“So you’re REALLY trying to tell me Demistar would waste her time with someone like you?” Nexus asks, as we all sit up here waiting for Vilstrous to wake up…

Demi - “Yus.”

“Yeah, I thought it was ludicrous too, but then low and behold, ‘Stupid over here has some crazy fuckin’ connections.” Sirius says, as they sit at the nice table I put there for them, waiting for Demistar to arrive and prove me right.

“Hmph. We’ll have to see.” Volarisk says, standing on the chair, in that pose he loves. “So what’s up with YOU, Captain Volarisk? I mean, we can all see your eye- Who are you hiding it from?” Sirius says, as he looks up at him.

He sits down, places his arm on the table, tilts his hat, and glares at everyone… “Hmph…” He grunts, taking a deep breath… “I just think it looks cool.” He says, making me giggle internally- I would totally do that…

Qualastra just folds her arms, and looks away... “Shdddf…” She so sophisticatedly says, waiting for Veyta to get here, and swap places with Glant...

A gust of wind suddenly shoots through the room, and Demistar lands in front of my nest- “Demitallis! You needed me?” She asks, as the other two stare at her in surprise. “Holy shit…” Nexus says, as she stares at her, and she turns around to walk over to her.

“Oh, are these some friends of yours?” Demistar asks, as she stares at them, and suddenly activates her weapon- “Hey- They’re cool-” Sirius says, motioning her to stop- “Right…” She says, as she approaches them…

A chair builds itself out of thin air, and she sits down on it and looks at them. “D-Demistar… So you ACTUALLY hang out with this kid...” Nexus says, as she points at and annoys me… “Yep. There a problem?” She asks, raising an eyebrow…

“You got pretty lucky, I’d just about gotten through your security.” Demistar adds, as Glant and surprisingly Celestibelle finally arrive. “Hey guys.” Celest says, her nine tails waving lightly in the air, as she waves at us lightly… “Eyup.” Glant says, eyeing Squalstra, and her horribly scarred throat…

The others greet them in return as two more chairs rise from the floor for them. “You the one?” Glant asks, as he looks at Qualstra… “Yeah.” Nexus says in reply for her- “She’s my sister. I heard you can heal her?” Nexus asks, as she leans over a little.

He just looks at her, and considers it… He sighs, and his eye turns to look at her. “I’m not sure. We’d have to remove her throat, and hope my power will help her heal on her own.” He says, as he looks between everyone. “Oh. I can keep her on life-support, if necessary.” Qualstra stands up and walks away, surprising everyone-

“Qual…” Nexus says, standing up and reaching for her, but sitting back down… “Hmph… You okay?” He asks, she shoves her head into her arms…

“So… Who are the new faces?” Celest asks, resting the back of her head against her hands as they all look at her.

“To start with…” Demistar says. “That guy is Captain Volarisk.” She continues, as he tilts his hat in response. “He’s pillaged kingdoms and burned villages to the ground. His bloody campaign across Pandora has made him one of the most wanted and feared men on the continent.” Demistar says, causing him to tilt his hat in just as much pride.

“Yeesh. Is that why he’s covered in all those scars?” Celest asks, pointing at him, as Demistar rolls her eyes. “Hmph. It’s good to see my exploits are well recognized. But these scars are thanks to my shrine, and my many battles.” He says, confusing me again-

Demi - “Sorry- But how’s a shrine doing that?”

They look at me, then at Demistar. “She’s very young- Right. Shrines are special structures that can be enchanted with magic for a multitude of effects. Prayer strength comes from Baoth’s power to give strength to all who have belief.” She says, giving me more questions than answers really…

Demi - “Alright, thanks. I get it now.”

I don’t get it- Vilstrous’s eyes snap open, and shadow tendrils shoot from his sleeve and into my ceiling. “Where am I, what are-” He spots Demistar and starts sweating- “Hey.” She says, glaring at him. “Wh-What the hell- Volarisk, Explain!” He shouts, pointing at Volarisk as he turns to look at him.

“No.” He says. “Please?!” Vilstrous pleads. “You were defeated by the puddle kid, and now you have to do everything they say, or Demistar here will kill us.” Volarisk says, surprising Demistar and I. “We’ll see about that!” Vilstrous shouts, as he throws his fist forward and ejects another shadow tendril towards Celest’s head-

Sirius catches the shadow tendril, and snaps it. “Don’t.” He says, as she hugs him. “See?” Volarisk says, gesturing towards the present group. Vilstrous just stares at him, speechless… “Hmph… Would you like to play cards?” He just stares at him, fights with himself, then screams into his shirt…

-√C-

I walk in, and find Chorimax gathering her belongings… “Are you leaving already?” I ask, surprising her. “Ah, Velouravan Genesis…” She says, finally out of that bulky armor, and in a nice dress that sadly doesn’t hide that scar…

“Yeah, Everessence is already on its way to rebuilding, and I don’t really want to give up anything else for it.” She continues, packing up a suitcase, and throwing it onto a luggage holster. She’s planning on carrying it all herself.

“I just need to grab Venetiur, and we’ll be ready to go.” She finishes, walking past me, as I follow quickly. “So no goodbyes, huh?” I ask, as she folds her arms. “Yeah, I’d love to… But I don’t want them to try and stop me.” She says, as we rush down the hallway.

“They’ll probably be really disappointed.” I add as she looks away, as we pass by multiple soldiers who barely seem to recognize her. “Yeah, I guess I shouldn’t press you. It was nice getting to meet you, good luck on your journey.” I say, as she opens the front door, and stops…

Everyone’s out here, everyone I met in the rebellion… And right in front of them all, is Venetiur. “You’ve got no idea how much they begged me to let them see us off!” He says, a hand on his hip, and the other adjusting his new sunglasses.

Tears begin to run, as they all start conveying their gratitude and appreciation for everything she’s done… She stumbles and grabs the wall for support, as everyone runs up to her. “You’ve done enough, come on.” Venetiur suddenly says, a blue beacon of light blazing through the masses.

“Yeah, we’ve got a city to fix! Get going!” One of them shouts, as I continue to back away so as to not get caught within the masses. I follow behind them as they slowly walk away, Chorimax waving lightly as they all cheer and congratulate her.

I slow down, realizing how long the line surprisingly is… Before I could even say goodbye, myself, she’s gone… I fold my arms, and turn around- I guess I should go find Flare…

About half an hour of searching later, I found Vance instead- “So you’re heading out too?” I ask, as he packs up his last knife. “Yep, I’ve no longer got any reason to stay. I’m off to find my next contract.” He says, hoisting a bag over his shoulder.

“I was here for the better part of a month, and it’s hard to imagine everyone just up and leaving like this…” I say, as I fold my arms and look down. “What do you think?” I ask, stopping him. “You’ll see them again.” He says, surprising me. “You’ll live for thousands of years, there’s only so many people to meet.” He says, reminding me of how small our world can be…

“So you’ll see them again, kid. Even if it IS a millennia, you’ll see them again.” He says, as I simply nod, and he begins walking away…

A little while later, I found Olmia the Goblin. She’s been sitting up there for a while now. “Hey!” I shout, grabbing her attention. She looks at me, then back at the rising moons, as I jump up to meet her.

“Are you okay?” I ask, as she folds her arms. “Everyone’s heading out, I’m surprised you’re still here.” I continue as she sits there without responding.

“A brother and sister of mine have left home. My mom died, and now I’m the one left to pick up the pieces…” I say, as I sit up here on this rock with her…

“I’ve only known them for the better part of a month now, but watching them leave like this… It reminds me of how fleeting our lives really are…” I say, as I hug my legs…

“Everyone’s been leaving home to go on their own journeys…” I say. “I wake up every night in a cold sweat, wondering if they WILL come home…” I continue, as she rests against my back…

“I just… I can’t protect them like this… I can’t stand to lose anyone else… But what CAN I do? I’m just one stupid kid…” I finish, as I cover my face…

“I know. I used to think Minma was invincible.” She says, surprising me. “It was always the two of us, ready to take on the whole world… Now I’m lost…” She says, as she wraps her little arm around me-

“Here, let me show you something.” She says, showing me a helmet. “Put it on.” She continues, as I do just that- “What is this?” I ask, as the mask adjusts and secures itself against my head. “This is how my sister and I used to live.” She says, as I look at her.

“Why are you showing me this?” I ask, as I look around and the advanced helmet does its work. “You want help, right? Why else did you come to me?” She asks, folding her arms. I nod, deciding to let things play out, like my little sister does…

She DID manage to get Nexus on our side, and things have been going better than I could have ever imagined. “Yeah, right- Of course. Thank you. But why ARE you helping me?” I ask, as I sit down on my legs.

“I don’t know. I guess I just need a friend right now? Besides, Minma and I were strong. I’ll point you in the right direction.” She says, tossing a gun into my arms- “Woah- I don’t-” I say, as it fumbles in my arms a little-

“Acting like that won’t get you anywhere, kid. If you want to protect the people you love, then you have to start learning right now.” She says, as it finally hits me, and I stand up again, to follow her.

“What about Demitallis? Do you plan to return to your bounty hunter buddies?” I ask, as we begin running off. “No. I lost Minma, I’m not throwing my life away for that stupid job. Besides, I have to carry on her legacy through SOMEONE.” She says, surprising me...

“Can’t do that while I’m dead!” She says, as we begin moving faster and faster, and I begin hopping with my powerful legs. “Fair point! But I mean… Am I REALLY the best option?” I ask, allowing the com to convey my message.

“You’ve got a drive, determination! You’re a great fit! And if you’re not? Well I’ll only have wasted a little time.” She says, as the beaten and broken end of the city comes into view. “What then? What will you do after that?” I ask, as she rubs her chin.

“I dunno’. Go home? Soul searching? ‘Was in the middle of the ladder, until you came along. I guess I’m just looking for a purpose at this point.” She says, as we finally leave the actual city, and enter into the deep forest that surrounds it.

“Demitallis WAS already planning on letting you stay at Haven for a while. Why not come visit, and see what you think of it?” I ask, as we stop in the middle of a nice clearing. “Alright, this place looks good enough.” She says, as she jumps onto a boulder.

“I’ll… Consider it. But as for your training… It starts now!” She shouts, pointing her gun at me, and the helmet flares up with warning signals!

-√A-

“FINE.” He says, after releasing his face- “I want to play stakes.” He says, pulling a deck from his coat. “I should probably shut my eyes then.” Demistar says, says, as she does not shut her eyes. “Your eyes are still open.” Vilstrous says, as he sits down at the table, and discards a couple from the deck...

“You think I’m talking about these?” She asks, as she points at her eyes, and they suddenly disappear-“I can see you just fine, they’re not real. Well I mean, I CAN see through them, but I can see you just as well from my arm.” She says, surprising everyone, as they thankfully return-

“What ELSE can you see?” Celest asks, nudging away from her and into Sirius. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to, kid.” She simply says, as I stare at the cards… They’re just normal playing cards, Hearts Diamonds Spades, and Clubs. The shapes and designs are recognizable enough too.

Demi - “How’s this Stakes game played? Just curious.”

I used to play a lot of card games with friends, but I was mostly into chess. I even joined a championship and got bodied pretty early on. “It’s mostly just a card matching game, you want the best hand you can get.” Sirius says, as Demistar shows me a diagram of rules identical to poker…

Demi - “That’s just poker...”

“No- What’s poker?” He asks, looking at Demistar, who folds her legs… “Well, actually… This game is ancient, it’s older than recorded history, before even the technological revolution.” She says, as she folds her legs and rubs her chin…

“But how would you know?” She asks, her eyes focusing on me… “Are we going to play or not?” Vilstrous asks, surprising her- “Ah- Dammit, Demitallis- You distracted me!” She says, spinning on her chair… Wow, she CAN be distracted.

Vilstrous passes out each players’ cards, and they begin playing… “So what are we betting?” Celest asks… “I’ll bet one of my magic masks.” Celest says, as she studies her cards... “Hmph. I’ll bet my services.” Volarisk replies.

“I’ll bet this body.” Demistar says, as she scatters out chips, with the symbol of Neotopia on them. “Well if we’re betting our personal objects, I’ll bet my left arm’s forward arsenal.” Nexus says. “I…” Sirius tries to say- “He’ll bet his dignity.” Celest finishes for him, grinning wider.

“God dammit-” He says, looking at her… “-whatever.” He finishes, trying to keep up his poker face, as Celest giggles. “I’ll bet a jar of life magic.” Glant says. “Hey, Sis, you want in on this?!” Nexus asks, calling out to her sister- “Shdddf…” Qualstra says in reply, her brows narrowing in anger-

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry…” Nexus says, as she returns to her cards…

Demi - “Alright, I can’t help it- I totally know how to play this- I want in.”

They stare at me as I jump out of my pool, and Demistar suddenly shoves everyone around to make room for me. I form a small stand, and a bowl around me- “What do you even have to bet?” Glant asks, as his eye focuses on me.

Demi - “I’ll bet my flower, I can just get a new one anyways.”

“You mean that Soulbloom? Fair enough.” Demistar asks, causing Vilstrous’s eyes to widen- “Wait- You managed to get one?!” He asks, shouting over the table as he shouts at me-

Demi - “Yeah, it was pretty tough too. Failed a bajillion times before I finally got it. But I’ve got the trick down now.”

“How?! TELL ME...” He says, leaning in closer, as I sit here trying to mind my own business…

Demi - “I just gently snake my threads until I find all of the roots, and pull out the dirt around it. Can I have my cards?”

He sits back down and passes me my cards… Not bad… And the best part… I have no tells like this! “Hmph… Vilstrous forgot his bet again, so he’ll just bet his services too.” He says, making Vilstrous punch him in the side of the head- “Don’t fucking speak for me!”

“Afraid you’re gonna’ lose, BOY?...” Celest asks, as she somehow gives him an even MORE smug grin… “I’ve already fought him, he’s just afraid.” Sirius says, causing Vilstrous’s eye to twitch.

She begins laughing at him, until he slams his fist into the table, cracking it- “You’re fucking dead! When I win, I want ALL your masks!” He shouts, as the game finally begins… “Well now I HAVE to win, ‘cause when I~ win, you have to be my personal unpaid servant.” Celest says, as one of her tails disappear-

Demi - “Um, Celest?”

Cele - “Shhh… I’m grabbing one of my masks.”

She looks younger, it must be a result of this ability I’ve never seen- Everyone stares at her in a short lived shock, then at Vilstrous… “I…” He says, then Volarisk looks at him- “FINE… Friggin’ assholes…” He continues, as we finally begin. “We’re playing to one thousand chips.”

“Anyways... How do YOU know someone like Demistar, Demitallis?” Vilstrous asks, as he stares into his cards. “Just kind of ended up at our front door, I had to visit like, a hundred different lakes on this island just to find her.” Demistar says, as she leans on her chair.

Demi - “Wow… This makes him kinda reasonable!”

“I can hurt you.” He simply says, as we throw in our cards. “Oh lord, why did I let you play?” Demistar asks, as I smug internally… “Yeah, she literally has no tells.” Sirius says as he sorts through cards… “Anyways, we both share Demi in our name. Nothin’ more to it.” Demistar says, giving me an odd feeling…

“Yeah, I doubt that. Straight flush.” Nexus says, after pushing all her chips in, and so Demistar doubles them. Ah, so that’s how they plan to bet items. The one with the most chips must be the one who hits the threshold. ‘Explains the lack of numbers at least…

The game must have been brought here by another, just like me… That also explains chess being here too… Fair enough, I thank you, my fellow travelers... “Well, shit… Your dignity might just be on the line after all, Sirius…” Celest says, causing him to look at her in a mix of disappointment and disbelief…

The fox finally returns and jumps into her body- “Where’d that mask come from?” Vilstrous asks, pointing at her- “What the- I never even-” Demistar says, very surprised again- “Dunno’ what you guys are talkin’ about.” She says, as she pushes forward some more chips.

“I’m not detecting any magical effects…” Demistar says, as she stares at her… “Hmph… What do you mean?” Volarisk asks, pushing in more chips. “Oh, just simple scans. Nothing that would approach cheating.” She says, as everyone just stares at her…

“Oh… I got everyone’s attention off her, and back on me… Being mortal like this is hard…” She says, as we drop our cards, and Celest wins, but it wasn’t too big of a stack anyways… She laughs as markings begin to etch themselves into the wooden mask…

“So, Vilstrous, about that art of yours…” Sirius says. “All gone or all dead. Demitallis over there nearly broke my arm over it…” He says, rubbing the exact arm that had nearly given way multiple times… “I guess it didn’t have it in itself to-” He says, as Celest begins to laugh again-

“Alright, rude.” He says, as he pushes in more of his chips, but Celest wins again, after having put in a somewhat larger portion of her chips. “You okay, Celest?” Sirius asks, grabbing her arm- She giggles again- “Yeah, I’m fine…” She says, as the patterns continue to grow in complexity…

Demi - “Okay that thing is fucking cursed or some shit.”

“It’s not cursed.” She says, waving it off as I notice her arm is slightly more pale… “So Volarisk… You could have dealt with Nexus… And I would have known if Demistar was there… So what the fuck man?” He asks Volarisk, as the large man who still has no shirt stares at Celest’s mask…

“Hmph… I think we both know why, Vilstrous…” He says, his eyes turning to look at him. “You think THIS is better?” He asks, as he stares at him, and shoves some chips in with his elbow. The mask begins to shake- “Young miss!” Volarisk suddenly roars, causing everyone BUT celest to shove back in surprise-

“May I try your mask on?” He asks, all the excitement slowly draining from the room… “Heh… Hehe… Sorry, but you’ll have to win it first…” She says, giggling as it rattles again… “So you’re Nexus, huh?” Glant asks, as everyone reveals their hands and Celest wins again…

-√1-

Venetiur… Venetiur… Venetiur~… Bastard just had to up and leave already… “Hey, Azure! You finished packin’ up?! We’ve gotta’ help with the reconstruction efforts!” Turi shouts from the other room, as I look around my office… Maybe Venetiur had a point…

“Just… Go without me!” I shout, but he slams the door open. “I miss him too, captain. But it’s THEIR journey.” He says, as he looks around my room and sighs. “I’ll get the others, we’ll help you pack up.” He says, staring at all the unpacked items...

Five minutes later, they’re all in here now, cleaning out my office…Except , he’s still in the hospital healing off his injuries from the war.

“You should get out of your armor already.” Lisk says, as he stares at me. “Yeah, thanks Lisk.” I say, as I open one of the drawers… “You remember that time Venetiur broke the toilet?” Turi asks, laughing as I grab a few pens. “Seriously? Wasn’t he dating your general?” Olvarge asks, his gruff voice almost symbolic.

“It was disgusting.” Lisk says, as he haphazardly drops books into the bag… “Well Lute's a little bitch! He can’t even talk to girls!” Olvarge laughs, along with Lisk. “I am NOT going to miss you.” Lute says, as he gently sorts each item, saving as much space as he can…

“Why are you three even here?” I ask, as they continue to work. “You don’t know me like my men did.” I add, as they work in silence… “Brotherhood, son. I saw your boys fight, and even when they fell from the sky... Your boy Venetiur had rushed to save everyone.” Olvarge says, as they begin to get through the majority of my stuff…

“He didn’t have a moment of hesitation. He cared more about the men and women who would have left him for dead in his place, than those same people had ever shown their fellow man in their life.” He says, as I think back on all the times Venetiur held us back…

“He reminded me that there’s good men on both sides, that I had loved Everessence once. And it let me help my own men right here.” He continues as the others continue their work without a word…

“You never really did appreciate him like we did.” Lisk says, probably the most blatantly wrong thing I’ve heard all day. “Yeah, sure, president of the Venetiur hate club.” I say, as I fold my arms. “How’d you know?” He asks, as the others laugh a little.

"Hey, when's Bahnj getting out of the hospital?" Olvarge asks- "About a week from now." Lute responds. "He really took that bolt for me, nearly killed him." He says, as he continues to another case.

“See? They’re pretty cool when you get to know them, Azure.” Turi says, as he uses his backpack to help him put stuff away for me. “Lute's kind of a genius at general management, Bahnj is lazy, but he's a hero, and Ozbal's incredible in combat. Olvarge is just old, but that’s cool too.” He says, as the old man looks at him.

“I’m not old, kid. I’m barely escaping my eight hundreds.” He says, surprising me. Must be a bad case of elvenfall. “Yeah, fair enough…” I say, as I stand up, and walk over to the door… “I guess it IS time to move on. I’m going to go and get out of this damn thing.” I say, opening the door as the others simply wave me off.

-√C2-

“Hey, girls.” I say, grabbing Talliopy and Aribora’s attention. “Flare!” Aribora shouts, rushing over to hug me, followed by Talliopy. “How’s it been?” I ask, as I carry them over to a tall bit of rubbel sticking out of the ground.

“Are you okay?” Aribora asks, as I try to keep them happy... “Calvin and Celsey, they’ve left… Their pride was hurt, so now they want to defeat this guy who beat them.” I say, as they stare at me in surprise.

“Calvin never thought anyone understood him… He always thought we loved him because he’s strong…” I say, as They hug me again. “He never knew? Why didn’t anyone tell him?” She asks, as we sit here.

“I guess I was just afraid. ‘Worried it might hurt him.” I say, as the wind brushes lightly against us. “Well… What should we do?” She asks, as I think back on it. “I don’t know. Wait? Watch him? STOP him? Are we even capable of that? I just don’t know…” I say, as I look around.

The city is devastated… It could barely withstand the war, and if the ship wasn’t enough, the presence of those Equinox certainly was… “I guess you’re right. They’re dragons... They’re too stubborn to listen…” Aribora says, as Talliopy twiddles with her magic to distract herself.

This civil war had lasted almost twenty years, or so I’ve heard. Thanks to the prolonged war, Vilstrous was able to lead his bloody campaign… “Well, I guess keeping an eye on him would put my nerves at ease…” I say, as we stand up.

“Come on, we’re burning daylight girls.” I say, as they nod, and we jet off at our top speed.

-√2-

“So where were you thinking, Corey?” I ask, as I rest the back of my head in my hands. “I don’t know. How about a nice quiet place? I was hoping we could go on a date.” She says, as we leisurely travel the dense forest.

“You think they’ll be okay?” She asks, as I take a look back over my shoulder. “They’ll be fine, Azure’s there after all.” I say, as I spot a stick and pick it up. “Neat stick.” She says, as I wave it around lightly. “You think it might be a wizard’s wand?” I ask, as I point it at her.

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“Please, you silly thing.” She says, laughing as I shoot little sparkles out of it. “Maybe we could visit that college some time.” We continued as we were, passing by a rabbit in a top hat. “Who’s that?” Chorim says, surprising me. It’s some sort of green, humanoid slime.

“What is that thing?” I ask, as I squint at it. “Don’t call them a thing, they’re obviously a person.” Chorima says, as they walk up to us.

“Greetings! I’m Ling, the pact master! You wouldn’t have happened to meet a young girl named Demitallis, would you?” He asks, scaring me- I’ve heard of pact masters… “You’re a pact master?!” Chorima shouts, beaming with excitement…

“Yes, I DID just say that.” He says, as I continue to feel a bit of apprehension. Chorima suddenly whispers in his non-existent ear, and his mouth opens with surprise. “O-Oh, I’d be honored! Please, call me as soon as you’re ready!” He says, a slight chuckle in his almost charming voice…

He rubs the back of his head, and looks away- “But… As for my question~…” He drones on, a bashful look on his face- “Of course- She’s been helping out a lot with the rebuilding process!” Chorima says, pointing at the city, surprising him.

“Right, Everessence… The war… I’d heard, but I never thought...” He says. “She’s done so much for us already, my boyfriend and I can finally leave to pursue our dreams…” She says, looking at me, as I stare back into her beautiful sunny eyes…

-√A-

“Dammit, I should have had that one!!! She has to be cheating!” Vilstrous suddenly shouts, before Demistar ignites her blade. “Is what I would say, if it were happening…” He sits back down, and returns to his cards, as Celest laughs at him…

The veins under the mask begin to bulge out- “Okay, there’s something going on with this mask-” Demistar says, as Celest’s head snaps into position to look at her- “It’s fine, I’ve got this...” She says, her skin growing more and more pale…

“Listen kid, you need to take that off. The last girl that said that to me lost a lot more than I thought possible for your kind-” Demistar says, as she grabs the mask, and Celest tears off her arm- “Please don’t interfere, it’s just a mask...” Celest says, as she places Demistar’s arm back into place…

“How about you tell us where you’re from, Nexus?” She asks, after her head jolted in her direction- “Right…” She says, a little disturbed herself. “I’m from Everessence, I ran from home, my mom died somewhere in between, and before I knew it, I was already too late.” She says, as everyone shoves in differing amounts of chips.

“My sister had been maimed.” She says, and she plays her hand, followed by everyone else until Vilstrous wins this round. “Haha, yes, finally! I will win!” He shouts, as the mask shakes- “Anyways… My sister lost her throat in the war, and now I’ve been trying to help her ever since.”

“Still, life and doom magic… How can I be so sure you’re not lying, boy?” She says, pointing at him, as he looks up at her. “I used it to kill a King Reveserpetrine. It’s incredibly powerful…” Vilstrous just stares at him, as it reminds me of what happened to Olmia…

Demi - “Hey, I met two Goblins, they were bounty hunters. One of them was killed by this little dart full of liquid doom…”

Vilstrous looks at me, and pushes in more chips- Celest plays her hand followed by everyone else, and she wins.

Demi - “It was obviously done by the one who tipped her off about me being in Everessence… But I want to know who did it.”

“Hmph, it was me.” Volarisk says, and I barely miss my bearing shot! “Calm down, I was just Soulstrous’s orders.” He says, causing Vilstrous to punch him- “Don’t bring my father into this!” He screams.

Demi - “Well, I never really saw who did it anyways… But you better watch yourself, I don’t want any more of that shit around here.”

“Fair enough…” He finishes, as he shoves in some chips, and we play our hands ending in ANOTHER win for Celest. She laughs again, creeping me out… “You’ve been quite lucky, Celest…” Glant says, as he shoves in the majority of his chips, despite them having dwindled considerably…

“Yep… I guess that’s the only explanation…” She says, as Demistar’s chair alters itself. “Yeah, I might have to go get Salem, just so I can win this stupid thing…” Demistar says, as everyone throws out their hand and Glant finally wins one.

“Hmph… Yeah I think we’ve lost this one, Vilstrous…” Volarisk says, looking at him from the corner of his red eye. “Shut it, I’ve had come-backs from worse.” Vilstrous replies, punching him once AGAIN. “You like punching him, huh?” Glant says, staring at the large man and all his scars and stitches.

“You know, I might be able to get that fixed up, if you’re interested.” Glant says. “Hmph… It’s a kind offer, but I must refuse.” He says, as I decide to shove in a large batch of my chips… I got a pretty good hand, finally...

Demi - “So Vilstrous… Where DOES one get their hands on Doom Magic that dense?”

“Must have been from Helvetica.” Demistar says, as she plays her hand, and as I predicted I finally got a win. “Damn- Anyways, I’ve got no idea why she would give the deadliest element on the planet away like that…” She says, doubling mine, and removing everyone else’s stack thanks to my glorious win.

“Especially for evil… She’s always been so kind…” Demistar says, as we look at our new hands, and I consider trying that huge bet again… “Hmph… I got it from a friend, ‘said they got it from Skall.” He says, grabbing Demistar’s attention.

“Seriously, SKALL?” She asks. “Supposedly. He’s the only guy I could think of to get it off her in the first place.” Volarisk says, as everyone sequentially plays their hands, and Celest wins again… Laughing with bloated veins and pale skin…

“I think… I think I’ve got this one… Glant, life magic…” Celest says, grabbing his attention… “Right…” He says, giving us a break from the game as the mask suddenly begins to violently shake- “Alright, I’m scanning that damn thing-” Demistar says, as her head is suddenly torn off-

“Not cool, kid.” She says, as she folds her arms, while Glant closes his eye, and rests his hand on her shoulder. “Please, no need… It’s just a normal mask…” She says, as she begins to pull it from her face, and wooden roots pull on her face-

They’ve been digging through her veins, consuming her blood… The mask begins to scream, and shakes violently, causing her to lose her grip and it to jam itself against her face again! She slams her fist against the table in pain, and her head snaps around to look at Sirius-

“Sirius, I need you…” She says, as he stares at the mask in a disturbed fear- “R-Right…” He says, as her head spins back around, and he places her against the chair- “Good lord, that sounds horrible.” Glant says, as he stands there…

“Fuck it, I’m beginning advanced scans-” Demistar says, as she stares at Celest, while Sirius begins to pull it from her face… “Sirius, stop, you’re hurting me...” The mask says, but he refuses… “Are you okay?” He asks, as everyone stares in discomfort at the scene…

“Alright, this thing is loaded with powerful curses that give it many ability enhancing effects. On top of that, it seems to contain an ancient soul, it may be one of those early cases of Immortality…” Demistar says, as she continues to stare, as Sirius begins to finish…

“On top of that, it also enhances luck… Damn cheater…” She says, as she folds her arm, but Celest simply chuckles. “Did it, now? I honestly had no idea, my bad…” She says, grinning under the pain as the roots suddenly turn red, and she begins to scream.

“Why do you have something like this?!” Sirius asks, as he begins to get to the end… Demistar injects her with some sort of substance, and she stops screaming finally… “Are you okay?” She asks, as Celest rests against her chair, still hiding her cards…

“I’m fine, thanks for the suppressant. I chose this one ‘cause I thought it was pretty. It was a pure gamble that it did anything.” She says, as she shrugs… “Well I’ve been enjoying it.” Vilstrous says, the only person who HASN’T been uncomfortable…

The mask finally comes off, and it writhes in Sirius’s hands, as Demistar covers up Celest’s face… “I’m good, thanks… How do I…” She says, as Vilstrous pulls out a mirror, and shows it to her. “Wow, I didn’t think it’d mess up my face so badly…” She says, giggling to herself as she reviews it…

Her veins are still a little bloated, her skin is pale as snow, her pupils have turned a bright shade of pale red and so have her lips, the white in her eyes have turned to a dark shade of gray, including her hair...

“Oh- Fuck- Dude- Why-” Sirius suddenly says, holding the mask forward as blood seaps from the roots… He tries to hand it to Glant, but he backs away- “No- What?! Don’t give it to me, I don’t want it!” He says- “Well I don’t either!” Sirius shouts, as it continues to horribly stain my nice floor…

Demistar grabs it from him, and forms a large bowl under it… “Thanks for not breaking my mask…” Celest says, as Demistar just stares at her with a less than pleased impression… “Well, I guess we have to restart…” Demistar says, as she places it in Celest’s lap, as everyone sits back down.

“Aw… Come on… There’s no need to restart, I’m doing so well...” Celest says, as she rests against the table, her energy sapped while she stares at Demistar… “Are you even CAPABLE of playing?” Demistar asks, as she stares at her cards…

“I’m the host, and I say we will continue. As I’ve said, I’ve recovered from much worse.” Vilstrous says, surprising me… Damn, I was really hoping to win… Celest holds herself up, and grabs her cards, hiding them as per the course, as Glant and Sirius return to their seats.

“PLEASE don’t do that to me again, Celest…” Sirius says, and she suddenly reaches over to hug him- “Aw… You’re a big man, you’re fine…” She says, as he sits there uncomfortably, forcing himself to hug her back…

“How does a person’s body get this cold?” He asks, but stops Demistar before she can speak up. “She’ll be fine, Sirius. I loaded her with life magic. Hell, I’ve probably extended her lifespan with that.” He says, as Vilstrous plays his cards, and chuckles at her.

Everyone plays their cards in return, and Volarisk finally gets a chance to celebrate for his first victory. I never thought I would see someone like him celebrate like that. “Anyways, why not tell us something about yourself, Vilstrous? We’d love to hear what you have to say…” Celest says, as I grab my cards and look at them…

-√C-

I bounce against rocks and tree trunks, only to be knocked to the floor again- “I’m not getting anywhere!” I shout, as she tries to find a way to help me up. “You’re learning very quickly. Just have patience, kid. This stuff took my sister and I our whole lives.” She says, and so I steal myself and nod.

-√C3-

“You know, I heard it was bad… But da~ng…” Vascula says, looking around as we slowly make our way through the city. “Yeah, I never thought war could do something like… THIS.” Calbdin says, as I slap a large piece of crumbling rock away-

“Thanks, Tenztore-” He said. “Of course.” I replied. “You two are so cute.” Vascula added… “Shut up.” I countered. “No.” She smugly teased. “Alright, enough of that you two.” Calbdin finished for us.

“So we’re heading out ALREADY?” Vascula asks, as we continue our little stroll through the streets... “Yes.” I say. “Our just here is finished. We no longer reserve any reason to remain here.” I say, as I spot some pennant flags being strung up.

“What’s that about?” She asks, obviously having spotted them too. “It must be a celebration, since the war is over.” Calbdin says before running over. We follow after him, and spot a young woman setting them up.

“Hey guys! We’re throwing the Genesis Family a party!” She calls out, surprising me… “What?!” I ask, somehow scaring the other two- “For everything you’ve all done!” She calls back, finishing up on the pennant flag. “What do you think?” She asks, as she jumps down.

I fold my arms, and stare at her… I never thought of it like this… “Parties are nice, thank you.” I say, looking down at her, as the other two sigh in relief for some reason. “Man you’re tall.” She says, looking up at me. “Indeed. I’m Tenztore.” I say, offering my hand to shake hers.

“Oh- I’m Jade. I used to own the library. It was destroyed in the war, sadly…” She says, scratching the back of her head, as she shakes my hand in return. “Come on, I’ll show you all in. Make sure to tell everyone, we want to give them a proper goodbye.” She says, as we follow her.

-√3-

“I’m finally here!” I shouted, after having finally finished climbing this floating island… “Who are you?” A young girl asks me, as she helps me up, while I catch my breath… “I’m Barrie- Thanks- I’m a bounty hunter!” I say, as she folds her arms.

“And what are you hunting?” She asks, as I stare at her- She’s an elemental, must be made of porcelain, I can tell from the noises of her incredibly complex sliding pieces. “Ah- Nobody here of course!” An obvious, yet necessary lie…

“Right…” She says, as green lightning arcs across her body- “Well, welcome to Neo-Genesis-Haven.” She says, before grabbing me and teleporting us to the middle of this floating town... “Oh wow, she’s pretty!” Another girl says- She’s shorter though, and seems to be younger.

She’s an aquatic demihuman, and must be a new Sea-Bunny Demihuman. They went extinct a while after the Megas did. “Thanks, but I’m a guy…” I say, surprising both of them- “Wait, what?!” The elemental shouts, surprising me-

“Ah- You never told me your name, please!” She folds her arms, and looks at the other one, who shrugs. “I’m Steriya, and this is Sarianprosia. Sari, this is Barrie.” She says, as I bow my head lightly in greeting, but she doesn’t do the same.

Must be a cultural thing. “While Sari is VERY surprised… Sari is also wondering what you’re doing here.” She says, as I look at the tower, and am reminded of my bounty. “Right, I met a girl named Demitallis, she’s a friend of mine, and said I could hang out here for a bit.” I say, trying to not get myself kicked out right away.

“Damn brat- We can’t just start letting whoever in…” She says, looking away- “Right, feel free to stay as long as you like, then, Barrie. Come on, I’ll show you to my place. It’s a lovely mansion I had constructed. I’m sure you’ll like it.” She says, surprising me.

-√G-

What lovely people… I’ve finally arrived… Yeesh, that lady making me go through all this trouble… No worries though, everything is going as it should. Everessence, the menagerie. It got that name thanks to all the failed experiments in the old Bio-Research-&-Development-Center; Biocity.

I have enough people for the Wishling-Chase, but I guess I’ll just have to invite this one after all. Provided they’re what I’m looking for.

I arrive to find a young man helping set tables for what seems to be a party. “Greetings! You must be Torry!” I say, surprising him. At first glance, you might have thought he was a racoon demihuman- But that’s certainly not the case.

I got lucky after all, he must have come straight from Biocity! “Wh-What do you want?” He asks, as he stares up at me, and I kneel down to his level. “I am Ling, I believe you have awakened a Psychic Power, my friend.” I say, and he nods, still a little frightened.

“Y-Yeah. I call it nullification.” He says, surprising me. “Impressive, it’s way cooler than mine. It just helps me find people with powers like yours.” I say, as I move to a more comfortable position. “Tell me more about it.” I say, as I stare into him…

“O-Oh, okay… I guess it beats doing this all day…” He says, looking at the half finished table. “I can nullify lots of stuff, like prolonged effects, curses, blessings, enchantments, and even other psychic powers! Pretty cool, right?” He asks, as I clap ecstatically!

“Indeed! I must have you, I don’t know what- Right- Toryvonvascus, SIR. It would be MY honor to invite you to participate in the Wishling-Chase!” I say, surprising him again. “What is it?” He asks, staring at me again.

“It’s a race! It’ll be taking place in just a few days from now! You just HAVE to join, I’ve got a VERY special prize-” I say- “Just for you-” I add, surprising him- “The prize is a free wish, from me to all of the winners.”I whisper to him, as his eyes widen with excitement.

“Really?! I accept, I accept, I accept!” He shouts, jumping in excitement, as I pull out his invitation… “Of course, take this. It’ll bring you to the place when everything is ready for you.” I say, handing him the invitation. “But remember, no sooner. You’ll know when it’s ready to be opened.

“Of course! I can’t wait!” He says, inspecting it with glee and excitement. “Enough of that, though. Please, demonstrate your power a little more, if you wouldn’t mind.” I say, as he nods, and later shows me to a place with a large rock that’s had a powerful lock placed on it…

It was protected, safe from all the evil and harm that the war must have wrought… I can only wonder what was sacrificed to protect it in such a way...

-√A-

“My family is cruel. That’s all there is to know.” Vilstrous says, as Volarisk sighs. “Yes, very cruel. They torture their children from the age of five until they hit twenty.” Volarisk says, embarrassing him- He punches the tall man in the face, but once again, he doesn’t even flinch.

“Dammit, Volarisk!” He shouts, as he continues to punch him. “Hmph… He’s almost as badly scarred as I am, actually. Excluding the stitches, of course.” He says, as we play our hands, ending in a win for Sirius.

“I’d have thought you would be more thankful…” He says, as Vilstrous shuffles and passes out the cards again. “Like I want your damn help…” He says, as I look at my cards… “I mean, I MYSELF personally came just to make sure you were okay…” Volarisk says, surprising him.

“Oh shut up! You know I hate this!” He shouts, as I move some chips in, feeling a little confident in my cards. “Oh, so THAT’S why you came here.” Nexus says, as she shoves in a ton of chips, and I silently berate myself…

“Hmhmph… I guess you could say that…” He says, as we finally play our hands and of course, Nexus wins this one… “I was out making sure none of his brothers would come for him… When I heard about the recovery, I was right on my way.” He continues, as Vilstrous uses his tendrils to pass out cards, while he continues to punch Volarisk in the cheek.

“I met him a few years ago…” He says, as he pushes in quite a stack of chips… “He was dying, about to be killed by a guardian. I guess I identified with him to an extent, so I helped him…” Volarisk says, and we play our hands, resulting in a surprise win from Celest.

“Well there goes all MY Chips…” He says, as they slowly begin to fade away… “Hmph… That’s my current story. Feel free to get that stick out of your ass any time, Vilstrous.” He says, as Vilstrous’s eye twitches, and he breaks his jaw-

Nexus slams it back into place, and Glant heals it, as it now hangs agape. “I think you owe him now, Vilstrous. Why not tell us what it’s like being a Strous?” Demistar asks, as she shoves in some chips. Vilstrous fights with himself for a moment…

Demi - “You bad-guys like monologuing, right? Think of it like that.”

They just look at me, and Vilstrous’s eyes narrow- “Fair enough.” He says, and the others slap their foreheads, while Volarisk simply nods in approval. “My father helped me land my job as a Mid Council member of Capital City…” He says, as he plays his hand, and Demistar wins.

“Seriph’s pretty cool, he floats everywhere, and music plays in tune with everything he says… It’s almost hypnotic…” He says, as he passes out cards again… “About YOURSELF, please.” Volarisk barely manages to say, as he studies his cards.

Vilstrous stares at him, and returns to his cards. “I was tortured relentlessly, sometimes being starved for days…” He says, as he shoves in a larger stack of chips again. “They made me fight and train with all my strength, I guess it explains where all this strength comes from…”

Demistar silently stares at him as he plays his hand for another win. “Right, you’re just human… I’ve met few human boys as strong as you are…” Demistar says, as she returns to her cards. “Yeah, thanks…” He says, as Celest earns ANOTHER win…

She is SO CLOSE to winning, we’re so lucky she isn’t throwing in chips like she was earlier… “They’re still so much stronger than I am… But I needed to get out, so I promised I would bring suffering to everessence… Now my father will be coming for me…” He says, as Demistar kicks her feet up.

“You know, I have a bit of an army myself...” Demistar says, as she slides chips, and throws in her cards, resulting in another surprising win for Vilstrous! “What are you saying?” He asks, as she rests her head in her hands… “I mean, ships, people, they go missing all the time…”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Soulstrous’s stuff would occasionally go missing…” She continues, as her cards float over to her. “Right, I think I see your point…” He says, as I decide to shove a nice stack of chips…

“My father used to tell me all about this game he called the Throne Wars. He told me how he played it all the time with HIS brothers, and how I will too soon…” He says, as we play our hands and I get another win!

“He never explicitly told me what it was, but I think I already understand… I don’t have an uncle… I have aunts, many of them… But no uncles…” He says, as it dawns on everyone… “Hmph… That’s why I have to protect him now.” Volarisk says, as he trades a couple cards.

“I never knew…” Demistar says, as she puts her legs down again, and shoves in some chips. “I wish there was something I could do about it.” She says, surprising me- “What’s that supposed to mean?” Vilstrous asks, as he plays his hand followed by everyone else.

Another win for Sirius- “You’re Demistar, one of the most powerful people in the world…” He says, as he passes out cards. “You’re right, I could. If I really wanted to, I could stop everything they’re doing, and I probably wouldn’t face any immediate repercussions.” She says, as she shoves in a small number of chips this time.

Celest is still playing it pretty safe, goes to show how helpful that mask was… “For some reason, even beyond me, it’s still important that I don’t destroy them. It’s just not my place to interfere, at the moment…” She says, as I study my own cards.

She plays her hand, looks to the side, and sneers a little. “ALSO~ Soulstrous is a member of a world council… I’m not ENTIRELY sure I COULD beat him…” She says, as Vilstrous silently celebrates another win.

Demi - “But you’re SO STRONG, Demistar~!”

“THANK YOU, Demitallis…” She says, annoyed as I mentally tease her. “Man.” Celest chuckles. “You two have really hit it off.” She says, as she studies her new cards, and shoves in all her chips- Ah shit… “Really forming ya’self a ROYAL FLUSH, BITCHES!” She screams, with more life and energy than someone of her current complexion should have-

“YOU ARE FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!” Vilstrous shouts, as he tears apart the table- “You fucking cheated!!!” He screams, as he bolts towards her, and Sirius stops him again… “Get it? ‘Cause all the dudes on here are friends.” She says, as he looks down, and yet still refuses to laugh.

“I can kill you.” He says, as she sits there, and eyes her bowl of blood and mask. “Hey, don’t get rude with me. You should try playing against my sister Vexalan. She’s a REAL cheetah.” She says, causing Sirius to slap his face, and Vilstrous to tense up in anger.

“Are you serious...?” He asks in a sense of disbelief, and then instantly regretting it- “No, but HE is…” She says, pointing at Sirius, causing him to walk away, and leave her to her fate. “Come on… I learned from the best! They were cows, so the steaks were high~!!!” She says, as everyone watches the little cheater back away slowly from him…

I collect my flower from my souvenirs cabinet… “You CHEATED…” He slowly says, emphasizing that special word… “Yeah, I guess you could say it got pretty out of hand!” She says, as he nearly punches her, but Demistar stops him, begrudgingly…

“You were the host, you told everyone to continue. I hate to admit it, but it slides. I’ll keep up my end, but it’s up to everyone else whether they will or not.” She says, as a white orb floats over and lands on Celest’s head…

“Ah cool, free-fro! Hey Sirius! Am I cool now?!” She calls over to him, causing him to stand up, and look at her again- “No.” He then returns to his sulking. “Don’t be that way, you gave up your dignity to me a long time ago.” She continues, as I slowly move the Soulbloom over to Vilstrous.

Demi - “Hey man, it’s yours.”

He looks at me, surprised, as I slowly lower it to the floor, and move away from it…

Demi - “I don’t appreciate cheaters, and I don’t really care, so yeah.”

“Yeah…” He says, as Celest continues to tease her boyfriend…

Demi - “Oh, and don’t break it, this thing is precious. Alright?”

“Fine…” He says, as Nexus begins to decouple one of the pieces of armor on her left arm, and pulls it down the sleeve. “Hmph… What’s our first order of business, ma’am?” Volarisk says, surprising her, as he jumps over the rubble of my ruined table…

Celest looks up at him, as shadows begin to envelope the flower, and it disappears. “Ah, a man of culture, I see. Not sure, really. I didn’t think I’d actually win.” She says, as Vilstrous notices something, while Glantinazor walks over.

“Hey, Demistar. Can you share some of your mana? Mine’s not as dense, and I promised a jar of life magic.” He says, and she simply shrugs and does so.

“What’s that thing sticking out of your wall, Demitallis?” Vilstrous asks, pointing at it- It’s a thin knife, it looks like a butterfly-knife. The handle is engraved with gold, and a skull- Assassins, obviously. There’s a note sticking out of it.

Demistar turns around, and teleports over to it- She pulls it out of the wall, as Vilstrous and I approach. “But, Arigold, he already…” She whispers, holding her chin as she lightly hums while staring at it…

The note says: “We know.” It’s written in cursive, and some sort of light yellow substance… It must be something to do with the Strous family, they probably want Vilstrous back.

Demi - “Hey, what’s going on with that?”

Demistar just looks at me, then at the note. “You shouldn’t have anything to do with this, not YOU at least…” She says, as she tosses it over to me. “Either way, they sent it to you.” She says, as I show it to Vilstrous, and he simply shrugs.

Demi - “What’s this stuff it’s written in? It looks weird.”

“Spinal fluid. Open it, there should be an empty vial for storage of the fluid.” She says, and so I do, finding it just as she said. “So wait, does it actually extract it?” Vilstrous asks, as he stares at it. “Yeah, it’s a show of skill. They even snuck it past ME…” She says, folding her arms.

“Little bastards over-extending again. I better go find them, and remind them why you don’t fuck with Neotopia’s General of The Air Force.” She says, as she ejects her wings, begins to glow, and suddenly disappears in a flash of bright light.

“Vilstrous, get over here! I need someone to test my new toy on!” Celest suddenly calls out to him, as she sits on Volarisk’s shoulder- “Dammit, Volarisk! You can’t be serious with this shit, she CHEATED!!!” He shouts, as we walk over.

“Hmph. You’re right, I’m not Sirius. He is.” He says, causing Celest to burst out in laughter, as he points at Sirius… “Come on Villy-boy! You lost!” She says, as like, a bajillion fucking guns begin to unfold from that horrifying thing-

“DAMN~!” She laughs, observing it, as Volarisk sets her down, and stands in front of Vilstrous- “Fire at me instead, I can heal it off better.” He says, and she shrugs. “Cool-cool.” She says, before unleashing the full force of the gun against his chest-

“Man this thing is awesome!” She says, as Nexus stands over her. “It can’t fire as long as you think.” She says, as it continues to shake the tower- It finally ceases fire, and she looks at it. “Oh, it needs more mana-” she says, and it fire a bullet every few seconds-

“Here wait, you need to correct it for your density-levels.” Nexus says, as she kneels down and places her hand on it. “There you go, try now.” She says, and it suddenly begins firing none-tower-shaking bullets, lasers, and whatever else can be fired from that stupid thing.

She ceases firing, and looks at Volarisk. “Hmph. It seems that I am too tough. May we call it a day?” Volarisk asks, as he walks up to her. “Fair enough. So Vilstrous, you accept your fate now?” She asks, as everyone turns to look at Vilstrous.

“Why would I?” He asks, as Volarisk kneels down, surprising him. “Listen, Vilstrous… You lost, and I currently work for her. I would prefer it if you didn’t force my hand.” He says, as Vilstrous stares at him in shock…

“And how do you plan to do that?...” He asks, as the giant of a man stares into his eyes- “With ceaseless, UNYIELDING, Stern-Fatherly-Disapproval…” He answers, as everyone begins to feel the waves of this disapproval…

“Why would I, VILSTROUS, of HOUSE STROUS, care about YOUR disapproval?!” He asks, as he continues to stare- The disappointment, it’s too much- I can’t take it… Vilstrous falls- “I…” He tries to say, as he catches himself with his arm-

“Shuttup, I don’t care!” He shouts, as He slams his fist into the floor- “Alright, fine! But I get to make some ground rules!” Vilstrous shouts, pointing at Celest, as Volarisk’s ceaseless, UNYIELDING, Stern-Fatherly-Disapproval finally ceases, and we’re all saved…

Celest simply nods, while Volarisk stands up, and walks over to her. “Hey, Volarisk. How long WILL you be working for me?” She asks, surprising him. “Hmph… I’m not sure, I didn’t think I would lose.” He says, surprising ME…

“How about until I die?” She asks, and so he stupidly shrugs and nods. “Fair enough.” You are kidding me, he is so EASY- “So what CAN you do anyways?” She asks, as Glantinazor finishes filling a bowl with life magic, and pours it into a glass jar.

“I’m a Captain, of course. My skills involve maintenance of the ship, and proper guidance of the crew so they’ll be able to handle any situation.” He says, as she rubs her chin lightly. “Alright. The others are gonna’ LOVE having you around then!” She says, as Glant calls over Nexus, and they begin talking with Qualstra.

Sirius finally stands up, and walks over to her. “Hey. How about your mask?” He asks, as he points at the bowl. “Right… Hey Demi, ‘you hungry?” She says, grabbing it and showing it to me…

Demi - “I don’t eat people. Fuck off, you cheater.”

“Yeah… On the topic of your mask… How long are you going to be like this?...” Sirius asks, as he points at her reflection on my body- Making me realize she has a reflection on my body. “Also, we’re going to have a discussion later about those masks.” He says, as it begins to dawn on her how bad it really is.

“How should I know?” She shrugs, still VERY pale. “Well, I… What should we even do with it?” He asks, as they stare at the mask. “Hmph. Vilstrous can move objects.” Volarisk says, grabbing their attention. “What?” Celest asks, as he doesn’t at all expand.

“He’s referring to my powers.” Sirius says, as he waves his cape over the bowl and it disappears. “Woah!” Celest says, as she looks for it under his cape- “Dude, his powers are WAY cooler than yours!” Celest says, with a bright smile, as Sirius stares at her.

“Now how do you work this thing-” She says, as she fiddles with his cape, and knocks them both over.

“Hey, we’re heading out, Demi!” Glant suddenly calls out to me.

Demi - “Yeah, see ya.”

He nods, and nods in front of them, suddenly swapping with Veytatasm- “Hey, guys- Woah- Celest-'' She says, running over to Celest, as the other two leave through the elevator. “Man, I thought it looked bad-” She asks, as she kneels down to look at the two.

“I’m fine.” She says, as Veyta helps her and Vilstrous up. “So is this your new boyfriend?” She asks, blunt as a board, earning herself a firm slap. “No, I already told you I haven’t started dating.” She says, before snapping her fingers.

“Volarisk, remove her.” Volarisk walks up, looks down at her, and she stares back. “Huge.” She says. “Indeed.” He replies. “I’ve been meaning to ask- How’d you get all these cool scars?” She asks, as she stares at them.

“Hmph. Many battles, young beholder.” He says, as she looks at his face again. “You must be super strong! We should fight!” She says, pulling out her sword- “Hmph… Sorry, but you should seek an opponent closer to your level.” He says, still ignoring Celest’s direct order.

Demi - “So… You guys just gonna’ hang out here with me?”

They look at me, surprised that I’m even here… “Right… Sorry, Demi. We’ll get going. Vilstrous has a mask to clean after all.” Celest says, catching his attention again- “I think the teleporter is closer. Besides, we should get them set up either way.” Sirius says, picking them all up, and teleporting away, along with Celest.

It was very jarring, watching a young boy like Sirius pick up such a large man like that. “Well darn, you chased them off, Demi.” Veyta says, as she folds her arms.

Demi - “Sorry. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just been fighting off Mechonica. They’ve been showing up more and more lately.” She says, as she sits in front of me.

Demi - “Really? I’ve never actually seen one of those, tell me more about them.”

“Sure. They’re mindless little creatures that attack everything in sight, and they keep appearing out of nowhere.” She says, surprising me… They thought I was one of those things? “Some are absolutely massive, rivaling elemental guardians, while others as small as little bugs.” She continues.

“Glant said they’re made of magic or something. But they can even merge, which is the coolest part!” She adds. “I like gathering them all up, and then bringing them down like that.” She gestures with her hands as well as she can, while I just sit here.

Demi - “That’s crazy. I might join you some time, see what they’re like.”

She suddenly somehow is hit with a rush of excitement- “That would be awesome! I’d love to see what you can do!” She says, staring into my endless void.

Demi - “Yeah, come get me next chance you get. For the mean the time, I need to head back to everessence, to help with repairs.”

She nods, and stands up, throwing the blunt of her sword over her shoulder. “Alright, I’ll see ya’ later, Demi. Good luck with your powers.” She says, confusing me, before she jumps off my tower…

End of Chapter 40√AC3G_1-3 “Strung up’n gamblin’!”

Thank you for reading.

“Hey, thanks! Now, what was that about a donation-”

“Hmmm… Nope! I’ve got nobody to thank but myself- Oh, you recognize this guy, how come?”