When Emilie, Pippy, and Krey awoke from their false slumbers, Livia was there to greet them. She helped each of them back to their feet, beaming a smile at them all. “Holy shit… we did it!” Livia nearly started jumping up and down.

“You mean you did it,” Krey tutted. “We just got our arses kicked.”

“For real!” Pippy blurted. “Those shrineblade types don’t mess around!”

“You all likely fared better than I,” Emilie sighed.

Krey took a knee before the hierophant. “My Lady… I am so glad to see you well again.”

“Krey, please…” Emilie blustered. “Rise, at once.”

He did, and before an awkward silence could set in, Pippy upped the ante by throwing her arms around Livia.

“Our hero! What would we do without you, Livia?”

Livia chuckled, patting Pippy on the head and just allowing the embrace to happen. “You’d probably all be getting into far less trouble.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” a new voice said. They all stopped and looked… and saw her. She floated well above the ground, clad in pink hues hotter than the already-bright shades of her body. “I’m fairly certain, without your aubadean saviour, you’d all be dead.” She raised a finger at them, winked, and a beam of pink light shot out of her fingertip.

In the same split second as the beam was fired, Phyrn appeared in front of her chosen and smacked it aside with the back of her hand. “Ponima! Finally, I found you!”

“Oh, great…” Ponima rolled her eyes. “She’s finally found me, she says. What a fan-fucking-tastic job you’ve done, Phyrn. Now, please, kindly go away and stop causing so much trouble!” with that, she vanished in a puff of pink smoke.

“No, wait! Come back! We need to talk!” Phyrn groaned and began humming with a spell of her own. “Damn you, woman!” then Phyrn also vanished in a twinkle of yellow-green.

Emilie dropped to her knees. “Of course… it makes sense now…”

Livia shook her head. “I’m guessing that was one of the Decakon.”

“Ponima, to be precise,” Krey nodded. “It appears the gods truly are at war with each other.

“Pitting chosen against chosen…” Emilie muttered. “Lu Sen was just like us, a soldier in an unseen war. To think the world is being dragged into such an important conflict, and most cannot even see it…”

“Then it’s good that we can,” Livia said. “Just like how Florentina was Rajata’s chosen… or, rather, was Fyren’s.”

“Wait!” Pippy burst. “Doesn’t that mean that Fyren could be picking out more chosen ones as we speak?!”

“Shit…” Krey spat. “She’s right.”

Phyrn appeared again, immediately drawing the eyes of her chosen. “I apologise for the altercation just now… I thought maybe I could finally start getting through to the mad woman. Unfortunately, she’s managed to shake me once more.” She sat down with them, contributing to their conversation. “I’m afraid I can corroborate your new concerns; Fyren has, indeed, rallied more chosen to his cause. I cannot yet see who, but I sense they are strong. You will no doubt encounter them on the road ahead.”

“Do you think Ponima will also try to pick another chosen?” Krey enquired.

Phyrn shook her head. “Ponima’s tastes are… specific. And fickle. I think she will simply now try to hide… but for all our sakes, I must find her before Fyren does… and find her he will.”

“What of Brightbrand?” Emilie asked now. “Does he yet live?”

“Yes,” Phyrn nodded, “and I believe he has forgone selecting any chosen because he intends to join us. I have not yet been able to speak with him, but he and I… we are good friends. We know each other well. He lies to the east— battling some of Fyren’s new chosen, as fate would have it. We must get to him before Fyren does; if he’s sent his chosen after him, then it must be as a distraction to leave him open. Fyren knows no mortal warrior could ever hope to best the god of unity; he knows he’ll have to kill him himself. We must not let that happen.”

“Then there’s no time to waste,” Livia declared. “First Dunlark Spire, then Fyren’s chosen.”

Krey thumped his right fist into his left palm. “Sounds like a plan.”