“Spirit Walker. Why have you come?"

"Lady Nenhym." Lin bowed slightly up the woman that was seated on the obsidian throne before acknowledging the person that was standing to her right.

"I said to speak." The commanding voice did not have any pressure in it, but it rang with an authority that was not to be disobeyed without consequences. However, Lin was unfazed and only kept a respectful smile on his face.

“I have come to ask if you would be lenient to the humans below.” Lin bowed slightly. “At the very least, retract your domain so that the surrounding area is not in a state of constant night.”

“You are asking a Great Spirit to hold back?” Nenhym crossed her arms and legs, bemused at Lin’s request. “This is war, Spirit Walker, and your kind once called me ‘Bringer of the Final Twilight’. Centuries ago, do you not recall your actions against your own brothers and sisters?”

“I remember, and I still wish to give them a chance to surrender.” Lin placed a hand against his chest and nodded. “They were my own selfish actions, and I will not make excuses for what I’ve done, especially for the sake of love.”

“Love… it is the worst human emotion possible. It scorches your soul, leaving a taint that cannot be washed away.” Nenhym raised a finger and a ball of black flames danced in front of her.

“Like specks of the darkest fire that engulfs one, erupting and blazing out of control. ” Lin could see the traces of madness in Nenhym’s eyes, but he only felt sympathy for the Night Princess.

“Then you will understand why I have come to ask for mercy. The people below us believe they are fighting to protect those they love.” Lin persuaded. “For the one that stands beside you, cannot you look the other way once again?”

“You have grown soft-hearted, Spirit Walker.” The ball of flame that emitted silvery light winked out of existence as Nenhym reclined in her chair. “You know as well as I do that the longer we drag this out, the more casualties there will be. If both Lumnieve and I acted at our full power, this matter would end in a matter of a few days.”

“But yes, we are here to amend the mistakes of the past, even if they were done by someone else.” Nenhym continued after seeing Lin’s face. “You need not worry. I am not a monster, even if your kind thinks of me as one. Lumnieve and I shall put a righteous end to this tale.”

“I appreciate your mercy.” Lin bowed in courtesy.

“You will excuse my lack of mercy if someone invades my home.” Nenhym shot back, at which Lin tactfully nodded. That was a right, and it would be outrageous to not allow one to defend their home.

“Very well. Then we have an agreement.” Nenhym clapped her hands and the tension in the air lifted.

“Still on the side of humans, are you?” Their business concluded, Nenhym turned the conversation to other matters. She gestured for him to sit, and there was already an obsidian table with drinks set up in the matter of moments.

“Is it part of that contract eons past, or is it of your own will?”

“Both spirits and I have always been on the side of humankind.” Lin replied as he sat down. He took the initiative to pour Nenhym a drink, before serving himself. “We just had different methods of going about it. Despite all our differences, our intentions are all the same.”

“You humans are always bound by desire and emotions. Did you not betray us for that very reason? Wouldn’t you say that we are the ones more on the side of humans?” Nenhym accused, but it was a light prod and not a sharp jab.

“Perhaps so. We, humans, are prone to many external factors.” Lin sipped his drink, finding the alcoholic content to be higher than he had expected. “But that is precisely what makes us both strong and weak at the same time.”

“Is there a reason why you asked Lumnieve to be the one to invade the human capital instead of I?” Nenhym changed the flow of the conversation. “If it was me, then I could have just taken the Night Citadel right over the source of the problem.”

“If you did that, then the Shadowless and Shadeless will wake up in your presence. The citizens would not even have time to retreat.”

“You make things troublesome, Spirit Walker. If it was I, I would eradicate the entire city and the problem. The humans will know nothing, and the disappearance of ‘Ellivita’ would be remembered as a legend in history. ”

“Sometimes making one’s presence known itself is a powerful deterrent. I have seen the world of humans in the past few months, and the world needs a reminder that there are yet greater forces at work. We must not forget that age of invasions, especially when both you and I depart this world.”

“You and I, we have both seen and lost much.” Nenhym nodded and sighed. “Are you planning to open the portal?”

“No, unless there is a dire need to.” Lin finished his drink. “Relics of the past older than you and I should remain in slumber.”

“Perhaps I’ll hand off that torch to someone else in the future.” A certain individual flashed in Lin’s mind but he washed that thought away.

"A familiar face." After leaving Airen alone, prowling the tables of food and drink, Neair made his way towards one particular group. The bodyguards standing nearby gave Neair a wary look before walking forward to block his path.

"Let him pass. He arrived with Mister Airen, so he must be a good friend or teacher." A familiar female voice called out.

"I am Khema, of the line of Hestel." Airen's opponent gave a polite courtesy towards Neair. "This is my younger sister, Escha. And my father, Henry Hestel."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." The tall man called Henry stood up and offered a hand in politeness. Even though the head of the Hestel line did not know who this man in front of him was, anyone that can claim a VIP seat in this viewing platform was people of great power, or great connections.

"Just an old hermit. I am Neair." Fieluri played along and shook the man's hand. Her real purpose here was for someone else entirely.

"Why has such a great master such yourself graced us with his presence?" Khema smiled and probed Neair's intentions. There was nothing wrong with the man's looks or demeanor, but it was a perfection that made one uneasy.

"I am here to have a word and collect a debt." Neair smiled and Henry suddenly had a very bad premonition. He exchanged looks with Khema but the look on his daughter's face was as flabbergasted as he was.

"Have we met before?" Henry asked.

"One of you have." Neair's eyes turned towards the youngest girl that had not moved to greet him, instead curling up in her seat like a scared child. Whether it was because she was young and sensitive, or because she recognized Fieluri's tone of voice, she pretended to not be part of the conversation.

"Escha…?" Khema's voice quickly turned cold as she confronted her younger sister. "What did you do? "

"He. He is…" The young noble girl recalled the scene of her begging for her life and the trauma assaulted her in waves.

"...someone I owe my life." Escha seemed to grab hold of herself and forced the words out. She had planned to say more but an unbidden voice in her mind warned her of what would happen if she did.

“Why, I am just glad that you managed to make it back safely.” Neair grinned, but it was a two-faced action. “But of course, we can settle the debt later. I am afraid I must run off now since my disciple is causing trouble.”

After Neair left, both Henry and Khema started to interrogate Khema.

It was not good for a noble lineage to owe another, lest there be rumors of incompetency or weakness.

However.. the line of Hestel was not one that treated its own with favor.

A different time… A different place.

“Nolg’ona… This is what’s left of my home land…” One of the group of truth-seekers held up a beautiful pendant, and the center blue emerald emitted a brilliant magical light that illuminated the entirety of the gigantic underground cavern.

Two hundreds of years had passed since that fated battle. In the eleventh hour, the white spire in which the Scholar of the Blue Crest resided had started to gather immense magical energy. Tendrils and bolts of immense power had gathered at the tip, before releasing a nova of destructive powers. All of their enemies disintegrated where they stood, but the price was immense and even tore the land asunder. The city and the land around the city, including the Lou Ona lake had disappeared, leaving a barren plain in its place.

Many of the descendants of that city returned, seeking to figure out where it had disappeared and, at last, they had found the lost city of Nolg’ona. Despite nobody ever figuring out what exactly had transpired, they had discovered that it had been transported deep underground.

“Wait, are those… people?” Humanoid figures attracted by the light seemed to emerge from the city ruins. “There are people that managed to survive the blast? Have they been living down here all this time?”

However, the people among the ruins did not approach. Instead, after seeing the group of armed individuals, they returned to their dwellings and barred the entrances.

“To live in this darkness for decades… it's only fair that they would be cautious of others.” One of the truth-seekers sighed.

At that moment, there was a shadow that approached them, and at a closer look, it was a young girl with strange tattoos on her cheeks.

“Hello, young one.” One of the men held up his hands to show he was unarmed, but the child did not seem to care. Instead, she pulled on the man’s arm, seemingly dragging him towards one of the dwellings with a sense of fear and urgency.

“What’s she trying to say?” At the same time, she spoke in an incomprehensible language. Before they could try to decipher her actions, the woman’s mother quickly appeared and dragged her away. At the same time, there were slight changes in the city.

“Wait- we mean no harm!” The leader of the expedition called out to the woman. As if in brief hesitation, the woman turned back and spared a hestant glance.

“Run…. before it awakes.” The woman could clearly understand their language, but the way she spoke was low and guttural as if she was using a language that had been long forgotten through lack of use. “The one who governs reason-

But as if time had run out, the woman turned her gaze towards one of the distant spires. Without hesitation she pushed away her child as a ray of light shot from the tallest tower, disintegrating her on the spot without a sound.

“What in-”

A second after, another ray of light disintegrated the speaker.

On an old scroll secreted away in a dusty old corner of the world.

The Great Spirits often are given the name of Prince or Princess. There are many theories on why they were given such a name as they very seldomly refer to themselves in the same. One theory states that it is an incomplete translation of how the spirits refer to themselves ‘Siru’, but following that train of thought, it would mean every spirit would be titled a prince or princess.

Another theory comes from the positions that the Spirits took in the human world. Often they hold powerful positions in the court of kings and queens, but that was the weakest explanation.

The true explanation is that it is a term coined by those closest to the spirits, the group of individuals called ‘Enchanters’. Refer to the tome ‘On Enchantments and Enchanters’ for further details on that ancient society.

Although many Great Spirits are known by their forename, the Prince and Princess title is one bestowed on by humans. The concept of titles to a spirit is a very foreign influence to them, as the closest thing that they have in their tongue is ‘One who Does. An example would be one who traverses the spirit world, one that sleeps for a long time, one that dreams of another world. In the human tongue, this is something vague and formless, but in the society of spirits, it is the greatest way to determine a spirit’s worth.

However, every spirit has a full name that is almost unknown to humans. It is said that when a spirit speaks their full name, they can even bend the laws of nature. Although truthfully, that is not saying much as they themselves are representations of the powers of nature. It is said whenever their name is spoken, the spirit would be able to see and sense who spoke their name.

Many bonds forged between Enchanters and Spirits involve the exchange of this name, for it is to entrust one’s very being, or to bring one’s being to crush all that stands before them.

This applies to all spirits, and even the Greats. When a Great brings their full name to bear, it is always the sign of a great battle to commence.

The below are the known names of the Great Spirits known thus far…

The paper below is ineligible, with holes where it looks like a list of names should have been.

“I concede.” Eullina raised both her hands and let go of her daggers. She was sprawled on the ground after Rureya had managed to get behind her and destroy her balance.

“You need to watch your back more.” Rureya smiled as she slipped her leg out of Rureya’s knee and offered her a hand. “It’s good to keep an eye on your enemy's blind spots, but you have to keep an eye on your own as well.”

“Even so, if your opponent is faster and more experienced than you- there’s a big gap to make up for.” Eullina brushed herself off. Rureya was the type of opponent that would get into your face and not give you anytime to think or cast spells.

“It’s just how those with beast blood fight. You can say it has some advantages and plenty more disadvantages. There are many high ranked half-blood beastfolk that cannot become a DIvine Being because they aren’t able to master their use of magic.”

“Everyone has their own aptitudes.” Eullina nodded as she offered Rureya some water. As she watched her friend drink, her mind wandered and she opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.

“You look like you want to ask something.” Rureya smiled. “You are one of my few friends, so feel free to speak openly.”

“Airen.” Eullina blurted out. “He’s been growing at impossible speeds and he always seems to have a second instinct in battle. Don’t you find that it’s unnatural?”

“No.” Rureya shook her head. “War, battles, and conflicts are things that have existed since. Everyone has their own ways of fighting.”

“Me-” Rureya pointed to herself. “I have beast blood of a Feline. This gives me heightened reflexes, better eyesight, and a natural sensitivity to others. However, I’m not very proficient with magic, can’t stand extreme temperatures, and get distracted by flying objects easily. But I had to grow strong because I had grown up as a slave, and my role was to protect.”

“You-” Rureya pointed to Eullina. “You have a natural proficiency with both light and darkness magic, and you wield two weapons that you seem to pull out of nowhere. You’re a natural trickster in combat, and if I haven’t seen all your moves already, then I wouldn’t have much of a chance. You seeked strength out of necessity and for revenge.”

“Rowan-” Rureya paused for a moment. “He’s a mid-ranged duelist that specializes in restrictive and debilitating magic. If you give him the time to cast a spell, then you will have likely lost already. His strength comes from maintaining prestige and a noble’s bearing.”

“And Airen…” Rureya paused even longer. “He uses strange magic that has never been seen before, and I have seen him use every weapon known to man and is proficient with it. He has the makings of a weapons master, yet he leaves you guessing what exactly he can do.”

“It is not unnatural to grow strong, but we all have our reasons why. The only reason you feel so strange towards him is that you don’t know for what reason he seeks strength. Right?”

“...You seem to be pretty insightful at times, Rureya.”

“Only on the matters of relationships and watching others.” Rureya smiled sadly.

In one of the many barracks of the Red Slate Republic’s public affairs branch.

“There’s been more reports of missing persons lately…”

“From who?”

“Mainly the poor. Nobody has made a fuss over it yet, but the complaints are starting to grab attention.”

“Bah. It’s probably just those in the slums again trying to kick up a fuss. The missing people would probably end up in a gladiator arena somewhere, being used as whores in a brothel, or if they’re lucky, in one of the richer family’s ‘employment’.”

“There are also reports from the big families that own major plots of land in the northwestern districts. Claims of dying livestock and plagued crops alongside the occasional missing slave.”

“Nobles are at it again with their petty little games, but we should at least make an appearance. Send a small squad to investigate and report back.”

“...Sir, don’t you think this is related to that incident?”

“You mean the one where a Flesh Golem appeared in the middle of the city? That’s confidential information locked by the Three-Eye Corps. We have a good relationship with them, but they’ve asked us not to spread anything.”

“It looks like the higher-ups are brewing conflict again, and we won’t hear anything till it finally overwhelms us all.”

“That’s just how the game is. With some luck, after another year of this mess, you can inherit my position and I can retire.”

“But boss! What are we gonna do without you?”

“Not my problem!”

“By the goddess, why are we assigned such pointless duties?” Veona complained to Tedore. “I thought being a crow would be about spying and stealing information, not guarding a caravan of corpses.”

“This came from one of the Six Sisters, so there’s clearly a reason for it.” Tedore sighed. “You really need to learn to look beyond the meaningless and see what’s actually going on.”

The ‘caravan’ they were escorting looked like a normal series of carriages in the front, but there was nothing living within. These were all victims of the Shadowless Blight, and it was decreed that their bodies be burned in a holy fire so that the disease would not spread.

“There’s only one reason why Crows would be assigned to dealing with such trivial matters. “ Tedore pointed to the rest of his team who had been silent throughout. “Put some thought into it.”

WIth Tedore’s admonishment, Veona stuck out her tongue but did not say anything more.

“Are these the rest of them? Bring them over here.” It wasn’t long until they came to a gigantic volcano-shaped crematorium next to a graveyard. In the Holy Land of Ecclisa, it was a custom to bury their dead, but with the High Priestess’s commandments, that was no longer an option.

“We’ll be here for a while, so make yourself comfortable.” Without any regard for the dead, Tedore used one of the flat headstones as a seat as he watched the Gravekeepers, the names of those that follow the Graveknight that once served under Ecclisa, pull the bodies out of the caravan one-by-one.

“Child of Ecclisa, taken from us by cruel affliction, may the goddess illuminate your soul and grant you a peaceful end, and may she guide you into her warm embrace-” One of the priests started to give the deceased their last rites. It was a solemn prayer, but with the sheer number of Gravekeeper Priests, it turned to a symphony of jumbled voices. As soon as one priest finished their routine, they would write down the name of the deceased on a ceramic jar and pass it along to the one tending the different crematories.

And without any pomp and circumstance, the deceased would be tossed into the flames like a bundle of firewood. The raging heat would rend them into ash, which was then scooped up by one of the helpers wearing flame-resistant gear, and tossed into the ceramic jar.

Death was sacred and usually the families of the deceased would be near to see their loved ones go- but this was the reality of war.

Tedore looked at the piles of ceramic jars, each carved with a name and let out a long sigh. He knew the reason why the Crows were assigned this task.

“It’s barbaric,” Veona spoke out the words that many wanted to say, but could not speak out of duty. “The Church can say that each individual would get their own funeral, but this is just a mass grave.”

“These are civilians killed by the blight, Veona,” Tedore said quietly. She did not hear his words, but some of his fellow Crows did, and they looked away from the sight of the ashes and steeled their hearts.

As soon as someone died from the Shadowless Plague, their families were not even given time to mourn. The Church had made the excuse that the dead bodies were spreaders of the disease, but the Crows and high echelon knew the real reasons why.

"You are an absolute fool, Satti." La'el snorted as they 'acquired' new seats. "I don't want to end up watching my back at night because of your blunders. What are you thinking insulting not one but two people that were given seats directly by the Six Swords?"

"I didn't know they were the two that were personally invited," Satti mumbled. "How would I even know? They were dressed in cloaks and shabby ones..."

“Not everyone travels around strutting like a rooster looking for mates.” La’el rolled her eyes as she gave him a kick to his shin. “My father this, my father that, don’t you have any shame that you need someone else’s name to elevate your own?”

“I am the son of a general. Of course, that should have some perks.” Satti snorted indignantly. “Even if a single person is stronger than his peers, it’s pointless when fighting against a hundred of them.”

“You’re talking from someone that hails from the Nation of Mages, Ibilia.” La'el rolled her eyes. “A single elite battalion of mages from my country can annihilate fifty battalions of your swordsmen.”

“What if it’s a hundred, or two hundred?” Satti shot back. “Your country’s military is mighty in strength and techniques, but ours will throw bodies at you until they are overwhelmed.”

“For the sake of our association, I will make no comment about a country that uses slaves as part of its military.” La'el rolled her eyes. “If my father and yours were not old friends, I would not even be standing next to scu- ignorant nobles like you either.”

“Hmph, what do you know? You do know it is thanks to us that you managed to attend this event, right?”

La’el did not comment, but there was deep-seated scorn in her eyes.