“Where am I?” Verona mumbled. “What...What happened?”

The oppressive and overwhelming white light receded from Verona’s mind. She had not fallen unconscious, that much was clear, the white light had simply overwhelmed her every sense. So completely overwhelmed that she could not even think a single thought, the ability to realise that something was wrong. Only when it started to fade did she understand just how wrong it felt, like a dream she could not wake up from.

“Is…” Verona coughed harshly. Her throat burned and stung like she had simultaneously screamed for days and drunk nothing. “Is everyone alive?”

She scrunched her eyes tight to focus her mind. A cold flat surface pressed hard against her face. She grunted and rolled onto her back.

“Hello?” Verona asked as she pulled herself up. “W-Where are we?”

Verona slapped her cheeks hard. The sudden jolt of pain brought some lucidity to her thoughts. She lay in the highest of the artefact rooms situated in the underground cavern refuge of the Fire Elves. Everyone lay on the ground, sprawled out where they had all simply collapsed. Kal and Cetina lay nearby, both in the process of rocking their heads back and forth, Rasha near the entrance slumped against the wall and struggling to stand. Calo and Sheso tried to help each other stand, the few Dark Elves were doing surprisingly well, well being a relative term. Verona’s heart raced until she found Anton lying face down behind her. She scrambled on all fours to his side. He was breathing, weak and softly, but he did not begin to wake no matter how much she shook or rocked him.

“What…” Kal’s eyes shot open. “What happened?!”

“I don’t know.” Verona gave Anton another shove. Her heart continued to race as he refused to wake, a coldness rushed through her entire body. “Where’s...Where’s that stupid spear?”

The broken White Spear no longer floated in the centre of the chamber, nor was it floating anywhere else. She found it partially hidden by Anton, lying underneath his body with the tip near his face. The broken spearhead had been completely repaired, now three purple spheres lay in the head filling the formerly empty holes, from where they came from, Verona did not know.

“Get-Get away from him!”

Verona gripped the shaft of the spear but she did not receive the cuts the Fire Elves had warned her about. She tried to pull it free but Anton was too heavy. Cetina’s armoured boots stopped near the spear, she still looked a little wobbly but already the strength was returning to her legs. Without a word she put her fingers underneath Anton’s shoulder. She grunted as she spread her legs for greater stability but Anton would still barely move.

“He’s heavy.” Cetina dropped to one knee. “Is that spear doing this?

Verona almost did not believe her. She knew just how strong Cetina was, more than strong enough to toss her or even Anton about if she really wanted. And yet Cetina struggled to get Anton to move. She managed to raise him just enough to pry the spear loose. Verona ripped it free and tossed it aside, clattering loudly until it came to rest beside the raised plinth. Verona looked at her hand. The White Spear was clearly made from the same material as the Marble Spear thing that Anton could create with his charge yet it didn’t cut her or her gloves.

Did the white light do something to it? I’m sure Anton would know.

Verona press her fingers on his neck. She felt his pulse, he was alive, but he still refused to wake, even as everyone else had already risen to their feet.

So why won’t you wake up?!

“Is it gone?” Rasha asked. Her cloven hooves sounded loudly against the stone floor. Verona felt it was very strange that she was the only person that consistently went barefoot, or barehoof, but she dismissed such wandering thoughts as grossly inappropriate.

“Something’s gone...” Verona’s voice trailed away. Kal crouched by Anton’s side and began to inspect his face. “Turn him over. Something...Something’s gone very wrong.”

“More than what just happened?” Rasha blinked hard as she shook her head. Verona shot her an angry look, the blue Minotaur murmured an apology and helped Cetina.

It took both to turn Anton over. His head and limbs rolled limply about, his eyes refused to open yet he did not look in pain, especially when his tongue hanged loosely from his mouth. Verona and Kal before a worried look as Kal began to inspect his face. Verona took a deep breath and rose to her feet. While she was glad to see no one was still unconscious, barring Anton of course, a growing fear built in the back of her head. The Fire Elves.

We ‘broke’ their artefact, right after opening their realm after generations of isolation. They might think ‘we’ are the reason why the Dwarves shut the gate, even though that’s stupid. But…

“I don’t understand.” Kal’s lip trembled. She bit down hard with her sharp teeth, almost hard enough to draw blood. “He’s alive, but just unconscious. My magic’s not working…But with this place…”

“Humans?” Bilaal staggered towards them, rubbing his eyes harshly with the back of his hands. “Is everyone alive?”

“We are.” Verona looked to the other Fire Elves, specifically their weapons, then to Anton. None had made a hostile move but it would only take a single word.

We need to get out of here. It’ll create problems in the future but I’m not just going to leave him here, in this cavern and so far away from help.

“But we must leave.” Verona signalled to Rasha and Cetina. “Anton has been…Wounded, by the artefact. We must return to the surface for treatment. Our magic does not work inside your cavern.”

“How did he become wounded?” Bilaal shook his head, still recovering. The flaming hairs brushed against his confused face. “Did the artefact try to wound him? Is such a thing possible? It has remained inert for generations...”

“Fucking hell, he’s heavy!” Rasha picked Anton up underneath his arm.

Her muscles, able to lift logs and heavy crates while barely becoming taught, struggled to lift him. Verona had no words or explanation for the baffling sight. Neither did Kal. If one of the two smartest people she knew couldn’t think of an answer there was no hope for her. Rasha shifted Anton’s arms to wrap around her neck and lifted him completely off the ground. She grunted but gave a sharp nod, she could carry Anton but not her halberd.

“We’ll make you a new one.” Verona said, Rasha did not object. “But we need to leave. Right now.”

“What?” Bilaal’s eyes fell on the spear resting on the floor.

“We’re leaving.” Verona said loudly. Cetina quietly ordered the others to follow Verona’s order. “Right now. We do not believe this is your fault but we must leave.”

Cetina ordered the Atros soldiers to go while the Fire Elves were still in disarray. As Rasha neared the exit the white light returned. She stopped, her hooves grinding hard on the stone floor, and stared at the White Spear. The center purple sphere glowed slightly brighter than the rest.

“So it is you.” Verona murmured.

She leant down to touch it, again it did not cut her skin upon contact. Rasha exclaimed as the white light disappeared. Verona relinquished her hold and the light returned.

“You’re not going to let him go…” Verona shook the spear. “What is this thing?”

“How are you able to touch the spear without being wounded?” Bilaal now seemed mostly coherent.

“Here.” Kal offered Verona her cloak. Verona wrapped it around the spear. The white barrier did not return.

“I can still use my blood if we need to. Bilaal?”

“Yes?” He glanced to the spear then back to Verona. “What is happening?”

“The spear won’t let us leave without it.” Verona spoke calmly, not that Bilaal was panicking. Yet. “We have no choice. We’re taking it and leaving your cavern. To treat Anton. I’m sure your King and Queen would not want our armies to come down here to recover him by force.”

“No...No of course not.” Bilaal almost spun in place. “T-This way.”

Verona nudged Kal’s side. “I don’t mean to threaten them but what choice do we have if they say no?”

“None.” Kal looked at the spear. “Not with this spear keeping him here.”

Rasha stepped through the door and motioned for them to follow.

“I just hope he’s not gone.” Verona winced. “There is still so much for us all to do.”

Cetina gently pushed them forward, behind them Calo and Sheso already had their swords drawn and pointed them at the Fire Elf guards, still stunned into inaction.

“Mezot might know something.” Kal whispered. “But we need to get out of here first.”

---[]---

Verona ran at the centre of their group, with Rasha just behind carrying Anton on her back. They kept a keen eye on the Fire Elves as they ran through the tight, winding city streets. Cetina ordered the Dwarves to the front. Though they couldn’t run fast, their tiny legs were a flurry of movement to maintain pace, they were the species the Fire Elves innately respected. It wasn’t much but it might be sufficient to get them back to the surface. The Fire Elves were close behind. Despite Kal holding the spear, wrapped in her cloak, they were only shouting for the civilians to clear the streets.

Bilaal isn’t stupid. Better that they let us go, with a useless artefact than start a war they can’t win. Our numbers are greater and they can’t attack our home. We could just smoke them out. Their King and Queen can't be that stupid...

“He’s still heavy.” Rasha grunted through gritted teeth. “I’ve picked him up before...He wasn’t this heavy.”

“I don’t know why!” Verona snapped back. “How should I know?!”

Rasha turned away and pulled Anton’s arms tighter. Verona would have to apologise later, but this was an extremely stressful situation for everyone.

They passed through the inner and outer gates without incident. Some Fire Elf guards tried to stop them, even as Bilaal waved for them to let them through, but their fragile frames were not enough to stop one human, let alone a barrelling mass of Dwarves with a looming Minotaur behind. Before Verona knew it they were already out of the city and running through the fields. Cetina and Kal were yelling something, every so often Umikgruid shouted encouragement to the Dwarves to keep running, but Verona wasn’t hearing anything. She kept running, one foot in front of the other, nestled between the others, keeping her moving in the right direction.

I…I can’t think straight. I’m just being buffeted around. Just seeing him like that…It’s like I’m back underneath that table again. Cold. Alone. And waiting for everything to end...

“Verona?” Someone roughly held her shoulder. Verona felt hard claws pushing against her clothes.

“Sorry Kal.” Verona squeezed her hand. She stopped herself from speaking, Kal was on the verge of tears herself, her eyes red and puffy, but she hadn’t given up.

Verona slapped herself hard, hard enough to leave a red mark. “I need to stop being a little bitch, don’t I?”

“We’re about to go through the portal.” Kal jerked her head to a shimmering white disk.

Verona realised they were already in the trading area just past the Fire Elf gate. A line of Fire Elves stood at the barricade, none were willing to go any further. The fear of Nithroel was truly paralysing and all consuming. She saw Bilaal looking very nervous, his fiery hair flickered though his face remained stoic. He could very well be blamed for causing a terrible diplomatic incident, not that any of this was his fault. Verona caught his eye and gave a weak wave.

“We’ll be back. Don’t worry.” Verona winced, realising her words sounded somewhat like a threat. “Once Anton’s back we will deal with this. But right now getting him help is most important.”

“I understand.” Bilaal shouted back. “We shall wait here then.”

Even if the worst happens...Why do I feel so cold?

“Where is Mezot?” Verona rubbed her arms. “Isn’t this where we left her?”

“The guards said that she and Axia returned to Atros.” Kal clicked her tongue. “Since they can’t use magic in the cavern Anton told them to go back.”

Verona returned a single nod. Her attention swiftly returned to Rasha, standing just before the portal, hesitant to take the step even though others were passing through.

“Why hasn’t he gone through?” Verona knew she was acting grumpy, petulant even. But she couldn’t help herself. “Well?”

“When Rasha steps through she’ll be completely over the portal first.” Kal said.

“Shit.” Verona stomped her foot. “Then he’ll just fall down.”

“Right.” Kal held the spear tight. Even though it was the source of their current ills she held it like it was an important keepsake.

“Rasha!” Verona ran to Rasha’s side. She and Cetina were talking about something in hurried breaths, probably trying to find a safe way through the portal. “Is-Is he still breathing?”

“He is.” Rasha smiled faintly. “I can feel it against my neck…Sorry. But-”

“Just step through the portal.” Verona said. Rasha opened her mouth but Verona stopped her. “Just raise your leg back, so you both go at the same time.”

“But-”

“Unless you want to carry him through the entire Dwarf Hold then you don’t have much of a choice, do you?!” Verona took a deep, calming breath. “Sorry. I’m not doing well.”

“None of us are.” Kal said. Calo and Sheso ran up to them but said nothing. There was nothing the two small Dark Elves could do to help, especially when Rasha was still struggling to lift Anton.

“Here goes nothing.”

Rasha stepped forward. She placed her hoof far onto the portal and raised her other. Cetina pushed Rasha’s raised leg over the portal in an attempt to keep Anton’s backside and her hoof vertically aligned. If the situation wasn’t so serious Verona would certainly be laughing hysterically, but this was not the time.

“Just a bit more…” Cetina gave Rasha’s leg a final push and both disappeared in a white flash. “Fucking hell, I almost thought that wouldn’t work.”

“What is this thing?” Kal held the spear aloft. “It’s not trying to make that white dome-”

Verona swatted it out of Kal’s hands. Again it landed loudly, clattering and bouncing away.

“How does that help?” Kal glared angrily at Verona. “This is the cause-”

“Those spheres were moving.” Verona pointed to the tip of the spear. “Like it’s alive.”

“We heard it speaking.” Calo said softly. “So it probably is alive.”

“And you just threw it on the ground.” Sheso readied her short sword. “Again.”

“That thing put Anton into that state and did all that shit with the white light. Rasha couldn’t break through it and Anton’s magic just ran along the inside.” Verona approached the White Spear. “It’s not moving now…Gods, I hope it wasn’t my imagination.”

Verona picked up the White Spear. Bizarrely when she held the spear in the centre there wasn’t any extra weight towards the spear head, despite the extra mass and the purple spheres.

“Whatever.” Verona held the White Spear as far away as she could. “But if we have to destroy this thing to get Anton back I’m going to throw you into that lava pit.” Verona looked at the now dull purple spheres. “Do you hear me? I won’t hesitate to destroy you if it’ll get Anton back.”

---[]---

Verona stood to the side as the Atros soldiers scrambled to construct a makeshift hospital in the nearest securable building beyond the portal. It belonged to a Beast-kin couple, who had been very kind and understanding when they had been forcibly vacated. They did not protest even once but Verona made a mental note to repay them. They had repurposed a spare bed to place Anton on. He remained unconscious when Rasha placed him down, grunting under the strain of his new weight, while the guards formed a perimeter around the house.

Kal sat by Anton’s side, murmuring a long healing prayer, while Rasha and Cetina stood at the door, ready to throw back anyone that dared to enter uninvited. Verona could do little but pace along the floor. Her hands twitched uncontrollably, even as she held her elbows tight, while her blood felt colder than the deepest winter, her mouth as dry as sand. As she started her returning pace her eyes fell upon the White Spear resting in the corner of the room. It had remained dull and inert since leaving the cavern, Verona remained more than a little tempted to have it thrown into the lava pit adjacent to the Dwarven forges simply out of caution, but something told her not to, at least for now.

“Fuck!” Kal slammed her fists onto the bed. “My magic isn’t working! I tried to wake him up but he’s not! Why?!”

Verona took the seat next to Kal. Kal’s hands shook as she placed them on him again and began to chant another healing prayer. Verona could do little, apart from providing silent encouragement. As Kal chanted her prayer Verona again looked at the White Spear. She was sure it had spoken before the white light overwhelmed them, everyone else confirmed they heard it too, so she knew the spear was intelligent enough to speak. Maybe. Once they had taken it and Anton away from the chamber it had done nothing. Completely inert. Just like Anton.

“Fuck!” Kal shot up and kicked the chair away, thudding loudly against the wall as Kal gripped her fists tight. “Why isn’t it working?”

Verona held Kal’s hand, both trembled. While Verona was extremely worried a massive part of her just expected Kal to fix it. Like they always had. So far Tethra’s abilities have been able to fix just about anything, barring Ghlyirl infested wounds, but it had been completely ineffective at healing his tail and feet, not to mention what had happened to his wrist, still a gnarled mess of red scar tissue.

“We’ll figure this out, Kal.” Verona forced herself to swallow in an attempt to calm herself, despite her own mouth being little more than dust. “We just need to find out what really happened. Last time he woke up on his own, but he was bleeding before. And I don’t see or smell any blood.”

“And you would know.” Kal’s voice held no malice, not that she would at a time like this, rather a simple statement of fact.

“Why is he so heavy?” Rasha kept looking towards the door, her halberd gripped tight in her hands. A human soldier took it during their escape, something Rasha was very keen and thankful to have returned. “Has that got something to do with it? Did that happen the last time...This happened?”

“I don’t know.” Kal’s ears dropped flat against her head before something flashed across her eyes. “Ferula! She might know something…Maybe. But she knows more about this than any of us.”

“Cetina. Tell someone to send a message right away. Tell her to come here, no matter what. Don’t promise anything, only that Anton’s life is threatened. And get someone to find Mezot as quickly as they can. She didn’t know what this is...But just get her.” Verona clicked her tongue as she gripped her sleeves. “Even if she doesn’t know anything she should be here…”

Cetina nodded and left.

She’s not doing that well either. If she wasn’t following ‘orders’ I’m sure she’d be just as bad as the rest of us. Same with Rasha...How will Mezot act when she sees him like this? Will she even say anything, even when she has such trouble expressing herself?

“While we wait…” Verona took a deep breath. “Since there’s little else that we can do, we should take his clothes off. Find out what’s making him so heavy.”

“And if that spear made those scales spread any further.”

Kal began to unbuckle his boots, her hands were still trembling and her claws couldn’t unfasten the metal clasps properly. She bared her teeth in anger as she gripped her hands tight together, the only way she could get them to stop.

“Do you want me to help?” Rasha asked softly. She stood in the doorway, holding the halberd close to her chest while her face was drenched in increasing concern. “I...My fingers are probably too big…”

“It’s fine.” Kal smiled. After flexing her fingers once again they calmed and the buckles easily came loose. “I’m just anxious as to what I’m going to find…”

Verona moved to the other boot. While the buckles were easy to remove she couldn’t lift his boot, the weight was so great she couldn’t even slide it off.

“This...This is ridiculous.” Verona managed to worm her fingers underneath his leg and lifted with all her might. Her muscles strained to lift him more than an inch. “Shit. Rasha? Just how strong are you? You carried him all that way.”

“He’s very heavy.” Rasha smiled, glancing down the corridor as Cetina returned. “But I’ve still got some strength in me.”

Verona beckoned her to come closer. Cetina took up a position at the door as another two sets of footsteps approached. Calo and Sheso peered their heads in and gave a weak smile. Cetina began speaking softly to them.

If it weren’t for the Fire Elves...Later. If there is a later.

“Give his leg a lift.” Verona said.

Though Rasha’s arms were completely covered in armour she could tell that her muscles were tensing considerably. Verona didn’t know what to think when his boot came free. His feet were still dragonoid, as Anton called it, but the changes had progressed significantly. The claws were longer and sharper, the toes bulkier while the muscles around his ankle and above were far more defined underneath the dark scales.

Kal twisted the boot back and forth until Rasha helped her. “Same as yours…” Kal tapped the scales. “These are brighter than they normally are. I don’t think a human would see it-”

Rasha shrugged.

“-But these are newer. They don’t have any markings or scratches...Just like they were when he got them the first time.”

“Is that why he isn’t waking up?” Rasha asked. “Because of the pain of...”

Rasha weakly motioned to his feet.

“I’m almost certain it would have hurt.” Kal began to unfasten his gloves. “A considerable amount of pain. You can’t have changes like that...Oh no.”

Verona’s heart raced as Kal held Anton’s leather glove in her hand. The glove itself was completely normal, a well-worn brown leather glove that Anton had used for some time, but his hand caused the blood to drain from her body. Gone was the soft human skin, now covered in scales similar to his feet. Claws replaced his fingernails, similar to Kal’s but darker and more angular. The white crystal, embedded in his hand, had cracked and darkened considerably, the skin around had cracked wide enough to expose dark purple flesh beneath but no blood seeped forth. It did not smell, which Verona hoped was a good sign, but it did not look healthy or comfortable in the slightest.

Verona forced herself to take a breath, forced her mind to treat this whole situation like it wasn't happening to the man she loved, to treat everything that was happening to him clinically, as Anton would have described it.

"Just like the feet." Verona spoke very softly. "That spear...That damned thing made it spread."

"Are you saying that the spear used magic when everything was bathed in white?" Rasha manoeuvred herself between them and the White Spear.

"At first it was just a small stone that Cetina unknowingly carried." Kal lightly touched the inside of Anton's hand with a trembling claw. "It's spread."

"How bad is it?" Verona hesitated to approach.

Kal required both hands to lift Anton's. It reminded her of Eider's hand, softer more malleable scales on the underside with larger, rougher scales on top. His knuckles and joints held small spines that pointed up his arm, each taking up a whole scale. The tips glowed with a faint purple hue, unlike the blue of his tail. Verona rolled his sleeve up, the scales and small pieces continued well past his elbow. She could not move the clothes any further as they had bundled up.

Kal made a nervous laugh. "I don't know how I feel about sleeping with a Cobra."

Verona agreed. "His face is still the same. A long tongue might be interesting..."

It was inappropriate levity but they needed everything they could get.

"Let's take his shirt off." Verona moved to the other side of the bed. "Hopefully it's stopped at his shoulders or just beyond. Rasha, we’re going to need your help to lift him up."

Rasha nodded and assisted Verona’s efforts. Rasha gripped and pulled him up, grunting as she braced her hooves hard against the wooden floor. She lifted Anton up, his head rocking limply to one side, while Verona and Kal removed his cloak and outer armour. Verona immediately knew something was different. She knew his body probably better than his own and knew that he did not fill out his undershirt as he currently did. Kal held the same thought.

As the shirt came free Rasha’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “He...He wasn’t that…”

Though Rasha only muttered a few words Verona understood what she meant. Nearly every mage they had met was not physically strong, at least compared to a soldier or even a simple labourer. But Anton had been exercising regularly, more so when he began bedding Cetina and gained a dedicated and motivated tutor, and he was in very good shape. Now Anton’s chest was sculpted like some kind of Clansman Berserker, or an incredibly powerful Knight. The lines and contours of his muscles were now taught against his skin. Only a lifetime of training could create such a physique and yet Anton had it.

“That…” Verona’s voice trailed off to nothing. She touched his stomach with her bare hand. His skin was soft but very warm, very warm. Not like he was sick but still unnaturally hot. She poked a muscle, it barely budged, like Cetina’s or Rasha’s taught muscles. “It’s real. Feels like he’s been training all his life next to Rasha and Cetina. That’s…”

Rasha pointed to his shoulder. “At least those scales stop there.”

The scales and spines only began to give way to normal skin at the very top of his shoulder. Beyond that the scales only grew in diminishing patches until they stopped completely halfway across his chest. Kal picked at one of the isolated scales, they were not a scab or a wound, and the skin grew around them like it was perfectly natural. Unlike the gemstone in his hand.

The tail, wrapped around his waist, remained unchanged, apart from the colour of the bright end scales having changed from blue to gold. Verona prodded the ends hoping for a response. Normally Anton involuntarily pulled the ends away but they remained flat and still.

“Lean him forward.” Kal said, more to Rasha.

Rasha heaved and somewhat struggled to stop him from falling forward. Verona groaned as she saw the scales had spread up his back from his tail. Larger spiked scales now grew along his spine, one on each bone, almost up to his neck. They too glowed with a faint golden hue.

“Shit.” Verona clicked her tongue. “Alright, gently put him back down. We need to check down further…”

Cetina quietly ushered the twins away from the door, both of whom still peered in, frowning as they saw Anton’s exposed chest.

“Cetina? Can you give us a hand too?”

Cetina gave a curt nod, a final word to the twins, and hurried to the opposite side of Rasha. She and Rasha lifted Anton as Verona and Kal unbuckled and pulled his pants down. The scales had travelled far up his legs, halfway up his thighs before petering out like his shoulders. Scales radiated out from the base of his tail but only for a few inches, those scales were larger and gnarled than those on his legs and arms. While Verona was glad they weren’t too extensive her hand stopped when her hands reached just above his knees.

That...That wasn’t like that before!

"What?" Kal’s attention still lay around the base of his tail.

Verona coughed and nodded to his groin. Kal blinked once, the next moment cat slit eyes widened until they were almost human, her eyebrows shot up while she covered her mouth in shock.

“Is that…”

“Yeah.” Verona poked it. “Oh dear. We’re in trouble if it behaves like normal.”

“Have the scales travelled that far?” Cetina asked strangely calmly.

“Actually...No.” Verona chuckled nervously. “We might need more......Fuck’s sake. Are we really this terrible, to be thinking about ourselves, how we’ll get off, when Anton’s still unconscious?”

All fell silent as an air of embarrassment descended upon them.

“So what do we do?” Kal asked softly. “We have no idea when Ferula will get here...If she will. There’s nothing we can do until she gets here.”

“It could be days before we get a response.” Cetina shook her head. “Maybe longer. She did say that she was busy with...Something. So maybe she can’t come. And I don’t know if her apprentices will be enough.” Cetina clicked her tongue. “I just hope they don’t have to use that disgusting Strega Magic on him.”

Kal placed a cloth over Anton’s legs, up to his torso. “If we need help from a Strega Witch that’s what we’re going to get.”

“True...Still doesn’t mean I like it.”

Kal motioned for Rasha and Cetina to lower Anton down and began to inspect Anton’s face. Thankfully there were no obvious signs of any of the dragon scales or any other kind of changes. Kal opened his mouth. Everything was normal. As Kal continued to inspect his head Verona turned her attention to the White Spear, the cause of this entire mess. It was rather simple in design; a long white featureless shaft with a large and flat spear head containing the three purple spheres. The central sphere, the largest of the three, wasn’t completely still like the other two. A light, a smoky dark purple light, moved within. Verona took her dagger and tapped the sphere. It sounded like glass. The light within twitched violently but calmed just as quickly. Whatever the spear was it didn’t like being touched in such a manner.

“Some sort of parasite?” Verona murmured to herself. “Smoke...Is that like the Strega-”

Kal yelped as she withdrew her fingers. Anton was finally beginning to stir. Verona rushed to his side, uncaring that she almost knocked Kal over, crouched by the bed and held Anton’s dragonoid hand. The inner scales were incredibly soft yet also very strong and durable. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad to be held and stroked by Anton’s new body.

Wait. If something’s taken over Anton…

Verona whistled harshly at Kal. Kal understood, at least Verona hoped she did, as she offered her hand for blood. When Verona had taken her customary pots’ worth she turned back to Anton. He winced and scrunched his eyes tight, baring his teeth like he was in tremendous pain.

“Anton.” Verona whispered. “Can you hear me? Are you okay?”

"Verona? My...My head really hurts." Anton tried to raise his other hand but could not find the strength. Verona gently dabbed his forehead with a cloth, there was no sweat but there was little else she could do.

"I can barely think straight." Anton forced his eyes open. They were normal, no sign of any transformation. "Ugh. What happened? Where am I?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Kal moved next to Verona.

"Falling." Anton took a slow, deep breath. "Falling from a terrible height. I was tumbling and spinning...I hit my head on something and I blacked out. Now I am...I'm back. This...This looks like Atros. Is this our house...?"

Sounds like you hit your head really hard when you fell. Unless you went back to that place when you first transformed. That White Realm, or whatever you called it.

"How...How did I get here?" Anton tried to pull himself up but Kal and Cetina held him down. Anton did not resist and slumped back onto the bed. "Where were we before this? I remember being underground."

"We had just discovered the Fire Elves in the Dwarven Hold beneath us." Kal shuffled closer. "We spoke with their King and Queen, they showed us a White Spear...That spear. And then everything went white and we fell unconscious." Kal held his shoulder. "Do you remember that?"

Anton slowly nodded. "I do. Now. The Fire Elves have hair that's like fire. Don't they? Like it's alive. They live underground so Nithroel couldn't find them." Anton cracked a smile. "I'm beginning to remember things. There was a little boy when we first opened the gate. He ran away screaming, then their soldiers arrived...Now I remember."

"Before we go any further there is something that we need to discuss."

Anton frowned lightly. His eyes flicked to the White Spear resting against the wall. "Oh. She made it too."

"What?" Verona tapped his shoulder again. "We'll get to that. But...Your body has changed. Again. Just like with that stone."

Cetina looked rather awkward. Verona didn't understand why, none of what happened was her fault. Especially this time.

"I..." Anton sighed. "I thought it might. My body feels a lot lighter and stronger than before."

"Lighter?" Rasha tilted her head. "You’re heavier than anything I’ve had to lift before.” Rasha smiled. “Wooden beams and carts of rocks don’t compare to you. My legs were shaking when I dropped you here. That's only happened when I've been working all day hauling when they were unhappy with me, and even not that often."

Anton clearly did not doubt Rasha for one moment. He looked to his hands and sighed. His hands and fingers responded to his will, flexing and contracting. Anton let them drop, a frown formed as he looked at his chest.

"I don't understand how you can be so calm." Rasha said softly. "Any normal human would be terrified and screaming."

He's not a normal human. Well...Less now...

"I-I don't know." Anton scratched his chest, the claws were as sharp as they looked, leaving behind pink marks on his human skin, not that he appeared to notice. "But...This isn't the first strange thing that's happened to me. Being here is still strange for me."

"Still..."

"But I know there's nothing I can do to change it." Anton reached for Kal. She quickly took his inhuman hand into her own. Verona smiled at seeing Kal's hand tremble with delight. "I know you would have done everything you possibly could before I woke up."

"My magic just bounced off." Kal clasped his hands. She adjusted the one on top so the spines wouldn't dig into the sensitive areas between her rough pads. "Nothing worked."

"Something certainly did." Anton gently slapped his chest with his spare hand. "Those underside scales really are soft."

"As soft as Eider's." Verona cracked a smile.

Anton tapped his chest again. "How did this happen?"

Verona pointed to the spear. While everyone was looking Verona lifted the sheet covering his legs and tapped his inner thigh. For a moment Anton did not understand, then he realised what Verona was pointing at.

"Really?" Anton tried to keep his face flat but she could see the hint of a smile. "I'm potentially wounded or dead and that's the first thing you worry about."

"To be honest it wasn't." Verona sniggered. "But it was the second. When I saw the scales I was a little worried that it might be covered.”

Anton smiled and his shoulders dropped slightly. "You don't mind sleeping with this?"

"You're still you." Verona held his other hand. "When I got my tattoos you didn't judge or treat time any differently... Besides, it's only a little change since last time." Verona rubbed his chest and winked. "And these muscles are really nice."

"Right…Can someone-"

Someone knocked loudly on the door. Cetina turned to the twins, they gave a quick salute and left to deal with the matter.

“You said you recognised the spear.” Kal turned so she could see both. “How?”

Anton softly sighed as she frowned at the inert White Spear. “If it’s the same spear as I think it is, then I probably owe her my life.”

"Of course you picked up another girl." Verona laughed. "Can't help yourself, can you?"

"Actually, I think I created her."

“Are-” Kal almost sputtered. "Are you saying the spear is your daughter?"

The sound of soft footsteps followed the return of the Dark Elf twins, along with the faint tapping of a thin piece of wood on the floor.

"Created in a literal sense." Anton gently squeezed her hand. "I made her out of a shard of marble. Blew up an Obelisk of Creation as well just to do it."

"You definitely need to start right at the beginning." Verona smiled. "All that was just gibberish."

Anton returned the smile. "I know."

Mezot hesitantly peered around the door, holding her staff tight to her chest.

“Anton! I heard something happened.” Though Mezot was clearly worried, her voice was still soft. Verona noticed a tenderness that had not existed before he began to bed her. “Are you alright?”

Anton simply raised his hands and feet. Mezot knew of Anton's initial transformation; Verona found it utterly adorable how she switched from her detached self to a ravenously curious child when magic was involved. She almost dropped her staff when she realised that Anton was topless. Verona could not suppress her smile.

Well, it’s not like I don’t want to touch those muscles more...Not just me, judging by all these wandering eyes.

Mezot blinked, gripped her staff tight, and looked at his arms. The aroused flush vanished and the curiosity came forth. She quickly walked to his side, sidestepping Rasha and Cetina and leant close to his hand. She rested her staff against his bed, Anton kept a keen eye on the large metal Charm as it tilted close to his head. Without a word she began to poke and prod at the scales covering his hands.

“They’re new.” Anton said.

Mezot tapped the hard pointed scales on the back of his hand. “Of course they are.”

Verona silently chuckled. It was kind of endearing to her the way Mezot would effortlessly, and without knowing, shut someone down with the bluntest of responses.

“Is there anything you can tell me about this?” Anton tapped Mezot’s hand, the tiny burst of pain brought her back to the present. “I wanted to get the expert opinion of a Principle Mage, since it may be some time before we can get Ferula.”

“Certainly not a trustworthy one.” Cetina mumbled.

I wonder how that little girl is doing. Is she still sane? Sounded like she was going to go through quite a lot of pain.

“I want to know if you can sense something different.” Anton raised his arm to Mezot. “Is there anything you can sense?”

Mezot took on a more serious expression as she took her staff and looked closely at Anton’s hand. She murmured something but her face slowly turned to dejection.

“I’m sorry, Anton.” Mezot stood upright. “I can’t tell that there’s anything different. Obviously there is…No. It’s just like your tail...It’s clear...And yet...”

Anton solemnly nodded. “Ferula said that it had merged with my soul, or whatever. I don’t think there’s an easy fix.”

Mezot cast her head down. “This...This type of magic is beyond me. Someone in the Academy might know more. But…”

“They’ll probably put me in a cage and dissect me.” Anton pulled himself up so he could sit upright. The cloth sheet threatened to slip down but Anton held it secure. Mezot did not once shift her eyes from Anton’s hand, much to Verona’s bemusement. “And I’m sure none of you want that.”

Mezot nodded, again not taking her eyes off of Anton’s hand. “You wouldn’t be alive if they did that.”

“T-True.” Anton held back a smile and shook his head. “So what happened?”

Verona tried her best to recount what had happened, with the others adding parts that she missed. Mezot took a small stool as her seat since she wasn’t involved. She listened incredibly closely, though her attention was divided between the story and Anton’s exposed chest.

“And the Fire Elves aren’t pissed?” Anton nodded to the White Spear. “We did just take one of their artefacts, without provocation, and then fled their home.”

“They didn’t have much of a choice.” Kal straightened her back. “If we went to war we would win. If for no other reason than that we can leave the cavern and they cannot.”

“That puts them at our mercy.” Rasha scratched her neck. “Doesn’t it? That means that they kind of have to do what we say...Not that I’m thinking that we should do anything like that.”

Anton raised his hand. “When I get better...Well, good enough to stand on my own.” Anton flexed his toes, the claws caught on the sheets and pulled them along with him. “A bit of food and wood should be more than enough for taking Longinious. I don’t think anyone but me can use her, if she’s still the same from the White Realm.”

“So you did go back.” Verona sighed. “How long were you there this time?”

Anton chuckled. “It’s difficult to say. Probably a few days, at the very least. Maybe even a week. Time seems…”

The White Spear clicked, the purple spheres flashed and covered the Spear in a bright purple light. Verona immediately threw up her blood shards. She had no idea what this Longinious actually was, if it was some sort of parasite that was using Anton or perfectly honest and helpful, but she wasn’t going to take any chances. Verona’s breath and body felt extremely cold, like the very warmth of her soul was being drained out of her. Mezot’s charm glowed with a bright blue hue as she mumbled a string of words. An Ice shield erupted, damaging the wood floor and roof by its sheer presence and strength. Verona trusted that Mezot’s Ice Shield, or whatever it was actually called, would hold.

A mass emerged from the light. At first Verona thought it was simply a mass of white, purple and gold, but the longer she looked the more wrong she knew she was. The mass began to unfurl and move about like a drunk fish stranded on land, giant purple fish fins flopped about, their spines a glittering gold that reflected a disproportionate amount of light. No one spoke a word but Mezot’s Ice magic grew more intense, as did the chill on Verona’s skin.

As the body began to relax a groan emerged from the far side along with a hand. It looked almost identical to Anton’s, the scales slightly smaller and a deep purple while the length of the fingers were longer than Kal’s. A large gold and purple bracelet covered a third of her forearm, at the centre lay a raised crystal that swirled with a shadowy rainbow. Verona frowned as two sets of right hands emerged and rested on its body, followed by two separate left hands that scratched onto the wall and dug into the wood. The claws ripped and splintered along the grain and dug deep seemingly without.

“Where…Where am I?” The voice was deep and harsh, with only the slightest hint of femininity. An echoy growl followed every letter. “Why is…”

The two right hands gripped hard onto her body, hard enough to cause some of the tiny scales to bend at harsh angels and begin to separate. The voice growled as the large fins began to twitch, trying to extend but lacking the strength.

“Nothing...Works...Right.”

“Is that Longinious?” Kal softly asked Anton. She held her dagger tight, in a reverse grip, ready to strike, even though she was pregnant.

Anton blinked, clearly dumbfounded. He required a nudge from Rasha’s halberd to bring him back.

“I...I don’t know. I only knew her as a spear.” Anton’s brow’s furrowed. “Not…”

The left hands stopped.

“Who is that?” The voice now sounded genuinely terrified as her body pulled tighter, a defensive action that even Verona recognised. “Who’s there?!”

“Are you...Longinious?” Anton’s frown softened slightly. “I…”

A head emerged over the body. Again Verona was not surprised that it was not Human, if anything she was like a Beast-kin, but a type that no one in the room had clearly ever seen before.

Her head had no hair, like Eider, but covered by the same extremely fine dark purple skin as her body. Unlike Eider she had seven large bony-like ridges that grew out of her head, two inches wide steadily constricting to a point and a foot long, evenly spaced from the centre of her head to just above her ears. Between the bony horns a type of membrane lay stretched between, a thin gold membrane that reminded Verona of a fish’s tail and fins. Her ears were relatively Human, perhaps one and a half times longer with a small point at the very top.

Black tattoos covered her face, chaotic black lines radiating out from her right eye in vague warped circles intersected by lines, crooked and twisted like bolts of lightning. The lines reached to the edge of the head crest before abruptly stopping at her chin and jawline. At the very centre of the radiating tattoo lay two golden eyes, nervously twitching between everyone present. They were the most normal thing about her, except for the tiny hair-width long arcs of a black lightning that erupted from the edge of her iris, only to dissipate the moment it touched the gold.

Her plush lips slowly turned into a smile, her hairless eyebrows raised in delight.

“A…Anton?” As she opened her lips Verona saw her savage teeth. They were very similar to Kal’s, somehow more violent and intimidating. “Is that you? Is that really you?”

Anton merely blinked in silence. The woman’s smile faded slightly, but still remained beaming.

“But…” Anton held out his hand, pointing towards her. “But you were a spear, Longinious. A White Spear…” Anton rubbed his temple, glancing at the sharp claws that left faint marks on his skin. “Maybe…”

Is any of this normal?

Longinious raised her two right hands to her face, her eyes constricted impossibly quickly. “My mind is still fuzzy. I remember falling. Spinning. Falling uncontrollably through the air, watching you hurtle towards the broken shard of the White Spire as the Angel continued to attack you, then the Dragon killed it but left you to die.”

“What is it saying?” Cetina asked softly. Verona doubted that Cetina was trying to denigrate Longinious, an opinion that Anton and Longinious appeared to share. “It just sounds like gibberish to me.”

Anton slowly nodded. Cetina softened her stance but remained ready to attack, her arm tense on her sword and ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

“After that it was like a dream.” Longinious let her right hands drop onto her body, the two left remained dug into the wall but relaxed slightly. “A dream I can’t remember. I floated through an eternal sea of nothingness, until I heard your voice again.”

Longinious smiled, a warm and motherly smile despite the vicious teeth that hid behind those soft lips. “But I am so glad that you found me, at long last. That I will never have to fall into the endless dreams again. Your Avatar will never leave your side again.”

Anton shuffled towards the edge of the bed. He still only had the sheet of cloth to cover his crotch, something that he ensured remained in place.

“But...If you have my memories…”

“Memories?” Kal raised a brow, glancing at Anton but ensuring Longinious was still in her sight. “What memories?”

“Enough for her to know things from Earth and this world. And there’s only one person here that has knowledge of both.”

If she has ‘all’ of his memories...Oh. Yeah. That could be a little awkward. That means...This should be interesting.

Verona’s eyebrows furrowed.

Does that even mean the ones that he can’t recall? The ones he doesn’t want to?

“You gave someone your memories? Why?”

Anton delicately held Kal’s arm. “It wasn’t entirely my decision. It was a part of creating her, apparently she took a copy of my memories so that she would be useful. So that I wouldn’t have to teach her everything, even what words and letters are.”

Longinious nodded heartily. Her crest rose slightly, perhaps a sign that she was happy. It was much easier to understand the emotions conveyed through soft and fluffy tails and ears. Verona had no idea what a happy fish would feel like, other than cold and wet.

“There would not be enough time to properly teach me such things.” Longinious coughed. “Though I’m certain that Anton would have been able to convey his thoughts through his actions and gestures if I had not been gifted. Enough for us to survive the White Realm.”

“Sounds like your little story.” Verona muttered.

“But...But how can I trust that you are actually Longinious?” Anton asked. “Not someone, or something, that escaped from the White Realm? There were many things in that place. And it seems like you took the long way back.”

Longinious remained perfectly still. Verona could hear Mezot's breathing over the silence. Strangely she could not see Longinious breathing, no rising or moving of her body, not even the slight flaring of her nostrils.

"You…” Longinious’s eyes narrowed. “You could use that creature's powers to compel me to tell the truth."

"Tethra?" Kal frowned. "She is not a creature."

Longinious did not respond. Verona did not miss the flash of revulsion at the very mention of her name. She wondered how she would react to Jira, if she would dislike her as much as she did.

Anton cleared his throat and finally shuffled to the edge of the bed. His feet touched the floor, the large claws lightly gripped at the flat wood.

“Um...Longinious? Are you just a head-”

Longinious’s motherly smile returned. “Of course not, Anton. I...I am merely not that strong at the moment. After being in a deep slumber for possibly thousands of years…”

“She uses your terms at the very least.” Verona said, Anton nodded once. “But are you just a head?”

“No.” Longinious’s eyes narrowed on Verona. It did not feel hostile or that she was judging her, rather trying to recall a distant memory. “Verona?... Yes, your name is Verona. One of Anton’s wives and someone extremely important to him.” Longinious’s face softened. “If it wasn’t for you, I fear that Anton wouldn’t have had the drive to return to this world.”

Verona returned Longinious’s smile. She did not know if it was a blatant attempt at flattery, regardless it still made her warm to hear it.

“I think I can move properly now.” Longinious flexed both of her right hands. “Anton? May I have permission to fully move and extend my body? It is quite uncomfortable to remain like this, even though my body’s designed on a creature that could easily fold over itself.”

Verona looked at Longinious. She was quite large, but she had no idea how many times her body looped over itself from where she currently lay. Given how her right arms were extending to reach her body there was quite a bit of her still hidden.

“Y-Yes. But slowly, please. So no sudden moves.”

Longinious gave a curt nod as her left hands gripped tight onto the wall, her arms tensed and her body began to rise.

Unsurprisingly she did not wear anything Verona had seen before, only vaguely reminiscent of some of Anton’s drawings. She wore a type of overlapping armour plate covering the front of her torso, each plate was only a little larger than her palm whilst being made from a pale white ceramic-like material. A large perfectly solid armour plate covered her equally perfectly flat chest. At the very centre lay a golden emblem of a dragon skull surrounded by a black pentagram outline.

Above the chest plate the armour ceased, replaced by a dull purple cloth that lay tight against her skin up to her neck, so tight she could see the lines of a fairly developed set of muscles below. It looked very smooth and soft but Verona somehow felt that it would be incredibly strong, stronger than even an Arachnid silk underlay. There was nothing to keep the armour attached to her front but it moved with her body so it clearly wasn’t solid. Almost as if it was magically stuck to her front. Whether or not something wrapped around her back she could not tell, nor if there was another set of armour hidden. At her neck lay a thin white collar above the interlocking armour plates, completely bland and uninteresting other than a small pendant hanging from the bottom. Three small purple spheres lay at the centre of a golden circle, the material between the spheres was nearly identical to the rainbow gemstones.

Both sets of arms lacked armour until her elbows, the rest was covered by a white ceramic-like armguard that reached and merged with the rainbow gemstone and its golden metalwork. While it did not impede her movement it left quite a lot of her unprotected, such as her hands which were bare skin. Or fine scales.

After reaching the same height as Cetina her body began to move and spread out, revealing that it was, essentially, a long and thin fish’s body, six to seven times the length of her Human torso. A thick belt formed the dividing area, which was surprisingly plain. Beneath that some sort of armoured skirt reached down to the equivalent of her knees that hugged her body tight. These looked to be made from the same material as her upper armour.

Two large fins emerged from just beneath her waist, easily as long as Verona’s legs, while another ran along her back, far smaller than those from her hips but of the same type. It ended with a large tail with an even darker purple. At first Verona thought it was damaged, especially compared to the fin that ran along her back as it formed several strand-like fins rather than a continuous sheet like the fins on her hips or her crest. However there were no signs of damage or scaring.

Longinious’s crest rose slightly. She gently pushed it down as her demeanour quickly grew apprehensive. “I did not have that much control over what I would look like...In this Form. I was limited in what I could do, but I thought that you would at least find it somewhat pleasing to observe. And that I could even be of use outside of being a Spear.”

Longinious gently tapped her tail body. “My hide is very strong, so a sword or spear thrust will do little against me. And it’s not like it would destroy me anyway.”

Anton did not look revolted, or even mildly disgusted. His expression reminded Verona of something that happened long ago. When they first met Kal; confusion, befuddlement and mostly an honest interest.

Certainly odd but not…Repulsive. Anton undeniably has eyes for Beast-kin too. He’s bedding two already. Clearly not too worried if they’re a little bit more ‘beast’ than Human. Some of them are quite...Focus, Verona. Focus.

“I…” Anton searched for the right words. “I don’t find it strange. But I didn’t think you would look like this. In my mind you were more of a smaller, feistier and more violent version of Verona.”

“Excuse me?” Verona found herself chuckling. “What did you just say?”

Anton gave her hand a gentle squeeze, Verona noticed Longinious staring with an obvious level of envy.

“Sorry, Verona.” Anton gave her hand another squeeze. “But it’s kind of what I thought at the time. Not to mention I’m still a little bit disorientated by everything.” He turned his attention back to Longinious. The moment he did her head crest perked up slightly as she pushed out her chest.

At least Mezot and Axia don't have anything to worry about.

Mezot remained still, the Charm on top of her staff remained bright but her fingers were beginning to tremble. Her face was unmoving hard but she could not halt the trembling of her lips.

“I don’t think Mezot can keep her Ice Shield up for much longer.” Kal whispered, she had followed Verona’s eyesight. “So we need to know…”

“I understand that you may not trust me yet.” Longinious forced herself to speak calmly, evident by the twitch on her neck. “But if I need to be bound in chains so that you may feel safe, then that is what I shall submit too.”

“Couldn’t you just transform back into that spear?” Rasha said. Longinious frowned as Rasha ground a hoof on the wooden floor. “Then it would just fall off. Right?”

“I…” Longinious softly sighed, defeated. “Yes it would. I can transform freely...And it would cause any chains or bindings to simply to fall to the floor.”

Not to mention that we don’t know how strong you actually are. No idea what those bracelets do…So far everything could be a ruse, especially if you have Anton’s memories.

"It may be possible for Anton to create shackles that even I could not break…" Longinious frowned. "But to do would require a significant amount of Essence, Essence that he does not have spares." She shrugged, folding both sets of arms. "Not to mention it would be a terrible waste. I would be truly grateful to have such a rare and valuable resource spent on me...But in the end it would still be an extravagance that he could not afford."

Something flashed over Anton’s face. Recognition. He smiled faintly at Verona.

“That’s what she called my charge, whatever it was that grew along my tail.” Anton ran his new hand along the entire length of his tail. “That’s its actual name. Or, at least what Longinious rationalised it to be called.”

“I still feel that we should use a Truth Prayer.” Kal shrugged lightly at Anton. “Just to make sure?”

“I detest having such magic even mentioned in front of me." Longinious spoke calmly but it was clear she was not happy. "It has been useful to Anton, but I would prefer not to have their magic taint this Form. If at all possible."

“You did dislike every God in the White Realm.” Anton began to relax. “Mezot? Can you remove your Ice Shield?”

“Are you certain?” Mezot almost tilted her head in confusion. “It will take me a few moments to restore it, if...Something happens. Are you sure?”

“I do.”

“I hold no animosity to the users of Principle Magic.” Longinious smiled, a gentle, almost motherly smile. “Why would I dislike those that can understand and utilise the flow of raw magic without needing a False God’s guidance?”

Mezot did not know how to take Longinious’s words. She sought a final nod from Anton and the Ice magic dissipated. Verona noticed that Mezot’s fingers shook lightly, despite maintaining such a powerful piece of magic that was all she was suffering. Verona knew that if she were to have tried anything even a fraction as demanding she would have collapsed ages ago.

“False Gods?” Kal raised a brow and her hand. “They are very real, especially to me.”

Longinious clearly wished to retort but decided against it.

Especially if she has Anton’s memories, she’ll know that’s not the way to get on his good side.

Instead, her eyes focused on the floating shards of blood still hovering around Verona’s head, and the bright tattoos that covered her body. That too quickly passed and Longinious relaxed. No one said a word for some time, no one knew what to say or do.

“Thank you for trusting me.” Longinious bowed her head. “I understand perfectly that this is not simple or normal, for any of you.”

“Now...Longinious.” Anton rubbed his face with his clawed hands. He winced as he nearly cut himself with his new sharp claws. “These are going to take some getting used to. Could someone please get me something to wear? Pants at the very least? Kind of ruins what I’m trying to say.”

I don’t know about that. There’s a few people in this room that aren’t letting you leave their peripheries.

“Mezot?” Longinious’s words caused Mezot to tense slightly. “...Yes. It is Mezot. The Graterian Master Ice Mage. One of the most powerful people Anton has ever witnessed. And the perfect choice to be Atros’s premier Ice Mage.”

Mezot puffed out her chest a little at the obvious flattery. “And Water too.”

Longinious smiled. “I don’t know if you’ve shown Anton much of your Water magic before he returned to the White Realm. But thank you for not attacking me. I know that you are an extremely strong and talented Principle Mage.”

Mezot frowned as she returned a courteous nod, still gripping her staff tight. Cetina presented Anton with a loose pair of pants and a shirt. Verona knew it was the right decision but having him topless for a little bit longer would have been nice.

“So what happens now?” Kal fastened her blades, much to Longinious’s relief.

Is she actually worried about a simple iron dagger? Or hurting the person it’s attached to?

“When people see what’s happened to you...” Kal’s ears drooped. She gently held his hand and stroked his arm. “And it’s going to be hard to explain how you’ve grown so much so quickly...Everything could be undone.”

“I would hope that our people are better than that.” Anton softly sighed. “But I’m sure there are many that would hate me after seeing this. More-so than having Humans and Beast-kin simply coexisting, to say nothing of being together.” Anton smiled at Calo and Sheso, both of whom had remained extremely silent and had not moved from the door. “Seems that the people that care the least...Anyway. This isn’t too hard to hide.”

“Hide?” Longinious’s brows furrowed slightly.

“But what about you? I’ve seen a few aquatic Beast-kin, but nothing that still had the tail of a fish. Like a Lamia, or a mermaid. If they exist in this world.”

“A what?” Verona reflexively asked. Judging by everyone’s faces they were but a moment away.

“A mythological sea creature of Earth.” Longinious began, a slight look of smugness on her face. “It is said that the stunningly beautiful mermaids lured sailors and ships to their deaths by drawing them towards rocks and reefs.”

Longinious flicked her tail fin. “Though I do not think I am capable of singing that well."

“I was always sure it was just a way for drunk sailors and captains to explain why their crew drowned or ran into obvious obstacles.” Anton mused. “And the survivors all agreed to cover each other.”

“Perhaps that is true.” Longinious smiled.

“But why a mermaid?” Verona asked. “Of all creatures that Anton knows…” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you were more Human or even a Beast-kin. Kal, Rasha, I don’t mean anything by that…”

Longinious nodded once. “As I said, I was very limited in what I could do, so I did my best to choose a form fitting for Anton.” She ran a hand over her crest, pushing it down slightly. “Though mermaids were fictional creatures, I know that Anton, being constantly surrounded and working with marine life, would appreciate...”

Longinious stopped. Not just from talking, every part of her stopped. Slowly her crest began to pull down, though Verona knew little about sea creatures she knew what the change meant. Fear. As her lips began to tremble Verona caught movement in her peripherals. Kal gripped Anton’s shoulders tight. His face had turned pale, tremors ran through his body and tiny droplets of sweat rapidly gathered on his skin.

“Shit.” Verona almost dropped the control of her blood and held Anton’s Dragonoid hand tight. She barely felt the pain from the sharp scales and claws. “Anton! Come back to us. Don’t think about anything! Only who’s speaking with you right now!”

Kal held Anton’s other hand while Rasha and Mezot looked on thoroughly confused. Neither had seen one of his panic attacks, when he tried to recall a long lost and buried memory.

“I…” A great shiver ran through Anton’s body. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

He tried to laugh but it came across as incredibly forced, a transparent attempt to play down the largest and quickest panic attack he’d ever suffered.

“I always thought that I worked in a call centre. I’m sure of it. And I was fired because I yelled at the manager the day I came here. Forced here, really. And yet…”

Everyone’s attention fell upon Longinious. If she could shrink any smaller she would. Both sets of hands covered her head, as if she feared a strike, while her tail body trembled and was raised high to protect her head.

“I’m so sorry!” Longinious’s words were little more than a terrified whimper. “I didn’t mean to hurt you in any way. I...I would never…” Her crest essentially lay flat against her head, even without her hands pushing down upon it. “If I had known that witnessing me in this form would cause you so much pain I would have remained as a Spear...Please forgive me.”

Verona felt that while Longinious’s pleas were genuine she was holding something back, what that might be she did not have the faintest idea.

Anton took a final deep breath and his body calmed. Both Verona and Kal tried to dab away the sweat on his face, somehow it became a silent competition between them as to who could be the most tender.

“Thanks.” Anton gently patted their legs. “But...I don’t remember any of that…” Another quick shudder ran along Anton. “But I do remember you saying that you couldn’t access all of my memories. So…”

Longinious stopped cowering. She exhaled loudly, even though Verona had yet to see her breathe, and resumed a more normal stance, height and crest included.

“I cannot. There are many memories of yours that are locked away. But that was not.” Longinious’s eyes became soft. “I thought that it would not be an issue, as it was not forbidden to me. Or…To you.”

Longinious’s tail relaxed and it slowly dropped back to the floor. Verona realised that her human torso should have fallen to the side given the position of the part of her lower body that actually touched the floor. Either she had incredibly strong muscles, possible given Anton’s description of a Lamia, or it simply did not affect her.

“Either way I would have been made into a similar form. You did create me out of the rubble of a fish pond, after all.”

“It wasn’t as intentional as you make it out...” Anton moved his hands to rub his face again but stopped at the last moment. “I am willing to trust that you are the same Longinious, as long as you will allow a Truth Prayer to be used on you, just to make sure.”

Longinious’s face twisted but quickly returned to normal. “If that is what you wish, to put your mind at ease, then I will obey.”

Anton flexed his dragonoid feet. “I suppose that I will need to speak to the Dwarves about getting bigger boots and gloves. That’s not going to look too weird to anyone that I meet, right? It’s going to be a little trickier if they think I won’t shake someone’s hands because I'm a prude, snob or simply because I think they're dirty. Currently they'll feel what they think are the hands of a Beast-kin. And then all hell will break loose.”

“Perhaps you could say that you were involved in a magical accident.” Mezot offered. She stepped past Verona and looked at Anton’s feet. She gently tapped one with her staff. “Though if there are any Principle Mages nearby they will undoubtedly wish to learn more about you.”

“What do you mean you wish to hide?” Longinious asked. Her tail shifted over the floor as her eyes flicked between Anton and Mezot.

“What do you mean when you say ‘What are you talking about?’” Kal asked. She held Anton’s arm tight, which elicited no reaction from Longinious. Her lack of reaction did not surprise Verona.

"Anton is not the type of person to hide himself away from the world because of a few...Changes. No." Longinious smiled. "Obviously one should not strut around naked...Not that I can, obviously, but I do not think it would be a problem."

"I...I think you're underestimating just how much of an issue this is."

Longinious continued to frown. "Surely they would put their prejudices aside once they know what you can offer." Longinious’s frown softened. "Beyond a surgical military strike, there's also resources and that...That effective, albeit annoying powered, Portal Network you are constructing that could bring unimaginable wealth to the right people."

Anton's expression darkened slightly. "If you have my memories then you'll know that won't be the case."

Longinious’s expression slowly began to mirror Anton's. "No. No it probably wouldn't. So much of history is full of people working against their own interests because of their emotions. Irrational emotions. Doubly so when it's concerning something as intransigent and insignificant as race."

Definitely uses his words…Not to mention there's still a lot Anton hasn't told us about his world. He even gets a little touchy when he gets near the 'Second World War' regarding 'race'. I wonder how broken it all was when it was over? Especially the second time. How could it happen twice?

Kal clicked her tongue, snapping Verona back to the present.

“When…” Kal softened her posture. “When you mentioned what you can provide...Are you honestly suggesting that you’re some sort of God, capable of blessing someone with the ability to use magic?”

“I certainly lack such an ability.” Longinious smiled. “And I am not capable of using Principle Magic. Or...Or theirs.”

She cleared her throat and straightened her back.

"Rather, I can teach Anton...A little, rather more guide, how to use Ancient Magic. Magic that predates the creation of either. Of even this world, and certainly something that hasn’t been witnessed in millennia. Powerful and extremely useful, in the right hands. Unstable and lethal, in the wrong.”

“Sounds vague.” Rasha murmured.

Longinious clearly restrained a retort. “Perhaps you would think that from my initial description. But I can assure you that its power and ability is unmatched.”

“Making any sense to you?” Verona asked. “You were stuck in that strange place with her, for quite a while by the sounds of it.”

“I don’t know. Honestly. We were just trying to find a way back home, not trying to experiment with abilities and whatnot beyond what we actually needed.” Anton rolled his hand in the air, slowing as his eyes focused on the large scales. “This wasn’t a thing…”

“But nothing of what she just said?” Kal stepped back when Anton shook his head. She drew her blade again but held it less aggressively than before. “If you only have Anton’s memories, how do you know something that he doesn’t? Something else you just know despite not having any reason to know it?”

Longinious lowered her head slightly. “I don’t know how I know this. And that is a problem, especially for you, Kal. From Anton’s memories you are certainly no fool, not that anyone else here is either.”

Verona silently raised her brow at Anton.

“But all creations, such as myself, even as Anton’s Avatar, are infused with basic knowledge so we are not a hindrance upon our...Creation. Things such as language. At least…” Longinious rubbed her temple. “At least that’s what I thought in the White Realm. I’m sure my memory has degraded during the time spent waiting in that cavern. Or...I just simply don’t know why I know.”

Kal softened her stance slightly. “I don’t know if that’s impossible…”

Anton beckoned her closer. “It’s just like everything she said in The White Realm. But we aren’t going to get anywhere by just talking in circles. For now I am willing to trust her. That she is the same Longinious from the White Realm.”

Longinious shoulders relaxed, as did her entire body.

“I’m glad to know that you’re not stuck in that awful place forever." Anton smiled. “At least here I’m more than a white silhouette. And now you can move of your own free will, not having to be carried everywhere.”

"I am extremely happy too, Anton. I am so glad to be awake once more."

Longinious smiled with an obvious air of relief, that she was being trusted despite her odd introduction. Her smile reminded Verona of her own mother; soft and warm on the outside but terrifying and harsh should someone cross her or hurt the ones she loved. She had no idea what Longinious actually was to Anton, what she meant by being his Avatar would have to be thoroughly explained, but she hoped that she could actually be trusted and that she knew some way to return him to normal. Verona had not forgotten her promise to throw the spear into the lava pit should it prove to be a danger. As she folded her arms she knew only time would tell if she had made the right choice.