Scramble

Ryun and Nayra stepped out of the gate and left the Afterlife, entering the Ethereal Realm once again. Ryun closed his eyes as he felt his connection to his other half grow stronger again. He hadn't felt much of Selia while in the Afterlife, only knew that she was still alive.

As soon as they left the gate, he felt a stab of something that he identified as worry.

"Ryun," Selia sent immediately, a sense of relief flowing along her thoughts, though her words and feelings were somewhat muddled. The time difference between the Ethereal and the Real in the place Ryun and Nayra were wasn't as large as it could've been, which allowed them to communicate. The Ethereal moved at its own pace, not always in line with the Real. They were fortunate that it was close aligned now, otherwise he wouldn't be able to talk with her, both of them would only be able to perceive some of what the other felt, distorted by the time differential.

"What's happened?" Ryun asked, he could feel her nervousness.

"It's Tali, she's gone," Selia sent.

Ryun froze, his mind trying to make sense of the words and pull context from the emotions Selia felt. She was angry, tired, and also... Felt almost hopeless.

"Ryun? Everything good?" Nayra asked.

"I'm speaking with Selia," he said then focused on their link.

"Gone how?"

"Their Dome fight went wrong, I don't have all the details, only that they fought against Awirren, and many died, Sigmund and Awirren are presumed dead, along with many Sect Warriors on all sides. The world believes that Awirren went mad and killed everyone, Tali included, but Zacharia was there at the end. The Unchained arrived and took the her prisoner."

"When did this happen, and where is she?" Ryun sent, his thoughts as hard as stone. He had warned Tali that her revenge was blinding her. He didn't disagree with it in principle, but she shouldn't have rushed. She could've had it in time.

"It's been almost two weeks. I've hoped that you would return sooner. Your perk? Can you sense her?"

Ryun turned to Nayra immediately and spoke.

"We need to get into the Real Realm, right now," Ryun said.

Nayra frowned. "I don't know where we'll arrive if I open a gate here. We should get back to the Dragon's mountain, I'm sure that he would--"

Ryun shook his head. "Tali is kidnaped, I need to be in the Real Realm to track her, I don't think that we have time to spare."

He couldn't use his Great Hunter unless he was in the same plane as the target.

Nayra nodded, no longer hesitating. She raised her spear and then used her ability, [Ethereal Gate], and opened a way into the Real Realm.

Ryun jumped through as soon as it was formed. As soon as he stepped out, he focused on his perk and on Tali.

There was nothing. He couldn't feel her, the same way he couldn't feel Ereclaw when he was dead.

Selia had to have sensed his emotions, because she spoke inside his mind.

"It doesn't mean that she's dead," she sent hurriedly. "She could just be hidden behind wards that are strong enough to counter your perk."

Ryun stood knee deep in a creek, a forest surrounding him. Nayra stepped out a moment after, her eyes scanning the area for any threats. Ryun didn't have the presence of mind to do the same. Something was building up inside of him, a rage that he had seldom felt before.

Ryun wasn't someone who felt emotions so deeply. He cared for few in this life, but now... He was angry, but he was also afraid.

Tali was... She was important. She was his friend, perhaps his best friend, the first he had since before the Framework arrived on his old world, since he was a child.

An equal, a partner to banter with, to dream with, to walk this path with. Where Selia and Erdania had found a place in his heart and made his loneliness go away, Tali had made a place as something different. Not someone who would stand next to him in life as support, but someone who could challenge, who was almost an obstacle. They pushed each other to advance.

The thought that he lost her, just like he had lost Melody, it made him... His vision was narrowing, growing dim from the rage inside, so much so that he almost didn't notice Selia's thoughts.

"--Sent messages, the League had been looking for the Unchained before," he turned his attention back to the link, forced himself to listen. Used it as an anchor to calm himself. "One of our members had been investigating them, Maleatus."

"He knows where they are?"

"I don't know. We've stopped operating as a group years ago. And I wasn't part of his task. He might have an idea," Selia sent. "But there is an issue."

"What issue?"

"The League isn't really a thing anymore, though some of us still keep in touch. I haven't been able to reach Maleatus."

A new feeling started to rise up inside of Ryun's core. For the first time in a long time, he didn't know what to do.

"What about Eratemus?" Ryun sent. "He might be able to find her."

Ryun remembered them talking about it before, when they thought that Tali was dead. Eratemus hadn't been able to find her, her Soul had been too damaged. But that happened a long time ago. Eratemus was much stronger now, and they knew that she was alive. She had to be.

"I thought about that," Selia sent back. "But Eratemus hasn't been answering my Far-link calls. I've been planning on sending a courier to his home with a message. But... it is far."

Ryun expanded his sense, stretching it across the territory. At the edge of his range, he sensed a small town. He needed to figure out where he was.

"I need to find her," Ryun sent back.

"Ryun, you can't be rash about this. The Unchained are dangerous, they kill High Rankers. If they had taken her alive, then she probably has some time, there is something that they want. And you know that they are connected with the yeti. Rushing alone will only get you killed, and will not help Anatalien at all."

Ryun grimaced, but he didn't argue. He conceded that she was right, and she felt his emotions, knew that he had done so. He also remembered what they had talked about before. The yeti had come for Zach, and now this... He couldn't help but think that there was a link, and if he was right then Tali was in incredible danger.

"I'm already preparing a small force for the rescue," Selia sent, but underneath her words he could feel that she was unsure if Tali was even still alive.

Ryun would not accept any other outcome.

He listened to the conversations in the town, read the engraved writing on the walls and metal plaques, and quickly he learned the name of the faction it was part of. "Where is the Kingdom of Reo?"

"I don't know, give me a few minutes, Anrosh is sending someone to fetch our maps," Selia said, not questioning why he asked.

"You are together?"

"Of course," Selia sent. "We've been working on a rescue since we found out."

Ryun nodded to himself, forced his mind to calm. He should've known that they would be doing that. They were each of them very good at their roles in the Sect.

He waited for Selia to find the information he was looking for, and took the time to fill in Nayra.

She cursed. "What are we going to do?"

"That depends on where we are," Ryun answered. "But I am not sitting and waiting. Every moment that we delay might mean the difference between her being alive or dead."

Nayra grimaced, then nodded her head.

Selia's thoughts returned, and Ryun raised a hand to indicate to Nayra that he was listening.

"Kingdom of Reo is in the far North Eastern frontier, near the Exalted Empire's sphere of influence, if things haven't changed since the last time we got intelligence from there."

Far northeast, that would put him on almost the opposite side of the Settled Territories from the Twilight Melody Sect.

"Am I closer to Eratemus's lands than the Sect?"

"You are," Selia responded.

"I'll head there, see if Eratemus can locate her. You keep trying to find Maleatus," Ryun told her.

"I will reach out to the other members of the League, see if they know anything. We will find her, I promise you."

Ryun didn't answer with his thoughts. He couldn't trust himself to. Instead, he focused on his emotions, keeping a tight grasp on them. He couldn't afford to lose control, for Tali's sake.