With a flash, suddenly we arrive.

Where?

This place is a circular, vaulted chamber. White sand covers the floor, and the heat is palpable. Streams of light cascade down from a set of hexagonal skylights, illuminating the swirling dust and sand we've kicked up from our entrance.

Seria mops her brow, looking around quizzically like the rest of us.

"We have come... mmmm... quite a way south, going by how much warmer it is." She muses.

"So, we have left Jeraldine entirely?" Rishya asks.

"Kethshire Dell?" Aria wonders.

"I wonder." Seria flicks a twin-tail. "Honestly... I had no idea what I was doing towards the end there. Nothing frustrates me more than following instructions by rote without understanding precisely what I am doing."

With a shing, Kiku vaults up suddenly and draws a sword, looking shocked and paranoid. I notice Kaede has vanished as well.

"Wot... eh wot? Where!? I..." she chitters.

"You're okay. That's a relief." I pat her helmeted head.

"Nii..."

I look at the space next to her as well.

"You can come out Kaede. You haven't lost you memory again, I hope."

"..."

A ninja appears in a shimmer, looking bashful.

"How did you see me, Nii-sama?"

It was a lucky guess to be honest; but let’s not say that. I simply smile at her.

She blushes, fidgets, and looks away.

As for the other one...

Yep, Kali is apparently alive as well, but she's just snoring gently on a mound of heated sand, having rolled into a ball like shape whilst drooling slightly over her gauntlets.

We all let out a chuckle.

...

...

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

...

After waking up the lazybones, we explained a summary of what occurred in the void.

"Shit... I was completely hopeless again. I was asleep on the job!" Kiku is frustrated and stomping again.

"I wouldn't say that. It seems like your sword has become part of Aeris. So, you've been protecting me all this time, Kiku."

I proffer her the sword I now have.

Aeris giggles as Kiku takes her, making her go wide-eyed.

"Um... she's a fine blade. Very beautiful."

For sure. I'm not a weapon connoisseur by any means, but Aeris is quite a lovely looking tool of destruction. Widening at the haft and then fluting to an elegant point. A hilt resembling a V shape, with small jewels, red on one end, and blue on the other, like her eyes. A simple handle and pommel with a soft velvet grip. The blade is dark steel but seems to shine like quicksilver when it catches the light.

Kiku does a practice attack. A simple diagonal cut into a thrust and a backswing follow-up, and then nods approvingly.

"Hehehe. You can use a sword, unlike master-sama."

Kiku laughs at the swords comment.

I give Aeris the stinkeye but can't exactly refute her.

"Eh wot... um... I was going to teach him eventually. But there's not been much time so far, has there?" She smiles at me, and hands Aeris back.

"I can certainly feel that child in... Aeris-chan. Treat her well, Nii. Feed her plenty of blood. A blade will never betray you if you do."

Aeris giggles again as I take her back. I blink slightly. That was a rather macabre statement from Kiku. With her cuteness, it’s easy to forget she herself is a honed and dangerous swordsman sometimes.

"This place... feels home similar, Aniki. Is why Kali sleep nicely."

Kali is stretching and yawning widely still. I don't think she was paying much attention to Seria and Aria giving their account of the void.

I suppose it does give the impression of some kind of desert dungeon.

"Mmmm... the S'tavi live underground, do they not? So, I guess that makes sense." Seria nods.

"Is rightness. Too hot in desert day to live on sand. Many big scorpions too. Kali had to punch many on way to city."

That’s certainly a strange image.

"Should we look around, Nii-sama?" Kaede asks.

Yeah... whilst it was important to update everyone whilst there were no immediate threats, now I guess it’s turning to procrastination.

"Yes, let’s go." I nod.

"I wonder why that void spirit thought we had to come here?" Aria says.

"I guess we'll soon see, Arry." Rishya assures her.

"Um... the big question is... how do we get out, though?" Kiku looks around quizzically.

It’s true. There are no obvious doors or stairs. The skylights are way out of reach unless Seria can fly again here like she did in the void.

"Mmm... I get the feeling there is some kind of magical puzzle here. For there to be a leyline connecting here, even as concealed as it was, we must assume it is still plausible to randomly appear here. Under that assumption, one must also conclude this appearance is a deception of sorts, a means to make this location appear pointless."

"That's quite a jump of logic, Seria-sama." Rishya cocks her head.

"Is it, though? It seems just the thing for an annoying old mage type to try, fufufufu..." She laughs.

"Spoken from experience, of course." I snicker.

"Quite so, boy." She grins.

Bloody wizards.

"So... what would you do here, then, Seria?"

"Mmmmm... something proving magical aptitude... but not precluding specialists."

She strolls into the centre.

Suddenly, thunder spirits, small zap like motes of electricity, appear around her.

And with a massive clang, something like a mechanism activates in the walls.

The floor gradually starts to fissure in certain places around her, making everyone wary.

But its quickly apparent that a spiral staircase has revealed itself, going down into the sandy abyss.

I guess that’s the entrance, then.