The meeting – or our part of it - began without introductions, with Walker giving a brief overview of our meeting and the events leading up to present, from his perspective. He left out some of the specifics about me - in regards to the jobs I was getting from Xiournal - though given the lack of curiosity from those gathered, I had to guess that he had already been over some of it, perhaps only vouching for my veracity, but either way, I did not mind too much. The Risen Throne – and now the Multiplicitous Self – were a potentially deadly threat; if not to the Apexes then certainly to the rest of us. Reaching the present, Walker then asked me to go over things from my own perspective.

I relayed my first meeting with the Risen Throne and my kidnapping, and filled in some of the details that Walker had not been privy to. I had told all of that stuff to Walker before, but I suspected he wanted to them to ‘hear’ the truth as I spoke. When I reached the part of the story where the Shadow Faced Guy first drained my Experience in the Black, rumblings broke out around the table between the assembled Apexes, and even those I was unfamiliar with looked troubled. I had been told that it should be impossible to interfere with a person’s energy – as long as it was still internal – it was considered a fact like many of the others I had been told since my arrival; a piece of information that I really had had no reason to internalize, mentally. To those born into this whole crazy magic system, it seemed to be far more disturbing than it had been to me. Like magic would be - at all - back on Earth.

After a few minutes of those around the table talking amongst themselves, Bo Ai’rong spoke up.

“If you have questions, ask them. There will be time enough for discussion when the boy’s story is complete.”

I had observed it since our first meeting, but the Apex of the Unfettered Frame seemed to act as the referee, or leader of the Apexes. I did not know if it was an official position, or one he took for himself, either due to inclination or just because his weird voice tended to cut through conversation. It was honestly very hard to imagine this relatively slight man with wild hair trying to boss my mentor about, so I imagined it was more of a symbolic role... if it was a role at all.

“Did this... Shade... drain anything alongside your Experience? Any... fluids? Perhaps he took your... breath?”

This question came from Vin, the Apex of The Calling Blood; the question only further served to enforce the idea that the man was a vampire. When Walker had first told me that energy could not simply be taken, he had mentioned that even vampires must drain it via blood.

“He could have... breathed in my breath, I guess. But he didn’t suck on my face or anything. And he was pretty far away to be passively taking in my breath.”

I could see Chian across the table with her face held in a grimace, and I could not really blame her. It was a fact that we breathed in each other’s air, but it was still a creepy thing to give voice to. Who wants to picture sucking in other people’s aerosolized spit and lung juice?

“Intriguing. Perhaps it is not an aspect he possessed that allowed it, however. Perhaps you are just very... drainable?”

“Uh, I’m actually quite un-drainable now. But I don’t think it was that at the time – he later threatened to drain us all.” I gestured to my friends who all nodded.

“I see.”

The Apex of the Calling Blood sat back, stroking his ivory-shaded chin with carefully manicured fingers, his blood-red eyes focused on me.

“You said he gave you the egg? This action does not fit.”

That question came from the short figure of Burning Cloud, who had his hugely muscled arms crossed over the boulders of his chest. It was the first time I had heard his voice, but if we had been a cartoon, I would have marked him as a bad guy based solely on the way it sounded. His voice was dry and hissing, like the sound sand makes as it blows across a tile floor. Scratchy, but still somehow deep. I wondered if the alchemists of the world had developed lozenges, and if so, whether he needed one.

“Yeah... he didn’t seem altogether sane. He seemed to regret giving it to me later. Seemed really keen on getting it back.”

“An insane enemy cannot be predicted. Cannot be made to fit. He cannot be the leader, the actions as a whole are too rational.”

“He mentioned voices, maybe they’re in charge.”

The Apex of the Cinder Storm lapsed back into silence, his eyes on the table.

I waited for a moment for more questions, but none came and I moved on with the story, though I had to stop again shortly after I reached the point where Aella was healed, as Sonja spoke up, interrupting me, but directing the question at Cad.

“A serum to prevent death, you mentioned. More than one derivative from the egg there was. Much testing, and expertise, this would take. Alchemy. Possible, the Association to be involved?”

“Um, ‘Tis a fair question, yer Apexness. While ‘tis true that the m’jority o’the world’s Alchemists ‘r’members o’ th’ Association, we don’t hold a monopoly,” Cad was interrupted by a series of snorts and half-laughs from around the table, “or at least not a total monopoly. I cannot imagine th’Association risking yer wraths, yer Apexnessess.”

“But know, you do not? A representative you are, but limited is your authority.”

“Uh, I be guessin’ ye be correct there. I do not... know.”

Cad seemed hesitant in his answer, and I could not blame him for his nerves; if the people at that table decided the Alchemy Association was complicit on risking the anger of a phoenix Elder, as well as an attack on an Apex’s home, they would likely come down pretty hard. That line of thought however reminded me of something I had forgotten up to that point, and I looked around nervously before inserting myself back into the conversation.

“Uh, so, really sorry but I forgot to mention something. It’s from later in the story, but I should have mentioned it separately... uh, Flame Ever Dancing – the phoenix the egg belonged to, was pretty unhappy with the whole, ‘steal their egg and then try to steal it again’ thing, and they wanted to attend the meeting and maybe help in... taking care of the problem. So... there might be a phoenix Elder showing up. Any time now.”

"With practised patience, you are correct; this would have been information better presented sooner. But we would not have delayed, given the other information that has come to light. If... Flame Ever Dancing attends, we will offer our apologies. Continue.”

Raaf sounded vaguely irritated, and I could not blame him; while we had technically been representing them, and there was no real way for us to refuse an Elder, one of us should have probably let them actually know about it sooner. I did not blame my friend for forgetting, as they had spent over a month running back to save me, but I had spent a lot of time doing nothing, so I mentally slapped myself. I could not imagine how things would have gone down if I had not remembered, and had not been nearby to say anything when the Elder showed up.

I was however really glad Rainmaker and Cloudbringer had chosen not to attend... which reminded me I still needed to say, ‘hi’ to the Apex of the Wild Bounty for them. Maybe the next time I got a reward from Xiournal I could look at upgrading my memory...

The matter of Flame Ever Dancing covered, the conversation turned back to the matter at hand.

“I say we trust the Association; for more than a thousand years, they have given us no reason to mistrust them. It’s possible they simply recruited unaffiliated alchemists, or transmigrators.”

It was Gia, the Apex of the Wild Bounty that spoke up, her voice bright and expressive. She sounded earnest and trusting, until the bright smile she wore on her golden skin faded and her sky-blue eyes took on a predatory glint.

“And if our trust is misplaced, we can simply wipe them from existence. I’m sure another – more trustworthy – replacement would fill the void. Nature abhors a vacuum.”

I heard Cad gulp in the silence that followed Gia’s words, and saw a couple of the Apexes simply nodding. I knew the people at the table were responsible for protecting the world from the powerful simply taking over or destroying it, but it was easy to forget what that might entail. They all – well, maybe not Chian – seemed like nice people, but I had to remember that their chosen duty likely led them down blood-stained paths sometimes.

I waited another moment, but no more questions came so I once again proceeded with my story, uninterrupted until our second encounter with the Shadow Faced Guy; my friends were adding details by that point, filling in things I had forgotten or not noticed. It was not until the two tore my arm off and made their escape that we received another interruption, this time from Lin, the Apex of the Unbreaking Wave.

“This is the second mention of a door way to another world. Are you certain it was a... hole, and not a rainbow-hued plane of force?”

I had been unconscious when the second hole was formed, so I remained silent as Reff – who had been present to see both spoke up.

“With distinct surety, I am certain, Honoured Apex. The hole was a perfectly round hole through which another environment could be seen. I made out large trees, and darkness, but nothing else.”

“You speak the truth, as did Hunter. This is disturbing news, perhaps more so than the draining. Has anyone present encountered a system amongst the worlds which does not utilise Authority to tunnel between them?”

Another round of silence met the question, each person looking around for any sign of recognition, but I could see no sign of it on any of the faces present.

“Perhaps this... Shade is a demon, and uses their foul power.”

This came from the stiff figure of the Sun’s Judgement, still wearing her golden plate, though her helmet rested on the table in front of her. It was the first time I had seen her without it obscuring her face and head, though without it she looked every bit as solid and unbending. She had close-cropped hair the colour of copper, with eyes so pale they looked white. A square jaw added to the overall militaristic feel, and was severe enough to make her look though she had never once smiled.

“Demons are a myth! Should we be searching the world for childhood fables? Ha! Maybe it’s time you Ascended, your age seems to be getting to you.”

“Age does not get to an Apex, Jorl Snowblinder. You are an idiot child that should have been culled.”

“How about I cull your-”

“Enough.”

The atmosphere had grown tense as the two Apexes once more began to bicker, their Domains pressing down on those of us without them like a great weight, though I knew by then that it affected me less than it did my friends. Luckily, the echoing voice of Bo Ai’rong cut between them before it could escalate. Jorl sat back in his chair, arms cross over his chest as he glared over at Chian. For her part, the Paladin simply narrowed her eyes, but said nothing further.

“Despite his lack of diplomacy,” Walker turned his blindfolded gaze towards the Crystal Drake before continuing, “Jorl is correct. Demons do not exist, at least not on this plane. Though the description does superficially align with their purported powers to, ‘tear through and devour the worlds’, such a similarity should not be taken as proof.”

“Weilou has set me as the bastion against injustice on His world, and I will seek to redress it by any means. I shall leave no shadow to conceal this enemy, and should he prove to be a demon, I will cast it back into the Void.”

“... With diplomatic avoidance, please continue, Hunter.”

So, we told the rest of our story, culminating in the last battle with the black mist and Mr. Crown, and finally the message I received, in regards to Anan Al’monhad. At the mention of that name, the table erupted; where before there had been muttering, this was five Apexes jumping to their feet and shouting over each other, with only those who had been present the night before and the Unfettered Frame remaining calm.

“How is this possible...?! Only we know where he is held.”

Vin’s usually languid voice was sharp and snarling, his red eyes flicking about the table.

“Are we betrayed? Does one of our number assist the enemy?”

Burning Cloud’s deep, hissing voice rose like granite grinding on granite and I saw a cloud of black dust began to boil around him, lit in places with burning embers and the flicker of lightning.

“Enough!”

This time when the Unfettered Frame spoke, his voice was raised and the force of it hit me like a blow as I was pressed back into my seat. It did not seem to affect the Apexes the same way, but it did stop the shouting.

“Sit down. None here would be so foolish as to loose that abomination. If this... Shade can move between worlds, bypassing the space between, perhaps he simply came upon the prison by accident.”

Bo Ai’rong’s black eyes slid around the table and his jaw firmed as he looked everyone in the eye one at a time. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous, and no longer echoing. Rather, at least to me, it sounded like the voice came from right behind me, like the man was whispering in my ear.

“However, if I discover that any of you have done – or intended to do – this thing, I will send you back to the River, to be washed clean.”