"Thank you for driving me here, again," Vatra said as he leaned against a wooden barrel and sighed. "I'm sure I'd be hopelessly lost by now if I hadn't gotten your help."

"Think nothing of it. I was on my way there, anyways," said the farmer who ran the cart as he cracked the whip. The oxen that pulled the cart cried out as they ran a little faster, and he chuckled a bit. "I have goods to deliver to this village here, and some family I need to get acquainted with. How about you?"

Vatra grimaced, and turned just so that the farmer couldn't meet his gaze. "I'm just visiting a friend to get caught up on old times, that's all."

Vatra should have been able to find Vaayu here, if what he recalled of his conversations with Vaayu, and his estimations of this realm were correct. Not that Vatra looked forward to it, of course.

This realm seems to be indulging us in our biggest wishes, the things we desired the most back when we still warred with the Arkeyans, Vatra mused as he ruffled his hair, and that means that… Ugh… Vaayu will be with her.

Yes, that's right. He'd probably be in the village with his ex-fiance, and he would gush all about her while they did the utterly skin-crawling things couples did. Vatra never particularly cared for romance—he found it repulsive, as a matter of fact—but if he knew how things would play out, that would make his job ten times harder.

Vaayu was a romantic by nature. Surely, he'd be too caught up in his fantasies of a big fancy house with his wife and their ten children, or perhaps it was twelve children? Vatra never payed much attention to Vaayu's rambling. Either way, it would take Vatra ages to talk him out of it and see reality. He could already see it now: the utterly mawkish couple's banter, the lengthy, drawn-out kissing, and all the courting rituals that made Vatra want to gag! To say he wasn't looking forward to this was an understatement, in all honesty.

"Here's our stop," the farmer said as he released the reins.

Vatra leaned back, but an abrupt stop of the cart pushed him backwards, knocked his head against the barrel, and left him with a nasty surging pain in the back of his skull. Vatra nodded, but rubbed the back of his head as he hopped off the cart's side.

"Thank you for this."

"You’re welcome."

Vatra sighed, and shoved his hands into his pockets as the cart drove into the village. His eyes glimpsed over the village ahead for only a moment, and he instead took another path that spread into a mostly-uninhabited forest thick with trees and plants. He could just barely spy traces of blue light that streaked out from the pathway like sparkling smoke. Yes, that sounded like that lake Vaayu always talked about, so Vatra supposed that was where he was supposed to go.

"Why did I have to get him back?" Vatra grumbled as he pushed away a few tree branches and groaned. "It'll take an eternity just to convince him this is an illusion!"

Oh, Vatra could already see it now. He's stumble up to them all haplessly in love as they made goo-goo eyes, or called each other overly-saccharine pet names, or talked about how many children they wanted to have. Vatra, meanwhile, would have to endure the worst hours of his life as he tried to talk some sense into Vaayu. His stomach churned at the very thought, but, he couldn't leave Vaayu stranded in whatever this strange trial was, either. For all his overly foppish nonsense about romance, he was Vatra's ally.

Vatra grumbled under his breath, heaved another sigh, and braced himself for the worst as he disappeared under the canopy of trees. The vast, looming thickets above him reminded Vatra more of a jungle than a forest, now that he thought about it. Their large leaves blocked off the sun, and the only light that came was an azure glow speckled between the rare gaps in their trunks. The faint sounds of rustling leaves and animal calls echoed from the gaps, sent chills down Vatra's spine, and heated his fingers.

He only laid his eyes on the rough dirt below his feet and carried on. The animal sounds and shaking leaves disappeared soon enough, but what came next sounded like screaming—HUMAN screaming! Vatra sharply inhaled as a piercing, strained cry hit his ears. Without even thinking, his pace sped up, and left flaming tracks in the ground as he ran down the path.

The jungle cleared around him the further he ran, and the trees and bushes and flowers made way for an opening with a luminous aqua glow. He passed through, and well, he arrived, and it was bad, but not the way he thought it would be.

The pool that was supposedly a sea of sparkling aquamarine in the tiny grotto was polluted by the silvery blood of Arkeyan machinery, and the grass was cut and uprooted in large patches. The places where it wasn't cut were littered with broken, mechanical body parts, and the strewn guts of cable and inner circuitry from the Arkeyan corpses left behind. Trees and bushes laid slashed to slivers, and the air reeked of oil and blood.

But, nothing quite caught Vatra's eyes as what laid in the heart of the grotto, for there sat Vaayu! His hair laid loose, and the long tunic and trousers he wore held slashes that reveal shallow cuts. He sobbed as he held the body of a slim elf with emerald green skin, and long, dark hair sprawled along their shoulders. Her own dresses and skirts were similarly torn while a bloody patch covered her chest.

"The Arkeyans came here already?" Vatra cried as he stumbled out. He tripped in his haste, but he quickly regained his balance as he went to grab the elf from his arms. "Before anything, we need to get this elf to a medic, all this blood—"

"It's no use! Leave me to my misery!" Vaayu wailed as he clutched the elf's body as close to his chest with no care for how the blood stained him. A few choked sobs escaped him once more, and he knelt his head while the body limped in his grasp. "She, she, she's already dead. They took her life without even a moment’s hesitation, and all I could do was watch!"

Vaayu wailed as he cradled the elf's body closer once more. It was as if he thought holding her would somehow bring her back to life!

Another memory came to Vatra. He recalled a schoolhouse left broken and disarrayed, blood streaked across the walls, and terrified screams from students and faculty alike. Vatra's heart sped up, even though nothing remained in that ghostly body of his. Right then, he was back at the school where he taught, in the disarrayed classroom where he shared so many lessons, and watched his other students cradle the bloodied body of—no, he, he couldn't worry about that right now!

Though the memories bit at his heels, Vatra knelt down and laid a hand on Vaayu's shoulder. "I'm sorry," was all he could bring himself to say.

Vaayu trembled, and Vatra wondered if maybe his sympathies were the wrong thing to bring. Vaayu stood with his lover's body cradled snugly in his arms and scowled. The winds rose around him, and his teeth gritted while shadows came over his eyes.

"Surely, they're probably headed for the village!" Vaayu cried as he ran off. "I have to warn them, before it's too late!"

"Vaayu!"

Vatra panted as he ran after Vaayu, but the winds boosted Vaayu's footsteps, and it wasn't long before he left Vatra far behind him. Perhaps he already realized the true nature of this trial, and called upon his powers once more? Vatra wasn't sure, but nevertheless he followed. The sunlight shone harsh as Vatra left the forest and trekked up the pathway to the village.

Thankfully, Vaayu was there before him. The weight from his lover's body must have worn him down, or maybe it was that time spent fighting Arkeyans that wore him down, but either way, he now hunched over. He grunted as he struggled to make his way up the path. He struggled so badly, yet he still fought his way up the path.

Vatra swept in front of him and placed his hands underneath the elf's body. "Here, let me help you—"

"Don't worry about me! Warn the village! The Arkeyans will arrive any second now!"

Vatra drew back, for the sight of Vaayu with such determination and seriousness in his eyes sent a shock to his system.

Obediently, Vatra left Vaayu's side and sprinted up the path. Soon, the village with its baked brick houses, and its small populace who went to and fro about their ordinary lives came closer and closer into view. He skidded to a stop with such speed that flames erupted behind him! Their heat crept against his back and gone moments later, but the burning sight of all the villagers' eyes on him and their confused whispers kept the feeling well enough.

"Everyone, listen to me!" Vatra’s voice strained and his head lifted. "The Arkeyans are coming for your village!"

Those two sentences seemed to be more than enough, thankfully, for he couldn't find any more to say. Some villagers dropped the baskets they held, others exchanged worried glances, and of course, the gossip among the townsfolk grew louder and even more worried than before.

"The Arkeyans, here? That can't be!"

"Look at that being, he's clearly an outsider! What reason would you have to believe him? The Arkeyans wouldn't come all the way out here!"

"But, they've been conquering more and more territories here…"

The gossip and fearful cries grew louder by the second until a large, powerful throat cleared and caught everyone's attention.

"Fear not, everyone!" cried a particularly muscular person dressed in armor as they made their way out of the crowds. "Our defenses are strong and we have allies we can call upon! We are not weak in the face of the Arkeyans! We'll set our armies and meet them before they can even step foot in the village!"

Vatra wasn't quite sure who this person was, but the proud, tall way they held themself and the relief that shone in the villagers' eyes showed their words must have carried some weight. The worries and gossip amid the crowd slowly dissipated, and most slunk away from the crowds to attend to their duties once more while others in armor made their way to this person's side.

The heavily armored person only turned to Vatra. "Thank you for your warnings, kind stranger," they said as they gave Vatra a curt nod. "We must make our preparations, so I am afraid this is where we part."

The armored platoon marched past Vatra with urgent speed, but Vatra cared for them no longer. He had to find Vaayu.

At first, he eyed the paths behind to see if Vaayu caught up, but the sound of Vaayu's pained voice reached the air before his body did. Vatra's attention instead turned to a single house nearby. Sure enough, Vaayu stood in the doorway and argued with an elven man dressed in clothes similar to Vaayu’s, but with a skin tone more akin to that of Vaayu's elven lover.

"Why didn't you protect her?" the man demanded as he slammed a bulky hand against the door frame. "You were her spouse, correct? It was your duty to keep her safe, and you still have the gall to deliver her bloodied body to our doorstep? When you couldn't fill your own duties?"

Vatra expected Vaayu to fight back, but instead, Vaayu stood with his head hung low in shame. He took the shouts as the accusations and insults sunk into his skins. His arms trembled, next his legs, and finally, Vaayu fell to his knees and bowed at the elven man's feet! The sheer suddenness drew the man back, but a few other elves poked their heads through the doorway to witness Vaayu.

"I truly, truly cannot apologize enough!" Vaayu cried at last between shudders and choked-back sobs. "I can't make any excuses for myself. Even though I fought with all my life, I still wasn't able to save hers! I should have been the one to die in her place!"

The pain in Vaayu's statements reached their ears, and all at once, their faces fell with his. A few stifled sobs, but it was the man who finally held his head and slipped out sobs with him. The others followed as they held their heads and cried along. Surely, they all mourned the loss of her.

"The Arkeyans will likely make their attack on the village soon," Vatra said as he stepped forth at last. "If you'd like to prepare funeral rites, I'd advise you do it as soon as you can."

"We should contact the funerary," said an aged elven woman with a wrinkled face and thin frame as she touched the man's shoulders. "We'll need to make sure she's laid to rest as soon as possible."

Not a word came from the grieving family as they rose from their mourning; they merely nodded and drifted off into the darker corners of their house. Only the man stopped to close the door. His blank eyes shone with what could only be sympathy or grief as it creaked to a close, but it was a fleeting feeling, for the door slammed shut.

"I believe it's time we left them alone." Vatra knelt down and gently nudged Vaayu's shoulders. "Come, the rest of the village is already preparing for battle. You should probably head home—"

"NO!" Vaayu screamed.

He jolted up, slapped at Vatra's hand with such sudden rage that Vatra flinched back, yet his blue eyes filled with some kind of righteous rage as he stared down Vatra.

"I, I, I want to fight. They deceived Grishma just to cut her life short, and I will not stand by and let them take away anything else! I may not have been able to save her, but I can at least try and save everyone else!"

Vaayu gulped and cleared his throat.

"Apologies, I shouldn't have lashed out like that at a stranger. I, I'll take you to my home, but we'll be leaving as soon as the sounds of war begin."

Huh, he roped someone who was a total stranger to him at present into fighting for a village not even close to home? Vatra would remark that this didn't quite feel like something this Vaayu did, but something in Vaayu's stance, in his speech, felt a bit like the Vaayu Vatra knew. It was almost as if the memories that slumbered within him stirred.

Vatra stood silent, and only gave him a quick nod and smile. That was all Vaayu needed, so the two of them walked down the endless stretches of dirt roads and clay houses until they found themselves at a particular small and dome-shaped home. Vaayu pushed open the door and disappeared inside, so Vatra did the same.

The house was barely enough to fit a family of three, and nothing like the extravagance of his lover's home. It held only the bare minimum of furnishings: worn and dusty cushions laid on the floor rather than any form of tables or chairs, and a few blankets laid atop a wooden stool. No scent lingered in the air, and not a single personal memento laid in sight. Vaayu seemed to recognize the sparseness of it all, for he sighed.

"Forgive me if it's somewhat messy. I normally don't get much company, or have much," he explained as he took a seat on one of the cushions. "My parents passed some years ago, and I don't have any other family to speak of. I've been living by myself for so long."

"I, I'm sorry to hear that," Vatra said. His tone stayed guarded as he sat down on the seat adjacent to Vaayu's.

The two of them sat in silence as the warm-toned sunlight that poured through the windows. It tinted everything in shades of marigold and crimson slowly faded, all in turn as the sun sank over the horizon. It dusted against Vaayu's dark hair, and gave it an almost brownish tint before it disappeared.

Vaayu's mood seemed to fade with the fading light. His shoulders slunk over with his head, and he seemed almost like he would curl in on himself and sob if not for Vatra's presence. He forced a smile as he pulled himself up, but he finally took a breath as the last of the sunlight faded and the world turned cobalt.

"It's strange, really. I'm certain I've never met you once in my entire life," Vaayu said at last, "yet something about you seems familiar, like an old friend I could say anything to."

That's more true than you realize, Vatra thought, but something in him kept him from saying it out loud. Was it perhaps that gut feeling that now wasn't the time to bring things up? Perhaps, so instead, Vatra asked only one thing.

"What happened down at that lake? What exactly could those Arkeyans be after?"

Vaayu's lips trembled, and he lowered his head while his arms followed. He seemed to open his mouth like some words would magically come out, but all that came were faint mumbles and pained noises. Vaayu's hands shook with fear and fury.

Vatra wondered if maybe he should change the subject.

"It was me," Vaayu croaked out at last before Vatra could even reach out. "They, they wanted me."

Vatra blinked, for the suddenness of this phrase took him aback. The Arkeyans wanted him? Vatra's heart sank, for he knew all too well what Vaayu meant. The Arkeyans wanted powerful magicians for their armies as the rebellions grew in numbers, and like all things the Arkeyans desired, they'd take them by force if they so desired. Surely he meant that…

"It wasn't her fault, it really wasn't." Vaayu's voice cracked. His head slumped in what seemed like either sorrow or shame; it was hard to tell. "They lied to her, they told her that our home would be safe, that we'd be some of the most heralded figures in the Arkeyan Empire if I joined them! They, they promised her so much" — Vaayu's hands trembled, and this time clenched into a tight fist — "but, they only stabbed us both in the back! In the end, it was all just a lie! They, they, they…"

Vaayu's breath strained and the sweat dripped down onto the floor. Vatra could barely see how Vaayu's face seemed to lose its color underneath the faint glimpse of moonlight, and Vaayu's eyes shrank as he clutched his chest. His breathing turned from strained and slow to quick and shrill, and he collapsed to the floor as he hyperventilated!

Vaayu shrieked, and Vatra immediately went to his side as he hoisted him up. Vatra hushed him though Vaayu fought against his grip, and emitted a warmth from his palms, a gentle one that seemed to ease Vaayu's panic. Vaayu's breathing slowed back to a reasonable pace, and he peered up at Vatra with worry still as his lips trembled.

"The village, surely they'll—"

"We won't let them. They won't take this village or anyone else from it, not as long as I stand."

Vatra's words seemed to ease Vaayu's worries some, so he broke away and gazed out the window with not a word spoken. Vatra, too, couldn't bring himself to break the silence either. Pangs of guilt tugged at Vatra’s heart, perhaps for how he didn't realize in his annoyance that Vaayu, too, lost someone he cared deeply for to Arkeyan hands. For all his annoyance with romance, Vatra couldn't fault him for grieving that loss.

So, for that moment, they sat, and basked in their grief and solemn sorrow with only the moonlight to watch them. No words spoke, yet the overwhelming pains of loss went known as their bodies numbed from the feeling.

For a moment, Vatra almost dozed off as his body ached for rest. He closed his eyes and relaxed, but the sound of horns burst through the distance! Their cries rang loud, and shook the ground enough that it roused Vatra from his drowsiness.

Vaayu scrambled to his feet with a similar urgency. "Those horns!" Vaayu cried as he made for the door. "Surely the battle's already begun!"

Vatra's head ached from his drowsiness as he stumbled his way out of Vaayu's home. The rousing cries of war greeted him as he opened the door, but the lingering fatigue made it hard for him to distinguish the village anymore. Between the sounds of pounding footsteps, of soldiers that poured in and cried their defiance, of their weapons that clashed with the sharp metal of Arkeyan soldiers, the noise was so great that it muddied all his senses! The ground below him violently shuddered. It upset his footing so greatly that it pushed him to his knees while he only watched.

Vatra barely spied Vaayu's shock of blue as it bobbed through their ranks amid a group of soldiers wielding bows and arrows. Soon, the rest of Vaayu surfaced as the soldiers moved into position. Vaayu laid on the ground himself, and his shaking arms barely kept him suspended as the world around him went to war.

His eyes remained locked on a spear-wielding Arkeyan that launched itself towards him. Right before it sprung, a hole burst from its head while a sharp, metallic arrow plunged into the ground beside it! Sparks burst from the newborn holes in the Arkeyan's head as it fell on its side, and Vaayu scrambled away just before its head burst into flames.

"What are you doing down there?" cried someone from the rooftops above. "Either get up and fight or get to safety! Don't stand in our way!"

Vatra glanced up to find a bow-wielding soldier who glared not at him, but the fields below. Though he wasn't quite sure if this person talked about him or someone else, Vatra pushed himself to his feet. He'd recovered his senses enough that he ran to Vaayu's side and laid a hand on him.

Vaayu yanked himself back, flung a hand bursting with cold, sharp winds at Vatra's face, but the winds faded and his expression lowered when he saw Vatra before him.

"How, how did I do that?" Vaayu gasped as he stared back at his hand. He trembled once more, shuddered and fell to his knees. "Oh, what matter does that make? I'm a coward, plain and simple!"

Vaayu's body shuddered once more, and Vatra went to his knees as he gently shook Vaayu. "Vaayu, calm down," Vatra whispered. "If you can't fight, you need to get to safety—"

"But, but, I have to!" Vaayu turned to Vatra, and his eyes welled with tears. " I can't just sit here and watch while they take our home too! Not after what they did to Grishma!"

Vatra tried to speak, but the sound of arrows flying en masse drowned out his voice! Explosions followed soon after, and their warm colors bled out the cool skin of midnight blue.

An entire front line row of Arkeyan soldiers laid sprawled on the earth with endless guts of wire and machinery where their heads would've been. The sight of the decimated row must have inspired something in the soldiers from Vaayu's village, for they rose their swords and axes with confidence. They practically flung themselves at the oncoming row of Arkeyan soldiers as they slashed through Arkeyan metal and traded blow after blow!

"We, we're winning!" Vaayu gasped, as if he almost couldn't believe his eyes.

Screams and the scent of blood rose in the air soon after, and Vaayu winced as someone's arm flew off into the distance. It was hard to tell if it were organic or robotic under the shade of night

Vaayu dove into the bushes and shuddered as the war cries turned to desperate, terrified screams. Once again, he became a shuddering ball of nerves that only curled up and covered his ears as the world around him raged. He seemed close to bolting off, yet, he moved not an inch from the bush where he cowered.

Vatra clenched his teeth, and almost debated if he should try and rouse Vaayu's memories and spirits here. The sounds of battle raged on behind him, and as it stood, neither of them would make it out if he kept lingering like this. The flames burst at his feet, ever-eager to fight with him, and Vatra turned tail.

"Find somewhere safe to hide!" Vatra cried as Vaayu left his vision. "I'll hold things down here the best I can!"

The familiar crackle of embers came to his fingertips next, and Vatra raised his hands right as he sprinted towards an ax-wielding Arkeyan soldier. He planted his hands firmly on the sides of its head, and the flames erupted from his palms with that single spark of action! They enveloped Vatra and whisked him safely away; by the time they disappeared and he landed on solid ground, the headless corpse of that Arkeyan soldier laid sprawled and sparking on the ground.

Cries of warning he barely discerned came from behind him, and Vatra turned around and punched away two smaller Arkeyans that came for him. A quick flame from his palm scorched away another, and a rousing kick swept one Arkeyan soldier off its feet in time for a decidedly human one to slash it in half before they ran off.

The world blurred in Vatra's mind, and all that came to him was the instinct to fight, to set the world around him on fire ‘till the Arkeyans that surrounded him were nothing but burning scrap. The smell of hot, burning fire melded with blood and burning quicksilver as his body propelled itself on its own, latched onto the Arkeyan soldier unfortunate enough to be nearest, and set it alight. With a single fling, its flaming body fell to that of its platoon and took them all in a fiery explosion.

Vatra moved from it to a larger, bulkier one nearby. Cries and shouts of fear distinctly organic in nature roused around him, yet he shut them out with a single flaming punch into the Arkeyan's chest. Shrill, distorted cries came as it latched onto Vatra's arms and flung him, but he flipped himself back up and dove in again. He cast a burst of heat that burned away its innards, and moved to the next.

Small or mighty, shield-bearer or sword-wielder—it mattered not to Vatra. The Arkeyans fell one by one in his grasp, all as he tried to tune out the cries of war, cheers of victory, or fearful cries of pain that came from all around him. The other soldiers hurried away wounded allies, or nursed their own injuries as stronger members dueled, and the sight only propelled Vatra forward.

Before Vatra stood a particularly mighty shield-bearing Arkeyan soldier that surely looked for its next target! The shield-bearer's eyes seemed to glow as it laid on an injured soldier who hunched over and hobbled away, or maybe the firelight gave it added malice? Whatever it was, Vatra pushed himself between the two and cast a funnel of fire towards the Arkeyan.

The Arkeyan blocked off the flames with its shield, and Vatra tried to thrust forward, but he ached and collapsed instead! His whole body groaned as he hit the ground, and its ghastly light dimmed and brightened like a flickering ember. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't realized he'd used up so much magic energy, but now, the adrenaline faded and his aches returned to him at last. He tried to push himself up, tried to form one more flame, but he could barely even lift a hand, let alone stand.

The Arkeyan, seemingly disinterested with weak prey, turned its attention towards a group of soldiers that raised their bows and fired. Their arrows bounced off of its shield, but the soldiers merely kept firing. Those idiots, what were they doing? A model that strong could reflect even the finest of weaponry! The soldiers kept firing nonetheless as the Arkeyan raised both halves of its shield.

"Don't, shoot!" Vatra cried, his voice hoarse and barely able to scream. "Run!"

The warning itself came too quietly and too slowly; it fell out over the shrieking charge of the robot's shields and that of the warring worlds. The glaring, harsh blue light of the laser charged to its peak, shot in a bright flare that engulfed the soldiers entirely, and left them only ashes to crumble to the ground. A couple other soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, but a few stopped and shouted out something that became illegible as the world around Vatra rumbled.

Vatra lifted his head with all the energy he could muster. Amid the burning flames cast around the village entrance (did he make those? He couldn't recall) emerged an entire army of those same shield-bearing robots. They marched, and smaller ones who wielded pistols charged out in front of them. Soon, their ranks flooded the gates and blocked out even the tallest of fires.

Vatra could barely even think, yet he could tell that the village army’s ranks were too thin to combat an elite Arkeyan army of this level!

Move, damn it! Vatra screamed at himself as he forced his body up a few inches. You, you need to fight! You can't just lay here!

Vatra couldn't bring his body to move even in spite of his cries. It laid weak and sprawled on the ground, too pained and exhausted to even flinch. The most he could do was lift his head as a shadow cast over him—but a sudden shock gave him enough energy to clutch his pendant.

One of the smaller soldiers aimed its gun straight for his pendant with a murderous glint in its eyes. It wrapped its finger around the trigger. Vatra clenched his teeth and eyes as he braced himself for the end…

But a cold breeze shook his eyes back open!

The cold winds rose, extinguished the fires around the village, and even sent the robots off their balance. Even the heaviest ones, even the strongest ones struggled to keep their footing as the winds grew. Yet, Vatra himself was unaffected save for the chills that ran down his body, and neither were any of the soldiers on his side.

A growl came from behind, and Vatra turned himself around the best he could. There, at the back of the pathways, stood Vaayu, winds raging around him. His eyes and body glowed in a bright azure, and as he raised his head, the winds only roared and grew stronger while they lashed against the world around.

"You've stolen Grishma’s life already, and you will steal nothing more!" Vaayu roared, his voice the only thing audible over the raging winds.

His cries of agony seemed to be the only signal the winds needed to attack; he simply screamed, and they lunged forward. They took the shape of raging tornadoes, and tore the robots apart limb for limb! They launched the Arkeyens' severed arms and legs, heads and chests, all across the village grounds.

Not once did they take the village soldiers in their grip, or lay their rage on the villager's homes. All their rage laid solely on the Arkeyans' shoulders. The few Arkeyans that remained screeched in robotic-sounded alarm and fled, but even they lasted little. The tornadoes' speed outbested their own, and they found themselves chewed up and spat out of its maws in bits.

The tornadoes faded as the night did. Dawn crept upon the village grounds and unveiled the battle's remains. Scattered weapons and corpses both robotic and organic mingled with blood fresh and dried, all laid in streams over the earth. In spite of the casualties, the village itself stood with little damage. The various houses and structures stood with little more than scorches or burn marks, and it seemed the entire village laid in awe. The surviving soldiers gazed listlessly around, and others left their homes to gaze in sheer wonder.

All eyes turned to Vaayu as he collapsed.

"What's wrong with him?" cried one being, the voice of which Vatra's recognized as that of the burly elf man from earlier. "What's going on?"

"I, I don't know!" shouted another. "He summoned all these tornadoes and wiped out all those Arkeyans in a second, and then he just collapsed!"

Vatra gritted his teeth. He forced out whatever energy he could to crawl along the grounds until he finally made his way to the crowds around Vaayu, and then through them to Vaayu himself. Before him, Vaayu laid face-first on the ground, and practically choked on his own breath as his body flickered from a solid form to that of a ghostly, fading presence. Surely, he overexerted his own magic energy reserves without realizing—and pretty badly, by the looks of it.

Vatra tugged on the pants of one person before him, and feebly lifted his head as they looked down. "He, he needs, magic, quick!" Vatra croaked out.

Vatra’s head fell to the ground, spots coated his vision, and something rumbling kept him from hearing a thing. Amid it all, some others rushed to Vaayu's side and planted their hands on his back, hands that soon glowed as Vaayu's form stabilized before Vatra's blurry eyes.

Good, they, seem to have gotten, his message…

Vatra's head grew heavy, so heavy that it weighed his whole body down, and even keeping his eyes open was a struggle. His vision turned black, his body grew numb and limp—but something flooded into his body and filled him with life before his consciousness fully faded! He jumped back to his feet as his vision cleared, and it was Vaayu who met Vatra's gaze.

"You did it," Vatra said with a smile. "If not for you, I'm sure these casualties would have been much more numerous."

Vaayu didn't seem to know how to take those words. He neither smiled or frowned, but just quietly hung his head. Those around him laundered their praises, yet he just turned away as an elven woman—the same one from that house—pushed her way through the crowds and met his gaze. They said no words, but merely pushed away from the crowds.

"I am afraid I have to leave," Vaayu proclaimed at last, and his voice wavered just a bit. "I have important matters I need to attend to."

Vaayu and the elf woman dispersed from the crowds and towards the lower ends of the village; the crowds in turn dispersed among the battlefield to collect their allies' corpses. Vatra would have stayed to help, but now that his senses returned, the scents of blood, death, and burning oil grew so intense that it sickened him to the point of nearly vomiting.

So, he merely followed the trail Vaayu took. The sights around him were clean, untouched, and completely unlike the burnt and war-torn sights of the village front. In fact, he snatched glimpses of the path behind him just to make sure he hadn't been whisked off to another strange place a few times—but no, he still stood in the same village, and walked the same paths he did prior. Though, now the buildings around him made way for more jungles, and he was sure he heard voices from down below.

Wait, could those be more Arkeyans? Vatra thought.

Vatra’s heart skipped a beat as he dove into the jungle thickets. He pushed past leaves and dodged thorny vines until he grew closest to the voices' source.

What he found was not Arkeyan robots ready to strike, but a group of humans, elves, and more alike that gathered at a riverbed while someone who held a jar spoke. Vatra raised a brow as he teleported to one of the less flammable parts of the forest, extinguished the flames with a single stride, and dove behind the bushes. He probably shouldn't be here, but at the same time…

Wait. Amid the crowds, Vatra spied Vaayu, who bit his lip and seemingly tried his hardest to hold back tears as the person who held the jar droned on. Vatra's eyes turned to the jar-holding person as he opened the jar, turned it upside-down, scattered ashes to the winds and the river waters.

It was then Vatra realized this was the important proceeding Vaayu had to attend. Yes, Vatra definitely shouldn't be here right now.

Vatra teleported away, and found himself back on the village grounds once more while funnels of smoke rose from one of the larger buildings. A few soldiers who held limp bodies passed them by, some followed by mourners both civilian and soldier, and others with only their fellow soldiers as company. It was a grim sight, but one Vatra grew accustomed to seeing after years of war and terror, so his heart stirred not. He only crossed his arms, and gave a solemn nod to the soldiers as they walked by, though they paid him no mind.

"There you are," Vaayu croaked.

Vatra's brows perked up as he found Vaayu beside him with eyes puffy and burnt from crying. Though Vaayu tried to hide them, it was clear that he cried well. It seemed that the funeral was the catalyst for all his emotions to finally sink in.

"I take it you've taken care of everything you needed to?" Vatra asked.

"Almost."

Vaayu turned back to where those elves, his lover's parents, stood with eyes wide in expectancy. As he walked up to them, he withdrew something golden that sparkled with the colors of an evening sunset and presented it to them.

"What a beautiful necklace!" the elf woman gasped.

"I intended to give this to her for my proposal," Vaayu explained as he dropped the necklace into the elf man's hands, "but, I hope it can at least be of some use to you in my steed."

Vaayu parted from their side with one last, solemn glance and moved towards Vatra. His eyes, red with grief as they were, still carried themselves with some kind of determination as they locked on Vatra's, and it was enough that Vatra shied away slightly under the tension. This was more like the Vaayu he knew, so determined even in the face of hardship.

"Wait a second," the elf man said. "The way you said that makes it sound like you're leaving."

Vaayu pursed his lips. His steely determination faded for a moment, but he gulped away his fear. "I am."

Both the elves drew back, eyes wide as they took in his words with slow blinks.

"But, you can't! Who will protect our village without your strength? If not for that power of yours, we would've been razed to the ground! You need to—"

Vaayu laid a hand on the burly hands of the elven man, and only stood silent as the winds rose and enveloped him in their grip before they parted just as quickly.

No longer was Vaayu in the realms of living; he returned back to his true, ghostly form as the breezes settled. He wore the same outfit he did on the day of his death, his pendant sparkled against the dawn, and that same light cascaded over him and gave his ghost a warm glow.

The elves both gasped and stepped back with wide-eyed gazes. It seemed as if they would to flee in panic, but with one smile from Vaayu, they lowered their shoulders and stood in quiet expectancy.

"There's many more places that the Arkeyans will target, not just our homelands," Vaayu explained, "and the thought of others suffering the way I did, the way we did, I just can't bear it! If I have powers as strong as these, the least I can do is use them so that others won't have to suffer the way she did" — Vaayu lowered his head, and his entire self next as he knelt before them — "so I can only apologize, for I cannot stay here in good conscious while others suffer when I know I have the power to help them."

"There is nothing to apologize for."

A firm pat on his shoulders brought Vaayu's attention to the elf man, and the warm smile on the man's face.

"Vaayu, go, and protect all Skylands as you have our home."

Vaayu let out a short gasp, and gave a hasty nod as he jumped to his feet. Once again he moved his attention to Vatra, and with a quick nod, the two of them made their way down the village path. The sound of footsteps rose behind them as more gathered back at the gates so they could cheer their thanks, and shout their well wishes and goodbyes to Vaayu.

But, Vaayu held his head high no longer. With every word he heard, he hid his face while the rest of his body trembled and swayed. The words were more a poison than a pleasure, and it ate away at him until they both walked so far that they could be heard no longer. Vaayu collapsed to his knees, and finally, he buried his head in his hands and sobbed, a sob that released that pain that he surely held for millennia.

"Tell me," Vatra asked as he took a seat on a nearby tree stump, "was that how it truly went?"

Vaayu only whimpered and shook his head. No, that was far from it.

"I, I, I ran away," Vaayu croaked. His voice grew so hoarse enough from crying that Vatra could barely hear it. "I was so scared, I left her body there and ran as far as I could. I, I never knew what became of her, of them all, after that. If I had stayed, perhaps maybe, I could have saved them!" With tears pooled at his knees, he added, "I fought for everyone else, but I couldn't even find the courage to protect my own home! I was even given the chance to save her again, and I still couldn’t do it! I, I should be ashamed of myself, and yet—"

"And yet, you still found it within you to try and make up for your past decisions," Vatra interrupted. "I'd say you've atoned enough."

Vatra knelt beside Vaayu, who lifted himself from his crying spell, and turned to Vatra with the shaking vulnerability of a scared child. Vaayu wrapped his arms around Vatra's shoulders, and Vatra pushed them both off the ground. Vaayu leaned against Vatra, and Vatra hobbled them both down the beaten dirt paths while the road ahead changed.

The endless forests and dirt changed to trails of sand that led to a beach with sparkling waters which glistened under the sun. If there was a beach ahead, Vatra had a good feeling he knew who would be there. Well, if there was anyone here. The salty tinge of sea breeze came to him first, next the crashing of waves, but not of the natural ripples and waves of the waters.

No, these waves roared like lions as they crashed against the sands, and tossed pillars of the beach into the air. A deep voice bellowed with laughter among their cries as it burst through the waves' roars. It was a voice he knew all too well…

Vatra peeked his way around a skinny palm tree and smiled.

Sure enough, Dej laid on the beach, and sparred with the waves as though they were living beings. Simple, sea-stained white and blue robes clothed Dej's body, and on closer inspection, the material seemed slightly familiar. Lightweight and waterproof, was that perhaps from Vernalia?

"Alright, take five, everyone," Dej panted as he drew back, and the waves in turn settled before him. "I'd say that was a pretty good session for today!"

"I'd say you've found quite the lovely place to stay," Vaayu remarked as he broke from Vatra's grip at last. Vaayu’s eyes sparkled as he wandered onto the beach. He paused a moment to feel the sand underneath him, and wandered back to the crystalline waters and verdant palm trees that danced in the breeze. "I haven't seen a beach quite this lovely in my entire life!"

Dej's weight shifted, yet that casual air didn't leave as he turned around a chuckled. "Yeah, this place is pre~tty nice, I'd say," he chuckled as he strode back up to Vaayu, and his smile faulted for a moment. "With the Arkeyans conquering everything in sight, it's been a lot harder to find places like this."

A glimpse of hesitation shone in Dej's eyes, and Vatra perked a brow. Perhaps he already started to realize the truth? Vatra’s undead heart skipped a beat as he wondered. Perhaps this would be the perfect time to stoke his memories and get them all out of here?

"Which is why I've got get some surfing in before it's too late!"

Just like that, Dej was gone. With one flick of his hand, a surfboard of solid ice manifested in his arms, and off he went to coast ocean waves that buckled and rose as if they bent to his whims. Somehow, Vatra shouldn't have been surprised that this musclebrain was more concerned with his athletic pursuits than the mission at hand, and yet…

"There's just no reasoning with that man," Vaayu remarked as he crossed his arms. "I always said he had nothing but muscles for brains."

Vatra bit his tongue before he could reply, for something else caught his eye across the seas. He lifted handfuls of sand from the ground, heated them till they turned to scorching, malleable glass, molded the glass into the shape of a telescope, and absorbed the heat until it was as cool as ice. Vatra lifted the telescope to his eye, and his view fell on a ship sailing on the distant sees.

The ship that was too distant to make out anything more than the basics, but he could've sworn he caught glimpses of red and gold over the horizon. Arkeyans? His undead heart beat furiously at the thought, but as the ship came closer into view, it rested.

No, the ship itself was an ordinary pirate ship with a body of wood instead of the sleek, lightweight metals that made up Arkeyan cavalry. A black flag with a skull and crossbones on it fluttered in the wind with pride, the ship reeked of stale alcohol and saltwater (a smell disgusting enough that Vatra plugged his nose at the notion), and the rowdy cries of the ship's crew carried over the winds. The ship docked at the beach with a slow creak, and a rusty black anchor leaped over the dock as it plunged into the deep blue with a mighty splash.

"Land ho, boys!" cried a pirate captain who cackled with utter glee as pirates swung off the deck by what seemed like the dozen. "Now haul yer booties in gear—we've got booty to find!"

The pirates agreed with rousing cheers as they scrambled across the island, and Vatra teleported behind a rock as he hid away. With a wave of his hands, Vaayu and Dej teleported away from their spots as well and dropped behind him, all three now firmly hidden away from the prying eyes of the pirates. A good thing, too, for they absolutely were prying!

Seadogs, cephalomen, and all sorts of other species Vatra didn't quite recognize poured out by the dozen from the ship! Regardless of species, they all scrambled along the once-pristine sands of the beach. They upturned rocks, uprooted trees, and left no nook, cranny, or space untouched.

A few nearly grazed Vatra's hiding spot, and in that moment, he caught a glimpse of unyielding, lustful greed in their beady eyes. A horrific sight, that was. Vatra shuddered at the faint recollection, yet turned his gaze back to the fronts of the beach.

There, the ship bobbed and rocked as more pirates dismounted from its deck, but among them was a large whale that immediately caught Vatra's eye—and not just because of his size. This whale's blue skin shone underneath the sun like it was freshly wet. He seemed to not have a care in the world as he hunkered off, and sat down on the beach to fish instead.

"Could that be?" Vatra gasped.

He exchanged a choice glance with Vaayu, and Vaayu shared his sentiments as they glanced back at the whale in turn. Yes, that had to be Thumpback! There was no doubt about it! That however, begot the next question. Just how in Skylands were they supposed to catch his attention and stoke his memory with all these pirates running amuck?

Well, thankfully Vatra got the answer to that question as well.

A more decorated pirate dismounted from the boat soon, and barked out orders that couldn’t be heard from Vatra's distance. Whatever those orders were, they were enough to send the pirates down the island in a massive, throbbing crowd that pulsed and shuddered like a heart. There was a moment of shouting and stampeding, but it fled as quickly as it came, and left only the peaceful sounds of moving waters and the caw of seabirds.

Vatra and Vaayu exchanged glances, took a peek around to be safe, and crept along the sands so that they drew closer and closer to the whale. The sound of low humming rumbled from the whale, and Vatra vaguely recognized the tune as a sea shanty Thumpback would occasionally hum around the base while he polished his beloved anchor. At that point, there was no doubt in Vatra's mind that this was him!

Vatra tried to raise his voice, but quickly skittered away as Thumpback's massive fishing pole drew back with a vibrant tropical fish latched to its hook. The rod swung wildly as the fish thrashed about, but Thumpback swiftly and carefully captured it in his grip. He fiddled with it for a few moments, and the fish dropped from the hook before it took wind and flew back into the ocean. Thumpback's fishing rod followed it in turn with a modest plunk back into the waves.

The waters stilled, and Vatra cleared his throat. "Hello?" he started, and when Thumpback gave him no response, he said again, "hello?"

Still nothing. Thumpback sat transfixed on the oceans before him, and laid still as a statue as he fished. The only motion came from whatever odd tropical fish happened to catch his line, and he in turn fished it out just to cast it back to sea with the odd ruminations on the species of whatever he caught.

"Hello? Excuse me?" Vaayu said as he waved his arms up and down in some faint hope of catching Thumpback's attention.

Thumpback cast a glance towards Vaayu. Vaayu immediately perked up, but Thumpback glanced back to the waves just as quickly as he glanced over, and transfixed on his fishing once again. So much for that. Vatra and Vaayu both sighed and shook their heads. If there was one thing Thumpback could get engrossed in more than anything, it was fishing.

"That guy seems pretty set on fishing out everything the ocean has to offer," Dej remarked with a whistle.

A sudden presence brushed against Vatra's back and chills ran up his spine. Dej appeared behind him, seemingly out of nowhere, and Vatra nearly jumped out of his ghostly skin from the surprise! Instead, he collected himself as Dej stretched and strode past him.

"Maybe if I messed with the ocean a little bit…"

Dej swirled his hands, and the ocean waves rattled and stirred like shaking teacups in the face of a mighty quake. The shadows and faint glimpses of fish underneath the waves shuddered and darted away as the waves leaped up and down.

Thumpback shuddered and clutched his rod a bit tighter. The rod quaked with the waves in his grip, and Thumpback's brow raised a bit. Was he finally willing to talk?

"Oh, looks like this is a big one!" Thumpback cried.

Well, he talked at least. Dej, Vatra, and Vaayu all scrambled away as Thumpback stumbled backwards. Thumpback’s grip held so tightly on his fishing rod that it might've snapped in half were it of less durable material. With one mighty yank, he pulled what looked like a small Leviathan from the waters!

The Leviathan landed on the beach's grounds with a mighty slam that tossed the sands up around them all, and Thumpback chuckled as he basked in his catch.

"Well, you're not quite a Leviathan Cloud Crab, but you're still quite the catch," Thumpback said.

He went to move the fish back to the sea, but as he did—

"ESSEX! YA LOUSY OAF!"

—Vatra, Vaayu and Dej darted behind the Leviathan as the pirate captain stumbled into view. Still, not one of them resisted peeking their heads just above the Leviathan's still top to catch a glimpse of the scene.

The pirate captain glared down Thumpback with his one remaining eye. He held himself with such an imposing stature, despite the fact that Thumpback towered over him. He wagged a finger at Thumpback and a snarl formed on his face.

"Yer supposed to be lookin' for treasure, not fish!" the pirate captain cried.

"But fish are a treasure, Captain Frightbeard!" Thumpback proclaimed. His small eyes sparkled as he gestured to the ocean. "There's so many tropical fish here that you can't find anywhere else on Skylands! The Iridescent Flyfisher, the Galactic Spiral, and let's not forget the abundant population of—"

"Do ye think I give a rat's booty about FISH? If I wanted to get some fish, I could just yank some out of Davy Jones' Locker!" Captain Frightbeard kicked up the sand with a scoff and shot Thumpback one last glare. "If ye wish to not end up a castaway, stop fiddlin' around with that rod and look fer some actual treasure!"

"... I'll be there soon, Captain Frightbeard."

"Ye best keep that promise."

Captain Frightbeard departed with a scoff, and Thumpback scoffed in turn as he pushed the Leviathan back into the ocean. He knelt down and reached for his rod soon after, but his brows quickly perked as he finally caught sight of Vatra, Vaayu and Dej underneath him.

"Oh, locals! My bad, I didn't notice you!" Thumpback beamed and scratched his head. "Don't mind me. I'm just here for the fishing."

True to his word, Thumpback sat down and tossed his rod to sea once more.

Dej sat beside him. "We saw your little talk with your boss, you know," Dej remarked as he stretched his toned arms to the sky. "Seems to me like you care more for fishing than treasure hunting, for a pirate."

"Ah, that's true," Thumpback affirmed with not a hint of regret. "I only joined because I figured traveling across Skylands would give me plenty of extra fishing spots, but I didn't realize pirating was actually part of the job."

Ah, just like Thumpback. Vatra thought as he crossed his arms. He always did think about fishing before he thought about anything else.

"Truth is, I've considered just dropping the pirate thing altogether. I don't have the eyes for treasure, and taking things from others just makes me feel bad, you know?"

Though Thumpback's voice was low as to not scare the fish, it did carry genuine remorse, and perhaps, an opportunity?

Vatra jumped in, and forced his best, most convincing grin as he glanced towards Thumpback. "You know, you don't have to stay a pirate if you don't want too! There's plenty of better ways to find good fishing spots in Skylands!"

"There are?"

Thumpback glanced down at Vatra, and Vatra took it as the prompt he needed.

"Of course! There's quite a few organizations that travel all across Skylands, and do far less morally questionable things than ransacking islands and stealing from the helpless. There's traveling fishing organizations, true, but also plenty of relief organizations, and perhaps, groups for fighting evil across Skylands?"

"Fighting evil across Skylands? That's a bit of a lofty pursuit," Dej whistled. He leaned in with an intrigued brow picked.

Vatra couldn't quite read Thumpback's expression, but he somewhat discerned a hint of curiosity from that glint, and Dej was interested as well! Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone here.

"Of course!" Vatra steepled his hands and pressed them under his chin, as if he were a diplomat that proposed some intriguing plan. "I'm sure you're aware of the Arkeyans and all the trouble they've caused in Skylands recently, correct?"

"We've have spats with them here and there, yes," Thumpback said.

Dej groaned and crossed his arms. He said no words, yet his irritated expression showed all he needed to say.

"Well, there's plenty of rebellious sorts that dedicate themselves to fighting off Arkeyan influence before it corrupts all Skylands!"

Thumpback's brow raised further as his rod gave a slight tug.

"They've pledged themselves in the Ancients' good name to protect Skylands with the powers they hold…"

The rod tugged a few more times, and Thumpback steeled himself with a purse of his lips.

"Best yet, you'll travel all across Skylands to find all the fishing spots and training areas you desire, and keep them safe from Arkeyan corruption! I'm sure you'd be a shoo-in for a recruit with strength and size like yours, and all that experience training your mind and body can surely be put to use amid their ranks! You'd be recruited in a heartbeat! Why, you'd be up there with the Ancient Elementals in Skylands' memory if you did, I'm certain!"

Thumpback sputtered out as his rod continued to tug, and his expression wavered for a moment.

"I, I…"

Vatra eagerly nodded. "You accept?"

"I'VE GOT ANOTHER BIG ONE! HOLD ON!"

Thumpback's sudden shout cleared everyone out once more. A shadow cast over them as Thumpback pulled an adolescent Leviathan out from the oceans, and tossed it on the beach. The impact was so great that sand cascaded over them in a crashing wave, and Vatra found himself drowned in the results.

Vatra spat out sand as the waves conceded. Oh, he hated sand. It was all coarse, irritating stuff that got everywhere whether beings liked it or not, and he had half a mind to blow it away.

He didn't need to, for Thumpback tossed the Leviathan back into the ocean, and it left with a massive splash of water that washed the sand from Vatra's person.

"That sounds like something I'll have to think about, but for now, please be quiet," Thumpback remarked as he took his seat once more. "I think you're scaring the fish."

"But, don't you remember?" Vaayu sputtered in utter bafflement as he circled around Thumpback. "You're not some fishing pirate! You're Thumpback, one of the Elder Elementals! You're a heralded hero of Skylands and one of our strongest allies!" Vaayu glanced aside. "And perhaps one of our most stubborn as well."

"I think you have the wrong guy. I'm not some big hero or anything. I'm just an ordinary pirate, well, as ordinary as a giant whale could be, anyways."

Thumpback got a small chuckle out of this remark, but Vaayu didn't find it quite as funny. He pinched his brows, and trudged over to where Vatra stood as he huddled together with him. They exchanged a glance, one that said all the words that Vatra would soon utter.

"We need a new plan. This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"But, what?" Vaayu asked.

That was a good question. Vatra cast Thumpback a weary gaze, and then a similar one to Dej, who sat beside Thumpback and watched him fish with a small child's curiosity. Why did Vatra get the most stubborn members of the group, he had to wonder? Was this another divine punishment from the Ancients for denying his duty?

Vatra sighed and tried to rack his brain, but as he did, his ears pricked up. A whistling, or maybe shrieking sound came from the distance. Vatra quickly tackled Vaayu to the ground as a cutlass flew towards him like an Arkeyan's light bullets! The cutlass lodged itself in the ground and wiggled in place, but Vatra only barely glimpsed at it before he scanned the beaches for its owner.

"There's beings here after all!" cried a particularly hoarse voice.

Vatra lifted his gaze, and found the pirate crew gathered together with wide eyes, even wider snarls, and all sorts of weapons brandished. Cutlasses and pistols, crossbows and daggers, all the usual rife. He'd dealt with far worse.

"Me bets they're here to steal me treasure!" cried a kelp monster who wore an eyepatch and bandanna as it shuffled to the front.

"Don't ye mean our treasure?" a seadog beside it asked with a wary glance.

The kelp monster stopped shaking its fist to the sky, and furiously shook its head. "Never mind that! Make them walk the plank!"

The pirates all cheered in agreement and raced off in a flash! The sand kicked up underneath them as they brandished their weapons, and Vatra in turn raised fists that quickly ignited with crisp flames. The whoosh of wind sounded beside him as Vaayu lifted up and flew off, and Vatra in turn cast his flames!

The pirates raced for him, but as they did, the flames came for them! The fires latched onto their weapons first, next skin and clothes, and soon they found themselves screaming and flailing about like headless cockatrices!

The sands heated to a warm red underneath the pirates’ feet as they cried for some relief. It seemed as though they were mostly finished when a massive downpour of water crashed down from the heavens, and completely drenched them! The sudden shower sent them off their balance for a few moments, but where did it come from? There wasn't a cloud in the sky!

A small chuckle and the sound of dripping water came from behind Vatra, and he turned around to find that Dej once again sneaked behind him. However, no longer was he of the living realm! His form turned ghostly once more while his pendant shone from its place on his neck, and his death outfit took its place on the rest of his body. He sneered and rubbed his nose before he strode up, and slapped a hand on Vatra's shoulder.

"That sure refreshed my memory!" Dej remarked. "Guess all I needed was a good fight!"

Ah, Dej and his muscles for brains. Vatra tsked and shot him a glare, but made not a word as he turned his hands on the disoriented pirates while they shook themselves dry. He could probably get a sneak attack in now! Vatra strode forward and shot out a disc of fire, and the winds around it grew violent as he did!

They howled and clawed at the world around as they fed into the disc of fire. The disc grew larger, stronger, and raged bright like the sun as it slammed into the ground! A ring of fire morphed from where the disc landed, and the pirates seemed trapped. They glanced for a moment, but a whistle sounded as a gigantic parrot descended from the heavens!

The parrot extinguished the flames with a flap of its wings, narrowed its gaze, and darted straight for Vatra and Dej! Its massive talons pinned them both to Thumpback's leg before they could react, and it cawed over them as if it lorded in its victory. Oh, Vatra never liked birds.

The parrot quirked a brow, and raised its wings as something crashed into the sands below: Vaayu! Vaayu groaned, and staggered up as the pirates surrounded them all.

Above Vatra, the gigantic parrot flew back up with another whistle, and a particularly decorated seadog staggered up.

"Ah, good old Polly! Ye can always count on her to get the job done~" he crooned.

Vatra winced, pressed himself closer to Thumpback's leg, and glanced back up at Thumpback. Despite all the chaos, Thumpback was still as stone! Well, if there was any time to try and get him back in his right mind, it would be now.

"Thumpback! Now would be the time to help out here!" Vatra cried, but to no avail.

Thumpback seemed completely transfixed on the waves still while the pirates closed in all around them. Ugh, of all the times for him to be absorbed in his fishing!

Vatra had half a mind to curse Thumpback out where he stood, but in his current position, Vatra's concern was more so towards the crowds of pirates that encircled him. He gulped as one pirate pressed a cutlass dangerously close to his neck, and then to his pendant.

"Say, that's a fine crystal yer little necklace's made of!" jeered the pirate. "I bet I could get some nice, shiny gold off of this!"

The cutlass made its way down the pendant's surface, and its tip gently lifted the wheel. A sudden dizziness came over Vatra as the wheel drew closer and closer to the pirate, and further and further from him. Spots danced in his vision as the string around it frayed.

Vatra gasped for air, for help, for anything—and the feeling stopped. A shadow cast over the ground in his dizzied moments, and a gigantic fish crashed onto the beach as it flattened the pirates where they stood! The cutlass fell to the ground with a helpless clang, and Vatra's consciousness came back soon afterwards.

A small chuckle arose up above, and Thumpback smiled as he got up. He tossed his latest catch back into the ocean with only an indent in the sand full of dizzy, sprained pirates as remnant of its existence. He gently pushed the pirates aside, and scowled as the sound of hurried running scuffled across the beach.

"Essex! What in Davy Jones' good name do ye think yer doin'?" Captain Frightbeard demanded as he shook a fist at Thumpback. "With the way yer actin', it's like ye want to get thrown off the ship!"

"I do, actually," Thumpback proclaimed. He cleared his throat, knelt down, and glared at Captain Frightbeard with a sort of tranquil anger not usually seen in his small eyes. "In fact, consider this my letter of resignation."

Thumpback drew back his claws, and shot Captain Frightbeard right into the oceans' waters with a single flick! Captain Frightbeard screamed and spat out all sorts of pirate insults as he splashed around in the ocean waves, but it was clear that he was far from an adept swimmer. He sank with every insult he spat and every splash he made. Soon, Captain Frightbeard disappeared under the bobbing waves, and his cries became nothing more than bubbles on the ocean's surface.

Thumpback chuckled a low, proud chuckle as he turned back to Vatra, Vaayu and Dej.

"I’ve always wanted to do that," Thumpback admitted. He scratched his head and knelt down with a smile. "Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. This place has some good fishing, and I just couldn't resist getting a few throws in."

Fishing? That was what Thumpback ignored them for? Vatra shouldn't have been surprised, yet he could only shake his head in disbelief. Beside him, Vaayu groaned and Dej sighed as he held his head. Similar sentiments shared, he supposed.

"Anyways, I'm sure you're probably itching to get off this place." Thumpback slung his anchor over his shoulder. With a grunt, he lifted himself and his gaze towards the pirate ship Frightbeard left behind. "I do believe we have more allies we need to find, don't we?"

"Indeed," Vatra replied.

Thumpback drew over to the steering wheel, fiddled with something at the helm, and set the drawbridge out once more. He glanced down as if offering for Vatra, Vaayu and Dej to hop aboard, but only for a moment as he fiddled with a few more ship mechanisms.

"Now, Captain Frightbeard actually had another place he wanted to stop at before this little detour, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind the trip. How does a trip to the Dinya Jîyan û Mirin sound?"

Dinya Jîyan û Mirin? That was Nemir's homeland, and surely where he'd currently be!

Vatra raced up the gangplank without a second thought, and Dej and Vaayu followed in similar thought. The two got themselves settled beside Vatra as the gangplank receded back into the ship.

With a rattle and a switch's flick, the ship's paddles drew into its body as well! Out from their vacant spots came sails that fluttered with the single breeze they caught, and the ship cast itself into the skies with a single stroke of those sails! The clouds burst as the ship tore through them, but soon, all became peaceful once more.

The skies dipped into their evening hues of pinks and orange, golds and reds, and the breezes settled along with the peace of the evening. After how hectic things were prior, the sudden calm was a welcome change for Vatra, who sat down and slunk against one of the stray barrels on the ship.

He would've drifted off for a small nap, but the ship jerked down and nearly tossed him off as soon as he did! He grappled for the railing as the winds carried him up, and slammed against the ship's deck as it finally settled. With a groan, he pushed himself up, and turned around to find Vaayu and Dej who recovered from their own collisions with groans and faces buried in hands.

"Here's our stop," Thumpback said as he flicked a switch and sent out the gangplank once more. "Sorry about the rough parking, by the way. It's been a while since I've steered something as fancy as this."

Vatra only groaned out an insult even he didn't recognize in his surge of pain. He stumbled off the drawbridge, and looked up as he touched solid ground at last. Lively conversation swelled in front of him, and the sound of others drew him towards the villages.

Though he'd just been to the Dinya Jîyan û Mirin, here it looked more like how Vatra remembered seeing it in scrolls and atlases. The buildings were striped in violets and silvers, and glowed with an eerie light that only grew brighter against the dying light of day. The faint smell of undead blooms wafted in the air. Perhaps what was most akin to his prior visions of it, however, was that both the living and dead mingled together as one!

A skeleton merchant traded idle chatter with an elf at their stand while some ghostly and corporeal children kicked an old ball down the streets. An aged molekin happily nuzzled another molekin's ghost on a bench. Near the end, plenty of living and dead alike crowded and cheered with glee as a certain figure dressed in colorful robes and a monarch's jewels passed through…

Nemir! He looked almost identical to how he did upon death, yet he almost seemed like a completely different person as he greeted the living and undead around him. The wear and tear of age was no longer present on his body; there was not a wrinkle on his face, or a streak of gray in his hair, and he carried himself with a lively step as he passed through. Yet, there was no denying that he still held the sort of eye-catching presence that royalty tended to carry as all eyes turned to him—Vatra's included.

"My liege! My liege!" cried a voice in the distance.

Vatra raised a brow as someone tall and dressed in ornamental robes swept through the streets with an urgent speed. He shook his head as the being came further into view.

There before him laid Ninjini! Her scarlet hair was dolled up in an elaborate hairstyle, and her usual attire traded off for regal purple robes in similar styles to that of what the village's other residents wore. The other villagers all gathered around her with worried looks and chatter as she cleared her throat.

"High Priestess Fatimah, what is the trouble?" Nemir asked as he turned to Ninjini.

"I've received a vision, and it's a grave one." Ninjini clasped her hands and pursed her lips as if she wasn't sure how to break the news, but gathered her breath. "You and I will soon depart from the lands to go on a grand journey, one that will take us far, far away from here. It's uncertain if we'll ever return home, or that we'll even live to be able to do so!"

The citizens around all gasped, and their cheers of joy turned to cries of worry and sorrow. Faint whispers of the king leaving and fear of what would become of the town reached Vatra's ears, but at his distance, he could barely make out the conversation. Vatra crept forward to try and get a better grip of the conversation, yet Nemir silenced the crowds with a single shush and a motion of his hands—truly a king's power.

"Fret not, everyone," Nemir proclaimed in an authoritative tone. "I know well what the vision means."

Nemir raised a brow and smiled as he turned his gaze to meet Vatra's. Vatra glanced away. He was uncertain as to whether or not Nemir truly looked at him, specifically, but when Nemir shifted through to crowds to join Vatra at his side, Vatra became well aware.

So, Vatra nodded and met Nemir's solemn glance with one of his own. Nemir cleared his throat as crowds gathered around him with worried eyes.

"It's true that I will have to depart, for Skylands needs my wisdom as much as you did, and the same is true of High Priestess Fatimah." Nemir's gaze faltered, but he picked himself back up with a smile. "Fret not. You have all grown splendidly under my watch, and I have no doubt that my advisors will be able to continue my work for me. The wisdom I've passed on to you, you must now pass on to the new generations in my steed. Most of all, however, keep each other safe, so that I can protect Skylands with an easy mind."

The crowds all broke in rousing cheers and sobs of joy, but Nemir quickly turned away and joined Vatra at his side. A chilling wind blew around him, and a swarm of ghosts circled around Nemir just to disappear as fast as they came. What was left behind was Nemir, the true Nemir, with his ghostly form and looks aged by all the bloodshed and war he saw. He sighed as he toyed with his pendant, but nonetheless swept down the streets in a way that implied he wanted Vatra to follow.

"Your subjects seem to hold you in high regard," Vatra remarked as they strode down. "I'm sure you were a fine ruler."

"It's nothing to brag about. I merely did what was best for them," Nemir replied. He laid down his pendant, and both his eyes and his crown seemed a little duller. "I just hope they'll be happy in the time I'm gone. After all, I wasn't able to protect them back then."

It was strange to hear Nemir talk about these illusions of subjects as if they were of reality, but Vatra nodded and continued. If it helped Nemir cope with the loss, Vatra supposed it was something he could entertain.

Not that he had to entertain it much, for they quickly arrived to where Thumpback parked. Ninjini already changed back into her regular attire and teleported there. She stood enthralled in riveting conversation with the others when Nemir and Vatra caught her eyes. She waved them over, and Vatra shared with her a nod as they all boarded the ship and set sail.