A soft clunk came from the airship's hull as it docked near the islandside, and with another louder one, its gangplank clattered as it hit the ground. All sorts of beings—humans, elves, trolls, and more that Luz couldn't quite put a name to—poured out from the docks, talked amid themselves, or hurried to their destination, but they were all so tightly packed that their hurried movements jostled Luz around like a leaf caught within a tornado!

He shouted out as a green arm jabbed into his cheek, and again as someone's hand hit his face. "Hey, watch it!" Luz shouted as the being rushed off ahead.

"Sorry!"

Luz barely heard their apology as they disappeared within the masses of parting crowds before him. Soon, the crowds spread out and grew fainter and fainter to the eye. Luz sighed and made his way down the gangplank as his eyes scanned the area around. There was no denying that he was back home; the masses of tall buildings made of stone both raw and paved, and the shopkeeps who peddled wares while others walked along and talked confirmed this. So, his next order of business was finding his place, and then, finding Fintster.

"Now, if I recall correctly," Luz mumbled as his feet hit cobblestone and he stumbled on forward. "Our house should be right…"

"Luz! You're home!"

Luz gasped a little as a weight, not one large enough to disturb him, but big enough to be noticed, clung to his chest. He looked down, and his undead heart almost stopped for a second at the sight. Luz gasped, just barely bit back tears as he fell to his knees, and swept the child into a tight hug.

Those big brown eyes, that round nose and warm brown skin, dressed in those baby blue and mint green robes, that had to be…

"Pepi!" Luz croaked out as he held his little brother the tightest he could. His tears started to fall, but he quickly wiped them away and hugged him even tighter. "You're, you're here!"

"'Course I am!" Pepi chirped as he hugged Luz back. "I've been waiting for you to come home allllllll day now!" Pepi stretched his arms to skies, just to really twist the knife in Luz's heart, but he chuckled and hugged him again. "Let me tell you, it was really, really, really hard! It was so boring! Fintster's been super busy while you were gone, an—"

"Pepi, slow down!" called another voice from behind that was strained with exhaustion. "Don't, don't run so fast, I, I can't keep up!"

"Fintster, get up! Luz's back!" shouted Pepi as he turned behind.

"Wait, Luz is back?"

When Luz turned away and followed Pepi's gaze, there in the heart of the passing crowds stood three beings. There stood Gerdie in her favorite dress, her golden brown hair still rife with flyaways she could never get to stay down, and her blue eyes so wide that they stood like jewels against the sky. There stood Eurybiades, who dressed in that same mud-stained cloak they loved so much, their big gold eyes wide with wonder, and streaks of their green hair stuck up like fresh grass. Behind them, there stood Fintster. He was bundled so thick that he could barely stand or be seen, but his dark bangs still cascaded over his face the way they usually did, and his nose poked over the scarf he wore as he carried a bunch of sacks in his arms.

"Luz, there you are!" Fintster shouted as he ran over with his sacks precariously balanced in his grip. "I was wondering why you'd been gone for so long! Where'd you go?" Fintster shook his head before Luz could answer. "Actually, we can save that for when we get home! It's Wardiya's birthday today, so we've been busy getting everything together! Come on, you can help!"

A pair of sacks found their way into his arms before Luz even knew it, and Fintster already walked off! But wait, his hair! Luz had to narrow his eyes to see it, but it kind of looked like it flickered in and out like a light switch! Had Fintster break the illusion too, or did he still grapple with everything?

"Hey, Fintster! You do know what's going on, right?" Luz shouted as he ran up beside Fintster and heaved the sacks up.

"Of course! What's more important than our baby sister's birthday?" Fintster replied with not even a turn away from where he stood at a fruit stand. "Now, let's see, what's the best fruit here for sweet cakes? Starberries are a bit tart, but they've got a really nice aroma when they're baked…"

"Not that, Fintster! The test!" Luz pushed himself closer to Fintster, and jostled whatever was in these sacks he was suddenly saddled with in the process. "Remember, we met the Oracle, he set us up to this test, and—"

"Hey Luz! Where'd you go, huh, huh?" Pepi asked as he tugged at the back of Luz's tunic. "Did you go somewhere near, or far? What were the people like? Were they people?"

Luz grimaced, turned back to Pepi and knelt down. "I'll tell you in a little bit, Pepi, but I need to talk to Fintster about something really important right now, so—"

The sound of coins clinking against wood caught Luz's ears. He looked up right as Fintster grabbed another sack filled with what Luz could only assume was fruit from a stallkeeper.

"Keep the change, alright?" Fintster said as he hoisted up the sack. The shopkeep nodded, and Fintster nodded in turn before he handed it off to Gerdie. "Gerdie, you're the most careful of us all, so you hold onto these, alright? Be super careful! These berries are really delicate, and if they hit the floor, they'll splatter!"

"Got it!" Gerdie chirped as she cradled the sack.

Luz's face fell, and for a moment, he understood why Vatra and Sihiri were so hesitant to leave. He hadn't cared much for the place he could barely call his childhood home, but the sight of his little sister smiling like that, his baby sibs crowd around Fintster as they clamored about where they would go next, or just how he stood on the streets he'd traveled so many times on errand runs, did deliveries with Fintster, and took his siblings out to play…

He never realized how homesick he was until he saw the streets he knew like the back of his hand, until he saw the family he hadn't seen in a literal eternity. By the Ancients, it left his heart in an ache. A part of him just wanted so badly to forget everything and run around with his siblings just like he used to.

"Hey, Luz, you look really weird right now!" Pepi shouted. "You're all flickery and buzzy and stuff!"

Huh? Luz peered down at himself, and gasped as his hand slowly solidified and his attire shifted, but not to the same robes he wore at his old village, no. Instead, it was the same clothes he wore when he lived with Gramps, that favorite tunic of his and the pants that were just loose and comfy enough to fit. They shifted between that and his robes and armor like a flickering light—in one minute and out the next—while his body glowed and faded like it wasn't sure if it wanted to manifest or not.

He gasped in a sort of trance as it flickered, but clenched his teeth as he found that Gerdie, Pepi, and Eurybiades watched him with wide, almost terrified eyes. They look about ready to scream, but then…

"Hey, you three!" Fintster shouted as he pushed them away. "I think there's a honey candy stand over there! Why don't you go pick some up?"

"Candy, yay!" Eurybiades and Pepi cheered as they ran away.

"Hey, wait up, you two!" Gerdie shouted. She clutched the sack Fintster gave her close to her chest as she ran. "Don't go too far! You might get lost!"

With them off in the distance, Fintster nudged his head like he wanted to tell Luz something. Luz placed the sacks down as Fintster did the same. Fintster grabbed hold of Luz's hand as he dragged them into an alleyway, one well-lit just enough to show no danger lurking in its corridors, but dark enough to hide them! The touch of Fintster's hand snapped Luz's body back into its senses, and it returned to its ghostly state once more.

It happened fast enough that Luz only barely took sight of his surroundings. All he could do was lean down against the walls as he glanced up at Fintster. In this darkness, it seemed like underneath the masses of clothing, Fintster was almost… Sparkling?

"Careful there, Luz, you almost forgot yourself for a moment," Fintster chuckled.

Luz slowly blinked. He still couldn't comprehend just what Fintster alluded too, but quickly shook his head as the realization set in.

"So, you know the truth, don't you?"

Fintster’s hands trembled as he slipped off his gloves, reached for his coat, and unbuttoned it one button by one. The gloves slipped right as the coat itself slipped open, and sure enough, Fintster was little more than a spirit dressed in the same outfit he wore on the day of his death. His body radiated with deep blue sparkles like night stars.

"Of course I knew! I figured it out the moment I woke up in my old bedroom!" Fintster sighed and fidgeted with his collar. "I, I know this is all fake and stuff, but, I, I just wanna be with Gramps and the others, just one more time. We can break out and find the others quickly enough, I'm sure, but once this is over, I'll never get to see them again!" Fintster chuckled. "So, I guess I'm just savoring it while it lasts."

So that's why he was dressed up; he probably didn't want anybody to notice the truth! Luz frowned and peered down at his own body as Fintster buttoned up his coat. Luz's light slowly flickered as it cycled between his clothes once more.

He knew he had his duties, and he knew he'd probably be a huge hypocrite after getting on the others' cases about it, but Ancients, Fintster was right. He did want to see his family one more time! He wanted to play with his kid siblings, hear Gramps' stories, and run around the town just one more time! Luz bit his lip just slightly, not sure how else to respond, but finally, he slowly, reluctantly nodded.

Yet, neither of them went back out just yet. They both stood in silence. Their bodies flickered in and out of existence while their attire shifted like the changing seasons.

"Fintster, Luz, there you are!" Gerdie cried as the sound of footsteps drew closer.

Fintster and Luz both jolted up from the sudden noise, and their bodies returned to their normal, ghostly states right as Gerdie ran into the alleyway! Her hair stood up even more than normal as she still precariously clutched the sack Fintster gave her. Though now, her grip on it slipped some and she had to adjust it before all the fruit spilled out. Her eyes were wide, her face was pale as a sheet, and she panted while sweat crawled down her forehead the whole time! Just what happened?

"It's Eury! They ran off!"

"Eurybiades ran off?" Fintster and Luz both shouted in turn before they exchanged panicked glances. Eury was barely even six! They couldn't even put on their own clothes yet! If they wandered off and got lost…

Gerdie whimpered and stepped back, but quickly wiped away her tears as Fintster knelt down in front of her.

"Where did they go?" Fintster asked.

Gerdie winced and shook her head. "I don't know!" Gerdie's voice started to crack, and her lips trembled as she lowered her head. "I, I just turned away for one minute, and when I turned around, they were gone!" A few choked sobs came from Gerdie, and tears dripped down from her face to the sack. "I, I'm sorry, I, I know I should've been watching them, but—"

"It's alright, Gerdie, it's alright," Luz said as he wiped away her tears. "They probably couldn't have gone far, come on! If we start now, we'll find them!"

Gerdie nodded between her tears, but still couldn't bring herself to lift her head as she, Luz, and Fintster ran out of the alleyway. Instead, she clutched the sack closer to her face.

Just the sight of her in tears wrenched Luz's heart. The sight of his little sister upset like this was bad enough, but after their sibling went missing, after he hadn't seen them for ages…

"Luz, Fintster!" Pepi cried as he ran up to them, "Eury's—"

"We know," Fintster said as he grabbed Gerdie by the shoulder. "Gerdie and I will check downtown by the docks. Luz, you take Pepi and head over to where the forest is!"

"Right!" Luz shouted back. He grabbed Pepi by the hand, and ran off west in one swift motion. "We'll meet back here when we find them!"

Pepi and Luz bolted down the streets, and their sights blurred around even as the others around turned to watch. Luz wasn't concerned about the looks they gave him, or what the path ahead entailed. No, his body moved on its own, and his legs pumped the fastest they could as he and Pepi shouted at the top of their lungs, shouted for only one name.

"Eury! Eurybiades!" Luz cried as he looked around. "Eury, where are you?"

"Eury! Eury!" Pepi cried beside him. "Eury, it's your big brothers! You can come out now!"

A sudden wave of exhaustion came over Luz, and he slowed to a stop as he slouched over. Only his head lifted up as he scanned the area for some trace of Eurybiades. They weren’t amid the shopkeeps, or hidden behind the alleyways' assorted garbage. They weren’t even playing with some of the other town kids as they ran down the streets! Then again, he could hardly make heads or tails of anything, much less any sights of his own little sibling!

A firm hand patted Luz's shoulder as Luz pulled himself up. He spotted a big, burly man dressed in red stained clothes, and his heart almost stopped. When he caught sight of the man's twitching black mustache, though, Luz breathed a sigh. It was just the vegetable vendor, and his clothes were likely stained from preparing tomatoes. Luz could never forget the curious face of that man who always supplied them with fresh legumes in exchange for the apples and other fruits they grew.

"Luz, fancy seeing you in town again!" he boomed. His voice was deep, but warm enough that it relaxed some of the tension in Luz's head. "You've been gone for an awfully long time, you know, we—"

"Sorry, Mister Faivish, I can't talk now!" Luz shouted back before he cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Eurybiades ran off, and we can't find them anywhere, and, and—"

"Wait, little Eury ran off?" Mister Faivish raised a brow and brushed his fingers underneath his bushy mustache. "That would explain why I thought I saw a kid who looked like them running into the woods. Thought I was just seeing things after chopping too many mushrooms!"

"Wait, did you say they ran into the woods?"

Luz clenched his teeth so tight they almost snapped, and his eyes barely focused on the thick collection of trees and bushes that made up the mouth to the woods.

"The big scary woods?" Pepi cried out. "The ones we're never supposed to go to because there's big scary monsters, and mean beings, and stuff in there?" Pepi dashed ahead with Luz's hand still in his grip, and when Luz didn't move, he grunted and tugged away. "Come on Luz, we've gotta go and find them! Or else they'll get eaten by a monster, or snatched by a kidnapper, or maybe an Arkeyan will find them and—"

"Arkeyans?" Mister Faivish chuckled. He stopped his sentence as Luz glanced at him, and his smile faded in a way that his mustache drooped over his mouth and near-completely covered it. "Now I wouldn't worry about them, little one. We're so far away that they wouldn't even dare to dream of coming here!"

"Thank you, Mister Faivish," was all Luz said before he ran off with Pepi still clutched close behind.

Even though he was a ghost now, Luz could've sworn he heard his heart pounding in his ears as he ran. Little Eury, who couldn't even put on their clothes right, always got lost in the fields, and still had to have a lantern lit while they slept because they always said there were monsters under their bed, in a forest like that? The forest known for being filled with wild animals and other beasts? The ones that the over-eager types always prowled around and looked for suckers to capture for Ancients-knew-what? A forest where Arkeyan soldiers could prowl around, easily jump out and cleave someone's head open?

Even if that wasn't an issue, that forest was so big and things were so dark! It could be ages before he found them—well, unless he lightsteppped. That would give him plenty of speed, but Pepi might not be able to handle it, and he didn't want Pepi getting lost either.

"Luz?" Pepi called as something tugged on Luz’s sleeve. Pepi frowned and tilted his head as Luz glanced down. "What's wrong?"

Luz frowned back. "Well, there's a way we could go through the forest faster, but, we'll be going really, really, fast. I'm not sure you could handle it—"

"I can, I can!" Pepi tugged again on Luz's sleeve and shoved his face into Luz's. "We've gotta go really fast if we have to find Eury, right? I'll take it! Even if it makes me really, really sick!"

Luz chuckled and lifted up Pepi. "Hold on tight, alright?"

Pepi nodded in turn, and clung the tightest he could to Luz as Luz himself breathed in. The light flooded in Luz's veins once again, and his blood shrieked and boiled within his ghostly body while it beamed out in a bright, yellow shine. Pepi gasped in awe, but Luz barely even heard him as he drew forward and sprung across the forest floor. His body became a lamp that glistened in the dark of the forest's night as he flew ahead!

Luz didn't lift his head up from the ground, even though Pepi shrieked with glee (hopefully it was glee) beside him. Instead, with the light his body gave off, he scanned the wet, slightly muddy ground for tracks, scraps of cloth… Anything that showed where they went. Still, there was nothing on the ground aside of muddy puddles and leaves, so Luz sprinted again, and bounced from one path to the other until his eyes laid on a trail of tiny, most definitely human footprints!

"A trail!" Luz shouted as he landed on the ground and drove to a sharp stop. "Looks likes a fresh one too. That's gotta be Eury!"

Beside him, Pepi burst into laughter and tugged on the collar of Luz's tunic. "Let's do that again!"

"Not now, Pepi, we've gotta find Eury first." Luz gently let down Pepi and walked off, yet clasped his hand tight around Pepi's as he left. "Follow me."

Pepi nodded, and the two of them walked ahead with the soft padding of their footsteps the only sound. Thin trails of light poured over the ground as Luz followed the footsteps, and they brushed his face with streaks of warmth in the otherwise-cold forest. The sounds of wind whistling grew louder as the light grew wider with every step he took.

Soon, the light glowed its brightest, and the tracks disappeared underneath as soft grass stretched over and cushioned Luz's step! The breeze carried a slightly floral air to it, and on their winds, they carried the sound of a small child's laughter, a familiar one!

Luz yanked his head up and expected a scene straight out of his nightmares, but what he found was Eurybiades as they sat in the heart of a soft meadow, and laughed as they picked the flowers from the ground. Their clothes were streaked with a bit more mud than normal, and a few leaves poked from their hair, but thank the Ancients, they were alright! They clutched the flowers they collected close, and when they turned around and saw Luz, their smile grew even wider.

"Luz!" Eurybiades called as they ran the fastest they could, enough that they stumbled over their own feet. As they grew closer, they beamed and thrust their bouquet up to Luz. "Luz, Luz, look what I found—"

"Eury, you're not supposed to run off like that!" Luz scolded.

Eurybiades stopped short as Luz swept them in his arms. The moment their face met Luz's, they whimpered and hid away in the bouquet they picked. Looks like they knew they were in trouble.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were? Gerdie and Fintster are running all town looking for you! What if you got hurt and we didn't know? You—"

A small sniffle came from Eurybiades, just loud enough that it stilled Luz's scolding, and Eurybiades hid their face behind the flowers. "I, I'm sorry, Luz," Eurybiades whimpered. "I, I just thought Diya'd like some nice flowers cause she liked the ones in the flower man's shop, and Gramps said the forest had some really pretty flowers, so…"

Luz pursed his lips, smiled, and let Eurybiades down. "Alright, if it's for Diya, it's fine. Just tell us before you go off to get them on your own next time, right?"

Luz gently nudged his hand towards Eurybiades's face, wiped away their tears, and Eurybiades chuckled as they beamed up back at Luz with a gentle smile. Luz nearly cried at the sight. It had been a long time since he saw his kid sibling smile at him like that, and he was almost completely unprepared. Yet, he merely cleared his throat, took both Pepi and Eurybiades by the hands, turned down the trail and left.

Luckily, his lightstepping left behind faint trails of light that were just strong enough to act as markers. After a few twists and turns, he found himself at the mouth of the forest once more, at the very edge of the line where the town ended and the wilderness began. The crowds within town mostly parted at this point. The only ones who remained were a few spare vendors who tried to get some last-minute patrons in or packed it up for the day… Alongside Fintster and Gerdie, who still ran about town and called for Eury with voices strained!

"We found them!" Pepi shouted as he jumped up and waved.

Fintster and Gerdie both froze in their steps. Only their heads moved to meet where Luz stood with both Eurybiades and Pepi in hand. When they finally caught sight, however, both of them heaved heavy sighs.

"Thank goodness," Fintster panted with breath strained from shouting and calling so much. He strode up to Luz, but it was Eurybiades he knelt down towards, and he hummed as he examined Eurybiades's bouquet between the strands of his thick bangs. "Y'know, I bet Diya will love these flowers!"

"I know! That's why I picked 'em!" Eurybiades chirped back before their face fell and they glanced aside. "And, I'm sorry for running off and scaring you…"

"It's alright, Eury, what matters is that you're okay." Fintster chuckled as he ruffled Eurybiades's hair, stood up, and stretched. "Anyways, let's get home before it gets too dark. We've got a party to plan and all!"

Fintster's suggestion met with a rousing group of cheers, and once more they all strode down the path home. The sun began to set as they made their way back home. Their shadows stretched along the cobblestone paths as they walked and bobbed like bubbles in churning waves as they passed by stalls and cottages and more. They only made a brief stop to recollect their groceries, groceries they kept gripped like the wind would blow them away if they slipped even a tiny bit.

Thankfully, they didn't, even as they all reached the other side of the town's outskirts where things grew a little breezier and a little chillier.

The dim candlelight from the windows formed a path ahead, yet Fintster didn't lead them inside. Rather, he motioned for them to stay quiet, and crept around the back, past the gardens and orchards, and into the house itself! The warm smell of fresh-baked bread was the first thing to greet them when Fintster opened the door, and then, and then, what greeted them next was their grandfather, his skin wrinkled with age but his eyes spry and lively.

"There you all are!" Gramps whispered before shuffling off to Fintster. "Did you get everything we need?"

Luz bit back tears at the sight. The last time Luz saw Gramps, it was when he was still in recovery, and barely able to even speak to them as they headed off to fight in the war. Just the sight of him again in good health, with that same warm smile Luz remembered… The most Luz could do was force a smile and nod, even though he wanted so badly to bury himself in his grandfather's arms again.

"Sure did, Gramps!" Fintster said as he placed his groceries on the countertop. "The rest of you, keep Diya busy. Luz and I will take care of the cooking!"

"But, I wanted to—" Pepi started, but Gerdie simply shushed him and ushered him out of the kitchen.

Eurybiades toddled behind them, and their grandfather was quick to follow, though not before he shot one last glance and wink at Luz and Fintster. Now, it was just Luz and Fintster alone in this warm, warm kitchen that was perfectly prepped for baking. They had all the ingredients, and they knew their sister waited on them, but the emptiness put a little bit of hesitance.

"So, what were we making?" Luz asked.

"Sweetcakes and berries topped with honey and sugar," Fintster replied. He turned to a sack with an almost cold motion and peered through its contents. "We'll start with the cakes first, since those'll take longer."

So, Fintster stoked the fire within their clay oven and the baking began. They carefully prepared the cake batter, sprinkled their fruit and spices into the flour, and dampened it with olive oil before they rolled it into balls with a kind of monotony. Luz got a bit lost in thought as he baked, for his eyes drifted back to the open door while the sounds of his siblings' laughter rang through and lingered there as he kneaded. Soon, he couldn't even feel the soft texture of the dough underneath his hands. It was only the hard clay and wood of the countertops…

"Luz, the cake! You're kneading it too much!" Fintster cried.

Luz gasped, and he glanced back down at the kneaded dough underneath his hands. He poked it a little, but it didn't bend or flex with his single poke. No, it was tight, tough, and barely budged like a rock.

"Crap, you're right!" Luz spat.

"Don't worry about it. We'll just leave it be for now." Fintster grabbed another ball of dough and dropped it in Luz's palms. "Take this one instead."

Luz nodded and kneaded away once more, but this time it was Fintster he glanced at as he worked away. Though Fintster's eyes hid, a sense of uneasiness came from him, the same uneasiness that ruminated in Luz's heart as he worked away. Did Fintster feel the same way Luz did, perhaps? Well, it didn't hurt to ask.

"This doesn't feel right to you either, does it?" Luz asked at last.

Fintster stopped in his tracks when he heard that single question. His dough-stained hands lifted from the cake he kneaded for a moment, and his lips pursed in an almost contemplative matter. But, he sighed and went back to kneading as he nodded.

"I mean, I'm glad to see everyone and be home again, but" — Fintster bit his lip — "it's just, wrong. Seeing them again when I know really, they're all long gone by now, I mean. It’s just, it's like I'm just standing with a bunch of people dressed up like them."

Luz nodded, and put away a kneaded ball of dough before he grabbed another. Fintster explained it better than Luz every could; it was like there were a bunch of actors hired to pretend to be his Gramps and his sibs, and he was pushed on stage and forced to play along with the act. It all felt so real, and he wanted to believe he was truly back home, truly with his family with not a worry or care to be had, but nothing about it felt truly right. There was just the one little feeling of it being off, that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that reminded him that everyone he knew and loved was dead, save for Fintster as he stood beside Luz now.

"Say, what do you think happened to everyone?" Luz asked as he diverted his eyes to the cakes.

Fintster's shoulders slumped. "Well, I'm not sure I can say. I hadn't heard a word from home after we left, but I hope everyone got to at least lead happy and healthy lives while we were gone." Fintster stopped for a moment and drew back his hands. "I know I'm probably wrong, but I want to believe they were at least all happy, and got to do everything they wanted, and that all that fighting we did amounted to something for them."

Luz slightly nodded as he lost himself in thought once more. What did become of his siblings? Did they get married and have families of their own? Did they do the things they always dreamed of, whatever those might be? Would they have even recognized Luz and Fintster if they did manage to come back? Which, actually, brought Luz to another thing…

"Hey, Fintster. When we finish all this, what are we gonna do?"

It was an odd question, admittedly. After all, Luz fought so long that he almost couldn't even envision a world where Arkeyans didn't rule, and they weren't constantly fighting by the skins of their teeth.

Clearly, Fintster felt the same as he himself drew away from the dough.

"Well, if we had survived the battle back then, I would've said we'd go back home to Gramps, and help out at the orchard again, obviously."

"But, it's gone now."

They both sighed and glanced down at the cakes they prepared. That's right, what were they going to do when all this was over? Would they pass on like the vengeful ghosts of legends and exorcisms who finally got their last wishes and needs perfected? Would they wander Skylands, stranded in a time and place like travelers trapped in a foreign land? Would they arrive home to a place that hadn't even been their home in years? Luz didn't know, and just the thought of it left his head spinning. All this stuff about futures and stuff was so complicated, even more so when he was supposed to be dead!

"Then, I guess I don't know," Fintster sighed.

Luz only nodded in quiet agreement as he peeled himself away from the countertops and towards the door. He just barely heard the sounds of fire crackling and the cakes shoved into the oven behind him, but he didn't care. He just stepped towards the rim of the door and clasped around. He just wanted one peek, one tiny look at his family, even if he knew it would break him in half.

"Y'know, I was so sure I was gonna get out and fight the Arkeyans again when I first woke up, and I was so sure I'd get out of here in a jiffy, too," Luz admitted, and his fingers squeezed the door frame as he peered out. "But…"

Those sounds of laughter and Gramps' storytelling rang in the air as Luz peered around to where his siblings laughed and played in the family room. Gramps sat in his chair as the younger kids chased each other around while Gerdie scolded them, and a few of the older ones laughed as they worked on what were probably Wardiya's birthday presents. They smiled so wide, laughed so hard, and even if it was fake, just the sight tore at Luz's heart because it so far out of reach.

"It, it, it just isn't fair!" Luz wailed. His face strained as he turned around and buried himself in Fintster's grip. Hot tears poured down his chest as he pushed himself closer into the cold fabric of Fintster's tunic, and he squeezed Fintster even tighter. "I just wanted to come home and see Gramps again, I wanted to see the others again, I wanted to be by their sides when they all grew up, I wanted to pick the apples again, and celebrate the harvest with everyone, but, but…"

Luz's form flickered and glowed a bit brighter. Heck, it almost became solid before Fintster brushed a hand against his face. Something cold and wet hit Luz's arm—a tear, maybe? He lifted his head and found that small, thin streams of tears ran down Fintster's face.

Luz gasped, but quickly pursed his lips. There were only three times prior in Luz's life that he saw Fintster cry. The first was when they were kids, when Fintster fell out of a tree and fractured his arm, and though he tried his hardest to pretend he was okay, he broke down in sobs by the time the medic came in; the second was when Gramps got injured, and they decided to leave to train with the free magicians; and the third was the night that they died fighting Arkilles. Every time Luz saw it, it just left him stunned into silence.

"I know," Fintster croaked as he knelt down and cuddled Luz closer. "I promise, I know."

Luz wiped away Fintster's tears and they hugged each other tight, for their own tears and choked, stifled sobs buried underneath the sound of burning fire as it crackled and popped. Wait, fire! The cakes! They quickly broke away as if of one mind, and Fintster rushed towards the oven as he hastily yanked out the cakes and left them atop the cooktop. Thankfully, the cakes themselves were perfectly fine, save for the cake Luz over-kneaded which seemed to have a hard, crusty top. They'd be perfect to eat with a little bit of time to cool!

Fintster waved his hand, and a cloud of darkness engulfed the cakes before it vanished as quickly as it came. He poked one of the smaller cakes, turned to Luz, and beamed as he motioned for Luz to bring the toppings in. So, Luz brought out some jars of honey and what remained of the fruit they bought. They doused the cakes in honey, and carefully arranged slices of fruit and tart berries along their tops until Gramps' famous sweetcakes were made!

"How about we just enjoy this last night with them?" Fintster said as he levitated the cakes onto a large clay plate, lifted up the plate, and turned around. "Just for tonight?"

Luz nodded as he followed Fintster out of the kitchen and into the family room. Even though Fintster hadn't called out yet, the sweet scent of honey and berries caught everyone's noses, and subsequently, their attention as they grinned.

"Cake's done!" Eurybiades cheered as they stumbled for Fintster. "I want one, I want one!"

"You'll get yours soon enough, Eury," Gramps chuckled as he stopped Eurybiades before they could topple Fintster over. "Come now, everyone! Take your seats at the table!"

Everyone laughed as they ran off and took their seats at the table, yet their talk was still loud and joyous as before. Just the sound of it, and just the moment where he sat at the table with them and had dinner together just like old times, it tore at Luz's heart, but he tried his best to quell his tears and sit still. But, as Gramps left, and came back moments later while the familiar creak of Wardiya's wheeled chair echoed down the halls, Luz bit his lip just to keep from crying.

Out from the hall's shadows came Wardiya as she sat in her chair, but it was so long that Luz almost couldn't recognize her. Her warm brown skin shone in the overhead light, and her long, deep brown hair had flowers braided into it. A flower crown made of the same flowers Eury picked rested atop her head. She wore her favorite dress, the yellow one printed with colorful zig-zags of dark blue like mountains that stood tall in front of a sunrise, and a soft, pleasant smile rested underneath the long bridge of her nose.

"Happy birthday, Diya!" all of Luz and Fintster's siblings cried at once as they rushed to shower her in hugs and well wishes and all sorts of presents: fancy dolls and new clothes, sewing kits and soft plush toys…

The whole thing happened so fast that Luz barely even comprehended it. He stood silent at the table as Wardiya thanked everyone for her presents, and ate the sweetcakes and other birthday snacks Fintster and the others gathered with glee.

Warm bubbles of conversation echoed around as the rest of his siblings talked all about the presents they got Wardiya, or asked for seconds, yet something about it felt just a tiny bit off. Maybe it was the blithe, almost glassy looks in their eyes, or the way they smiled just a little too widely, but whenever Luz saw them, all he remembered was that this was all…

It was all fake.

These weren't really his family members who sat at the table before him, and he wasn't really in his house! This was all an illusion, and just being here left him in a cold, clammy sweat with trembling hands, swelling throat, and all. All of a sudden, he itched to run outside, to break free, and get out like there was some sort of danger! Sweat fell across his face as his throat seized up, and he turned away—

"So Luz, how was your trip?" Wardiya asked, her voice soft and sweet as always. "You sure look like you've changed a lot! In fact, I've never seen an outfit like that anywhere!"

With those two questions asked, all eyes fell on Luz. His siblings flung forward, and bombarded him with all sorts of questions about his looks, his travels, and everything else they could manage! Their beady eyes bore into his soul as they crowded around him; they trapped him tight so he couldn't leave—but he couldn't tell them to stop, either. He locked up just from how he had them all circled around him, and his throat tightened so badly that he could barely squeeze out the tight breaths he did! His head throbbed as they grew closer and closer, his vision blurred…

"Hey, everyone, calm down!" Fintster scolded as he pulled one of their youngest sisters away from the mob. "Luz just got back from his trip, remember? He's really tired right now, and slamming him with all these questions isn't helping!" Fintster pulled a few more of the younger ones from the pile and held them under his arms. "Besides, isn't it about time for bed?"

The younger kids all moaned and griped as they crowded away from Luz, but Finster only tsked.

"No buts!" Fintster proclaimed over the sea of protests. "I'm sure Gramps has a big day planned for everyone, and you need to get your sleep!"

Wardiya yawned, rubbed her eyes, and her head struggled to stay up. It wasn't until Gramps chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder that she lifted her head at last, and laughed faintly along with him.

"It seems even the birthday girl had her fill of birthday fun," Gramps chuckled. "Wardiya, would you like me to take you to bed?"

"I'll be fine, Gramps, I can wheel myself back," Wardiya whispered back. "Besides, you've gotta get that extra-special bedtime story you promised us ready!"

"Did I say that?" Gramps asked as he scratched his head. Gramps smiled as the kids erupted into a crowd of eager cheers and shouts. "It seems I did! Come along, everyone, I'm sure you're all excited to hear tonight's story! It's all about your great-grandfather's most famous battle during the war against the Malevolent One…"

Gramps didn't even get to finish. The kids already flooded past him; some of the older ones took pause for moments to clean the table of utensils and dishes, and put them aside before they flooded out to their bedrooms.

Luz was a little glad they weren't suffocating him anymore, but a part of him ached as they disappeared under the darker halls that led back to their bedchambers. It was as if they weren't coming back. Luz gulped and glanced over at Fintster, who had Eurybiades and Pepi clung tight to his tunic as they tried to drag him into the bedchambers.

"C'mon, Fintster, you're gonna help Gramps tell the story too, right?" Pepi asked.

"Yeah, yeah! You always make it way better!" Eurybiades chimed in. "Like when he was telling us about the dragon, and you were all, all…"

Eurybiades made a mocking imitation of a dragon's roar, and Fintster himself laughed—though, it didn't sound very happy for a laugh. He almost looked as if he was going to say yes, but then he took one look at Luz, and shook his head before he drew away.

"Sorry, everyone, but Luz and I have to go," Fintster said. "We've got some important business out-of-town for a while, and we need to leave right now!"

The kids stopped in their tracks, and turned their attention to Fintster and Luz with cold, somber eyes. A few of them sniffled, but most just stared in a bit of tired disbelief.

"But, but, Luz, you just got back!" Pepi pleaded, and his lower lip wobbled as he tugged on Fintster's tunic once more. "And you have to go too, Fintster?"

Eurybiades sniffled. For a moment, it looked like they would burst into tears.

Luckily, Gramps swept them in his arms and patted their back. "Now, now, everyone, we all know Luz and Fintster are doing their part to help too," Gramps chided. "I'm not as spry as I used to be, and they've been helping us a lot by taking care of the out-of-town business for us. Besides, they won't be gone forever, right?"

Luz and Fintster forced smiles and nodded. Just like when they left home to join the free magicians, they knew it was a lie to say they'd be back—but, they couldn't tell the truth either, not when this would probably be the last time they saw their family. So, they just stood with those fake smiles plastered on their faces as Eurybiades nodded and clung to Gramps' cloak.

"Now everyone, be sure to tell them goodbye before you go to bed!"

A chorus of goodbyes rang out from Luz and Fintster's siblings, but Luz and Fintster couldn't even reply. They just forced their smiles, nodded and waved as they made their way to the back door, and opened it once more. They stepped forward as the cool night air hit their faces, and let the back door fall behind them to muffle the sickening sound of their siblings' voices with its closure.

The world around them slept with the night. The town streets ahead laid void of passerby save for the odd drunk, and the flicker of candlelight in windows was the only thing that illuminated the dark paths before them. The faint whistles of wind were the only sounds, and the winds themselves carried cool, crisp scents on the breezes as they sang in a way that seemingly urged Luz and Fintster to move, but, they couldn't.

Here they were, back at their home for what would probably be the last time! Luz knew he had to leave, but a part of him just wanted to go back home and curl up in bed. He wanted to joke and tease his siblings as they all listened to his Gramps' stories with bated breath! He wanted to wake up to the scent of berries over the wind, and the light of a new day with his family, instead of waking up to fight Arkeyans yet again! He took a glimpse at the door, and a lump formed in his throat, a lump so big that he had to turn around and close his eyes just so it would go away.

Just as he did, the door opened. The creaking sound brought Luz and Fintster's attention back to the door, which closed itself behind Gramps as he stepped out with a wry look in his eyes.

"You boys are going off with those free magicians again, aren't you?" Gramps asked. He only chuckled as Luz and Fintster stood silent. "I knew it. Those looks on your faces when you left told me all I needed."

Fintster opened his mouth and went to speak—but his words caught in his throat and left him to choke out strained noises as Gramps approached. Beside him, Luz shuffled away and couldn't even making Gramps' gaze. Neither of them really wanted to say they were leaving, even if he confirmed it.

"I know you were trying to spare the younger ones' feelings, but don't worry so much," Gramps said. He firmly laid a hand on both Luz and Fintster's shoulders, and his smile grew wide as his eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "You know, we're all the proudest we could be of you boys for fighting out there for all our sakes, and we always will be, even if some of them don't want to say it out loud."

Luz blinked once and then twice. His face turned numb as he met his grandfather eye to eye, the grandfather he left behind ages ago and hadn't seen in millennia, and saw nothing but a beam of pride that confirmed the very words he spoke. With that single look, Luz's crashing waves of emotion seized him! He pushed himself into Gramps' arms, and sobbed as loudly as he could with not a care to what anyone thought! He wanted to cry that it wasn't fair that any of this happened; that his home was taken away, that he died the way he did, that he never even got to keep his promise…

But, in his sobbing haze, he couldn't make any words, so he just cried out all his feelings. Another, shriller voice came as Fintster followed him, and the both of them clung as close to Gramps as they could. Gramps only chuckled and drew them into a hug.

"Now, now, you two, there's no need to cry! You'll be back home before you know it!" Gramps drew back and let them wipe their eyes. "Now, that's better. You can't go off fighting the Arkeyans all teary-eyed and snot-nosed!"

Both Luz and Fintster whimpered and nodded as they rubbed their faces.

"Go out there and show those Arkeyans what our family is made of, just like your great-grandpa did when he fought the Malevolent One! Alright?"

Fintster nodded. "We will, I promise."

The words he croaked out barely sounded sincere, and more like a desperate plea for him to be right, but Gramps accepted them nonetheless. He waved goodbye as the two of them walked off, and they didn't stop even as they grew so far that he soon became a speck in the distance.

With more steps, their own childhood town vanished. The place with the orchards they played and harvested in; the house where they ate and slept, shared stories and memories with their siblings and grandfather in; the streets they called their own—those too vanished as well.

Before they knew it, they wandered into the cold woods that barred off their humble little town from the rest of the island. The winds carried not sweet scents, but the howls of wild animals and the rustling of tree leaves. The crisp, cold area smelled a bit of wild herbs and flowers mingled with damp earth, and the soft ground below their feet buckled slightly with every step they took. A few eyes glinted in the dark before they disappeared so quickly that they could almost pass for illusions.

Every time Luz caught sight of them, his heart raced just a bit faster. He reached for his shield as a branch cracked, and yanked it off as a few footsteps padded off in the distance. Behind him, a whoosh of energy showed that Fintster was just as on guard as Luz was. A sword of darkness manifested in Fintster’s hands, and his teeth clenched so tight that they almost snapped. Surely, this tension wasn't good for either of them, but it was hard not to feel on edge at a place and time like this.

"Hey, Fintster," Luz whispered. His voice was still a bit hoarse from crying, and it made talking almost painful. "Who do you think we'll find next?"

Fintster clenched the hilt of his sword with trembling, clammy hands. A rustling sound echoed around them as it shook the bushes around, and Fintster leaped back.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" he cried.

Luz shone a light into the bushes where the rustling was loudest, yet only a dragonbunny hopped out and twitched its nose before it hopped away. Fintster lowered his sword and sighed as they moved on, but the tension hardly dropped between either of them.

In fact, it seemed to grow even worse as they wandered into the deeper parts of the woods! There, trails of thin mist twisted through the thickets of trees and bushes. The mist smelled vaguely sweet, almost like honey, but its minty blue coloration seemed more reminiscent of a recent storm.

The mist only grew thicker as they wandered forward. Soon, it laid a blanket over the forest floor, and obscured it from view as its sweet scent grew thick and tiring. Even though it was soft and thin, it felt impossible to wade through with how it covered the forest and turned it into a maze with no foreseeable exit. Cracking sticks and the creaking of trees unseen moaned from its misty veil, as if something wandered in the woods ahead of them!

Fintster clenched his teeth as he summoned a second sword. He turned to Luz and nodded as Luz raised his shield. Both their legs trembled as they stepped back while the noises grew louder and louder before them. The snapping twigs cracked in a rhythm like footsteps; surely, whatever made these noises came in fast!

A large shadow formed in the curtain of mist, and both Luz and Fintster shot blasts of light and darkness into the mist! They nailed the creature straight on the head! It yowled in pain and fell down to its knees as it clutched its head. That shrill, young voice it cried with, though, it was familiar!

"Geez, guys!" whined that same voice. "Can't you take a little joke?"

The sound of buzzing wings echoed through the air as the mist cleared, and Luz shone a light ahead to find Swarm knelt down before them! A small welt formed on his head where Luz and Fintster struck, and a pout rested on his face as he lowered himself.

"That's no way to greet your good old buddy Swarm, you know!" Swarm snipped.

"Well, maybe save the pranks for when we're not in a monster-ridden forest at night!" Fintster snipped. A bit of anger rose in his hoarse voice, but he quickly cleared his throat. "Sorry, it's just, I…"

Swarm seemed to get the message as he gently ruffled Fintster's hair with his fingertip. Fintster forced a smile as Swarm lifted his finger and smiled back, and the two shared a nod of understanding.

"Anyways, what've you been up to, anyways?"

"What have I been up to?" Swarm's smile stretched from antenna to antenna, and his eyes shone giddy with glee in the dappled moonlight. "I've been traveling all around Skylands! Sure I got kicked out of my old place again, but who needs some stuffy old palace when I've seen the biggest ball of corn in all Skylands, all these ancient ruins, cool arenas, old temples, and even more! Where do I even begin? The leaning temple gardens of the Southern Skylands? The gigantic sports stadium in Westmouth? Oh, no maybe—"

Swarm cleared his throat. "But, I'm getting off track. While I was looking around, I found out where Eye-Brawl went!"

Luz and Finster gasped, exchanged glances with each other, and turned to Swarm.

"Where are they?"

"Well, it turns out those two are the kings of some fancy kingdom near the Etherlands, can you believe it? My folks were talking about going on some fancy royal business meeting for them…"

"Then we'll tag along!" Fintster proclaimed. "With all three of us, surely we'll be able to get them back!"

"And I'm happy to take you" — Swarm waggled a finger — "but, there's this really cool sports game I've been dying to go to…"

Fintster groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Swarm, now's not the time for games! We need to find the others and get back to that Oracle guy, not wander around watching sports!"

"I know you think it'll be a waste, but it'll be worth your time!"

"Why's that?"

Swarm uneasily grinned and twiddled his thumbs. "Well, you'll just have to see when we get there!"

"Swarm!"

Luz flinched a little at the stern tone Fintster took, and again as Fintster turned to him and nudged him a little in the same way he always did when he wanted Luz to back him up. On one hand, Fintster did have a point, and finding the rest of their team was the priority; on the other hand, Luz took one glimpse at the look in Swarm's eyes and saw a little twinkle of eagerness, as if there was something he hadn't let on. Plus, getting to go to a game while they were here would be nice.

"I'm with Swarm on this one," Luz said as he gave Fintster an apologetic shrug. "Besides, the Etherlands aren't that far from here, I think. What harm would it do to go to one little game?"

"It's decided!" Swarm proclaimed. He swept both Luz and Fintster in his palms before Fintster could protest, raised to his full height, and buzzed his wings. "Off to the games we go!"

Swarm leaped from the ground, and the trees all swayed back as he vaulted into the air! Now that they left the forest's canopy, the morning sunrise shone through in brilliant shades of orange and gold mixed with streaks of rosy pink.

Luz didn't really get much time to appreciate it, for that one little vault sprang them halfway across the island! The fields below blurred into a dizzying mass as they sped across at lightning speed, and just the sight at the world around left Luz so dizzy that he crumpled into a ball beside Fintster. The air shrieked around them as it rang in Luz's ears, and forced him to cover them in some faint hope of relief from that awful din, but soon it relented. Didn't it kind of feel like they were losing altitude? Luz uncuffed his hands from his ears and looked up, but Swarm just folded his other hand over them.

"Actually, we might be in for a rough landing!" Swarm cried. "Look out—"

Swarm grunted as he slammed face-first into the ground, and Luz and Fintster bumped around in his hands like balls until they finally fell on their backs with a groan. The hands around them unfolded, and they stumbled out to find Swarm planted into the giant trail his landing forged in the earth.

Swarm groaned and flicked his crooked antennae as he pushed himself off the ground. "Yeah, think I might need to adjust my angle for that one," Swarm grunted as he shook his head. He lifted his gaze, and a smile stretched across his face. "But, it worked!"

Luz and Fintster turned around as Swarm pointed ahead, and found a giant coliseum made of stark white brick before them! Flags in all colors with all sorts of emblems on them hung from the many gaps in its body while smaller ones lined the top's rim, and the sounds of cheering and shouting rumbled from within.

"Welcome to the Athennial Coliseum, the biggest coliseum there is, and host to the biggest Roboto-Ball match of the season!"

Roboto-Ball? Luz's eyes fluttered as he turned to Fintster, who seemed to have the same inkling of an idea that Luz did, going by his gaping mouth. Luz stumbled forward to pry Swarm, but guards in shiny armor immediately swarmed them as he walked! Luz immediately flung up his hands, as did Fintster and Swarm, but the guards snarled back at them.

"So you're the ones who caused all that ruckus!" hissed one guard as they pushed a spear against Swarm's chest. "What business do you have here? Entry closed an hour ago!"

"I, I'm here to see a buddy of mine!" Swarm sputtered. "He's one of the players for the game, and I wanted to wish him luck before the—"

"Likely story!" The guard poked his spear closed to Swarm's chest. "I'll bet'cher here to sabotage the game! We get all sorts of troublemakers and riff-raff like you running around with that excuse all that time! Always saying they're here to see their buddies, and then they slip 'em sleeping potions and knock out the star players, but NOT THIS TIME!"

Swarm jumped back, and his wings bristled while his brows dug into his eyes. "I, I'm telling you, I don't mean any harm, I swear on my family's name—"

"BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS, BOYS!"

Rumbling growled from the coliseum, but not the kind that came with the audience's cheers. No, even more guards rolled out giant cannons, and with a flick of the fuses, they shot sleek, fast cannonballs right towards Swarm! Swarm gasped, dissipated into a swarm of bees, and scattered to the fourteen winds the moment the cannonballs flew!

The cannonballs that once aimed for him veered well over the guards' heads, and swung for a silver and bronze robot who strolled out to the fields instead! The cannonballs smacked him in quick succession, dented in the back of his head, and the robot groaned as he collapsed with a mighty thud while the cannonballs dropped beside him. The guards all gasped as they rushed off towards the unconscious robot, and Luz and Fintster were now completely forgotten in their minds as they surrounded the robot.

Their mumbles of panic only barely registered to Luz. The buzzing of bees completely drowned them out as Swarm's, swarm, returned to his side and reformed back into Swarm himself.

"Quick, while they're distracted!" Swarm hissed. "Into the coliseum!"

Swarm swept Luz and Fintster into his hands, and with a clap of Luz's hands, they turned completely invisible as Swarm made haste for the coliseum entrance! He lifted off, darted into a particularly large door on the coliseum's side, and darkness blanketed them all as the invisibility spell wore off for moments…

"Hey, where did the intruders go?"

Luz frantically clapped his hands and reapplied it! The three of them turned invisible once more as the guards stampeded right in front of them, and rounded a corner to a room with light and conversation billowing out of it.

"Hey, what's the fire, buddies?"

Wait, that was Bouncer's voice! At least, Luz thought that was Bouncer's voice, but it was hard to really get a good sense of things with the acoustics of the hall's gigantic, empty walls. He squirmed out of Swarm's grip a little in an attempt to get a better glimpse or notion, but moved a little too fast and slipped right out of Swarm's hands!

His face planted into a puffy cloud right before he hit the floor, and he floated up right as Bouncer rolled into view! A large number sixteen was painted on his chest, and his eyes flickered with a bit of concern, but it was Bouncer alright! Luz beamed and tried to float closer, but he glimpsed down and gasped—for his invisibility spell wore off in his excitement!

"Hey, what're you guys doin' back here?" Bouncer chuckled as he wheeled closer to Swarm with a bit of a curious look. "You're a little lost if you're looking for the bleachers."

Swarm flinched. Luz couldn't tell if he, too, realized they were visible once more, or if he was taken aback by how Bouncer didn't seem to recognize him—but nevertheless, he smiled.

"Well, er, I—"

"Ah, actually, before that, you wouldn't have happened to see a guy named Robo-G around here, would you? Tall, all titanium and bronze, like me but less handsome?" Bouncer stifled a laugh. "I kid, I kid, but the game's about to start and the guy's completely hightailed it, too!" Bouncer's smile faltered, and he turned back to where the roars of the crowd echoed from the halls. "It's my last big game of the season, too. I'd hate to miss out!"

Wait, titanium and bronze? Tall robot? That sounded an awful lot like the robot that the guards knocked out! Luz and Fintster exchanged worried glances as they turned to Bouncer with that almost expecting glint in his eyes.

"Well…" Luz began.

"Hey, there's those intruders!"

Swarm flinched, and in a fit of haste, he completely dissolved into a swarm of bees and raced off the side! Luz and Fintster fell from his hands as Bouncer scooped them up in his, dropped them on the floor, and rushed off.

"Hey man! Wait up!"

A roar of fear came from the crowds at the end of the hall, and Luz and Fintster immediately rushed through the halls. They followed the bright, stark white light at the end of the hallway to find themselves within a gigantic stadium!

That wasn't an understatement. The playing field had to have been as long and wide as three or four islands combined! The walls stretched well past them all, and made Luz and Fintster ants in its wake while its pillars brushed against the heavens and its flags flew high. Around them, spectators of all kinds were little more than blurry spots in the distance, yet raised quite a roar from their spots, as did the gigantic robots with numbers painted on their backs who were presumably the other players.

As for why they panicked, Luz presumed it probably had something to with the gigantic swarm of bees in the heart of the field that slowly morphed back into Swarm.

"Phew!" Swarm cried as he reformed at last and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Close one! Good thing I got out there—"

"And came here!" Bouncer interrupted. He wheeled up, patted Swarm on the back with such force that Swarm hacked, but Bouncer didn't seem to notice based on the giddy grin on his face. "What you did right now was amazing! You've gotta play for us! We're sure to win with a guy like you on our team!"

"Huh?"

Bouncer grabbed Swarm by the arm before he could even protest, and dragged him back to the left-hand side of the field! The two stood in a triangular formation with the rest of Bouncer's team as a robot in black and white robes flew out and tapped on a microphone. Bouncer eagerly jimmied from side to side, but the way Swarm's antennae and wings twitched showed he seemed to have some reservations about this.

"Alright, it seems as though the blue team found a substitute at the last minute!" the robot proclaimed in a smooth, charismatic voice. "In that case, the game will now begin!"

A shrill, ringing noise rang in the air and forced Luz and Fintster to cover their ears for a moment, but the rumbling of the coliseum as the players all raced off drowned it out soon enough!

The players’ eyes set on a gigantic blue and gold ball in the heart of the stadium as the players rushed to and fro, snatched the ball, and tossed it towards gigantic, open nets in the back parts of the coliseum. A few players rammed into each other and dented their metal as they spat over the ball, but in the heat of the moment, the ball shone red and exploded! The burst of flames engulfed them both as another robot flew out, dumped a waterfall of fluffy stuff on them, and left them charred and smoked as they rested under a mountain of the fluffy mass.

The other players just didn't notice! A new ball popped out from the center of the coliseum, and they went back to running and playing like before as security wheeled out the burnt robots on giant stretchers.

Luz and Fintster just couldn't even smile, even though the robot in the black and white tunic gleefully narrated the whole thing with the gusto and bravado of a storyteller telling an epic. They cringed with every explosion, every dent, every screech of tearing metal.

Most of all, they could barely stand the sight of Swarm's playing! Now, Bouncer navigated the fields like a pro; Swarm, on the other hand, left with a bump on his head and a black eye seemingly everywhere he went! He tried to flee one way and a robot jabbed him in the back, he went the other and got squeezed between two particularly burly robots, heck, he even tried to disappear into his swarm of bees, but got pushed to the ground and run over before he could even move!

"Owch! Hey, watch it! I'm right down—"

Luz and Fintster both clenched their teeth as Swarm howled in agony as another large robot stomped him down.

"I don't think I can watch this anymore," Fintster winced as he turned around.

Luz almost echoed his sentiment as he went to cover his eyes, but right before he did, Bouncer leaped in and snatched the ball! Luz gasped as Bouncer rolled off with a cheetah's speed and the ball kept close to him as he kicked it.

"Would you look at that, folks?" the black and white-clothed robot cried. "BB-12's stolen the ball at the last minute, and he's making a beeline for the enemy's goal! Oh, but what's this?"

The robot leaned further, and dramatically gasped as he leaned back up.

"The ball's getting ready to explode! Will he make it in time?"

The crowd rumbled with fearful chatter as the ball's blue and gold surface turned a deep, hot crimson, and Luz bit his lip.

"Bouncer, look out!" Luz cried.

Bouncer's head swiveled around, and a glimpse of something familiar shone in his optics. Bouncer rushed forward, slammed his whole leg into the giant ball, and knocked it right into the enemy's goal! The ball exploded into a fiery burst and set the net alight with it—but around Bouncer, the crowds only cheered while robots came out to extinguish the flames.

"And would you look at that, a flaming goal to end the final round!" the announcer robot cried. "The blue team wins the game!"

The crowd erupted into roars of joy as Bouncer wheeled out and puffed his chest out in pride, and both teams swarmed him with cheers! It seemed even his opponents couldn't resist congratulating him on how well he played and asking him what his secrets were. At least, that was from what Luz could make of the conversation anyways. Soon, their voices soon melded into one while Bouncer pushed past them and towards Swarm.

Bouncer hoisted Swarm up with one arm, and both of them came up to Luz and Fintster next. "Well, that was my curtain call," Bouncer said as he opened up a hand. "Now come on. Don't we have some teammates to find?"

Luz and Fintster both gasped, nodded, and climbed as a bright light shone around them! They all gasped as the white, sparkly flash burst around them, and when it faded, the entire coliseum went with it! All that remained were endless plains and forest that just begged to be explored.

"Where to next, Swarm?" Fintster asked as he leaned against Bouncer's metallic finger.

Swarm frowned and scratched his head. "Well, thing is, I got bumped around so much that I forgot!" Swarm chuckled, but when the others' glares met him, he gulped. "I'm just kidding, I swear! See, just go over this way…"

Swarm flew off to the side where the village's buildings tapered off, and it seemed like the rest of the foliage did as well when Bouncer followed with Luz and Fintster in tow. The grass shriveled up, the trees went from mighty and full of lush leaves to withered husks with sad faces seemingly embedded in their grooves, and even the air turned cold and dead around them.

The endless plains of dead nature stretched on forever, but soon enough, the mouth of a large gate stretched before them. Its cold, gray stone walls stretched so high that only the tip of a mighty palace poked beyond it. The walls blocked off sights, smells, and sounds alike from within the kingdom.

Soon, the drawbridge with aged wood opened, and unveiled a quaint village with all sorts of underwordly beings strung about its worn dirt paths! Zombies and vampires carried around baskets of undead treats while werewolf pups and ghost children wove between the adults' legs. The air smelled cold and almost sweet despite the presence of death everywhere one looked. It gave the village an almost welcoming presence that beckoned for them to enter.

So they did, with Luz and Fintster almost masked by Swarm and Bouncer as they made their way through the streets. A couple patrons stopped and gasped. Their whispers rang in Luz's ears as they gossiped with excitement at the sights of the living. Luz didn't linger much on their words; he just trailed after Swarm as they left the village behind, past all the creatures and beasts, and towards that palace that loomed over them all.

Luz had to admit, the palace seemed even more impressive the closer he got to it. The black bricks absorbed what little light poked in from the foggy overhead sky and gave it a jewel-like shine. Flags with intricate designs of eyes and knights flew like mighty banners in a battlefield's wind. The onyx fencing glistened while renaissance vines curled around it with about as much life as an undead plant could spare. Luz almost wanted to reach out and touch it, but a bony spear flew in front of him before he could.

"Halt!" cried an eyeball with an emerald green iris who sat in knight's armor. "What business do you have with the kings?"

"Lemme handle this one," Swarm mumbled. He stepped out in front of the group, straightened his crooked antennae, and cleared his throat. "I am Prince Abejape of the Hymenopteran clan of warrior-wasps, and I have come—"

"A prince?" the guard scoffed as if he barely held back his laughter. "You seem a little roughed up for a prince."

Dumbfounded, Swarm stopped short and took a glimpse at his battered carapace with a chuckle. "Well, I had a bit of a rough time getting here—"

"And how do I know you're not lying about your status to get into the palace and assassinate the kings?" The guard scowled and thrust his spear a little closer to Swarm, even though he really only reached Swarm's leg. "I'm sure a prince coming for an important meeting would take better care of his—"

"Calm down, brother," demanded a voice with a distinct Siebenbardese accent. "There's no need to be so hostile to our esteemed guests!"

The guard withdrew his spear and stood aside with almost record speed.

Before him the gates creaked open, the world pounded underfoot as large shadows cast over the ground, and out from the gates came Eye and Brawl! The two of them were dressed in a king's capes and crowns with bands like the kind couples wore around Eye's wing and Brawl's finger, but it was definitely them!

Eye popped atop the vacancy in Brawl's head and cleared his nonexistent throat. "Apologies for the trouble," Eye said as Brawl extended a hand to Swarm below him. "My younger brother takes his job very seriously."

"I'm the older twin," the guard hissed.

Luz and Fintster both chuckled to each other. They'd seen that kind of attitude among the twins back home plenty of times.

"Nevertheless, come in! We have much to discuss."

So, Luz and Fintster followed Swarm and Bouncer into the palace gardens. The town before them soon became little more than a speck in the distance as they hiked up long, tiresome hills of smooth gray stone paths and undead floral gardens, and up to the palace at last.

It was perhaps even more impressive in person than it was from the distance! The black stone that made up its walls was iridescent underneath what little light peeked in, and reflected shades of purple and blue amid its onyx exterior. Its cony roofs pierced the heavens like arrows, and flags that bore what Luz could only assume was Eye-Brawl's royal crest hung from every one of the hundreds of windows carved into the castle walls. The faintest echoes of talking servants and other nobles rang out from the windows and fluttered the flags. Something sweet like berries trailed out along with it—fresh cooking from the chefs, perhaps?

"Come, come in! Our cooks have prepared the finest of feasts for your arrival," Eye said as Brawl pushed the door opened and beckoned for them to come forth.

Luz and Fintster both grinned, and Luz's mouth watered at the thought. A feast! He hadn't even thought about food since he left home, but now that the thought came to him, he started to realize just how hungry he was.

"The thought is appreciated," Swarm said as he entered, "but I'd like to get straight to the point, if it's alright with you."

That hungry feeling disappeared right then and there. Luz raised an eyebrow and followed Swarm in, as did Fintster and Bouncer. The doors slowly creaked to a close behind them, and to their front, Swarm and Eye-Brawl stood face to face with arms behind their backs and tense pleasantries written on their faces.

"As I'm sure you're aware, the Arkeyan Empire has been expanding its reach across Skylands," Swarm began.

Eye nodded. "Yes, it's quite worrisome to say the least. Every day, news reaches the kingdom of another island that fell to Arkeyan tyranny. Though our armies are strong, I can't imagine how they'll fare against the strength of the Arkeyans."

"Which is why we were especially glad to hear from you," Brawl signed. "The Hymenopteran Kingdom has stood since the beginning of Skylands, and its warriors are second to none. With our two kingdoms as allies in arms, surely both of us can rest easy."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, I'm afraid. I have not come here as an ambassador of my family. I've come out of my own will and wishes."

Swarm raised a brow, and Brawl tensed as he stepped back.

"If that's the case, why have you come? Did you not say that you were here to discuss allying with us?"

"That I did, but perhaps not the alliance you think of. You see, with the Arkeyans expanding their reach, would it not be proactive to fight back against their reach?"

"That, that's utter nonsense!" Eye popped off of Brawl in shock, but quickly cleared his throat and dropped back down. "What other alliance could help us, if not that of your family’s? Yours alone wouldn’t be enough by even the slightest stretch of imagination! The Arkeyans have their hands in every corner of Skylands! Our armies, as impressive as they are, don't even hold a candle to the Arkeyans in terms of sheer numbers and raw power! What could you, alone, bring to help?"

"But, I’m not alone."

"You aren’t?"

Swarm frowned and steepled his fingers. "In my travels across Skylands, I have had the pleasure of meeting many who banded together to rise against the Arkeyans' oppressive reign. Led by magicians with powers of legend, and those blessed by the Ancients themselves, these beings have gathered together under one banner to combat the Arkeyans' reign of terror."

Eye hummed in an almost contemplative way as he rubbed his wing against his round body. "Go on."

"I have been working with them to dismantle the Arkeyans' reign, and we've already had the pleasure of liberating many from their terror! Though the Arkeyans fight, every day we fight harder—and to great results! We've already torn down some of the largest Arkeyan strongholds, like that of the monument in Mabupotamia or the Arkeyan factories in Wavemeet!"

"Mabupotamia? Wavemeet? I remember those places!" Bouncer whispered and a small chuckle escaped him. "Eye-Brawl and I personally gave the head of that Wavemeet factory a piece of our minds!"

"Wait a second," Fintster whispered. He parted his bangs to study Eye-Brawl and the pensive look he held. "Does that mean?"

"Thus, I am asking you to ally under our banner, and join us in liberating Skylands from the cruelty of Arkilles!"

Eye hummed, popped off of Brawl, and flew around him. The two hunched over, and Eye whispered something so soft that Luz couldn't hear, but he didn't need to! Brawl's signing was enough to key him in on the conversation!

"Wavemeet and Mabupotamia, those names sound familiar," Brawl signed, "and yet, I don't believe we've ever been there. Something's strange about this prince, Ochiul." Brawl rested his hands for a moment as Eye whispered back and nodded, almost as if he was hesitant to speak. "Do you think we should continue this meeting? I can have the guards escort him out if you think it necessary."

Luz tensed for a moment as both Eye and Brawl stood motionless, save for the flapping of Eye's wings. Would they remember? Would they just toss them all out? Luz held his breath, for he didn't want to key them in on anything, but when Eye shook his head, that breath escaped and Luz practically deflated with relief.

Eye popped back on top of Brawl, and both of them turned to meet Swarm's expectant gaze.

"You pose quite the offer, young prince," Eye replied at last, and he turned down a little as he added, "but I do hold one concern. What will become of our kingdom should we ally ourselves with you?"

"Fret not," Swarm replied as he held out a hand, "for the Elder Elementals will ensure the safety of your kingdom, Eye-Brawl."

Eye shuddered, and a bright flash of silver light burst around him and Brawl! Their royal garbs fell to the ground, and all that was left was Eye-Brawl, with all the dents in Brawl's armor from battle, and the same aura of wear and age that came from the years of fighting. Luz knew it in his heart. Even though they didn't say a word, and just looked themselves over in a sort of stunned haze—they were back!

"Thank the Ancients that worked," Swarm groaned as he finally sat down. "I wasn't sure how long I could keep that up! I don't know how Mom and Dad ever did it."

Eye-Brawl chuckled, and that laughter spread to Bouncer as they helped Swarm up. Swarm groaned, favored his left side, and leaned on Bouncer while he slouched over.

"So, what do we do now?" Bouncer asked. "Dunno where everyone else went, unfortunately."

"And I'm beat," Swarm moaned.

"Actually," Luz piped up, "I met with Sihiri and Vatra earlier, and we split up to find the others! We were supposed to meet back up at Sihiri's old village, so why don't we go back there?"

Bouncer cast a glance at Eye-Brawl, who nodded in agreement.

"In that case, I'll arrange for an airship, and we'll head there," Eye-Brawl said. "Hopefully, the others wouldn't have had too much trouble."