When everyone wakes up in the morning I once again turn to Myria and ask for Blitz and an explanation. She delays by feigning sleepiness and says she will explain after breakfast. After we have all eaten our rations for breakfast she reluctantly hands over Blitz.

Drog 'Master!'

'Hello, Drog.'

Drog 'Myria was super dedicated, she never once let me out of her sight. She even kept me close when she was bathing, did you know she has a birthmark on her right..'

'Enough! Shut up, Drog!'

Drog 'If you don't want me to tell you I could always show you!'

'You can do that? Wait! No! Nevermind, just shut up!'

Myria says "It is bound by a sealing wrap made by the high priestesses of the twins. It was the only way that anyone could move Blitz from where you dropped it."

Once I find the end of the cloth I untie it and start unwrapping Blitz, once it is off I toss the wrap aside and take Blitz' sheath out of my pouch. Myria picks up the wrapping and carefully rolls it up and stores it away, I don't know why and decide not to ask. It feels good to have Blitz back on my back, it is like a missing piece of me is back where it is supposed to be.

"Okay, now let's hear how and why you are here."

Drog 'Master, can I manifest?'

'Sure, go ahead.'

Myria says "We are here because the goddesses passed on word of your plan. We are here to save you when your plan goes horribly wrong, like your plans always do."

"Yet here I am free and heading home, my plan worked exactly as I wanted it to."

Vacker says "Exactly?"

"Well, close enough anyway. It worked didn't it?"

Vacker says "While it may have worked out, you still haven't told me the details of what happened while you were gone."

"It's not that important. And what do you mean horribly wrong? My plans may have a hiccup now and then but they always end up working!"

Mericel says "You have survived your plans only through luck and sheer stubbornness!"

Myria says "Your plans always end up risking your life, even when it isn't necessary."

"So? I would rather risk my life than someone else's."

Vacker says "If you are a leader then you need to learn that your life is more important than others."

"Oh, I know my life is important. It is more that I prefer to face the risks head on."

Myria says "We are saying that you shouldn't face risks because everything will fall apart without you."

"If I don't face risks we won't stand a chance. I have now seen the power of the demon lords, any one of them could crush me with ease."

Vacker says "Well, that is true."

Mericel says "If they are so strong that makes it even more important that you stay alive!"

"That's just it, I am going to need to get a lot stronger to have any chance of facing them. To get stronger I need to take risks and even face death."

Myria says "Why are you acting like you will be facing them alone?"

"Because I will be. Our army will face their army, but it will be up to me to face the demon lords."

Myria says "Why you?"

"That is what I was summoned for. Besides, as far as I know I am the only one with a chance of becoming strong enough."

Mericel says "Wait, you weren't summoned to kill the demon lords. You were summoned to exact my revenge and kill the king."

"Your wish was for me to kill the king, but your power alone didn't summon me. Krenocia helped and her wish is for me to face the demon lords."

Mericel says "So you will fulfill both wishes?"

"Yes, I will do my best."

Myria says "So, will you just keep on risking your life?"

"Yes. I have to, but I won't risk my life for no reason."

Vacker says "If it is strength you want, I can help you get stronger."

"Don't worry, I plan to learn everything you can teach me, but there is more to strength than just skill."

Myria says "You know the others and I will lay down our lives to protect you."

"Yes, and now you know why I tend to run off alone."

Mericel says "And that is why we get so mad at you when you do."

Myria says "I will keep punishing you each time you come back!"

"I will accept the anger and the pain, just so long as you are alive I will accept it all."

Vacker says "This is all getting a little too mushy, shouldn't we get moving?"

"Yes, we have a lot of ground to cover, although it will be faster now. You and Myria will ride Lizzy and I will run alongside."

Myria says "Wait, we don't have to go anywhere."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Mericel says "The head of the mage guild gave her a teleportation item."

Myria says "Yeah, we can be back in Illium today!"

As I am about to respond I notice Bones has stopped circling the camp and is facing towards the jungle. I am already on my feet moving to his side when he chatters his teeth to alert us to danger. When I reach his side and look towards the jungle I notice the trees are shaking.

Then I realize it isn't all the trees, just one section, and whatever is shaking the trees is moving towards us. It must be pretty heavy to shake the trees but I don't see the branches moving so it can't be very tall. Lizzy lowers her head and lets out a very unhappy sounding hiss, and Myria looks shocked.

Myria says "It can't be! No way did it follow us all the way here!"

"What? What followed you?"