her son's hand and rode by his side. The mountains loomed behind them. In front of them, the midlands spread as far as they could see.

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* * *

The last of the Chainkeepers dangled from his own chain above the doorway of the Lord of Greed's new house in the Hub. He hadn't settled on a name for the place yet. The blood was not yet dry.

The new Herald, Morit, was standing at attention in the main room. It had been a storage house, which suited the Lord of Greed well. It had a good amount of food to satisfy him for a while. But he already looked bored. His massive frame sat on a makeshift throne made of wicker boxes.

"Is something bothering you, my Lord?" asked Morit.

The god sighed.

"Just a small thing. I seem to have lost something."

"We can search for it, my Lord. I'll…"

"No, leave it," said the god, throwing a goat's bone he had forgotten he had in his hand toward the far wall. "You can't do anything about it."

"Then we can get you whatever you want. All of the midlands are yours now. Just ask and it will be yours."

"You can't get a new one either. It's like… one of a kind," said the giant.

The Herald looked puzzled. The Lord of Greed rolled his eyes. Morit was cunning, and the last survivor of his former Herald's cadre of Sparked. But he wasn't very smart.

"Leave me. Go do something. Find me some more rice wine."

His Herald bowed and left. He was alone in his new throne room. He was satisfied with that. He had obtained the Hub at last. The Forever King had been outplayed, even if he wouldn't accept defeat. Their methods were very different. But he should have been satisfied with the day. There was just that little something at the back of his mind.

"You would do well to remember this, Senn," said the Lord of Greed. "I'm not good at letting go."

* * *