To the home of the wyvern they hike to in the hours of midday, on the white snow that crunches underneath their feet and the white sun that gleams over their heads, Nahshon looking to the land behind him, astounded by the changing palette of the land before him, picking up snow into his hand that drips back to the earth, with Astrid beginning to pace beside him, the princess also picking up a share she blows from her palm.

"First time seeing snow in person? You look like you've discovered new land or something?" Astrid laughs, Nahshon flashing the rest of the snow from his hand.

"My first time was a week ago. Does it still count...your majesty?" Nahshon asks, Astrid laughing at his stiff formalness.

"You sound so awkward saying that. Ahem! And it still counts, yes, yes it does," She tells him, exhaling as she begins humming a song as they walk, Nahshon's attention grasped by the dark gem hanging by her chest.

"You're a dark magic-user?" Nahshon questions.

"Yes," She answers, laughing at the boy's concerned expression. "Does it scare you?"

"No. I'm just..I'm sure someone told me it was illegal not too long ago," Nahshon scratches his head.

"Really now? Who told you that??"

"Commander Vernon," Nahshon tells her, Astrid giggling once more at his answer. "Old man Vernon, huh? Well then, of course, you would think that"

"Hmm?"

"You see, Nahshon, not every aspect of dark magic is prohibited," She explains. "Sure, there are some parts that are forbidden, because those are ones that can bring great harm to the many; curses, corruption of the mind, and even diseases that can wash over a whole country. But for others, they can be used for good by their users, to protect the ones close to them, some even use it in normal jobs, like movies. He only told you that so you wouldn't take part in it in the first place"

"Hmm," Nahshon nods, enlightened by her teachings, feeling a little betrayed by Vernon. "But is the king alright with it? Since...you're his daughter and all"

"Do I have to listen to everything my father tells me, Nahshon?" She questions him.

"Hmm...fair point"

"He wasn't a fan of it either in the beginning, but in the end, he came to terms with it," She tells him, exhaling as she looks to the mountain. "'Nothing is truly good nor evil,' that's what he has taught me when I was a little child. 'Power is defined by whoever controls it, they get to pick what they want to do with it'. There can be good things in the bad, and bad things in the good. Like goblins, for example; Did you know in some countries, they are used as house pets who help with chores and other duties?"

"Huh, really?" Nahshon tilts his head, imaging a goblin in a little butler suit, chuckling a little to the image in his head.

"You just imagined them in little butler suits, didn't you?" Astrid grins, reading his expression.

"Mhm, that would be a weird thing to see"

"I know," She laughs.

"I think we're here!" They hear Ayame from above, and getting to the top alongside her and the others, there they see the domain of the wyvern, like a mouth in the side of the mountain, exhaling breath of frost colder than the outside is, with Astrid checking on the time.

"This is it alright, hmm..." Astrid confirms, tilting her as she looks to the sky.

"Alright," Arwyn nods as they've reached below, looking at everybody, then to the steepness in front. "How much of us can climb?"

"I'm sure we all can, right? Or I can just create a lift for us," Hazel suggests.

"Huh...yeah, let's just do that," Arwyn agrees, and so they all group around her, commencing their elevation, Hazel creating a platform through her magic that slowly ascends them higher, to which they get to the entrance, its breath stronger and its howl louder, and there Nahshon turns to the scene cold and vast, to where his eyes gaze into the far, and amazed he becomes by what he discovers, a grand structure that reveals itself to him, its showing lifting the boy's finger to its magnificent sight.

"What's that??" Nahshon questions, his finger directing to the grand architecture he sees home within the mountain; large doors like the ones of Ironkeep, still and cold where they stand, attracting the others to its viewing.

"Beautiful," Garkari simply says, gazing upon the structure as well. "Those are doors to the sanctuary; many of which lead to the ancient land beneath our own. Have you not heard of it before?"

"No, sir" Nahshon answers, Garkari chuckling.

"When we get back to our camping site, I'd be glad to tell you the stories it holds," Garkari suggests. "What do you say, boy?"

"Yes, sir. I would like that," The boy nods.

Onto the inside they reach, and impressed are they at the craftsmanship they see before them. Like strings of webs, is the cave decorated with ice that shimmers in the light that shines from above, a magnificent piece done by the wyvern that sings inside the cave, breathtaking in its glittering. Following the lanes that stretch deeper on the inside, on them they pace on their path, through cracks and different levels, split among groups; to each their own of getting to the main location of the beast with unique ways, all making sure they're quiet. And finger to his lip, Arwyn gestures for them to hush, and from there they hear the sound flow louder, like snores that resonate with the ice, growls from what resides within. Steadily they get to the main hold, and there they embark on collection in its home, stacks of food of the beast's hunt frozen in ice, their hearts at ease as they look to two eggs in their glittering nest at the top, under one of the holes where they bathe in light, but confused as they recognise not a presence of the mother, but ceilings and walls of ice that have tricked their ears.

"Huh! I guess it was this easy, huh," Ayame smirks, laying her hands onto the cold shells of the eggs. "Nice. And there's two of them "

"Alright. Let's take what we need and get out before she comes back. I know she won't be pleased when she sees our tender-looking fingers on her eggs, that's for sure," Arwyn warns.

"You worry too much, captain. There's like six of us here. What is she gonna do?" Ayame charges.

"Sweet! But...hmm, alright..." Astrid holds, her hand to her chin as she ponders, glancing around the cave of the absent. "I'm not complaining, but this definitely would be the time when she would be around the sky watching her home, don't you think?"

"Is something wrong if she isn't?" Nahshon asks.

"Well, not really. But she wouldn't have to leave her nest for a while. I mean, look at all of this," She points to the frozen meals stored in ice. "Lots of food here to eat for a good week. Heck, that's what we prepared for, believing it would be watching from the sky this whole time"

"Yes. You are right," Hazel agrees. "Huh.. maybe she went out looking for more food to be safe. Wyverns are well protective of their territory, after all, so she probably wants to stock up a lot, and we just probably came at the right time"

"Perhaps we mustn't worry ourselves, your grace," Garkari states, chuckling at her worrisome self. "You must have expected something much more exciting than this, I feel"

"Hm, indeed I had," Astrid smiles, sighing as she nods. "Well then, let's take our catch and be on our way"

Coming to a conclusion, they take up their catch, the one egg they place in their holster bought for the occasion, and like a kangaroo, Nahshon rests it in front of his belly, embraced by the cold shell through his clothes. Back down they go from the home of the wyvern, Astrid turning to its cold breath once more, her head tilted as she still ponders upon the odd absence of the mother. And back to the campsite, they reach in getting their task done cleanly. Once again they take their rest, the evening sky now above their heads, their tents set up, Hazel and Astrid in charge of preparing the meal, the princess looking to Nahshon who sits with his camera with the boy returning the attention.

"Nahshon, can you cook?" Astrid asks the boy.

"Yeah, I've learnt. Need some help?" Nahshon replies, his body then turned to a location she points to.

"Get me some berries, and some apples if you find any," Astrid orders, the boy laughing at the unexpected request.

"I thought you wanted me to help with actual cooking," Nahshon awkwardly says.

"It is helping. Please," She smiles. "Ayame!"

"Yes, your highness?" Ayame answers, putting away her phone.

"Could you help him with the collection? He'll hold the sac as you put them in," Astrid explains, Nahshon thinking he's basically doing nothing at that point.

"Hmmm," Ayame contemplates, looking at Nahshon. "Yes, ma'am! Let's go!"

Down into the woods, Ayame and Nahshon travel into wilderness, berries being their first findings of many names; Cloudberries, raspberries, and more mixed into the sac, with Ayame lastly climbing into one of the trees, dropping apples into the sac as Nahshon waits below, the progress coming to a halt as he hears her squealing.

"You find any more?" Nahshon asks.

"Hol' up, this one's kinda..high up," Ayame stretches for the fruit, And there Nahshon's eyes begin to shift in what he views. "Almost there"

"We can just...leave it..." Nahshon tells her, fighting against his thoughts, to the sight he urges to resist, under Ayame's loose shorts that expose her to the cold wind, his eyes deep in the anticipation of her panties that set to reveal itself, and polka dots he recognises, hindered by her tail that shies away his eyes, the boy seeing as she turns her head to him.

"Pervert. Aww, did I ruin the view?" Ayame asks him, her cat eyes looking like they're almost fascinated by the boy's interest.

"Hm...don't worry I didn't see anything, and I wasn't trying to look either. So, can you reach that apple?" Nahshon quickly changes the subject, Ayame jumping down without it.

"You don't have to lie," She softens her voice. "But a gentleman shouldn't be looking at a lady's panties without her consent. I can report you for this, you know"

"As I said, I wasn't," Nahshon still stands by, taking the lead in walking back to the camp, having flashbacks of another time like this before.

"Eh. I wonder if this is how you looked at that lady in the red light district," Ayame taunts him. "Thinking how you wanted to have your way with her"

"The same night you robbed me?" Nahshon teases.

"Ngh-never mind that!" She quickly brushes off. "I bet you rubbed one off thinking about her that same night. Hmmm...I wonder if the others know you went there as well?"

"Hmm," Nahshon sighs, both now getting close to the site.

"They haven't, have they? I think they should know," Ayame excites, running towards him. "Hey, everyone! Guess what? I saw Nahshon at the red- ahh!!!"

To the sounds of sighs from the boy, Ayame is electrocuted onto her toes once more before they could see her coming, the group only hearing her screams as she drops to the ground with heavy breathing from the strain on her neck. And silently laughing, is Nahshon who comes and helps her up, his eyes looking at her with threatening energy.

"You forgot that was around your neck?" He asks her, Ayame wimping to his scary aura.

"F-Forgive me!" She sounds in pain, Nahshon sighing as she sobs.

"I'm sorry. Wipe your tears out," Nahshon tells her. "Let's just go back and pretend we never had this conversation in the first place. Alright?"

"Mm," She wipes her tears, limping on her leg gone to sleep from the shock.

"Wait, there's stuff on your tail," He points out the crumbs of leaves. "Should I take them off?"

"Y-Yeah," She turns her tail to him, accepting his help of brushing her off, her tail sensitive to his hand, composing weird expressions that trouble the boy as she makes them.

"It's done," He finishes, both of them arriving back to the site with the stuff asked for.

"Ayame? What happened to your leg??" Hazel questions, seeing Nahshon helping her walk. "I heard you screaming, is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," She tells her, taking a seat, her happy mood returning as she catches the scent of something delicious in the making. "Wow! That smells awesome! Ah! It's your special recipe, isn't it, Hazel?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Hazel grins, placing mac and cheese into the plates. "Once a Cecilie church girl, always Cecilie church girl"

"Hmm," Nahshon nods, remembering he had seen that church some time ago.

"You're an orphan, my lady?" Garkari asks.

"Yes, sir. Wait," Hazel points to Nahshon. "You know Nora, right? We grew up in that same church, in Highgarden. We used to always play together and stuff, but now she probably hates me...because of Ayame"

"Shh, don't tell them that," Ayame hushes her. "She...She's just...going through puberty"

"Really?" Arwyn laughs.

"Do you also know her, captain Arwyn?" Hazel asks.

"Yes, I do," Arwyn says. "She's a feisty one, alright. Bjørn's gonna have one heck of a wife in the future. Yup, and to that, we dig in!".

Everybody thanking Astrid and Hazel for the meal, begins their dinner, blended fruits as their beverages, in the mountain where they enjoy the scenery around them. And finishing their meals, comes the twilight of the night, the summer sun that now hangs low at the horizon, never leaving the summer, only a little of it brightest as they're in the south; The midnight sun that watches over the night.

"Mister!" Ayame puts her hand up. "How old are you exactly?"

"Ayame!" Hazel slaps her on the hand, Garkari chuckling.

"I've lived a short life in my kind's terms, my lady. 585 years, to be exact," He answers.

"Ooh! Huh, so you've lived through the 'era of superpowers' then?" She asks.

"Yes, I have," He confirms, laughing as he senses something from Nahshon, the boy's curiosity that thirst for this knowledge. "The great war that shook the entire world in the early times of the 16th century, at the start of 1521, to be exact. About 9 years it lasted, a time when rulers of many nations had to band together under one creed, due to one commander turned tyrant; Virgil Draghici; Dracul the firebreather. A dragon so feared, so powerful, he bent the knees of many nations to his will, building his empire, conquest by conquest, even pushing into other continents, conquering lands that trembled under his great black wings. And it was there, your great grandfather knew he had to step in, your highness"

"Yes. Dracul had marched his army to Kurtgaard and Sweoland, both old friends of Verencia," She teaches, Nahshon understanding those countries as Denmark and Sweden.

"Correct. And when he aided his allies, he discovered that this militia was no mere army. Even now, no one knows how he truly did it, but as expected of the firebreather, even demon lords and creatures from hell marched in his ranks, and thus king Bjørn declared his kingdom would join the war alongside the threatened countries. And that's how that time was given the name, 'the era of superpowers'; many great nations that fought the dark army, even the great Emperor Taizong of Qin himself"

"Who's that?" Nahshon asks, all of them looking at him in expecting he would know, Garkari chuckling at the rising sense of Nahshon's serious curiosity.

"The great king in the east; A Shenlong; A dragon, like myself. He's been great friends with the Verencian dynasty since King Harald's days, and he's much much older than I am. He's been Emperor of his land dating back to the year 9 BCE. a long life he has lived. Much respected by our people, as well. He had already fought many long wars before this one, but again he lifted to the skies and marched with his army to help others in their dire moments. Have you gone to eastern province before?"

"I haven't," Nahshon replies.

"After the war of the great depression, our nation and economy were damaged severely. It was him who was the first of many who came to our aid, and through his influence, so did many of his nation's neighbours, though the young king at the time had denied his help. Then he was advised by the king of Breannia and the Bellen President to accept his offer. When you visit, there you will see that their influence has turned the eastern province into its own unique presence in Verencia; Their culture and people still inhabiting it to this day"

"I see," Nahshon nods, bounced by Ayame who laughs at him.

"What's up with you? That was like one of the biggest wars in history. Were you living under a rock this whole time or something?" Ayame continues to laugh, everybody joining in.

"...I'm actually from another world," He announces, everybody dropping to silence, into louder laughter as they think he has made a joke, calming down as they see as he does not laugh with them, seeing only a smile on his face.

"W-Wait, you're actually serious??" Arwyn charges.

"Yeah," Nahshon nods, Arwyn turning to Garkari.

"How exactly did you come into ours then?" Hazel questions.

"Hmm...through a castle or mansion in space...I think that's all I can tell you," Nahshon answers, Garkari sensing no trickery in his heart.

"Ha...He...He speaks the truth," The old man says, shocked by this discovery. "Magnificent. Describe it for us"

"They were stars on the outside that the castle resides within. It had long corridors and tons of doors," He describes, more of its description coming to his head.

"Huh...? Doesn't that sound like the sanctuary??" Hazel invites.

"It does," Astrid answers. "And he wouldn't be the first one either"

"You mean they were others??" Nahshon questions.

"Yeah. but not in the way you came here. There's a story of a woman that had ash-coloured hair who claimed she came from another world back in the 1300s," Arwyn teaches. "A bunch of witnesses saw as she jumped out a portal she said had the ability to go create at will. She then disappeared. Probably gone to another world or home"

"Yes. And your way sounds similar to how the ancient people who built the sanctuary also travelled into different worlds; They called it the Bifrost," Garkari teaches.

"The same one the giants used to...L-Land på himmelen?" Nahshon figures.

"Or Jötunheimr, yes. Not to confuse them with the other sky dwellers," Garkari corrects him. "After King Harald's rise to the throne, it is said that most of the giants also used it to travel there, into another realm. But that was the last time anybody heard of that happening nor have we gotten the technology to work once more. Interesting"

"You guys actually believe me??" Nahshon questions.

"We do, you are very serious about it, and your heart tells no lies," Garkari assures to him.

"So, what got you to come here? Truck-Kun? Was it Truck-Kun that got you?" Ayame questions.

"No, I was...taking pictures by a seashore when I suddenly appeared in the castle," Nahshon explains, chuckling a little as Garkari senses a bit of anxiousness from the boy.

"So fascinating," Astrids claims, looking into the sky. "Travelling into different worlds, huh"

"I know," Arwyn puts his hand on his chin. "There's evidence that shows that the sanctuary was used to travel into other worlds like a bridge, and even one looking like it lead to hell was found"

"Why was it built, by the way? Is that the only reason?" Nahshon asks.

"It seems they were also protecting themselves from something," Garkari teaches. "Some believe it was aliens, and some believe it was to simply find new worlds. But many believe it was the wrath of the Allfather, the great eclipse or in our own tongue...Ragnarok; the rebirth of the world. Did your world ever experience something similar, young man?"

"Yes, sir. We also had stories of Ragnarok, and they were many more told by different cultures too," Nahshon answers.

"I see. Just like ours. It seems your world is much like ours, it seems. In the tale, it reads that the world had angered him, but what the past civilization did is still to be truly known. 10,000 years ago, an eternal eclipse washed the skies for 200 years, and the earth became ill; the trees gone rotten and the animals starved, and civilization collapsed in the terror of his wrath upon them. The more they sacrificed for his forgiveness and prayed, the worse it became. Many disasters followed in that dark age, a time when it seemed impossible for their survival. Civilization was split apart by his divine intervention, their knowledge and language gone into many, a divided world, which made our world like this today. And so they built their sanctuaries, beneath the earth where they hid away from his power until his judgement past," Garkari teaches, the boy spooked by this story, his fingers trembling at the thought of how scary it must have been, with his eyes turning to stare into the darkness outside their marked site, to an owl who sees sitting in a tree, its eyes of black void staring into the boy's soul with the sounds it speaks with.

"Woo!" Ayame shakes the boy, almost having him curse from the chilling story, everyone chuckling at him jumpiness, Ayame stretching as she gets up. "Well, good night"

"Perhaps it's time we all went to sleep for tomorrow," Garkari suggests. "And, your highness, Arwyn and I have found another door to the sanctuary, one our size. Would you like to come with us?"

"Really? I would love to," She says, the others accepting his invitation.

"Yes, sir! You can count us in as well," Ayame thumbs up.

"Let us rest and regain our strength for tomorrow. Well, I'm off as well!" Hazel says

So they set to slumber, into their tents, the girls sharing their own. And into his sac, Nahshon sets himself with his eyes weary but his body still chilled by the story, his heart pounding as he's reminded of a story in his world, the story of Babel, hearing the owl that rhythms in the night. Into his deep sleep he slumbers into, gone away in his dreams under the twilight.