Flames licked and lashed out in all directions. The Black Cosmic Dragon roared as its scales ignited. It released its devastating, world-destroying breath, forcing the flames to disperse.

In the black void of space four entities struggled to the death. Three men all at their bodies limit, and a sleek black dragon whose body seemed endless. It slithered through wormholes created by its tail, vanishing and reappearing in light speeds through space.

KILL THEM ALGAMAK!! A bald man with white eyes approached at its command, disheveled, and crazed. His robes made from stardust and the most powerful spell threads were burned away, destroyed. It revealed countless injuries that made wonder that he was still alive. Burns from face to foot, bruises all over his torso, and a hole burned straight through his hip that cauterized unevenly.

He faced two other men who were surprisingly even worse off. Near-death they resolved themselves.

“He's coming again Baltar, I think this is it!” A handsome white-haired youth who looked no more than 20, held the other man up. He consolidated the rest of the mana in his battered body strengthening himself. As a mage, his mana pool had long run dry, but he would draw on anything he had left. His blood boiled, and his veins bulged as he suffered backlash from overdrawing, but he didn’t care, he couldn’t care. This was it. The master of the universe stood before him, the Black Cosmic Dragon, and its new slave Algamak.

Baltar jumped from his arms, his frame was bulky and built like a warrior. His flowing scarlet red hair, middle-aged face, and full beard gave him the aura of a hero. An aura that was the truth; forged from blood, sweat, and tears, it was Baltar’s character through and through. His back was as strong as it was wide and the white-haired man knew no matter what happened, he would always stand with him. With him till the end, even in the face of sure death.

The cry of the phoenix resounded throughout the depths of space as he channeled his flames one last time. His hulking body was beaten and abused; he had taken the brunt of the damage between the two.

“Aleius.” Baltar turned to the white-haired man with a smirk. “I’m retiring after this.”

Aleius couldn’t help but smile back. Making jokes even in the face of certain death, this was the Baltar he knew. The Baltar inspired him to become a mage others could rely on… to become a hero, and to fight against the apex of the universe.

His face turned cold and calculated. They had to end it here, and Baltar knew it too. One last chance to go all out!

“RAIJU!” Aleius howled to the ends of the universe. His muscles twisted in agony as he bled all his mana dry. The space around him condensed and crackled, powerful arcs of blue lightning coalesced forming a magnificent silhouette of a wolf with six tails. The arcs of lightning connected to the surrounding stars, creating a vivid constellation that showed through even the deepest space. The precise control of such a volatile element showed just how masterful this spell was. The constellation moved, animated by lightning it howled.

And as it did, the dark void of space turned red. Heat built and built as Baltar’s body turned into a second sun. Golden wings formed upon his back. His body released the last of his mana, in a phoenix cry the space around them burned, the void of space manipulated, and the silhouette of a golden phoenix appeared. Folding its wings around him in the warmest caress. It spoke…

Go my child, mother is always with you.

With that, his body gleamed a gold so bright, that human eyes would be blinded.

“We go now Aleius!” he roared.

Aleius called to the lightning, the Raiju wolf surged forward at his command. Taking him into a streak of lightning that stormed through the stars. The wolf's form blurred into a stream of pure blue energy as it sped up with Aleius at the center. Baltar burst forward, his body a blinding golden light, that streamed pure flame energy.

The two energies were perfectly matched, coiling and twisting around each other.

Algamak, it's time.

The Black Cosmic Dragon’s eyes glowed red and Algamak obeyed. He didn’t question, he couldn’t question. His mind long enslaved, he cast his last spell.

Instantly, of his own volition, he cast the forbidden spell: soul deconstruction. Instantly his millennia of research, knowledge, and power over the heavens all condensed into his soul. His body imploded leaving only a glistening magical crystal behind. The Black Cosmic Dragon devoured the crystal, the mana of the Celestial Archmage, the pinnacle of magi throughout all races combined with its boundless cosmic energy.

It was a shame to lose such a valuable slave but to see two of the most powerful magical bloodlines work together to subdue it. It had no choice. Their next attack was capable of killing, and it knew. It gazed at the wolf and the phoenix; their energies vast as space itself. Like two shooting stars rotating in an accelerated vortex.

The Black Cosmic Dragon closed its eyes and circulated the celestial magic with its own. Underneath its sheen black scales, it pulled in cosmic energy from the depths of space. A spell only it knew. It opened it’s red eyes, the two light forms dangerously close now, but the power it needed melded and combined. The celestial, and the cosmic. The power of heaven and space together. And with that, it aimed its mouth… and breathed…

…

….

…..

A gentle breeze flowed through the valley, lush green scenery accompanied by flowing waterfalls, lakes, and wildlife. The great blue sky above was covered with friendly white clouds, and birds of all shapes and colors swam through that windy ocean.

Two people gazed down into the valley.

An overwhelmingly beautiful woman stood tall, her face and body perfect at all angles. Her eyes shone with an illustrious golden that looked down on all things. She wore an intricate black and red robe with a matching patterned parasol. The golden jewelry she adorned glittered glamorously in the sun accentuating her long auburn hair, naturally red lips, and pale skin. She was a stark contrast to the surrounding wilderness. She looked like a queen out on a stroll; playing with a pendant that lay upon her deep cleavage, her beauty would bring destruction to any providence of man.

However, the man next to her stood unfazed. He was no simple existence either. He was muscular but lean, wearing a simple, sleeveless white yukata, his arms were covered in black scars. Two katanas tied to his belt and a rough bamboo hat covered his long white hair, leaving a profound shadow over his face. But underneath that shadow, shone two battle-scarred, electric blue eyes.

“He’s there Balshana. I feel him.” The samurai spoke.

The Noblewoman next to him only nodded and they vanished in a flash of lightning and a puff of smoke.

They appeared underneath a green hill in the depths of the valley. There was nothing to be seen, but Balshana didn’t question. The nameless samurai signed with two fingers in front of him, and in an instant, a silent lightning bolt crashed down from the sunny blue sky. The hill was devastated in a powerful explosion, but the two standing only a short distance away were calm. Not even a speck of dirt touched Balshana’s clothes, and the Nameless Samurai easily approached the rubble. He reached into the ground, his arm easily crushing through the earth as he dug. In only a moment he pulled out the full body of a white-haired youth.

As soon as she saw him Balshana couldn’t contain her smile. It took hundreds of years through countless worlds to find him. The time was irrelevant, but she couldn’t stand traveling with the nameless samurai for even another moment, let alone the last few hundred years. He was too… Ascetic for her tastes, a man who only valued the kill. He had no eyes for aesthetics, no eyes for art, no pride, no lust. He was bound by honor and the philosophy of killing. And he’s been pondering that same philosophy for thousands of years, and quite frankly she thought he might be too stupid to ever understand it.

Her elegant, and slanted eyes looked towards the nearly lifeless youth. His body was naked and covered in dirt and black scars. Looking more and more like his master, but at least he was different than that wolf. Aleius had conviction. And above that, he had his sworn brother Baltar. Her sweet, sweet, wonderful, Baltar… She licked her red lips and her face got hot. She fought back the thoughts; she was getting too emotional.

“Can you wake him?” Her voice was warm and mystical.

He nodded, and conjured electricity in his palm. With a slight thrust, he pressed it into Aleius’s heart. The youth’s eyes shot open; his shocked body tremored as he gasped for air.

‘Heavens.’ She thought. She could wake any of her brood with just her voice, but this was apt for that war-addicted wolf.

Aleius’s eyes flashed, as he contemplated his surroundings.

“Master?” he spoke, his voice dry and weak.

The samurai dropped Aleius to his butt and watched him struggle to stand.

“I can’t believe I’m alive.” He groaned his legs wiggling weakly. He tried to stand but his body resisted, his muscles not seeing use in hundreds of years.

Balshana grimaced. “I can’t bear to watch this. Help him you old wolf.”

The samurai shot her a look but didn’t say or do anything.

The blatant disregard sent a fire in her heart. “I’ve tolerated you for too long you old wolf! Our brood might be on good terms but if I see you after this, I will make sure to burn your old bones to ash!”

He looked at her, his long white hair blowing in the breeze underneath his bamboo hat. His hand rested on his katanas.

“Pride is the ugliness of the soul. No matter how you carry yourself, it is a burden you will always keep.” His eyes wandered to her priceless jewelry, to her posh form-fitting robe, and then to her dangerously low cleavage that accentuated her ridiculous bust.

He scoffed.

Balshana made an ugly smile. Her golden eyes began to glow, and the entire valley began to heat up with her. The birds stopped singing, and the lakes began to steam.

Aleius knew if he didn’t do something quickly, they would fight, and destroy this innocent world. Deities like themselves were all too casual with doing whatever they wanted, and it was always the innocents that suffered. Luckily, he knew Balshana’s weakness.

He stopped trying to stand and just knelt. “My sworn brother Baltar, Golden Lady Balshana. Is he dead?”

Instantly, the heat dissipated, and the valley calmed down to silence. The harmonious wildlife hid, afraid of an oncoming storm.

“I just remember fighting the Black Cos-“

“Do not speak!” The samurai’s blue eyes flickered. “Do not speak of it! It is always watching.”

A cold sweat formed on his brow, “Yes master.”

The war-torn samurai folded his scarred arms in front of him. “You and Balshana’s incestuous lover lost.”

“Incestuous?!” Balshana spoke up, appalled. “I never gave birth to him!”

“But he is a part of your brood, Is he not? He takes part of your bloodline.” The old wolf couldn’t help but retort. Taking her down a notch was one of the ascetic warriors' only pleasures.

Her auburn brows knitted, “He took part of my bloodline through his own efforts, he was born a human. He was never my true child.”

“Then why does he call you his mother, and you look upon him so dotingly?” The wolf showed a sly smile, revealing his fangs.

Balshana’s mouth opened and closed a few times, before frowning. “Think what you will you dumb wolf, you would never understand when you treat your offspring like such.”

Neither one of them wanted to relent, the past few hundred years of tolerating each other reaching its limit. Their standoff made Aleius anxious, but surprisingly they broke stares and faced him.

“Listen Aleius.” Balshana started. “Although the wolf won’t admit it you and Baltar have long surpassed us.”

Nameless snorted but didn’t say anything.

“You and Baltar took a fight no one else in the universe could. After Algamak was enslaved and the seat of heaven left vacant, the celestial palace has been in chaos.” Her face turned grim. “The flow of mana has been disrupted. As you know, Space, Heaven, Earth, and Hell are all linked together. That is the balance of life. Universal harmony. If we knew the stakes, if we only trusted you two, we could have tried to unite the realms. But-”

The Nameless Samurai growled, “We don’t have forever Balshana, get to the point.”

She didn’t bother with him this time. She sighed deeply her voluptuous bosom expanding and contracting.

“With the seat of heaven vacant, the mages of the Celestial Palace are all vying for a seat they have no power to truly claim. And in the last 30 years, the mana link between heaven, and earth have been severed.”

The old nameless wolf's hand clutched his katana as he continued her story.

“This means our enemy has begun to move. He’s severed the link between realms to weaken all mages and for us to never unite against it. It has been 30 years, with no contact with the Celestial Palace, we can only assume there is a war going on between those foolish divines. Or worse, they have already been enslaved or devoured by our enemy.”

The news was a jolt to Aleius’s weak body. His fears were all becoming realized, the Black Cosmic Dragon would become all-powerful. It would devour all magic and enslave all races as the supreme ruler of the universe. What could they do now? Baltar was dead, the divines were some of the most powerful mages in existence, and they are killing each other?

His pulse quickened and his heart thumped, his breathing turned to panting. Visions, and memories of fighting that dragon in space. Their final attack, being obliterated by Space and Celestial magic combined. He tried to control his body, but he couldn’t calm down.

‘A heart attack?’ he thought.

he doubled over breathing heavily.

Balshana’s hand gently touched his back, and he felt her golden warmth. Like his body was being cleansed; his heart rate slowed, his blood felt warm but comfortable, she was sedating his already weak muscles. He relaxed and smiled through cracked lips.

“Weak.” The wolf grumbled.

“You lay underneath a mountain for a few hundred years and let’s see how strong you are!” she glared at him.

She helped Aleius to his feet. “There, much better, see, no matter how old you get every man needs a mother.”

She smiled gently, and Aleius couldn’t help but return it. However, his master's electric stare made the hair on his back stand on edge. He moved away from her guiltily.

Balshana giggled playfully and the wolf was annoyed.

“Enough!” he rumbled. “You felt the weight of the situation, don’t expect to be treated like a pup! We are at war!”

Balshana’s face turned serious, “As much as he is an idiot, he is right Aleius. We are at war. Our enemy is enslaving the other realms and will devour them in time.” She looked to the sky her face solemn. “The mortal realm of earth without the heavens there can be no ascension. The Hell realms are nothing but suffering for mortals and immortals. And even the greatest immortal mages could never crack the mysteries of space and the cosmic.” She shook her head.

Once again, the scarred old man with the electric eyes continued.

“What she is trying to say is… The mortal realm is all alone.”

Aleius face hardened, “Then if we cannot unite the realms. What can we do?”

The old wolf flashed a fanged grin. “We fight obviously. We raise the mortal realm up, these mortal worlds may not have divines, devils, or gods, but they do have us deities, and the immortal mages.”

Balshana nodded. “Ironically, the mortal realm being the weakest realm is a great benefit to us. Judging from its likely targets, the mortal realm should be safe for now.” Her eyes focused on his face. “Our bloodlines will have a big part to play in the battles to come.”

Aleius frowned, lost in thought. He looked to the sky, her words igniting his fears. He was mad, scared, and ultimately bitter. His best friend had sacrificed with him to fight an evil others thought unimaginable. But… Baltar died, and he remained. How could he continue the fight? The other mages were all so selfish, always trying to gain power but never willing to acknowledge any responsibility or risk to themselves.

Balshana noticed Aleius’s somber face.

“You must be thinking of my dear Baltar.” She giggled like a schoolgirl. She raised her hand and caressed his face. “Tell me Aleius, who am I?”

Aleius looked into her eyes confused, “You are Balshana.”

“Balshana, is only my name.” She asked again. “Who am I?”

Her golden eyes held an esoteric glint that begged him to answer.

“You are, Balshana. The Mother Phoenix.”

She licked her red lips, and that glint in her beautiful eyes intensified. It was almost… lustful. He had to look away or he felt his body would react.

“You know.” She said coyly. “Baltar shares my bloodline; he is a phoenix.”

Aleius thought for a moment but shook his head.

“For a phoenix to revive he must be reborn from the ashes. I- I saw him get obliterated by the last breath. There is no way for him to revive.”

He bit his lip trying to fight the tears. He and Baltar had fought together for countless years, he had seen him die many times before and he had a knack for taking battles not in his favor. But he would always be reborn from the ashes. He told him; that only complete obliteration would prevent his right as a phoenix.

Seeing his disciple getting emotional the old wolf scoffed and turned his back.

“Aww don’t cry young Aleius.” Her smile was charming. He shook his head; he knew better. She enchanted him every time they met in the past.

“What mother would I be if I let my most precious son die so easily.”

It was true. He and Baltar were sworn brothers, but no one loved Baltar as much as Balshana. It was a borderline obsession that caused her a lot of ridicule from the other deities, but even through her pride and dignity, she didn’t care.

“You have a way?” His face brightened.

Balshana reached into her sleeve and made an uncomfortable face. After a slight pluck, she pulled out a golden phoenix feather. It was gorgeous. A sleek golden radiance that made it more attractive than even the purest of jewels. The most dangerous part was the fire energy that pulsed from it. It was seductive. Any man would become drunk off the power of the feather. It would boost their ego and make them feel invincible.

Even the Nameless Wolf licked his lips, his hands twitching he stepped back.

Balshana looked at him curiously. “See, even you have more discipline than that master of yours. He can barely control himself.” She laughed and put the feather to her lips; with a gentle kiss, she spoke. “Baltar, it's time to wake my dear. The world is waiting.”

She tossed the feather to the sky and a phoenix cry resonated throughout the valley. Instantly pure fire condensed around the feather in the shape of a human. powerful phoenix fire that could set blaze to the heavens condensed in one place, but only for a moment as the form was constructed. Oddly though as it slowly descended the fire surrounding the form crackled and hissed until it reached the ground.

Balshana snapped her elegant fingers, and the flames vanished revealing a tall man. Who to Aleius’s curiosity didn’t look like Baltar at all? The Baltar he remembered was a hulking Prometheus with flowing scarlet hair and a defined jawline. What stood in front of the trio was a spitting image of Balshana herself. His naked body was pale and lithe with long auburn hair that ran down his back to his butt. His face was handsome with a perfectly angled jaw. Naturally red lips just like Balshana’s lifted into a smirk as he opened golden yellow eyes.

“I’m back.” His voice was deep and consonant.

“What is the meaning of this!?” The Nameless Samurai barked at Balshana.

“I have no idea what you mean.” She replied innocently, admiring Baltar’s naked body.

He growled his hand returning to his katanas. “You’ve taken this obsession too far Balshana, you can’t just manipulate the poor boy's form to your whim! Have some respect!”

Balshana just raised her arms with a sly smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I used my own plume for this spell, it’s only natural there would be some side effects.”

The old wolf snorted his face showing his disgust.

“Baltar? Is that you?” Aleius hobbled around him curiously. Observing his body, it was completely different from before, he would have had a hard time believing it to be the same person. But. The spitting male image of Balshana turned around and clapped him on the back.

“Aleius! Brother, we are both alive!” His charming face was a giant smile. “This is really a joyous day! I thought I was dead for sure, but I wasn’t sure about you.”

Aleius couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental, he rubbed his nose his lips quaking.

Balshana ran forward, embracing Baltar’s naked body. “Baltar!” she rubbed her porcelain cheeks on his chest. “Mother missed you so much.” She looked up at him, their faces were dangerously close.

“Enough!” the big bad wolf seemed to be in a mood. “You can catch up later. We have business to discuss.”

Balshana glowered at him. “Don’t interrupt me, wolf.”

The samurai showed his fangs, his sword arms getting itchy.

Baltar couldn’t help but laugh, his boisterous laugh echoing through the valley. Aleius smiled at it, his appearance may have changed but his personality was the same.

“Get off me woman, I’m naked.” He said pushing her away. She pouted but she snapped her finger and flames surrounded him and created a loincloth and rugged red shirt. She glanced over at Aleius and did the same.

Baltar raised his eyebrow at her, “Is this the best you can do?”

She scoffed. “I don’t have the liberties I used to.”

Baltar shrugged, “Never mind I’ll do it.” He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers…

Nothing happened.

He snapped his fingers again. Nothing. He repeatedly snapped his fingers, but he couldn’t control his mana. He immediately tried to circulate his mana through his body, but it would stop and push against his mana pool like a dam. ‘A dam?’ He closed his eyes and looked inward, and felt a golden seal placed within his mana pool.

His eyes shot open to see Balshana snickering behind her sleeve. “You sealed my mana pool! Why?!”

Balshana made a stricken face, “I had to. You’re not like Aleius, the old wolf can just order him to not use his powers and he would. You’ve always been an unruly child.”

Baltar dropped to his knees and clung to her leg. “Mother you can’t do this! Mother, it's not fair what did I do?! I need my powers how will I be able to survive? Mother! Mother Please!”

While Baltar pleaded with Balshana, The Nameless Samurai approached Aleius.

“You and Baltar have been power imprinted by the enemy. Luckily it only means you are not to draw upon your bloodline. Traditional mortal magics should be fine, but our power is off-limits to you until we are ready.”

Baltar was near tears, looking up at Balshana with such a pitiful face; she looked conflicted.

“Fine, I’ll remove the seal but only if you promise to never use your bloodline.”

“Balshana!” The wolf roared the air crackled, and everyone stood at attention.

“Stop playing around with your little boy toy and be serious for one damned moment.”

She sighed, and leaned into Baltar’s chest, her parasol covering them in shade. Her eyes returned to that deep profound gold color.

“Or what Mister Wolf.” Her pink tongue left her red lips and licked across Baltar’s pectoral.

“That tickles” he chuckled.

The old wolf closed his eyes, He knew Balshana was just trying to piss him off. After a deep breath, he turned to the two men.

After catching Baltar and Aleius up to the happenings of the universe, Aleius’s face returned to his worried look, while Baltar remained indifferent.

“So, if it power imprinted on us, then are all of our kin at risk if they use their powers?”

“No,” the wolf shook his head “although our bloodline is the same, me and you are different our blood is unique.”

“Plus, it would take far too much mana to track down a whole bloodline.” Balshana chimed in.

The Nameless Samurai stood unmoving his arms crossed and his eyes focused. He spoke to Aleius about the future battle plans of the other races.

“The link between realms is waning, the devils are of no use, the heavens ablaze, we can only count on the mortal realms.”

“You mean the realm where the mages are self-interested and narcissistic? I can’t see a way for the mortal realms to ever unite. Mortal mages are all too focused on ascension or descension, like it even matters.” Aleius rubbed his chin.

“Your right, young wolf we are in a weird situation.” His master looked to the sky. “This time we can only rely on us.”

Aleius watched his master's gaze, “An unseen threat above the heavens that uses magic even immortals struggle to comprehend. Hmm.”

Baltar looked lost in thought for a moment before finally speaking. “Then how do we win, honestly I don’t think me and Aleius came close, that last breath attack was on another level.”

“We raise an army.” Balshana shrugged as she absently rolled a stone underneath her ornate sandal.

He smiled. Although she was, by all means, ancient, she still held the charm of a young lady.

“Raise an army?” Aleius replied. “Is there word from the other deities?”

The young wolf had gone full strategist, thinking about the possibilities.

“We have and only Kyoko was willing to help. The others were too focused on their own wars and self-preservation.” His master grumbled.

“That bitch! She only agreed to help after I mentioned Baltar died. She’s nothing but ulterior motives.” Balshana spat.

Baltar chuckled to himself.

“What are you smiling about?” she whispered, her tone changing, she hooked her arm around his waist. Baltar didn’t reply, he only held out his hand taking her parasol. She let him take it, and hugged his waist with both arms, snuggling into his chest. “You won’t go finding that Kitsune anymore, right?” She looked into his face. It was so close to hers in proximity and in image.

He peered into her golden eyes and said softly, “Of course, I will.”

Balshana’s face contorted, and her grip tightened, which made him grunt uncomfortably.

But a shrewd smile returned to her face, “It’s okay, I know you can’t help yourself. Mother will be here to protect you from that dumb fox.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to his newfound heartbeat.

“I was afraid you know... When you didn’t come back.” She spoke through their bloodline, directly into his mind. She sealed his powers, so he couldn’t respond. She just wanted to pour her heart out. “You’ve never lost before, countless battles, war after war you and Aleius always returned. But this time, I felt it… I felt… You die, Baltar.”

His face was pensive as he listened.

“For the first time in millennia, I grieved. I realized… I was afraid to lose you. So… I used a part of my soul to resurrect you. You cannot die like that again Baltar, or we’ll both die.”

A tear streamed down her face, Baltar felt it and angled the parasol to hide it.

“No matter what others say, no matter how wrong it is. You’re my hero and I’ll always love you, Baltar.” She displayed a bemused smile, as tears flowed from her beautiful eyes.

They leaned into each other as the two wolves talked. War and battle were never her strong suit, but in taking care of her children Mother Phoenix was unparalleled.

“We could travel the mortal realms and recruit powerful mages, the Magistry on Rothanic has to suspect something. They have astronomers there, I mean… was our battle in the stars observed by no one?” Aleius was puzzled. It was all so odd, if what his master said was true, then the universe really has an unseen threat that the other mages haven’t acknowledged.

“You forget the enemy is a master of cosmic. Magic, we find incomprehensible. You and Baltar were pulled into a pocket dimension of space. Only me and Balshana could lay witness, and that was only because you two called upon us through our bloodline.”

The four strolled off deeper into the valley.

The two wolves chatted for a while; Baltar listened to Balshana in his mind. A lot had happened in the past few hundred years. It was clear they missed each other, nameless was rarely so talkative, and Balshana was clingy as always. He didn’t mind, she was good to him, and he always worried her. He owed her this much.

“How are things at the Purified Palace?” he asked.

She looked at him curiously. “I never expected you to be interested in the happenings back home.” Her sly smile returned.

He grinned from one side of his mouth and laid down on the green valley grass. He loved the way it ebbed and flowed in the gentle breeze. The feeling the grass gave; the slight tingle on his palms and fingertips, it was a fresh bed made of earth. It made him watch the clouds from the ground and breathe in deep bountiful breaths of fresh, mortal air.

It was good to be alive.

He never truly died, he always felt like he just went dormant waiting to be reborn. However, this time was different. He experienced endless darkness even greater than the vacuum of space. His flaming, burning heart, was cold as stone. He shivered ceaselessly in that void between life and death. Like a basic mortal who couldn’t even withstand a winter chill. He had never felt so powerless, not since he became a mage millennia ago.

But even in that endless darkness, he could still hear Balshana calling to him. And in the end, she managed to pull him from that void. That endless cold was relieved by a mother’s warmth. His mind and body resurrected. He felt he owed her everything now, but she didn’t need to know that. She was the Mother Phoenix, immortal and as timeless as the sun itself. She couldn’t fathom death. Although she has seen it in others countless times through the eras, she herself would never have that experience. And he would make sure of it.

Balshana looked down at him contemplatively, it was obvious she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He patted the spot of grass next to him.

“Let the wolves wander off, lay with me, and watch the clouds.”

Her pretty face was complicated, but her golden eyes gleamed.

“The grass is filthy; I couldn’t possibly lay upon the earth like some stray.”

Baltar opened his arms to her.

“If I had my old body, you could just lay on my chest, now I’m a little too skinny.”

“You were built like a bear before; I think it’s quite a good change.”

Baltar chuckled, “I’ll have to get a second opinion.”

Balshana turned sour, “Don’t you go chasing girls, you remember what happened with that Kitsune.”

“Yeah, but the sex was goo- Ouch!”

Her foot came down on his chest.

“Your such an asshole, I don’t even know why I bothe- Oh!”

He grabbed her foot, pulling her down to him.

She landed on top of him, her face facing his,

“You disrespect your mother, Baltar.” Her voice was quiet.

He leaned in close to her ear, “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Nor will it be the last.” her red lips whispered.

The sexual tension was unbearable, Balshana rolled over onto the grass next to him. She laid on his arm, gazing desolately into the clouds. Her previous noble demeanor was gone, replaced with just a beautiful woman with too much on her mind.

They watched the clouds in silence, just the two of them.

Aleius and Nameless wondered down through the rolling hills. The scent of the wildlife surrounding them put him a good mood despite their situation. His body was dormant underneath the soil, a spell any immortal mage uses as a failsafe. Aleius managed to erect a small mana barrier around him, that absorbed enough mana from the land to prevent him from harm or aging. He never really thought he would ever use it but, he also never thought he would fall from the apex of immortal mages.

His body was absorbing mana again, so his muscles started to feel strong, and in a few hours, he would feel like himself again. The only issue was his blood. He strained himself way to hard in the battle in the stars. Even after hibernating for countless years, he still felt anemic.

“Aleius, you and Baltar have revealed to the universe, a grave danger that would have gone unseen.” Nameless’s face was calm and focused.

“To think all of the arrogant immortals, those Divines, the Devils. Everyone would have died without knowing what hit them.”

Aleius didn’t know what to think. “Baltar and I only wished to challenge the seat of heaven for injustice, never did we think Algamak to be enslaved.”

Nameless nodded, “The seat of heaven is considered one of the summits of the great mountains of magekind. Algamak was once a true divine leader. No one could have suspected he would have his mind dominated.”

The duo wandered through the valley; the birds were singing again, and the wildlife became active under the spring sun. They stopped on a hill that overlooked a green field leading to a blue lake. There were deer and horses drinking together, and not a predator in sight. It was strangely peaceful.

The old wolf crossed his scarred arms. “You got your first true scars; I want you to remember them well.”

Aleius felt the black scars on his chest, from shoulder to hip it looked like he suffered a thousand small cuts.

“I will remember them well.”

Nameless nodded, “I have a request.”

Aleius perked up. His master rarely asked for anything.

“I can command you, but that boy Baltar has no discipline. Aleius, I need you to make sure he doesn’t do something stupid.”

Aleius regarded him for a moment, the old wolf gazed down at the lake. The unsuspecting animals live their life while the predators mingle amongst the trees and bushes.

“What about Balshana, she’s the leader of his bloodline, surely she can command him.”

Nameless met his eyes, “I doubt that. Don’t depreciate yourself, you and Baltar have long surpassed our ability to control. And that phoenix has a screw loose herself, I can’t place my trust in her.”

“Then what would you have me do?”

Nameless was silent for a moment, he gazed at the clouds before speaking.

“I want you and Baltar to stay here, to lay low and cultivate your powers back. I need you two to trust in your old master and Balshana to gather allies. This battle is no longer your own, it is a matter for all of us. However, we do not know the extent of our enemy, we can only proceed with caution.”

The old wolf’s electric eyes turned to him.

“You and Baltar cannot die before we are ready.”

Aleius nodded, and in a blue flash, the old wolf disappeared into a streak of lightning soaring through the sky.

He made his way back through the valley, he found Baltar and Balshana laying together underneath her parasol. Baltar’s eyes still watched the sky, but Balshana’s eyes were closed. Her face followed his chest up and down as he breathed; she was a beautiful woman. Her regal presence always lit up a room in reverence, she always did all she could for her children.

He respected that.

For him, he was lucky if he saw that old wolf every hundred years.

He sighed while watching them. The mother phoenix, her carefree face as she slept was like a teenager in the arms of her first love. And Baltar’s face emotionless looking at the sky, a face Aleius knew well even under his new appearance.

The face of responsibility.

He approached them and laid down as well, there wasn’t enough space under the umbrella, but he never worried about his skin tone. The Bloodline of the Raiju made him naturally pale.

Baltar turned his head to him. “So, I take it he left then?”

“Yeah,” Aleius answered gazing out into the clouds.

“Leave it to him to never say goodbye.”

“Yeah.”

Baltar looked at him worried. “You know. If you want more kinship with him maybe you just need to ask. Nameless has always been the simple, straightforward type.”

“Yeah.” Aleius closed his eyes and silence enveloped him for a while before he spoke again.

“Yeah, sometimes I wish I had what you have Baltar.”

Baltar raised his brow, “You want old nameless to lay on your chest like this?”

Aleius laughed, “I’ll take what I can get.”

Baltar chuckled at that.

The two friends reminisced for a while before Balshana rose from her sleep, her face pouty and her hair messy.

She looked around for a moment, “Dumbass wolf left already?”

The two nodded.

“You know I traveled with him for over 200 years through countless worlds, we spanned the heavens the hells and the mortal realms. And he doesn’t even say goodbye, this is why he has no friends.”

“He is a wanderer, what can I say. I guess he is just like that.”

“Well fuck him.” She spat and the two boys looked at her oddly.

She tucked her hair behind her ear casually as she sat up. The auburn color and the sleek shine looked glossy in the sunlight.

“Sorry, I was having a nice time, but I do need to get back to the Purified Palace. I wished I could lay here with you two for a while longer but...” she sighed.

“Amura is telling me she needs me back. I can’t even leave for a few hundred years without anything going fucking wrong! I haven’t seen my Baltar in hundreds of years yet I’m being pulled away immediately! UGH!”

She stood up and put her sandal on Baltar’s chest, “You stay in this mortal world. Its name is Gose.”

She pulled out a folded-up piece of parchment and dropped it on his face. “This is a map. Don’t tell me I never take care of you.”

Baltar and Aleius stayed quiet; she was radiating heat and they were in no mood to get burned.

“Aleius I’m sure that wolf told you everything you need to know.”

She pointed a finger at Baltar.

“Don’t let him leave this world. I’ll be back after I’m finished with whatever is going on at home.”

And with that, she picked up her parasol and disintegrated into a wisp of smoke.

The two boys laid speechless on the grass, afraid to move lest she came back.

Baltar snorted before laughing uncontrollably. Aleius was still stunned but he couldn’t help but smirk.

“You sure you want that?” Baltar held his stomach he was dying.

Aleius couldn’t help but chuckle, “What was that?”

“That my dear friend is a neurotic mother.” He looked at him with a twisted grin.

“Don’t ever get on her bad side.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Aleius rose to his feet. “What should we do now? They just told us to say in this world, Gose was it?”

Baltar nodded to him, “I don’t really know, but this works for me. I never had any intention of going to get my ass kicked again.”

“I agree with that.” Aleius chucked. “So, you were serious about retirement?”

Baltar sighed and stood up, his long auburn hair picking up in the breeze.

“Yeah, I’m done fighting.”

He unfolded the map Balshana was kind enough to give him.

“Let’s try to find where we are, we are limited to mortal magics so we can’t go flying around.”

“Do you even remember how to cast a spell?” Aleius peeked over his shoulder at the map. “I’ve been using the bloodline for thousands of years now I don’t think I can just go back to mortal forms.”

Baltar shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll come back to us.”

The map was intricate and detailed. They were in the Greenturn valley, a place quite a few miles from any city. There seemed to be a village on the outskirts of the valley that had roads they could follow into civilization.

Aleius’s face lit up. “This map is really detailed. We’ll have to thank her next time we see her.”

“Speak for yourself. She always demands my gratitude be shown in a different way.”

Aleius nudged him, “Yeah, but could you blame her?”

“I guess not.” He smirked and shook his head.

Aleius pointed towards a clearing of trees, that’s the way to the village, our new venture.