Two years passed as the party steadily dove deeper and grew stronger. Simultaneously, the girls were happily dungeon diving or discussing new strategies for a complicated battle or puzzle.

The rest of the world was in turmoil as the invaders kept pushing harder and gaining more footholds throughout the lands. That's not to say they were losing on all fronts specific invasion points, such as The Crag took a step back and began to discuss. The two sides came to a wary truce where each side trades goods at heavily inflated prices.

On Drascus, the Academy was in full swing. The ones calling themselves Magi from the plane of warlocks taught their magical techniques and Vice versa. Strangely though, only the Magi's children have been able to access our world system.

A messenger from the island nation, the Church of Light, built up when they got exiled. They came to Darnath himself to seek aid to push back invaders as they had not actively tried to subjugate the world in recent millennia. Lord Darnath sent a contingent of fifth ascension adventurers to their aid.

When they had pushed the invaders back through their gateway, the Church cast a spell that restricted the gate. Although it didn't close completely, The invaders did not seem capable of opening another.

After extensive experimentation, they could place a unique gem that draws essence from both sides of the gate to power it continuously. Considering the gate is only big enough for a single person to pass through at a time, there is only a minor threat.

Hearing of this, Darnath sent for the Church's leader to begin discussions. After much back and forth, Church agreed to send a party to each known invasion point. With the added stipulation that they are allowed to return to the mainland.

Darnath grudgingly accepted. However, he asserted that if they tried to gain any political power. He would send them all packing with a boot to the arse back to their small island.

After Darnath's people gathered all the evidence, he called the five noble families that sided with a group of invaders to stand trial.

To make certain no one accused him of bias, half the people sitting beside him were Kings, Queens and Lords of the Human nations nearby.

After the testimony was presented and explained to everyone Lord Darnath asked them if they had anything to add in defense.

One old aristocratic noble stepped forth. "These lands remain ours. Through whatever virtues do you hold to come hither and replace our traditional customs? We hold every claim to overthrow a usurper like yourself. Moreover, if your society insists on subsisting on our lands, thou shall live subjected to our laws."

Darnath only smirked and waited for the man to continue. But he seemed to be finished. "That denotes your justification? Fascinating, permit me to clarify a bit about your history that appears to have become dismissed over time. - Okay, that's enough formal speak. I shall leave that to politicians and merchants.

"Humans are not a native of this world. Several thousand years ago, refugees fled here through a hastily crafted gateway running from a catastrophe your ancestors created. I believe they called it nuclear war.

"Anyway, when your ancestors came through, we struck an agreement. If they follow our laws and come to the aid of the land when needed. They could have a place here amongst us.

"Want to know a secret kept amongst the oldest of us? That gate has been kept active, restricted, but it's there.

Now, let's put it to a vote do we follow the law and publically execute the traitors and their families?

"Or do we do as your ancestors agreed and send the lot back through the portal to the human homeworld?"

With a unanimous vote, they sealed the five once-noble family's fate.

Afterward, Darnath remarked, "well, think of it this way it's going to be a whole unknown world for you to discover, maybe even new races to meet. Try to make a better impression you never know. Maybe they will have a powerful backer."

While their faces had lost all color, the five nobles still stood straight and tried to seem above everything. As if the judgment passed onto them by their peers meant nothing.

It took a month to march the exiles from the nearest teleportation site, each carrying as much food through the gate as they could.

When several tried to break away in an escape attempt, the guards quickly caught them and shoved them through, still unconscious.

Darnath stood next to two mages radiating power equal to his own. When the last exile walked through the gate, they sent a pulse of energy, destroying it from both sides.

With the destruction of the gate complete, Darnath turned to the crowd. "This is the only chance to be exiled in this way. If this happens again, we will cast you out to sea beyond the furthest islands, to face the permanent storms."

With those parting words, he and his two companions vanished, leaving the rest to make their way back on their own.

Appearing back on his throne, Darnath waved his hand, making two more identical thrones rise from the floor.

Turning to the diminutive demon on his left. "Berger, has your mother noticed anything suspicious about the Magi?"

Berger leaned back, letting his wings slide into slits in his throne, and sighed before speaking in a soft voice that doesn't seem to match his body. "Not that she has mentioned. however, she seems more interested in studying their strange brand of magic."

Nodding, he turned to the right, "Harriet, are you alright with what we just did? They're your people, after all."

Harriet snorted, "I was a child when my people came through the gate back then. Your people saved our lives when you let us settle. I have no sympathy for traitors. Besides, according to what grandfather told me, the fallout should have settled after only a few days. Afterward would be a couple to a few years of nuclear winter. We had to flee because of the bioweapons that spread across the world, changing everyone and everything in their path.

"However, I have never discovered how the changes affected people or things. Either grandfather didn't know, or he wanted everyone to forget. After close to eleven thousand years, I'm sure things have settled down. Perhaps even some survived and rebuilt their society."

With a tired sigh, Darnath leaned back and closed his eyes, spreading his sight across the city, watching two white-haired girls sparring in a private dueling arena. A minute late, Berger asked. "Do you think Mathew's plan will work?"

Opening his eyes, Darnath spoke, "even if it doesn't work with the six of us together. we can keep the other worlds at bay for a few centuries as she gets stronger."

Frowning, Harriet spoke next, "I don't like it we are forcing a child to take up Mathew's mantle."

Berger laughed "if the 'child' regains all her memories as the plan requires, she will be far older than all six of us combined."

"If it weren't for the fate of our world, I wouldn't want the poor thing to get those memories back," Darnath said with a shudder. "It's bad enough there leaking into her dreams already."

"You know, the cost of shattering the block on her memories might break her. Then we will have something far more dangerous than a greater plane discovering us to deal with." Harriet said darkly.

Another rather cheerful voice sounded from the entry. "Ah, you old coots worry too much. Just leave all that to my cute little descendent they will make it all work in the end."

Chuckling Darnath made another throne appear. "Therlion, I take it the undead are behaving in those mountains for now?"

Grinning, Therlion walked up to Harriet and hugged her. "nice to see you again, little sister. It's been a few centuries. Then he sat down, nodding at Berger."

Next, Tuathe walked in smiling at all the guests and took a seat on a throne beside Darnath's, "all we need now is Thorgan." She said, looking around at the group.

A second later, a gravelly voice vibrated throughout the room. "I am here. However, I cannot enter your plane in person anymore, as the essence is too thin even with - What did little Nalle call him? Ah yes, Rocky. even with his help to spread it around."

"Ha, Thorgan, how's it feels to break from your binding only to be forced back to your home plane from growing to large." Said a giggling Therlion. Only stopping when he got a swat on the back of the head from Harriet.

While talking about old times, the six sat down for a feast. Tuathe told the servants and guards to take the night off and sent away. Hours later, a voice spoke into their minds. "Well, isn't this convenient? I need to relay a message to my six heroes, and you're all together for once."

Upon hearing this voice, the room fell silent as they all knelt on the floor. Well, except Thorgan, who stopped talking.

A moment later, a translucent winged man appeared before them. "Alright, get up. How many times do I have to tell you not to bow to me?" With a wave, a gateway to Thorgan's plane appeared. "there now, you can talk without vibrating the stones. I don't know about the rest of you, but it makes my toes itch."

"Lord Mathew," Darnath spoke calmly, "what message do you have for us?"

"Straight to business, huh well that's alright. I can't stay long, anyway. I'll rip it off like a bandaid. One of the weaker Greater planes has found a path to your world. Soon the actual fight begins." With that foreboding message, he vanished, but Thorgan's portal remained.

Standing up, everyone could see by the surrounding mountains that Thorgan had grown massive. but every step closer to the gate he took, his body compacted further. until he was a mere fifteen feet tall, stepping into the room. "Seems I will get a good fight soon," he said, his voice like an avalanche.

Then Mathew's voice sounded throughout the room. "You six are not to get involved unless the fall of your world is imminent or until the barrier around Nalle's memories shatters."

The next day they sent a warning out to all the nations. A greater plane would invade soon, and the location was still unknown. However, please do not rely on the six heroes as they will not intervene unless all nations fail to protect this land.