The coach slowed to a stop and Damien looked out the left window. Turning his eyes forward, the road they were on curved along to the left and there was a procession of other coaches, all ranging from Bronze to Gold, waiting in line in front of them up to a point where it looked like they would stop, unload, and then depart. The coach they were currently riding in was the only one above Gold in the line.

"What is all of that about?" he asked Oryen, turning to look at the matching couple before him.

"It is the introduction, of course," Oryen responded. "Oh! Dear, the young Ms. Duflos escorted by her father and Sriel. So he finally comes out with it, I am happy for the man," he continued, turning to his wife as she nodded back to him.

Damien lifted his eyebrow in confusion, wondering what the Celestial was talking about. He'd not heard-

'Right...'

His eyebrow went back to its normal position.

"She is a good woman," Petrina stated bluntly. "Pushes the man to be better, takes care of his affairs that he cannot attend to due to his hectic lifestyle... He is lucky," she finished with a nod.

Damien sat, almost surprised enough at the sheer quantity of words that had come out of the woman's mouth to make a remark. That was the most she'd ever spoken in his presence since they'd met, but he wasn't suicidal enough to say that.

'She has a pleasant voice.'

"Wait, escorted?" Damien asked.

Oryen nodded.

"We are yours, apparently," he said with a chuckle. "Our daughter wants us to accept you, so she is making us do everything with you. Not the best tactic, but it's either this or argue with her, right?"

"Fair enough," Damien sighed out as the coach slowly advanced forward. "Brute force is usually her go-to with problems."

"Well what about Taylor?" Kastra asked. "Or Jordan? Robin? Dani-"

"No, no, no. No more suggestions, we have to get ready," Alexa interrupted, causing Kastra to roll her eyes.

"It's not like we have to be on time, and this is more fun," the Fae protested with a pout.

"Lexi is right, though," Emily countered with a sigh from where she sat on the bed, cross-legged. "But you are cute when you complain like that."

Kastra grinned.

The three were in Alexa and Damien's room, supposedly dressing. At least that was what they'd told Garrett when they'd locked him out. And when he'd knocked on the door thirty minutes later.

Instead, they'd been sitting around and catching up for the past hour, telling stories and asking question after question, eventually leading to talking about the newest family member. Damien and Alexa's parents had just left, and considering the time, they'd be missing introductions if they didn't get ready soon.

"At least tell us whether we are getting a little brother or sister," Alexa randomly demanded, pivoting her body on the bed to stare intently at Emily.

"I thought we had no time?" Emily asked with a shake of her head.

"We don't for a long-winded conversation but... oh just tell us already, we won't tell Damien. We promise, right?" Alexa pleaded.

Kastra nodded her head to that and Emily stopped shaking her head, looked up, and smirked.

"Alright, but if he asks, I never told anyone."

Kastra and Alexa eagerly nodded and awaited the response. They'd get ready after this, surely. Afterward.

"Damien Tearen, escorted by Mr. and Mrs. Oryen N'moran!" a giant Kreel female shouted out, applause ringing out from all around.

"Oh? Oryen and Petrina are escorting Damien? Already that close? I had hoped things would be less advanced like they appeared at the teleportation array. I am sorry for suggesting you try to win him over darling," Carien spoke to his right side, where his daughter was standing, arm locked in his.

"It's fine... You said only to try if I found him acceptable, anyway. And they aren't exactly close either. From what I've heard, they only just met."

Carien glanced down to his daughter and back at the man coming down the long walkway. He certainly looked uncomfortable, and Petrina did seem unhappy with the arrangement. The only one in good spirits out of the three was Oryen and that... that made perfect sense.

Stone guardians were on either side of the walkway and stopped about fifty feet from the coaches, giving way to instructors and faculty clapping and smiling. Black carpet was down the center of the walkway and led to a large outside venue. People sat at tables and on couches that were strewn about, meant for a large casual outdoor tea setting. Once introductions were done, they'd all follow the carpet further inside a couple of excessively decorated double doors to an area that had been repurposed to host this event.

Carien and his group had already been inside and come back out. Currently, they were standing around one of the couches mingling with a few of the other patrons waiting for the time for introductions to come to an end. Twenty more minutes and they'd be heading inside, probably.

"Well then, I suppose you still have a fighting chance if Petrina makes her give him up, don't you?" Carien asked.

"I won't," Gianna said with a shrug. "He has a second already and... well, Alexa is willing to give up her mother for him. She's already asked for the tradition to be pushed back till her hundredth birthday and I have a feeling she won't be coming back then if it's up to her, either."

Carien hung his head and sighed before lifting it back up and smiling while looking at the young gentleman walk down the carpet.

"Then so be it, his loss. You don't seem too broken up about it in any case, so I'm glad."

Another family was called out as the N'morans and Damien reached about halfway down their stroll. The boy still appeared unhappy with the situation, causing Carien to grin.

"How has Gallion been by the way? I haven't seen him or his father around. I'd like to talk to them."

Carien felt the arm attached to his tighten a little, and then loosen again.

"He's fine. They won't be here."

"Fine? Why aren't they attending? I heard they'd attended almost every year. Has school been treating him well this year? Has he considered ever coming back for a vis-"

"He's fine, dad," Gianna interrupted testily. "We don't talk much anymore. Sort of grew apart after everything..."

Carien nodded while taking the multiple hints and stopped pressing her for information, looking back toward Damien and the N'morans who had just finished their walk. If she didn't want to talk about it, so be it.

"Damien!" Gianna yelled out, waving the young man over when he got within earshot.

"Thankkkk you," Carien whispered right before his daughter dropped his arm to go and greet her friend.

"Hey Gianna, how goes it?" Damien asked with a wave as she tackled the young man in a hug, making Petrina's face to go from neutral to annoyed.

"Great! This is my dad, Carien. Dad, this is Damien."

The young man turned to look at him and smiled, holding out his hand for a handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Carien smiled back and took his hand.

"The pleasure is mine. I've learned so much about you already; I figured it was about time we met in person."

"Are you DONE yet!?" Garrett called from the other side of their bedroom door after yet another hard knock. "We are already late, you know?"

"We need another couple minutes!" Alexa yelled, frantically getting her heels on while Kastra worked on her hair. "Em can you-"

"Mo-om," Emily corrected in a singsong voice.

"I can't-"

"Mom number two thennn," she continued in the same singsong voice as she moved for the door and opened it. "I'll handle grumpy; you'll both be out in a minute right?"

"Yes, yes. Just as soon as she is done... breaking her shoes," Kastra replied from the bed with a smile.

Emily shrugged as Alexa protested from where she sat at a large vanity.

"Good enough for me," she stated, closing the door behind her as she disappeared.

Alexa heard Kastra slowly moving over to where she was sitting, trying to yank on her shoes. Looking back over her shoulder, a light smile traced across the Fae's lips.

"I am glad she came. I... I feel like we should just sit and talk all night with Emily and Garrett rather than attending this event."

"I agree, but it isn't exactly our choice... Damien is already there with my parents," Alexa replied absently, looking back down. "Let's hurry."

A few moments passed until Alexa heard a sigh from above her.

"Well, I'd rather not go regardless."

Alexa looked up into Kastra's face and saw a faraway expression; one that looked homesick. She looked back down as a brush began moving through her snow-white hair to tame it.

A few minutes went by in silence. The bristles against her scalp and the gentle rhythm coupled with the warmth of Kastra's presence nearly rocked her to sleep. A question fell off her lips before she could stop it.

"What... what do you want to do after this?"

"Bathe with Emily, Garrett, you, and Damien," Kastra responded with no delay.

"No... I mean... What do you want to do in life?" Alexa asked. "After we leave this academy. How do you want to live? What do you... want?"

The brush stopped moving through Alexa's hair but the warmth remained. Seconds ticked by.

"I don't know," Kastra finally replied.

Alexa hung her head and sighed.

"I d-"

"But I don't need to know right now," Kastra interrupted as the brush resumed massaging her scalp. "I don't know what I want to eat tonight, or tomorrow yet. I don't know if I want a house on a lake or if I want to live in one. If I want a Sylphen or a Rippler, if I want to be outgoing or quiet... I don't know if I want children of my own or not even," she continued, pausing slightly as Alexa listened intently. "All I know is that I want to make those decisions while beside you and Damien. Wherever I do go in the future, whatever path we choose, whatever unfolds... I know if it does not unfold beside the both of you, my life will be lesser for it."

Alexa's heart gripped tightly in her chest as a gentle smile paraded across her face. She didn't know if the answer was naieve or mature, only that it suited the Fae well.

"What do you want?" Kastra asked suddenly.

"I..." Alexa started, trailing off. "You make it sound so easy," she eventually said.

"It probably won't be easy at all actually, but the choice is simple," Kastra replied, leaning down and kissing the top of Alexa's head. "I choose you two. Everything else can come later. Let's go; our damsel is in distress. You can think about your answer and give it to me later."

"The pleasure is mine. I've learned so much about you already; I figured it was about time we met in person."

"Nothing bad, I hope," Damien responded.

"Carien! It's been hours! How have you been?" Oryen questioned loudly, walking up and hugging the other Celestial.

Damien smiled and stepped off to the side next to Gianna while they greeted one another.

"So much has changed since we spoke last I simply must tell you about it sometime over dinner," Carien said back with a chuckle. "Go away now, you nuisance. I'm talking to this young man here."

After Oryen finished, Petrina shook the man's hand.

"We work together," Carien supplemented as Damien watched the two.

"I take orders from him. He's a real micromanager," Oryen stated, nodding his head.

"Sriel is the one that micromanages, don't blame that on me," Carien said defensively, hands raised as Damien and the others laughed.

"Where is she, by the way?" Petrina asked, taking a big sip out of her champagne while somehow managing to face everyone except Damien.

He wondered how she'd found a drink when he hadn't seen anything going around yet. He briefly considered asking her for one of his own. Briefly.

"Around here somewhere. I think she is working, unfortunately," Carien said with a shrug. "That woman never quits, yet she forces me to take a day off. Hypocrite."

"Well, that's what makes us so confident with you in charge, though. You and her make quite a team. Did you know he is practically the king of the Celestial race, Damien?" Oryen asked.

"What?" Damien asked, flabbergasted.

"Don't liste-"

"It's true!" Oryen continued. "The man has the support of a majority of the families and makes all of the decisions. He meets with the Emperor, the faction leaders, the Elven leaders, hell he even meets with other countries from time to time."

Damien took another look at the Celestial before him in surprise. He hadn't taken him for a king; he'd just shook Damien's hand. He didn't know exactly how to act on the information he'd just received.

"Don't worry about it. I'm only in charge of the war effort, really. The families and the council decide the other things on our little island," Carien said.

"You'd do a great job if you were in charge of political and economic affairs as well," Petrina stated, finishing off her glass and filling it back up by tilting the ring on her left finger, champagne filling the glass from it.

"Please, Petrina. I'm doing my best to resolve the war, but you all see just how that is going. We'd be dying of hunger within days."

"You're doing just fine. We'd be in a lot more trouble if it weren't for you and Sriel," Petrina responded.

"Anyone else could-"

"My wife is right, as usual. You are the best man for the job," Oryen interrupted, smacking him on the back.

Damien stayed off to the side, quiet, and a little confused if he should be listening in on this talk or not. He didn't really have anywhere to go since he was supposed to stay with his escorts throughout the night but... eavesdropping felt wrong.

Looking around the outside area people were talking, laughing, shaking hands, and a couple were dancing already. It was only a matter of time before they all moved inside, introductions were starting to slow down.

Gianna poked his side and he turned back to his group.

"...about you Damien?"

"What?" he asked.

"What do you think of the war?" Carien asked a second time.

"Which one?" Damien asked.

Carien and Oryen laughed, Petrina scowled.

"Good question. The big one, what do you think of the war between the Dwarves and the Empire?" Carien clarified.

Damien's brows scrunched slightly while the two men before him looked on expectantly.

"I think... that that's a loaded question, especially coming from the 'King' of the Celestials," he responded.

Carien smiled in response before opening his mouth to speak again.

"It comes purely from a place of curiosity. Would you fight against or for the Emperor if you had a choice?"

Damien rolled his eyes.

"Neither. It isn't my problem yet, so I haven't chosen a side."

"But if you had to choose?" Carien pressed.

Damien wondered why the man was being so insistent.

"... Fine. Whichever side attacked my family first, I suppose," he reluctantly responded.

"That is a good answer, but wouldn't you want to prevent your family from being attacked in the first place? Would you choose a side that guaranteed that?" Carien asked again.

Damien sighed.

"If I was afraid of my family being attacked by either side, I'd ask Lemshire to protect them. He'd jump at the opportunity."

"That... is an unfair out. But a good choice," Carien conceded, causing Damien to nod and eagerly turn away to try and find any of his other friends, escorts be dammed.

"What if you had to defend them on the way out here though, while moving? How exactly would you accomplish that?"

"Dad!" Gianna protested.

"You did well getting to Gold on your first year, but is that really all you have? Age of six is when mana was gifted to you, but is that true?" Carien continued. "We have to just trust your word, do we?"

Damien looked forward, away from the man, and scanned the crowd of people before him. All were engaged in other conversations and chatter, all distracted, and not a single one listening in on their talk. As he turned around, he spotted even more folks closer to them, easily within earshot of Carien's loud declarations, yet none were in the least bit curious of the Human who could manipulate mana at the age of six.

Damien turned back toward Carien and the group.

'The Emperor would be, though. And the Celestial dogs that worked for the Emperor...'

"Could you ensure their survival if you had to, as we could? You're willing to join either side, why not ours?"

"Ohhhh give it a rest," Oryen said, slapping the other Celestial on his shoulder. "He wouldn't tell me his secrets, what makes you think he's going to cough them all up to you?"

Carien smiled slyly before turning his gaze off of Damien finally, looking over at Oryen.

"Well you know I had to try."

"Looks like everyone is going inside, let's go dad," Gianna said with intensity, grabbing the man by the wing as she dragged him backward towards the walkway. "We'll see you inside, Damien," she called.

He waved after her with an awkward smile and began moving in the same direction.

"Woah! Easy there love," Oryen exclaimed from in front of Damien, catching a staggering Petrina. "You brought the good stuff, didn't you?"

Damien watched her giggle and lean on her husband as they followed Carien and Gianna.

"Great..." Damien sighed out.

'She's drunk.'

"Rolf, you're on until night duty arrives again."

Rolf immediately sighed loudly and glared at Gregersen. The man always made him stay later until night shift took over whenever they had receiver duty, and he was sick of it. He'd not been the rookie for almost six years at this point, why he had to play the role every single time...

"And don't forget to latch the gate this time," Gregersen stated, pointing at the rope gate they used to allow people entrance.

Not really an actual form of protection, the gate, but it helped maintain order. Usually, no one wanted to go in there anyway, less they risk death, but it had been attempted before. The roped walkways wouldn't stop anyone, sure, but that's what the Guards were there for anyway.

Last month he had forgotten to close the rope once and never heard the end of it.

"Can't you hire someone new to do all the rookie tasks? It's been six years since I joined this squad, I'm sick of this stuff," Rolf complained.

"Well quit then, someone else will get your job. Your well paying and respectable job," Gregersen enunciated. "I did it for three years when I was a rookie, stop com-"

Rolf's eyes began to wander from the lecture. Over Gregersen's condescending shoulder, he noticed a group of three tall men all standing near the rope, dressed in dark coats. They were standing about one hundred feet away on the exact other side of the receiver and staring towards the slightly elevated center.

"Uhm, can we help you?" Rolf called out, causing an interrupted Gregersen to squint his eyes at him and spin around to see what he was looking at.

The three men paid them no mind.

"It sounds like they're talking or something," Gregersen stated. "Stay here; I'll check it out."

Rolf nodded as Raynsa and Croft, a Human and a Dresmyr, came walking up behind him. Gregersen began making his way around the circle to the men when two of them turned around and sprinted back into the town, one remaining in place.

"What is Captain doing? Who are they?" the Human, Raynsa, asked, lifting her hand and gesturing towards the remaining one.

"I have no idea. Probably some kids playing a game," Rolf said with a shrug.

"Yeah, because kids play around here all the time," Raynsa replied with a scoff.

"Hey, you ne-"

"He's saturated..." Croft muttered, surprising Rolf and Raynsa as the man wasn't much of a talker.

"What?" Raynsa asked, turning around to look at him as Rolf did the same. "Saturated?"

"CAPTAIN!!" Croft screamed out, surrounding the three of them in a hastily put together barrier of raw mana.

"What are y-"

Rolf looked back to his front as Raynsa spoke, just in time to see Gregersen turn around and the dark clothed man erupt. Thick, dark blue and red veins of mana burst out of his person in all directions and began to pierce through whatever it touched, covering objects in ambient mana and leaving some others alone. The man at the center of it all began screaming in agony as his body continued to spew the tainted mana, a cloud spreading out from him as the veins continued to hunt for prey.

"RUN!" Raynsa screamed, to no avail.

Within a second, Gregersen was overrun by the veins and brought to his knees, then consumed by the cloud, disappearing from their sight entirely. Rolf noticed Raynsa tense and grabbed onto her right before she lept forward, holding her down as she screamed out and tried to exit the barrier Croft had set up.

"LET ME GO!" she cried as she tried to claw for freedom, the dark veins reaching their barrier and wrapping around it.

"Stop! You'll kill yourself!" Rolf yelled.

"I DON'T CARE! I HAVE TO HEL-"

"You'll kill us!" he interrupted.

"HE COUlD STILL BE ALIVE!" she protested while tears began to stream down her face.

"He's dead," Croft declared, their barrier shrinking down to half of its initial arm length thickness. "I can feel it. He was too close; it sucked him dry fast. He had no time to set up a barrier."

"NO! You're wr-"

Rolf delivered a blow to the side of the distraught woman's head while she yelled at Croft, knocking her unconscious. He looked at the Dresmyr and nodded, noticing the man's veins beginning to distend all around his body.

"What the hell is this? You're killing your veins, Croft!" Rolf yelled up at the man, nervous energy parading through his body as the older man began to bleed from his mouth and eyes.

Croft looked down at him and tiredly smiled.

A tense few seconds passed as the man's veins continued to worsen, the barrier entirely covered by the blueish purple mana.

"Are we going to die?" Rolf whispered.

"You two won't," Croft weakly stated. "I doubt it lasts for much longer than this, but I'm tapped. Your body's inherent mana should protect you once this barrier dissolves, but as for me..." he said, pausing for a moment. "The martyr was too old," he chuckled out. "Tell my wife I love her."

Rolf opened his mouth to respond when the previously thick mana barrier finished dissolving completely and Croft's body went limp, crumpling to the ground. The vengeful mana greedily descended and Rolf's vision went dark, his entire body feeling as if it had been thrown in a furnace. He had just begun to cry out in pain when the sensation stopped as suddenly as it had started.

Looking up, the cloud retreated in on itself almost as fast as it had spread, like it was being sucked in. When it cleared completely, it revealed the man standing at the center of it all. A nude Nivari, glowing black and red underneath its skin.

Glancing back down, Croft had patches of his skin missing but was still breathing, albeit barely.

Rolf's instincts screamed at him to get down right then, giving him just enough time to cover his two friend's bodies with his own as a loud explosion rocked the area, a piece of debris causing his brain to enter the sweet embrace of complete ignorance for the next few hours.