Amelia didn’t reply right away. Of course, she had it in her Chronicler book but she was scrambling to remember if there was any information that shouldn’t be revealed. The cards were being held pretty tight to her vest at this point. “Yes. However, I shall require a promise.”

“Yes?” Victoria said it in such a way that indicated she would consider when she heard the promise. The tips of her fingers were rolling around the pommel of her sword.

“If you should recognize the dark mage, you must in the future pretend you do not know him. It is vital to the safety of all of our futures that he knows nothing of his.” Amelia said carefully. She wasn’t sure that was really necessary but it seemed like a safe precaution. This wasn’t actually time travel, after all, considering that it was a game.

“Very well.” Victoria waved her hand. “Show me.”

“And these people?” Amelia raised her hand to encompass the room, which was by now packed with interested Half who were not very sneaky as they were creeping forward to hear better.

“We are Half,” Victoria said in grim response. The Half in the room all seemed to straighten.

“As you wish.” Amelia opened her book, enjoying the admiring looks of the guards who had seen her use it previously. She wasn’t sure why, it didn’t look different, but her Chronicler’s journal seemed much cooler than it used to be. “[View Entry] Friend of the Half.”

---------------------------

Victoria’s stone face only changed once during the entire entry. It was the moment when Mourning had taunted Keristrazly about Victoria’s death. The pure hatred and shrill cry of his tortured draconic scream filled the room, causing her to wince and momentarily look away. The rest of the Half were not so stoic. Some were openly sobbing while others were holding the hilts of their weapons in small white-knuckled fists.

People flooded in passed capacity and watched with amazement and horror as the battle unfolded. Many tried to scramble away from the illusion as the dragon and mage passed through people and rampaged around the huge room. The video of the dragon was too terrifying, and the way it moved like a living breathing creature around the displayed video arena was too fast and too quick to avoid. They soon learned that they needn’t be afraid.

Instead, the Half began shouting encouragement to the dragon, as if their cheers could be heard and influence the battle. In the last moment when Mourning cast his final spell and Amelia reflected it, no one had a clear understanding at first what had happened. Then a great cheer arose as Mourning struggled and breathed his last words. The dragon crashed down on him and the video exploded, frozen for a moment. The last scene was of the dragon crying its victory to the sky.

When silence was once again established Victoria turned to Amelia, a grudging look of respect. “That I did not have to fight a foe such as you.”

“You would have destroyed me,” Amelia said humbly.

“I do not think so.” Victoria disagreed with a strange expression.

“I have a unique power. I do not actually fight. I merely counter and reflect spells. Your sword would likely cleave me in a single blow.” Amelia, repeating that she had no chance against Victoria. “This is why I sent Raven against you.”

“All of those words were your doing?” Victoria asked, stung by the suggestion that Amelia was at fault.

Well, it had been mostly Aidan but Amelia had set him to the task. “Yes.”

“I see.” Victoria slouched in her chair. “What step shall we take from here?”

“Well I have heard there is to be a Grendel hunt,” Amelia said, waiting half a beat to see if she would be challenged about how she knew that when Victoria hadn’t actually said anything. Nothing happened and she sighed in relief before continuing. “That’s a good start. Before that there is something you asked that is of vital importance. How will Void strike?”

“You have thought on this?” Victoria asked.

“Yes. We will talk to a survivor.” Amelia answered.

“There is one such person left in existence?” Victoria looked skeptical. It wasn’t surprising since she had just learned that even with the combined efforts of the hero races the Half were still wiped out and no knowledge remained. She had a pretty high opinion of the Half and the idea that anyone else could have survived must have been a little grating.

“There is one such person left,” Amelia replied. “Though, I don’t know that I can compel her to speak of it.”

“Ah.” Understanding came to Victoria and the Half Queen shifted uncomfortably on her seat. “Yes. We shall have to see to that at once.”

“Hey, who are you talking about?” Raven wanted to know.

“Vienne is the only survivor of a Void attack of which we know,” Victoria answered. She looked incredibly uncomfortable all of a sudden, the fire and presence fading away from her momentarily.

“Oh boy,” Raven said without excitement. “I saw the movie. I’ll sit it out.”

--------------------------

Everyone not Shadow Fall or a select number of Half were sent from the hall and ordered to the village. Most of the guards were even sent away, though they looked displeased with this order. General Erd Griner and 5 remained.

“So how does one summon Vienne?” Amelia finally asked.

“One does not,” Victoria admitted.

“Uhh.” Gabriel held up a hand and then used it to scratch the back of his scalp. “I don’t know that summoning her will be that hard really.”

“Oh?” Victoria looked surprised.

“Well, you did the trials, right? You must know her temperament?” Gabriel asked, looking pained and somewhat embarrassed. “She’s like that girlfriend or boyfriend that is always worried about what you’re doing. She’s really jealous and pops in when her ears are burning. In fact, I’m probably going to get yelled at for saying that out loud.”

“There are boyfriends like that too.” Raven quipped loudly.

“I said ‘or boyfriend’,” Gabriel griped back.

“How does this help us summon her though?” Victoria asked. She was not, Amelia noted, disagreeing with him. In fact Vienne in this time had simply popped into the world because Amelia had been saying Void’s name a lot and talking to Victoria.

“Shall I try then?” Gabriel asked. He sounded really reluctant.

“Do so,” Victoria commanded. She beckoned him forward and then gestured for everyone else to back off.

Gabriel sighed, looking resigned to an unfortunate task. He knelt at the brief set of steps that lead up to the upper platform of the throne area. “Vienne. Answer my call. I have grown tired of your games, and I fear that you are not a god worth following. I have questions that need answers. Appear. Or I shall-.”

Amelia was a little surprised. Vienne really must have been a jealous god because Gabriel hadn’t even managed to spit out the rest of his made-up nonsense before the air hissed and sparked. Vienne stood next to Gabriel, staring down at him with disgust and disdain.

“If you are going to lie to me Gabriel, at least don’t pick ridiculous statements,” Vienne demanded. “I am not, after all, a fool.”

“Yeah. I suppose not.” Gabriel smiled apologetically. “I don’t have an option to just give you a call though. Something to think about?”

“Don’t be so friendly. It is true you are mine, but I have not yet chosen you. I wonder at my choice in the future.” Vienne shook her head. “Why have you risked my wrath? Why have you not fled?” Vienne slowly turned to Victoria, and after a moment she smiled. “I see you, Queen Victoria. You are doing well. Though your angry face tells me you are a Half that holds a grudge.”

“Really?” Victoria scowled. “I feel like I’m being pretty forgiving considering you ran away when last we spoke.”

“What do you want?” Vienne didn’t bother to repudiate Victoria’s statement.

“I wish to have speech concerning Void,” Victoria said challengingly. She seemed to be biting her tongue against the other complaints she had for the moment.

“You will all be killed. What else would you ask?” Vienne answered conversationally.

“How did Void attack your world?” Amelia asked, not perturbed in the slightest.

“With deadly force.” Vienne was apparently unamused with the manner in which they’d forced her to appear. Amelia remembered Victoria’s warning about slighting Vienne.

“Are you friend of the Half?” Victoria asked suddenly, moving forward persistently. She stared almost straight up in order to look at Vienne. It was an incredible disparity of size but it was Vienne who seemed wary, not Victoria.

“They are like children to me,” Vienne admitted softly. “In a place of peace, I have not known for a long time.”

“I do not find you to be our friend.” Victoria declared ruthlessly. “A friend sees when another friend requires aid. They know in their hearts whether their friend will succeed, and it is the truest friend that aids them regardless of their personal belief that they will be unsuccessful.”

“I… I will show you.” Vienne agreed reluctantly after a short withering silence. It was kind of embarrassing to witness. She waved her hand and the hall disappeared. It didn’t feel like Chronicler’s entry or an illusion spell. It simply felt like they had all been moved to a place better suited for showing something. A black space where the stars reflected from every angle. They were standing on nothing and they were nowhere. “This is the star room. A room within my halls. I can use my power to show you my memory. It is, however, an ancient and far away memory, forgive the delay.”

The room slowly dissolved until everyone was standing on an ocean. There was no land anywhere in sight but they didn’t sink beneath the calm surface. Without preamble or warning, a vast army of aquatic humans stepped out onto the surface, holding spears and nets, staring at a swirling vortex that appeared in the sky. Their feet were mostly webbed and their faces flattened. Their appearance was murky and smoky as if Vienne couldn’t quite remember exactly what they looked like.

“Is this your realm?” Victoria asked, staring fearfully down at the water she stood on. It really was interesting that they weren’t sinking. Some sort of unknown phenomena, or perhaps they weren’t sinking because this was just an illusion.

“No. I cannot bear the thought and thus cannot bring it into vision. This is a water world where the people know nothing of land. Air is supplied through plants under the surface. The atmosphere is thick and full of dangerous weather. Nothing survives upon the surface. Yet from time to time the explorers of this world ventured upward to view the stars. They grow great lines of coral rock in amazing displays of artwork. They are a brave people that journeyed both into the depths of their world seeking adventure, and upward for the same.” Vienne sighed, and briefly, everyone could see to the bottom where all manner of colored stones were arrayed portraying a nebula. A feature that must have been miles long on the bottom but appeared much smaller from the surface.

“Grew,” Aidan commented. Startled, Vienne looked at him and then nodded slowly, acknowledging her lapse. They grew the coral, they did not grow the coral any longer.

“Yes, because of this.” Vienne pointed upward and, from a vortex, a great swarm of creatures appeared. They were truly indescribable simply because they varied so greatly. It was a little bit like watching a stampede of different animals fleeing a forest fire in the old disaster vids. What seemed like hundreds of thousands of creatures fell to the water’s surface and began frantic combat with the defenders. The aquatic humans soon realized the futility of their battle, they were hopelessly outnumbered and knew nothing of their enemy. Their enemy fought with abandon with no regard to their own lives. The defenders soon battled bravely but without enthusiasm. They did not run or swim away, perhaps because they believed it would do no good.

“First you must understand the world ender is slow when he travels. He is not always greedy. Sometimes he drives forth the doomed races of the worlds he devours. He sends them before him to flee for he much enjoys their terror. Though they never could have journeyed between worlds on their own they are provided this one escape option, an interspatial spell. Driven mad through a journey they could never have imagined on their own, they are but mindless shells whose life he has largely already devoured during the journey. Travel food, if you like.”

“You said that there are worlds that have more priority. Can you explain?” Elisha piped up with courage.

“If you are provided a menu, would you choose the cheapest should you have an infinite currency? No. You would pick exotic food, by price and by grandeur. Your world is a young world, and he should not have immediately chosen you.” Vienne sighed. “The rate of his insatiability has grown. He has devoured faster than anticipated by a magnitude far greater than computation. You were correct, Amelia, he comes.”

“I do not like this analogy that cheapens our world. Young or not I am sure we are delicious.” Victoria said, earning some strange looks. “Show us Void,” Victoria demanded without pause. “We have but seen his leftovers.”