World of Sylfe: The New Age - IC

Tia just smiled "if anything, my bloodline is known for a strong temper and adapting to increasingly strange situations" she laughed... It was a family joke. She sighed, listening to how her parents had waited for her. At least they where at peace now, she was glad of that. "I imagine they where properly buried, one day I would very much like to see their final resting place one day, to pay my respects.... But that can wait for some time, there are more important manners at hand"

Tia looked to the forest, she could feel issend. She felt like she had a way of knowing where he was.... If she could look without seeing. That didn't make any sense. "right onto important manners, let's start looking in the forest he can't of gotten far" Tia said. She turned to the forest, scanning the tree line

"You can be certain that your parents had a proper burial; our best, considering the circumstances." Fran also started looking to the trees, but was not really expecting to find Issend. He was trying to hide or avoid them, so he wouldn't be spotted so easily. At the same time, he couldn't mask his presence; it was even more evident than before. The veteran female was worried, and decided to say her thoughts out loud. She was sure only Tia, ans possibly Issend, could hear her, or she would feel another presence.

"I fear for Issend and my brother. I don't know how their body will react to the time lapse, considering their special punishment. I'm sure, they won't just age. For some sad and dark feeling in my heart. Through the years... I tried with all my mind... to recall everything I could from my previous existence. In order to be sure about what they said. About us... If we were angels." Fran said that with humility. She was not proud of her position "I didn't make a real progress about my memories, but now I'm in deeper harmony with my nature, and I can understand what happened. I can remember the judgement, the Judge, and what my brother had done. And he's not even a Fallen."

Fran sat on the ground, at the same time relaxed and concentrated. She was confident, but gentle, the way she was through all her life. A good matriarch. "We will welcome Issend, in spite of anything that happened to him. But only if he can prove us that he's the same. The same soul within, and the same intentions. Not only good, for we know he's not an angel now. But the real Issend" Her alerons were waving calmly by her side, but ready to strike at any strange move.

Tia was about to say something, but a third voice cut her off.
" you are almost correct little Fran. Firstly the real me is not Issend, and he died a thousand years ago. the voice commented dryly. Tia whipped around to look at the source of the sound. She was now looking at an enormous monster of a ceree... Yet she knew it was Issend.

He had been large by ceree standards before, but now he stood a foot taller than Tia. His book red fur interipted by strange pitch black markings. His jagged fangs now showed on the outside of his face, giving him a terrifying look... But Tia found herself draw to his eyes. They where once voids of violet, but now they where nearly consumed by blackness. Tia could see all the fear, bitterness, and longing in his eye.

Tia suddenly smiled "well there you are... How did you manage to sneak up on us like that" she chuckled, feeling no fear in his presence... Infancy she felt just the opposite of fear or disgust. She welcomed his presence, glad to have a friend there with them.
"well... I uh... Guess I'm stealthier than I look" he managed, startled by her lack of fear

Kaldreiia returned to the site she and Sielvoth had been observing for the past 300 years. The eddies of the lifestream were more chaotic there and even for her ancient soul, it was hard to maintain coherence. It was enchanting, the lull of the river of green light, to just dematerialize and await rebirth. She knew though that it was a luxury that the Astrailun would never bestow upon her or if otherwise, would not for a long time.

Sielvoth did not come with her, he was still busy looking for the cracks in the blackened shell that surrounded Al'Caar's tower. The resistance knew that there was only one way they could defeat him, through an attack on both the mortal plane and the lifestream. She believed that Nocru, the source of all the entropy in the lifestream was the key.

She was often wary of using her control of the lifestream in that area where the chaotic current was at its most violent, but she noticed something different. Only two were still trapped in the sphere of influence exerted by the taint. The image was blurry, mostly because the lifestream was so agitated. She forced her will onto the lifestream, willing it to be still. What happened startled her.

She saw the world clearly. Had the three that were present looked in her direction, they would have seen a ghostly green spectre hovering above the ground. The experience was over as soon as it began. She was whisked back into the lifestream. She could not explain what had happened. She willed the current to carry her to her beloved.

For the first time in some years, Francheza was not really sure about what to do next. The relief of seeing Issend rushed together with the sadness for the confirmation about her supositions. Issend not only aged, but grew monstrous. That could be terrible for him... and she feared for her brother.

She decided to act just like Francheza; not a forced leader or tough female, but just the pure soul she always had, now deep inside the harder shell. "I'm glad you're here, and that you are our ally. Our friend." She grinned. "We know you're not only Issend, your story has began much before that, in the time lost for memories. But an angel doesn't die so easily. Don't make a grave for your old 'self' this soon. Just keep going."

For a quick instant, she was distracted by a sudden presence. Someone or something that just appeared, not approaching from any side, and vanishing just as quick as it arrived. She looked around the three, but couldn't see anything strange, or feel any danger. Frowning, she made a quick mental note to think about that again, later. To break any awkward moment between her and her friends, she turned to Issend with a fake expression of arrogance. "You're the only one I'll ever allow to call me 'little'. You're big enough and old enough to claim this allowance. But..." she pointed an aleron close to his nose "don't underestimate me"

Tia twitch slightly, she couldn't sense a direct presence as the others could... but she felt something. since she had woken up, she had been dully aware of a strange sensation, it could only be described as ripples in water. previously it had been rather fast, and without an exact rhythm, suddenly it changed. the ripples had slowed to a complete stop, completely still. it was only for a moment, but the ripples returned again moment's later.

Tia shrugged off the feeling, it was just her imagination. she must still be feeling the affects of aging so suddenly.
"yes Issend, it's nice to still have you on our side" she smiled
----

Issend went unaware of the presence. he sighed "it is good to be with people who accept you... i don't think i could work with the live of a hermit hiding in the forest" he chuckled, but then his expression changed "i honestly think i could live with the angel in me dying. i wish not to be Angel nor Fallen... it would be a miraculous blessing to be able to leave that behind and simply be mortal. my original self died thousands of years ago, buried as he was by the angel that took over... i think you can see how well that angel has done" he gave an annoyed snort.

he grinned at Francheza's last comment, glancing at francheza's aleron. when it came close to his nose, he opened his wide maw and snapped at it in a playful fashion. he didn't actually bite it; but even so if anyone with a jawline like his even pretended to snap at something at ached to you, you would move it really quick.
"it seems you still have a bit of your old self in you as well Fran-fran"

Sprawling across the landscape were the majestic cities of humankind united under the . There were a few that spotted mountains, home to Aviendrii converts, some in the forests that held in them Elfin and Syllithe converts. These cities were made of pale marble with twisting golden spires that seemed to claw at the sky. The only creatures of the old age that remained completely faithful to the old ways were the Ceree.

Above the rolling hills and wondrous cities, the hung in the sky, the only sinister flaw that marred the almost too-perfect state of the landscape. The hills were perfectly smooth and the grass was cut to perfection. Livestock grazed peacefully within their pens not far from the pristine fields of grass that rippled in the slight breeze.

A network of roads connected the majestic cities. They were paved and followed the contours of the land perfectly. Sylfe had become a perfect mask, its citizens living in peace, prosperity and perfection built to hide a madman's depraved pursuit of power.

All these roads eventually led to Tenerae, the capital city of the Triune Church. Merun Al'Caar's empire was no empire to the people that lived in it, they saw it simply as a large number of people with the same beliefs, the same faith. Other empires across the ocean saw it as a threat. But they knew, should Al'Caar attack, they stood no chance. He attacked not with soldiers, but with miracles.

They knew, should Al'Caar attack, they would fall by the hands of their own people. Such was Al'Caar's power to them. None but the Ceree knew the exact magnitude of Al'Caar's power, not even Al'Caar himself. They could only pray that he did not discover that until the Lattice was seized from him, he would hold sway over the entirety of Sylfe.

The leader of the empire that now sprawled across most of Sylfe was sprawled on his bed. His eyes were scrunched up, his hands fists that grabbed the sheets. He was dreaming a dream that had plagued him for nearly a decade now. It had begun as strange flashes of a strange place, fragments that made no sense but as he assimilated more souls into himself from the Lifestream to keep his youth and virility strong, the dream became stronger.

He stood in a desolate gray land. There were clouds in the sky but they did not move. He took a step, not noticing that his cloak was unfastened. It fell off of his shoulders when he took another step. He turned around to grab it but he froze, it had stopped in the middle of falling to the ground. Flustered, he pushed on. Something was calling to him, something that promised the object that he sought most. Power.

In the distance a massive black spire rose into the heavens, its peak hidden behind the motionless clouds. It thrummed with power and seemed to have a life of its own. Black specks rose from its surface and froze a few moments after they lost contact with the spire. It seemed as though the spire was slowly growing.

It was strange and Al'Caar was curious. He touched the crystalline surface of the spire and immediately it seemed as though lightning lit the inside. Bolts bright forked and arced within what seemed to be translucent stone. Within, he saw the shadows of orbs. No, they looked more like eggs. Small glowing white lights appeared from within the black shapes and focused on him. No, not lights, eyes.

He felt a beckoning. He felt the power thrumming through the spire. He felt that there were more of these "fascinating" objects. He knew that if he found them, his power would be limitless yet it seemed somehow wrong. Further thought was wiped from his mind when a consciousness brushed his. It was ancient and powerful. It offered him a choice. Power or salvation?

He nodded as he chose. It would be power. It had always been power. The world vanished in a blinding flash of pain and Merun Al'Caar, Light of the Darkened World, God Incarnate, Lord of the Light, Salvation to the Blind, the Embodiment of Perfection, sat up on his bed, sweating profusely. He just had to find a way to that strange place.

And soon.

Francheza laughed, retreating her aleron from Issend "Don't be so hard with yourself. You'll see that your nature is much better than even you admit, and this has nothing to do with being an angel, after all. I want to believe that we're still the same, and that Nocru and my brother will be the same, when we can reach them again. But the same cannot be said about this world." Fran's expression hardened again, as she tried to explain a little about this new world Issend and Tia'Mara were entering. The world that was once her land, too.

"The world is not chaotic as it was years ago. In fact, it's disturbingly peaceful, organized. All the people in our known lands are satisfied with this calm era, prospering, and that would be perfect, if it wasn't a complete madness. This paradisiac new lands are ruled by a man alone and all this peaceful phylosophy comes from him. Merun Al'Caar. Only our people, the ceree, don't share his vision and his faith, called the Triune Church. The Church changed every landscape and city until our eyes can see..."

Her expression were becoming grim, as she continued telling "This man wanted power, and the Gods know he really achieved that. He's respected and loved everywhere, and he's claimed a hero, and saint, spreading miracles lke a tree spreading seeds, and every soil is fertile for such powerful seeds... they are fed with an intense love from the people, a love on the verge of obsession. This man has Sylfe in his hands, and I believe that not only the material world is affected by his power."

The female stopped talking, when she felt her voice was altered. She noticed her claws were leaving deep marks on the ground, and her allerons were agitating next to her body. She tried to relax again, but still felt uneasy. "Most leaders among the ceree believe this power and wonders are not natural, and should be confronted. But all the same leaders know this is completely impossible right now. I... I'm not sure about what I think or feel. I dislike Al'Caar and his obscene desire for power. We can feel the nature is not like it used to be, even under this powerful layer of perfection... but at the same time... The people seem happy. They never saw such harmony and beauty before, and no leader could bring real peace. They deserve this happiness. And I'm divided between what my heart feels and what my soul believe. I love the people and I'm glad they are happy. But I hate and fear Al'Caar. I just hope this is not my ego."

She turned to where Nocru and Are'Zel were, still trapped inside their time bubble in a part not far of the same forest. "I feel the only thing he can't reach now is Nocru. No one close to him was affected, including you two. And I must find a way to enter in contact with him, and my brother again"

Issend shook his head at the news "i see... from the little i remember of my life before i was an angel, the world i used to life in was torn by religious war. faith in itself is a good thing, but sometimes the leaders of a faith or it's people take it too far. even if there is a calm blanket laying over these lands, it is a cursed one and one that could be removed at any moment " Issend sighed, beginning the pace.

"it's almost sad that i know full well that if we three went around, spreading miracles on level of Merun al'caar in the name of the old faith, then people would most likely jump back to the ways of the old faith. such is the fickle favor of the masses. of course, we do not have the abilities to do anything miraculous... and i'm sure Ceree are prosecuted in most parts of the world for not being part of the triune church" he snorted, mildly annoyed at the complexity of the situation.

Tia sighed "perhaps if we could understand how Merun Al'Caar's power works or where it came from... ugh if only i could still contact my grandfather, Thorn. he might of had answers" she scratched the back of her head in thought. she knew contact with Thorn was impossible... perhaps there was another answer. she tried thinking back on her many bed time stories of her father's adventures. she remembered him mentioning something... a grid or something like that, that connected all beings. it had something to do with the final defeat of the dark one all those years ago. she growled, the memory escaping her

"Perhaps it is time to intervene my dearest?" said Saffyre to Malkuthe. They, among countless others across the planes had been watching the passage of time around and within the cursed bubble that Nocru had created.

"But how? We are powerless to defeat this taint" Malkuthe replied grimly. "There is little we can do. Even if we could move the ground beneath them so that they would fall over, it would take eons before they burst the bubble."

"But we cannot stand idle forever" said Saffyre, facing Malkuthe. The shimmering pool remained calm as ever behind her. It cast a suffused glow in the cavern they had created within the Fifth Sphere.

"No, we cannot. There are other battles to be fought my beloved. Let us fight there. We can do nothing here" replied Malkuthe. His alerons where agitated and he was as frustrated as Saffyre was.

"There may yet be a way" said a feminine voice from beside them. Out of the darkness materialized a woman garbed in gleaming silver robes. Her face was gaunt yet still possessed unearthly beauty. Both ceree cocked their heads at the youngest of the Prime Twelve.

"What way, Lady Faith?" said the two in unison.

"Nothing we know, no power we possess can destroy that taint made of pure negative energy!" continued Malkuthe. Faith smiled at the two, who were still young by her standards.

"No. No power WE possess is enough. Yet taint can destroy taint. I trust you both remember the creature Maetesk?" she spoke, the crystalline notes of her voice reverberating in the cavern. The pool rippled at the very power of her words.

"Indeed we do, a creature born of an evil we know not yet. But surely you must not mean he will dissolve the bubble?" said Saffyre. "He will be affected by it regardless. Even we Eternals are afraid to touch it for fear of the havoc it will wreak!"

"With the power of an Eternal and that of a Fayett, we can open a small hole in the bubble big enough to let Maetesk through. All he needs is to carry Nocru out of that same opening and the bubble will implode. That is, if it works in reality as well as it does in theory" said Faith.

"Well, it can't hurt to try. Which of the Fayett or the La'Fayetti do you wish to summon?" asked Malkuthe.

"I know one in particular. Thorn." said Faith before vanishing.

"This will be interesting..." sighed Saffyre as both she and Malkuthe made preparations to enter Sylfe. Above the clearing where Nocru was, the air would be crackling with energy as they began their entrance into Sylfe.

In the spaces between the great planes, there is a small secluded place that very few mortals have ever laid eyes on. This small place had many names, and there were few that would invoke its true name, most beings simply knew as the hall of many doors. Floating in a vast void of nothingness is a large black disc, surrounding this free floating disc is a sense cloud of golden spheres. These seemingly meaningless spheres acted as doors to other realms. Each orb could take you to a different plane, to a different reality, a different age... At least this is how it was seen by its main occupant.

Legend said that the hall of many doors would look different to every being that laid eyes on it... Yet no being ever seemed to discuss what they saw. This strange realm had another purpose, it was the resting place of the La'Fayetti Thorn, he who shall forever walk the planes. The great red Ceree lay on the floating black disc, merely resting. His age old head raised, ears perking as he heard the faintest echo of his name chime through his mind. He knew Lady Faith was on her way to him. "shall no being, mortal or immortal, allow an old man to rest?" he rasped as he stood. As he was a La'Fayetti, his aging should have stopped... But if nothing it had accelerated. The remains of his mortal body were aging and falling away, his body was adjusting for his role as the plane walker. This is why the older him mortal form became, the more powerful he would become until he completely breaks ties with mortality.

His tattered brown cloak formed over his large quadruped form, covering his back and face. Trying to relax, he sat back on his haunches, waiting for the lady faith to arrive.

The last thing Faith wanted to do was deal with the Fayett. They were as hard-headed as boulders and had little to no regard of the lives of creatures of the lower spheres. They were only concerned with keeping energy balanced in the multiverse and apparently the creatures of the third sphere were of little consequence.

The truth was in fact, quite the opposite. She believed that the whole thing started with the third sphere and how it ends will lie on who truly controls the third sphere. She believed that instrumental to swaying the odds in their favor was Nocru, a creature whose morality compelled it to be on the side of good, but whose origin and creation were owed to evil. He was, after all, the product of Destiny's most convoluted orchestration.

He was not to be trusted. But at the moment, he was all they had. To use him, they had to free him from the prison he had created for himself.

"Thorn, old friend" she said when she entered Thorn's domain. She gazed at it in wonder, as she always had every time she had entered it. Before her hung grandiose emeralds, wrapped in the finest golden wires with tiny chains dangling from them. "We have need of your help" she said once she had gotten over the awe.

Francheza smiled sadly. "The great Thorn from the Legends... Yes, you're his granddaughter. A big and terrible heritance and destiny. Maybe he could be our hope." Unwittingly, Francheza started a slow walk into the direction of Nocru and Are'Zel.

"I'm afraid of what Nocru will do... if this trap ends. The natural state of confusion that would follow... could be terribly destructive, considering his immense power and delicate state of mind. We must do our best to calm him." Fran always felt a natural inclination to help the others, and specially the confused and chaotic Nocru. While her brother was her protector and symbol of safety, she felt quite the opposite about the other Ceree; a clear urge to protect him from himself. Through the years, the female practiced the powers of her angelic voice, reaching a new level of conscience and intention, much more powerful than before. She would rely on this ability to help Nocru on the proper time.

"I'm also worried about my brother. I think he will be affected differently with the sudden transition of time." She looked to Issend, but still a little distracted, not really focusing on him. "Not only his behavior changed with his transformation... in fact, he always had that gloomy and sarcastic side, contrasting with his good and naive one. His new form just gave it a material body. But one special detail, that I only noticed many years after the fight..." she quickly added, considering the other's point of view "Many years for me, I say... really worried me. My brother was hungry. In fact, it's easy for him to get hungry, he was always like that. But he refused to eat, since he assumed his twisted angelic form. And if my sparse memories are correct... this has something to do with his punishment." She sighed, and shook his head. "Maybe I'm worrying too much about anything."

Thorn turned his old head to look at faith as she fully stepped into his realm, many small trinkets and jewels tinkling and bouncing around from where they had been tied onto the huge antler like horns that grew from the holes in the hood that always covered his face. from behind the dark hood his cold eyes stared at lady faith... he had many thoughts for her, as he did for most immortal beings he had been forced to deal with since he had become the planewalker. he had always been slightly bitter about the way he was plucked from his mortal life, but had learned better than to complain.
"my lady faith, you honor me with your visit to my humble place of rest. yet i know you well, you seek my assistance in no simple task... but you wish for help in something that lies outside of my normal boundaries." he began, lifting a paw to scratch his great chin. he was tempted to ask how she saw his realm, it had been a private hobby of his to ask visitors what they saw in comparison to what he saw... but perhaps it was a question for another time. "i shall retain hope that your request is not too much of a burden, after all, i have planes to walk, worlds to watch, a duty to keep... let us not waste time, please... speak your request" he rasped, gesturing at the glowing orbs to his right, or to her eyes, the emeralds
----

Tia sighed "i highly doubt Thorn will be of any help, i have no way to contact him... and he only walks this plane once or twice a century, i only met him once when i was still a pup. hell, my father only met him about 3 times in total... at least that i know of, there is still a large gap of missing information" Tia said with a mild snort.

Tia twitched slightly at the mention of Nocru "i still worry about when he comes out... he is fine when he is calm, but once his emotions take control, something happens to me. it hurts me when his emotions lash out like that... i still have trouble remembering what happened the last time, i was in so much pain" Tia sighed, trying to remember

"one may never know. as i know every punishment is different, and the mind adapts to the punishment in different ways. the longer you go without proving that you are worthy of having your punishment lifted, the worse it gets.... as you can clearly see" Issend rumbled "in my case,mentally i have become more neutral to the situation. i no longer care about being an angel or becoming a demon. if i somehow become worthy of reverting back to the way i was, so be it. as for Are'zel... i can only guess how me might react. i do know one thing, it is most likely that you will be his saving grace" Issend said, turning his great head to look at Fran.

while they where talking, Tia became fixated on the sky, her eyes turning white for a moment as she seemed to blank out... she was aware of what was happening before it even began. a bump, some ripples, vibrations.... then a great crack in the sky above nocru's time paradox. very familiar energy pouring through as it became fully visible. Tia smiled happily, tails wagging slightly "Malkuthe and Saffye..." she said, knowing who it was long before they even came through

Are'Zel reacted slowly, like someone emerging from a deep daydream. He was not feeling perfectly well, but he couldn't guess why. At first, naturally worried about Francheza and her crucial moment - the one of molding her horn - he tried his best to keep his bond with her as clear as possible, feeling a glint of her emotions and confusion. But, suddenly, the link twisted, giving him the sensation of a lash in his mind, literally painful. He felt part of his mind, the one connected with Francheza, was suddenly pushed forward, being ripped, and now impossible to track. It felt like she was dragged into another world, causing him deep grief, and even some panic.

Completely unaware of his surroundings, he tried his best to focus on the trees Nocru mentioned. "Yes, I know this road... wait. Something is really off." He looked around, not finding a trace of Issend and Tia. They couldn't disappear that fast. If they were attacked, Issend would give an alarm.

It was not difficult for Are'Zel put some things together. In a last try, he searched for the link with Fran, and only felt that painful and confused answer. His attempt in connecting with the forest surrounding them - the one that housed him and his family for years - had a similar result. It was clear they were... offset, somehow.

"The trees are not the problem. We are... Something is happening around us." his voice sounded scared and ominous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fran noticed the change in Tia at the same moment, as the last years made her always worried and in constant state of alertness. When she followed the direction of the other female's gaze, she noticed the weird occurrence close to the time bublle. She couldn't believe, even when Tia said their nome out loud. "Oh gods, have mercy. Now I fully understand that we really live another time of complete change. A time for another legend to be forged. Or the last time for everything."

Thorn's eyes narrowed beneath his hood, he stood suddenly and began to pace slightly "of course I am aware that the worlds are endangered! I am the one who walks the planes... I am immune to time, doomed to eternally traverse through all realities, and see everything, yet stop nothing from happening without permission. I have watched every hero rise and fall for every cause, I have seen this ... Plague upon slyfe in the guise of a new faith. Destructive tremors caused nocru's continued existence. Thousands of peices to an evil plan slowly clicking into place... My own son falling to the passage of time... This time for eternity" thorn said, calming down slightly from his little vent...

He shook his head giving a low sigh "forgive me faith... Though most would say it has been years or decades, I am still emotionally distraught over the loss of my son... Time is irrelevant to me, so the wound is still fresh... I did not mean to snap at you. " thorn said, shaking his head "Though in the end you are right, we have little time to work and we should not be wasting it. I am yours to command, what would you have me do?"

Thorn gave a small sigh as he began to relax... There was no use in dwelling on the past right now, it would be better for him to focus on fixing the present so that they might preserve the future. He stood with a slight groan, his age old bones popping as he stretched. He walked over closer to the wall of golden lights... Or as faith saw them, emeralds.

"so I need only rip a whole in a bubble created from a time paradox... An easy task" thorns voice was heavily laden with sarcasm as his claws shifted through the golden orbs. Each movement of his black talons made the entirety of the circular wall of orbs shift as he looked for the correct world. "after I do the initial rip into the disturbance in time, you malkuthe and saffye will easily be able to sustain it, of that I'm sure... But who to send to retrieve nocru and his friend." he said as he grabbed a golden orb, this one had lost its luster and did not shine as brightly as the rest. To faith, the emerald would seem cracked and dull.

He gripped it in his claws, muttering slightly. When he opened his paw, he was staring into a small portal looking down upon nocru's paradox and the others around it. "shall we send the angel..." he pointed his claw at Fran, then moved it to point at Issend "the demon... Or the life stream's chosen being?" he said pointing at Tia'mara, his granddaughter. He had been observing her for some time, and noticed her strange connection to the Lattice and the life stream that she herself did not understand and likely never would. He looked up to faith for her opinion as to which should walk through.

Thorn sat silently as he listened to the words of Faith. He remembered Maetesk now, he had allowed the being to slip his aging mind. He could remember even before Maetesk became who he was today, everything he had done up to this point... Faith was correct, as a being created by the sleeping king, Maetesk was powerful ,and more importantly, nearly indestructible. As he could remember, there was yet to be any force that had caused Maetesk any serious pain or damage. Not even Radu had been able to harm Maetesk's impenetrable shell.

"when I review the facts, you do seem to have a point. I have yet to see any being quite as resilient as Maetesk. He seems to being the only being that could withstand the energies we would have to use to keep the hole open" he said, nodding his great head.

He looked up at faith for a moment, then laughed at her last comment. "my dear lady, forgive me for asking... But have you gone mad?" he said, unable to stop laughing at her offering to restore his youth "you should know me well enough to know that I hate my duties as walker of the plains, the extended life especially. Offering to restore my youth and therefore extend my life should be a punishment if i fail. Despite my apparent age and the years that this next task will likely remove from my life... I still do have quite many years left to live. After this ordeal, if we survive... Then I shall search all the worlds for a being to take my place, I do not need to be young again to do that" he snorted, taking and crushing the dull orb of sylfe in his paw.

He opened it, letting gold dust fly from his palm and form a glowing portal to sylfe. He stood beside it and gave a respectful bow "if we are done talking, then let us proceed... Ladies first"

Francheza fought the urge of opening her jaw in awe; her humble soul, already used to the suffering of the living, the little problems of any incarnated entity, wasn't still completely unfamiliar to miracles. The remnants of her angel essence knew a little more about the other worlds spread across the Planes... the same part of her spirit which kept a strange and secret hope, whispering You are not alone. Things can change. Things always change.

Maybe it was not the first time for the Angel in Francheza seeing those entities, but they never shared the same Plane. And that's why, despite all the terrible occurrences and ominous signs, the holy symbol of Kindness bowed her head in respect, welcoming the others with a sincere smile.

A new part of her mission started that day.

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Are'Zel looked to Nocru, the other ceree mirroring his own insecurity. "I can feel it too. But... I don't know if I like it. If I hate it... I just fear it." He was clearly divided in a twist of emotions. The eagerness of finding the others; the strange feeling of having his little sister so close but with a terrible block between them; his intuition telling him the chaos would destroy the sparing certainty he achieved.

Maybe in a specially lucid moment, he let these words escape "I'm tired of all this disharmony. I know I'm paying for the sins I've commited. But it's not fair for you, for Tia, for Fran. You deserved a better world to live your lives, to cultivate the virtues in your spirits. You all, more than Issend and I, deserve peace. But I'm afraid it's still to far to reach it" The Zeal shone once again, like a discrete sparkle inside him, but the only visible trace was the little tear running through his bony cheek.

Thorn slowly strolled through the portal, it closing after him without so much as a sound. He glared at Malkuthe and Saffye as they arrived, he understood that at their age, making big flashy appearances was their thing… but Thorn had gotten to the age were he simply didn’t bother anymore. Other than that, Thorn ignored everyone else, except for Tia’Mara.

Despite all that had happened to her, the knowledge of her parents death, her advanced age… seeing Thorn, the grandfather she knew of mostly from stories and one rare visit during her youth, it filled her with such joy that she could not control the action that was about to take place. With a childish squeal of delight, Tia ran to her ancient grandfather and nearly tackled him to the ground. Her excitement was understandable, since the last time she saw her grandfather was when she was 20, and he was officially the only family she had left. The old Ceree quickly recovered, putting his paw over her shoulder and pulling her into a hug.
“Oh my darling granddaughter, how I’ve missed you… and my how you’ve grown. You look so much like your mother” he said at last, holding her close
“I have wanted to see you again for so long” at the mention of her mother, she was reminded of her parent’s fate. She gave a small sniffle, burying her snout in Thorn’s thick red chest fur. Thorn gave a sad, but sympathetic smile as he used his paw to pat her on the back.
“I know I know. I will miss them as well, as long as you are still alive that is all that matters to me. I simply wish that I wasn’t here on business and had more time to visit” he said with a slight chuckle as he let her go. Tia gave her grandfather one last affectionate nuzzle before he stepped away.

Thorn paused and walked over to Issend, he stared up at the considerably larger and demonic ceree. His hood lifting upwards slightly, seemingly of its own accord, so that Issend and only Issend could see his eyes. Issend actually gave an audible gulp, stepping backward with a look of horror on his muzzle.
“let it be known that I am watching you, always watching you” he stated, turning and walking away
“ye-yes sir” Issend Stammered, apparently left in a state of terrified shock by what he had seen under that hood.

Thorn walked closer to the invisible time paradox that held Are’Zel and Nocru, he sat down in the grass and let out a slow breath of air. Grey fog flowed from his mouth, flowing over the ‘bubble’ of the time paradox and making it visible to all. He glanced over to the forest, watching Maetesk emerge. Thorn raised an ancient paw, his talons glowing with otherworldly light as he prepared to help Faith tear open the paradox
“whenever you are ready, Faith”

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Merun Al'Caar, Light of the Darkened World, God Incarnate, Lord of the Light, Salvation to the Blind and the Embodiment of Perfection as he was called by the faithful of the Triune Church, sat with his eyes furrowed at the immense disturbances in the lifestream as shown by the lattice. Even from his high temple, he could feel the raw power that was somewhere over the horizon. It was a problem for him. He knew even he would not have the power to counter whatever it was that had suddenly appeared on Sylfe.

Even so, his mind kept returning to the vivid images in his dreams. Perhaps if he found that place, he would be able to attain enough power to combat even the eldest of the Astrailun, Destiny.

From behind him, he heard a familiar buffeting that accompanied the latest addition to his ranks. A noble and regal voice followed once he heard the clop of shoes on the stone floor. "What shall we tell the people, my Lord?"