With the Red Horse in place on Earth, one of the two remaining command ships out beyond the Moon gathers its fleet and transits towards the Earth. The Black Horse hits the upper atmosphere and spirals in towards the world, the other ships of the fleet peel off and take position over the various cities of the world. The Black Horse glides in over the city of London.

The Academy of Witchcraft in London remains a hidden place. The Academy's Earth-based footprint isn't hidden behind any veil or shroud, it stands here and there, otherwise nondescript buildings spread throughout London. A well-developed portal system allows ease of transport, all portals jumping between the Library and various Academy buildings on Earth.

This portal network expands far beyond the Academy in London, but it is centered on the Academy's main gate. On the Library side of the Academy's main gate into the Library stands the Hall of Doors. From this Hall, any witch can travel throughout the Academy's network of established portals.

Hiding away in an office in the building containing the Academy of Witchcraft's Main Gate, a group of surviving Private Owners sitting on the Academy's alumnae association monitor the larger situation out in the world.

Four men in suits sit at a table playing cards while two workers at workstations cycle through monitoring Eyes, looking for any discrepancies that might develop into a direct threat to the men playing cards. Normally the man playing cards would not camp in one of the Eye monitoring stations, but they've found no other location completely safe from the threats posed both by Fairies wearing boots or from well armored servitors.

"None of the portals are safe anymore. How many have already been hacked and rerouted somewhere we don't control?" Asks one of the Private Owners, putting cards down on the table.

"None of it matters, we don't even control the whole Hall anymore," says a second man, "How many doors now belong to the Mold? There is nowhere else to go. This is where the story ends for us, I'm afraid."

The oldest man at the table remains silent. He hasn't spoken a word to anyone else in weeks. There has been no need. The old man speaks, "I will travel to New York to collect my wife."

"You won't make it. Best to leave her to the Underworld," the first man to speak says to the old man, "Don't you think you've borrowed her from them long enough? They now come to collect their lost soul and nothing will stop them."

"They come for my soul as well. They come for all our souls. The Underworld won't be denied us anymore." Says the second man to speak.

"Funny that Underworld ship took our portal deity from us when you were in London, huh?" Says the last man to speak to the old man, "You haven't been willing to risk the trip back."

"Was I incorrect to stay put?" The old man asks.

"No," says the last man, "But you won't make it."

"I will reach my wife," the old man says, "This much is allowed to me."

"You go to face your flesh and blood? You read the books as well as I have. . ." says the first man to speak.

The old man stands up, leaving his cards face up on the table, "Either I walk there under my own power or I get dragged kicking and screaming. I may as well walk."

The old man exits the room and makes his way through the halls towards the Main Gate.

As the old man walks through the passageways, black suited guards from the Magic Men run past, and the sounds of a fight break out both behind and down the hall. The old man continues his walk, not stopping to see, not once looking back.

Underworld Automatons start pouring into the building, and as the old man reaches the large, open foyer containing the Main Gate to the Library, Automatons are there to greet him. Some Automatons fight still remaining Magic Men, others stand and stare at the new arrival.

The old man doesn't stop or even acknowledge the Automatons, and he walks close by some of the constructs, seeing the souls glowing behind the blank eyes of the Automaton faces. The Automatons allow the old man to walk up to the Main Gate and using a ring on his left hand, turns the key to open the gate to the Library.

The old man steps through the gate, and Automatons follow. On the other side of the gate, the old man is immediately greeted by a nondescript figure, a humanoid form of the Mold. The old man stops for a moment and stares at the Mold, and the Mold grows eyes to stare right back.

Without speaking a word, the old man breaks eye contact and walks in the direction of the portal to his New York office. The mold and Automatons follow without interference.

Detaching from the larger armada in space beyond the dark side of the Moon, one of the three command ships still waiting moves with its fleet towards the Earth. The Red Horse and thirty-two thousand ferryships descend into Earth's atmosphere.

Rather than landing, the ships circle the Earth in high orbit. Beginning with the Red Horse, a continuous fiery red plasmatic energy gets discharged into the atmosphere, and all the other ships of the fleet follow suit. The great arcs of energy interact with Earth's magnetosphere in a stunning borealic display seen by the bulk of Humanity below.

Down on the Earth, a veil of blindness blankets everyone and anyone without the necessary Eyes to see. Every inch of Earth's circumference gets covered by the fleet of the Red Horse. Once the planet is fully blanketed, ferryships peel off and begin their landings throughout the world.

The forces of the Central Sun still present on Earth deliberately left behind light up, beacons in a pure, unfettered darkness. Those who serve the Central Sun cannot cast a shadow, and the Shadow cast by War's ship reveals his enemy to him. The Red Horse spirals through Earth's atmosphere, settling in over New York Harbor to the south of the city.

Eyes embedded in the hull of the Red Horse open as War begins his search for those who serve the Central Sun. A dozen smaller ferryships followed the Red Horse into the skies over New York City disgorge their troops, Human souls inhabiting constructed bodies allowing for interaction with the denser material reality Earth inhabits.

Despite the Central Sun's retreat, thousands of servitors remain behind in New York City alone, and these seeing their glow against the impenetrable darkness of War's veil realize they must find a way to hide.

Standing in the remains of the Cocoa Exchange building, a woman and the four servitors serving under her now glow brightly. One of the servitors remains on watch outside the collapsed building, keeping their own eye on the Red Horse's Eyes. The servitor watching feels themselves watched in return, and they bid another standing by with them to jump into the semi-cleared rubble.

The servitor bid by the watchstander to move goes into the rubble, finding the cleared space where the portal to the Library had opened and jogs up to her commander and says, "Princess Eleanor, we cannot remain outside and exposed like this!"

"Report what's happening." Princess Eleanor commands.

"A ship from Earth's Underworld hangs over the city. It's most definitely an Angel."

"And there is now a veil of blindness covering the world," Eleanor says, "We can't stay here, we will get . . . collected."

Eleanor turns to the two servitors standing by the now closed portal to the Library and says, "Destroy everything here, we cannot wait for the return of those who went through any longer. They are on their own."

Turning to the servitor who delivered word of the Underworld's arrival, Eleanor says, "Liv, send word to all our forces still in the city to retreat."

"Where?" Liv asks.

". . . East, through the tunnels to Long Island. Once there, keep heading east until out of the city. We will regroup and plan our next course of action."

"Will our own fleet come to rescue us?"

"Eventually, if they can. We must take care of ourselves in the meantime."

"We glow bright in this darkness, too bright. Unaware Humans may not see us, but we stand stark against the veil to Underworld forces."

"Yes," Eleanor says, "We must construct our own veils, cast our own shadows in order to hide."

"How?" Asks Liv.

"Send out an order to all our forces. Any Human who shows they can see us must be seized and taken with us. We will find at least one capable of the magic necessary to make our own veils."

"Aye." Says Liv, who jumps out of the rubble and broadcasts the orders given.

Princess Eleanor watches as the two servitors with her, Bernice and Blanche, destroy the portal. Once that work is complete, the three climb out of the rubble themselves to join Liv and the watchstander, Nora.

Nora, still staring at the Red Horse, senses the arrival of Eleanor and says, "I can sense troops. A few hundred make their way to us right now. A few thousand organize behind them."

Eleanor responds, "These few thousand are only the vanguard. Prepare to fight. We leave now."

All five servants of the Central Sun draw their swords as the first Human-ensouled Underworld Automatons pour in from all directions. The four fully armored servitors and the Princess leading them meet a group of a dozen Automatons at the intersection of Pearl, Beaver, and Wall Streets.

Most of the Automatons are cut to pieces without much struggle, but as the five servants of the Central Sun push down Wall Street towards the East River, the Automatons left in pieces behind them start pulling themselves back together.

Seeing the cords pulled by the Human souls within the Automaton bodies pulling shattered pieces back together, Liv says, "We can't fight these things and hope to win. They will wear us down."

Eleanor responds, "We march through them. We move faster than them."

"For now." Says Beatrice.

"Yes, for now," Says Eleanor, "Let's take advantage of that disparity to get out of the city free and in one piece."

Automaton by Automaton, the five servants of the Central Sun fight their way south on FDR Drive towards the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel. All over the city, servants of the Central Sun fight their retreat towards Long Island.

Disgorging the Witch and company onto Hart Island on a dirt path just outside where the women's lunatic asylum once stood, the Witch stands and sees the empty grass field where the ruins they had visited once sat crumbling. Nothing remains, the Private Owners saw to that.

"Ernest, you're up." The Witch says.

"What do you need me to do?" Ernest asks.

The Witch turns to Ailuros. With an expectant look from the Witch, Ailuros casts a spell, the light of the summer sun shimmers, and where there was just a field of grass a holographic projection of The Pavilion, the old asylum comes into view. Ernest whistles at the sight.

Arrayed before them the old brick building's front entrance towers before the Witch and company, with large double doors at ground level and two grand staircases flanking on either side to the main entryway into the asylum.

Even though just a hologram, the imposing feeling from the collective mental anguish of thousands of patients over years seeps out into the surrounding atmosphere. A low rolling fog emanates from the ground under the asylum.

The Witch speaks, "Ernest, stand in front of the main entryway, a few yards back."

Ernest takes the position instructed, and this time Pleni casts a spell. Ernest feels energy well up from all around him, the living and breathing greenery and plant life providing a significant boost to his own natural reserves of energy.

Ernest starts to feel the energy from the plant life in the hologram of the asylum, with the trees, shrubs, and ivy all offering their energy in response to Pleni's spell. The more Ernest concentrates, the more he can feel, almost connecting with the greenery contained within the sun's memory of The Pavilion.

With his mind, Ernest feels the contours of the veil separating him and all that is flesh from the world contained within the light of the hologram projected by the sun. His thoughts draw him over and along the veil, and soon he finds a thin spot, a place where he feels even he could pierce through.

While Ernest searches the veil with his mind, the Witch helps Bishop Clement move into place a few yards back behind Ernest. Summoning from her bag a large reflective dish, the Witch hands it to the Bishop, who takes it with a quizzical look.

The Witch says, "When the time comes I need you to hold that dish steady. Do not under any circumstances alter the position when the spell commences."

"What's going to happen?" Bishop Clement asks.

"You're going to give Ernest the boost he needs to break through the veil. Don't be afraid when the beam from above hits you. You'll be fine."

"Beam? What beam?"

The second Ernest's mind finds the thinnest point in the veil, a beam of plasmatic red light fires from the White Horse and with great force slams into Bishop Clement. Rather than obliterating the bishop where he stands, the light enters through his crown coalesces and fires out again through his open heart.

The red plasmatic beam hits the back of the dish Bishop Clement is holding, and from there the energy collects and focuses for a few moments. Once enough buildup is complete, a ball of plasma fires from the dish and hits Ernest square in the back.

The energy of the blast fills Ernest's body and he reflexively casts a spell, a spell encoded in the plasma itself. The temporal spell Ernest casts pierces the veil at the weakest point, and a small portion of the hologram rips asunder, and that small rip forms an ever larger tear. Soon, a hole big enough for people to traverse forms.

Through the tear all present can see a real scene. Real plants, real brick, real ground, and real skies. The world within the hologram becomes material before everyone's very eyes. The Witch looks at the materialized asylum and motions for everyone to enter.

One by one everyone walks towards The Pavilion, ascending up the stairs to the main entrance. The Witch stays behind with Bishop Clement and Ernest, and once everyone is safely inside she casts her own spell, breaking the plasma beam and freeing Ernest. The White Horse secures the plasma from its end, freeing Bishop Clement.

"Let's go while the tear remains open." The Witch says to Bishop Clement and Ernest.

Both men, slightly dazed, follow the Witch up the stairs and into The Pavilion. Behind them, the tear slowly repairs itself, and once closed the hologram from the sun's memory fades into the background of normal daylight, a mirage shimmering away as quickly as it arrived.

Leonie rests on the bed in their room back within Dorothea's compound. The Queen herself attends to them, brushing Leonie's hair as Leonie stares blankly at the wall, unable to focus, struggling to think. Dorothea notices a presence on the other side of the bedroom door.

"Lito, thank you for coming over. I know your training is important but our regular adjustments are just as vital to your upcoming mission as sparing."

Without entering the room Lito responds, "I'll wait for you in my room your highness."

Dorothea smiles at Lito's words, and after a few more brush strokes puts the brush down and places her hand on Leonie's forehead, "It can be tough reliving old memories, especially those from before this life."

Dorothea gets up from the bed, placing Leonie gently back down, "I'll be back to taste memories far more ancient with you, but I must attend to Lito. Rest, you can resume training tomorrow."

Queen Dorothea stands up from Leonie's bed and exits the room, making her way towards the waiting Lito.

Stationed over the Blue Moon and suspended in the light and airy atmosphere of the Moon, the White Horse completes the task of transferring all the people and resources needed to perform the resurrection ritual on Hart Island. Once everyone and everything is on board, the White Horse detaches and drifts towards the Earth.

Descending through Earth's atmosphere, the White Horse settles in over the Atlantic before following the water into New York Harbor. With a leisurely gait up the East River, the ship comes to a final rest above Hart Island. On board, the Witch gathers everyone together in Crew's Mess.

"We're trying this again," the Witch tells her company, "We're going to use the upcoming Blood Moon to resurrect Tola."

"There's a lot of time between now and the Blood Moon," Ernest says, "What's the plan in the lead-up?"

The Witch answers, "We are going to camp on Hart Island."

"With tents or what?" Asks Ernest.

"No, we take up residence in the old asylum on the island."

Ailuros joins the conversation, summoning an ariel view of the island below the ship, "Let's start laying out the path and stations the ritual will now take given we must accommodate for our lack of the Magician's mantle."

Ernest interrupts, "Looking at the island, what happened to the structures that were there before when we first tried the ritual?"

Pleni answers, "In the intervening time between our retreat and our return here and now those forces of the Private Owners still capable of operating moved in and demolished everything they could. The Central Sun let them do this much without interference."

Ernest follows up, "How can we camp in an old asylum that isn't even there anymore?"

"You're the master of temporal magic," the Witch says, "you tell me."

Ernest gives the Witch a look of surprise, "I can't roll back time just like that. No one can."

"It's not about rolling back time," Pleni says, "It's about piercing the veil of time and crossing over to where the building still stands, where it stands for eternity."

"That is most definitely beyond me." Ernest says.

"On your own you are correct," Ailuros answers, "but you are not on your own. You have me. You have Pleni and the Fey. You have Bishop Clement. You have the forces of the Underworld at your back. We can pierce the veil."

"And when we do? What then? What's the next step?" Ernest asks.

Pleni responds, "While we prepare for the ritual on Hart Island, we shall prepare for a wider ritual citywide, eventually to be global."

"What ritual is that?"

"The Reverse Mass."

The Witch interjects, "Not only are we resurrecting Tola, we are going to wake up the entirety of Humanity. Magic will be everywhere and with everyone."

"This . . . seems dangerous." Says Ernest.

"In ways you don't even know," says the Witch, "but it must be done. We need to wake up everyone to the truth so that Humanity and the Earth can take their rightful place in the Cosmos."

Ernest sits and stares past the Witch to the wall behind her. He says, "How did we go from small time Cat wrangling to this?"

The Witch is taken aback by the question but smiles, "A part of myself I thought was lost forever returned to me, and from there all this developed."

Ernest moves to continue the conversation, but a smile from Ailuros leaves him without words. The Witch continues with the plans for the ritual, the timings, the resources necessary, and all other pertinent details. Letting his mind drift a bit, Ernest contemplates his journey to this place and time.

Queen Dorothea enters Lito's room without announcement, and Lito stands in the center with only part of his armor removed. The upper portion of his body now exposed without armor slowly changes from his male form, slowly gaining feminine features.

Lito says, "When will I be able to maintain my body without the armor?"

"You must develop the strength and the will." Dorothea answers.

"It's so easy for Iníon and Leonie," Lito says, "they don't have to struggle as I do."

Dorothea walks up to Lito and runs her hand along Lito's chest, "This is the Isle of Women, manhood is earned not given."

"It's unfair."

"Since when is life fair?" Dorothea responds, "We need strong warriors here, and this is your training. When you can stand on the Isle of Women as a Man without change you will stand above all the rest."

"Is it always so easy for women?" Lito asks.

"Lito, where do you think I became a woman? Here on this island?" Dorothea says, "No, I became myself on the Isle of Men. You will rule yourself one day, your own city with your own kingdom."

Lito pulls back a bit from Dorothea, but tendrils of light prevent him from moving far.

The man of the world, once King, enters a barren room. There is nothing. No furniture, no decorations, just empty pale void. He was ushered into this place by Death himself, and now he awaits the next step in the process.

What process? The man does not know. He never believed in the afterlife, just empty oblivion after death.

"I suppose this empty space is a form of oblivion," the man says, "but I am still aware."

"That you are." A voice unseen responds.

"What is this place?" The man asks the voice.

"This is your review."

"My review? What sort of review?"

"The review of the life you just lived from beginning to end, from end to beginning, and from every point to each and every other point along with the paths in between. This is your life review."

"What? Review how? I see no means of review. There's not even a table for me to sit at and write, nor a podium from which to speak."

"Worry not," the voice says, "my associate arrives presently to initiate your review."

"I don't see anyone yet. I guess I must wait." Says the man.

As King the man never waited, others did the waiting. Waiting now chafes, but this is the afterlife and the man now speaks with disembodied voice. Was God not above even him? Words to that effect graced many lips and letterhead, but in his heart he did not believe it. Well, at least he can deign to wait.

The man of the world feels a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, the man faces a jackal-headed figure, one holding a dark, metallic device in his right hand. The device resembles the crucifix, but the bottom of the device is looped, a circular "O" attached to the more familiar cross.

"Hello." The man says to the jackal-headed figure who arrived without announcement. The man gets no response. The jackal-headed figure takes his left hand and grabs at something unseen. The very fabric of the space warps, a blueish-purple lattice appearing where none was before.

The jackal-headed figure pulls the lattice structure downwards, and from the space exposed by the lowering of the lattice a different sight is now seen by the man. Behind . . . behind where the lattice once stood is a greenish sky, and at the top of that sky shines a pure white sun.

The jackal-headed man affixes the flat end of the hooked cross device to the white sun, and through some force unknown remains steadfast in place. The jackal-headed man looks at the man of the world once King.

A feeling of dread fills the man, "What would you have me do?" The man asks.

Without a word, the jackal-headed figure grabs the man with both hands and without any effort lifts him up and turns him upside down. The jackal-headed figure hooks the man's left foot into the "O" of the device and bends the right leg across his left leg.

The jackal-headed figure then nails the right leg to the lattice structure. Anticipating pain, the man winces and struggles, but there is no pain. He feels absolutely nothing. There is no sensation whatsoever. The man relaxes, if only slightly. He still does not appreciate getting nailed to a . . . wall, or any sort of structure.

The gruff grunts of displeasure from the man do not dissuade the jackal-headed figure from continuing its work. The man's spine is straightened out then aligned. His hands, which he's allowed to dangle below his head are grabbed one after the other by the jackal-headed figure and are nailed to the lattice in turn.

"What is this all about?" the man yells, "I was once King! I may now just be another soul, but my crown must be worth something?"

"We shall inspect your crown, along with the rest of you." The disembodied voice answers.

The man's eyes cast toward the sun beyond his left foot, and what he sees shocks him. Emanating forth from the light in waves, tendrils take form. Of the infinite out-streamings of pure light, one tendril takes further form. Gaining the stripes of a snake, the tendril, or snake-like tentacle, grows a head.

It is the head of a swan. A head of a swan stands perfectly attached to the body of a snake, all made of pure light. The swan dives headfirst into the bottom of the man's exposed left foot hung up on the "O" of the device.

The swan's penetration is the most pleasurable feeling ever experienced by the man of the world. The man's awareness goes blank, soon the writhing of the swan-snake within his foot and leg have him seeing stars. Bright stars. Good stars. The most wonderful stars.

The swan reaches its first snack. In his time as King the man of the world debased his own currency. In the hereafter money does in fact grow on trees, the fruit of which carry the words we speak in our previous lived experience.

The King debased his own currency. His people suffered greatly at the feet of his lies. The swan devours the King from within, a crocodile emerges from the simmering light-waters of the emanating sun and devours from without.

The screams of the man fill the empty room in which he hangs with his first swan song. From the tattered remains of the man's feet emerges the snake-swan, object in mouth. The swan drops a golden coin from its beak, and that coin falls, glistering by the man's eyes and drawing his gaze down as the coin lands side up in the palm of a disembodied hand.

Emerging from the cloud holding the coin is an Ibis-headed figure. The Ibis pockets the coin. All words, all symbols, all Knowledge and Disknowledge alike belong to the Ibis. Even the debased currency of lies uttered by a King belong to the the Ibis-headed being.

"We now continue," The Ibis-headed figure says to the man, "pay me no mind while I perform my work behind the curtain."

The Ibis-headed figure returns behind the clouds from which he emerged. The man shakes in pain and terror. The swan dives right back into his body, the ecstasy fills him once more. The man forgets the pain of his lies, his debasement no longer belongs to him. The swan does not have to dig far to reach its second snack.

The man of the world gives the disembodied hand a piece of his mind. The sword of the former King's broken oaths flood out, thousands of swords cutting their way through his body as the swan goes into a frenzy. A tiger emerges from the sun and latches its jaws firmly on the man's hip and thigh.

Of the many thousands of swords now cutting through the man, one emerges in the mouth of the swan-snake. The swan deposits the sword as it did the coin, and the same disembodied hand catches the sword. The snake-swan gets back to its great work.

Further up into the man the swan-snake slithers, again the ecstasy. All the swords, the broken oaths, fade away into the background of bliss and pleasure. Soon the snake-swan reaches into the lower abdomen, and there the swan finds it's third snack.

The snake, avoiding the man's groin and heart for now, roots around throughout the rest of his abdomen. When the swan hits the center of the belly, the swan finds something sweet. Wine. Cups and cups of wine, all overflowing. The King drank. The King drank a lot, to excess.

The snake enters the largest cup of wine and drinks its fill. The swan gets drunk and loses all inhibition. The resulting tearing through the man's body wrenches the man as his guts are completely rearranged. Once the snake sobers up with its belly full, it emerges and drops an empty cup into a waiting hand.

The man's third swan song is a wailing lament. Once more the snake enters the body of the man.

Where the former King once wielded the wand of his Kingdom, the snake digs out a memory. The man sees his first lust, the poor woman he raped in his display of absolute power over his realm. The swan needs no help from other creatures, instead many dozens of other swan-snakes emerge from the sun, pouring into the man from above.

A wand drops from the man, and a hand is there to catch it.

The man is lost, his mind filled with gaping holes. The snake-swan continues its work, but not even the highest pleasures touch the blasted mind of the rattled man of the world. Once all is said and done, the swan emerges from the head of the man, the act of emergence knocking the former King's crown off its perch.

The bottom heavy crown of gold tumbles through the air, and the disembodied hand emerges yet again, this time with the sword it caught prior. The crown lands center on the sword and fixes itself in place. From where the former King's left ear once rested a palm-branch of algae grows up and over the edge of the crown, draped over the side.

The hand holding the sword retreats, but immediately returns with the wand in had as the final act begins. Two of the snakes coil themselves around the wand, and the Ibis-headed figure steps fully into the room with the hanged man of the world to place the wand into the heart of the man.

The resulting reaction wrenches the unconscious man, his bodily consciousness responding where his mind can no longer. The Ibis-headed figure returns behind the curtain, and flying down from the sun above are two more creatures. The first is a butterfly, which follows the snakes into the heart.

Finishing up in the rear, the second creature, a dove, enters into the man's heart and reemerges with something in its mouth. The dove carries an olive branch, and a hand issues from a cloud once more with sword and palm adorned crown. The dove drapes the olive branch over where the right ear once sat, and the two leafy plants are easily compared in length side by side on the crown.

The Ibis-headed figure emerges from behind their curtain and quickly eyes the crown and its contents. The figure clicks its beak once and the jackal-headed being removes the man from the hook on high.

"It's back to the world with you," says the Ibis-headed figure to the man who cannot hear, "the swan ate better than the dove this last go around. Better luck next time."

The man regains awareness for a brief moment as he hurdles towards the light.

Back on the Earth, a family of warlocks practice dark magic over the womb of a pregnant woman. Their divination told them this wife of the family is to give birth to a daughter, her firstborn child being a she. The head of the family won't have it, and he gathers the best alchemists money can buy to alter his ordained daughter into a son.

The lead warlock begins the alchemical procedure, and as the warlock pulls the words of the ritual from his mind he hears for a brief moment the clicking of a bird's beak. The warlock brushes the noise aside and casts the spell. The Reading Family will have its First Son, Named Leo.

Leonie faces Lito on the training grounds in the Ciúin barracks with a face of dogged determination. Lito managed to disarm them twice after hard fought matches, and Leonie refuses to lose three in a row. Picking their spear up from the dirt, Leonie takes a ready stance.

Iníon remains on the sidelines under an awning refusing to lay even one eye on Leonie, much preferring to watch Lito as he dismantles Leonie piece by piece. Iníon glowers though, Leonie improves quickly with each bout. Lito looks to be the more tired of the two.

With a glance towards Iníon, Leonie decides to do something new, they summon forth the Magician's mantle while in the armor of the Central Sun. Before anyone in the training ground can see it, Leonie closes the distance between themselves and Lito, grabbing Lito's right arm.

Lito can hear the rapidly muffled cry from under the awning. Unfazed by Leonie's newfound abilities, Lito uses the leverage of his own body size and weight to turn the tables, forcing Leonie to abandon their spear to the dirt yet again. Leonie steps back and draws their sword.

Iníon grinds her teeth. Leonie smiles as they place the hilt of the sword in their right hand, and with the left hand perform a magic trick. Leonie places the palm of their hand on the tip of the sword and pushes down. Rather than cut through Leonie's hand, the sword simply disappears.

Iníon leans forward. Lito grunts. With gruff steps to Leonie Lito grabs their left arm while placing his sword to her chest.

"What was the point of that trick?" Lito asks.

"The point is to win." Leonie responds.

"Win? How?"

Lito's question is answered for him when he feels a small, sharp poke on the top of his head. The sword that Leonie made disappear now hangs in the air above Lito's head, a crown of light holding it in place. Lito is careful to duck ever so slightly as he casts an eye to the sword.

"Neat trick."

"I'd like to think so." Leonie says.

Iníon is forced from the sidelines, "That's unfair," Iníon says as she stomps to Leonie, "Magic isn't allowed. This is physical combat training."

"The . . . my instructor at the Academy never let the rules stop her from beating me or anyone else however she could during training." Leonie responds.

"The Academy the Academy the Academy," Iníon intones, "If you love the Academy so much why did you ever leave it?"

"Who was your instructor at the Academy?" Lito asks, carefully pulling at the sword in midair which now refuses to budge.

Leonie's eyes brighten at Lito's question, but a moment of thinking leaves Leonie in trance, their eyes glossing over. Lito watches with slight concern and is about to interject when Leonie returns to the land of the living.

". . . No one in particular. I don't even remember their name. I just remember . . . she was ruthlessly tough, even more than you Lito."

Lito contemplates Leonie's words. He wonders if he should say something to Leonie, but considers the current venue the wrong place to do so. The whole town of Ciúin is most likely the wrong place to do so, Lito thinks.

Lito's concerns are in part confirmed when from seemingly nowhere Dorothea appears, calling out to Leonie, "Leonie, please break the spell you cast. This is not the place for combat with magic."

Leonie does as ordered, and reverses the spell, re-materializing the sword in their right hand, pulling it from the palm of her left. Dorothea moves to Leonie, with both Lito and Iníon giving way to the Queen.

Placing Leonie's hands in hers, Dorothea asks, "I would like to know where you learned that spell."

Leonie evades eye contact with Dorothea, but energy courses from Dorothea into Leonie through their hand-to-hand contact. Leonie cannot help but fall into Dorothea's eyes.

"I . . . I just know it. I just know the spell."

"Good, thank you."

Dorothea let's her hands fall to her side, keeping Leonie's right hand with her left. Dorothea turns to Lito and says, "I will be taking Leonie with me back to our home for adjustment. Lito, please do join us later today. Take care of Iníon for now."

Dorothea leaves with Leonie in tow. Lito turns to Iníon and offers her a sword.

"If you can police from the sidelines you can participate in the training."

Iníon stares at the sword for a moment before taking it from Lito with a look of melancholy in her eyes. At least she is alone with Lito for a little while today.

On board the White Horse, the Witch sits with Pleni in Crew's Mess and watches the crew come and go. Something is different. When she first came on board, the crew wore all black uniforms. The Witch now swears they have a dark bluish tint, spattered with gold.

The Witch shakes her head and turns to Pleni, "So we have to go back to New York City and finish what we started on Hart Island."

"Yes," Pleni responds, "We now have far more support. My people are on the ground waiting for us. We will complete the rituals needed to awaken Humanity."

"The Central Sun won't attempt to interrupt?" The Witch asks.

"They may try, they may not. I think it likely they will not."

"What will they do?"

"Prepare for a larger war."

"Where."

"From Venus most likely."

The Witch blanches, "Venus is a death world."

"True," Pleni says, "For now."

The Second Sun First Born is the first of the Central Sun's fleet around Sol to enter the atmosphere of Venus. The ship settles up high, battered by the high winds in the upper atmosphere. Following close behind are large vessels of a different construction to the Second Sun First Born.

Large double disk shaped vessels descend into the Venusian skies, the bottom disk separating from the top, dropping to the ground below. Great cords of light connect the two halves, and these ships begin their work of processing the atmosphere.

The Central Sun begins its terraforming of Venus.

Shortly after Leonie is brought back down below into the innards of the Central Sun's sphere, the draconian technician finishes out the procedure of Leonie's transformation. The crucible, still turned on its side contains a small amount of material still left behind, material no longer with Leonie.

Reaching into the container of tools staged up on the tower in the desert, the technician pulls out one more container. Climbing into the crucible now almost empty, the technician uncaps the container and scoops up the remaining liquid. The container filled glows with a bright yellow light.

"To the vault with you, little one." The draconic technician speaks to the flask holding light.

Once all the machinery is reset into its original starting position, the technician descends back into the tower and takes the elevator down, first destination one of the many high security vaults storing the Central Sun's most valuable treasures.

Once safely stored deep where no wandering eyes have ever reached, the vessel's contents begin to cool, the flask's design and temperature of the room designed for a controlled cooling process. As the yellow energy congeals it takes a more solid form.

Once cooled completely, the flask is filled with liquid to allow the form within to sustain itself, the cylinder itself connected into a system that provides constant flow and filtration for the liquid for extended periods of time without need of active monitoring or maintenance.

Stored within the flask is a small fairy that can only look out into the cool, sterile vault of which it is but a single treasure among countless others. Soon the fairy realizes its predicament and sings out in pain and longing for a heart now missing.

All of the countless containers within the vault all resonate with the songs of trapped fairies, but nothing escapes the cylindrical confines of those containers built by the Central Sun. A chorus of songs goes unheard by all save the voice singing, the sorrows all compounding in loneliness.

The cylinders do their job well, allowing the fairies to sing at the top of their lungs while the vault sits in total silence. All the bottled-up fairies have is their hope, and many lose that over time, falling into a deep sleep. Some fairies slept for centuries, others for millennia.

The newest fairy arrival carries something the others all lack, a memory, and through that memory, a connection to life outside the confines of the cylinder, the vault, and the sphere of the Central Sun. This memory glows bright, and the fairy glows brighter than all other prisoners.

The fairy calling itself Leonie remembers the Witch, and that memory stirs in the dreams of a woman sleeping in a stateroom aboard the White Horse back in Earth's space. The Witch tosses and turns and Pleni, in the other rack within the stateroom, notices.

"You feel it, don't you?" Pleni says to the Witch.

"Yes, I can't sleep, if that's what you mean." Answers the Witch.

"It's more than that. Calm you mind and connect with that feeling within your heart."

"It's more a pit in my stomach."

"Truly it's both."

The Witch does as suggested and meditates. Minutes pass and the Witch feels herself on the edge of waking consciousness. Just as she is about to pass into total unconsciousness, the Witch is ripped from the confines of her rack and tossed through time and space.

With a harsh and fast journey though a tunnel of light, the Witch awakens somewhere small. She is inside a container. The Witch feels the edges of her . . . prison is the word that fills her mind. The prison is cylindrical and filled with a strange liquid. There is no where to go and nothing to do.

There is nothing to do but sing, and the Witch does sing. The fairy looks out beyond the transparent cylinder walls and sees lines of cylinders stretching out in either direction on endless shelving, stacks of cylinders containing stacks of imprisoned fairies.

When the fairy senses the arrival of the Witch within themselves, her heart jumps and fills with joy. The fairy cries out, "Liberation!"

The Witch screams in her sleep, "Liberation!"

Pleni watches with steady eye.

The Witch wakes up in a cold sweat and asks Pleni, "What just happened?"

"You saw what we all no longer can see. You see those lost to us."

"What do we do?" The Witch asks, "The despair. The loneliness. The terror of it all."

"We do as we are doing," Pleni says, "We have five of the Central Sun's own. The Central Sun will demand the return of their servitors, and we will demand the return of our own to us."

"The numbers. . ."

"Yes. The numbers."

"The Central Sun won't agree to any exchange."

"No, they won't."

"There will be war then."

"Yes, war is already here."

"But how do we even get into that . . . prison?" The Witch asks.

Pleni responds, "You are the key into the Central Sun's vault, but you will not like how we get there."

"How do we get there?"

"Through Leonie."

"What?"

"Leonie will fight. They will fight us. They will fight you. You must win."

The Witch lays in bed with Pleni's words echoing through her head. Fight Leonie. Leonie fight. The Witch drifts into an exhausted sleep as visions of a mantle clad person wielding a sheathed sword and gleaming spear fill her mind's eye. The look on this dream's face is one of dogged determination.

Down and down the elevator goes, moving fast yet taking quite a long time. Lito wonders just how deep this underground facility goes. This is the first bit of high technology he's seen since his arrival under the Central Sun. What exactly is the Central Sun, he wonders.

Dorothea smiles to herself as she stands in front of Lito. The Queen's mind is blank, a skill everyone learns in a society of open minds with mind-to-mind communication. She knows what she wants to think, and that is enough for now.

Iníon is different, she has no flowering web of potentialities filling her mind. She is trepidatious yet excited by the ride. She picks up on the incongruity of it all, but she does not pursue the thought. Dorothea senses Iníon is more concerned about who they are about to meet. Dorothea smiles.

The elevator comes to a stop at the bottom of its run, and the doors open to a room filled with technology and devices neither Lito nor Iníon recognize. Dorothea steps out into the room and the other two follow. Dorothea wastes no time, leading Lito and Iníon out into a hallway elsewhere.

After a few minutes of walking nondescript metallic corridors with a dull light emanating from all surfaces, Dorothea leads Lito and Iníon into another room, this one much warmer than the spaces they've passed through so far.

The room itself is painted red, and the furniture is modern and quite clearly from Earth, or at least inspired by Earth design. Lito scans the room and notes everything his eye passes over, and he eventually settles on a figure sitting in a chair facing the other way from the door.

The person sitting has a tablet in their hands, and they are reading. Dorothea steps forward and says, "Sorry for the interruption, but I have brought you and old friend and a new friend too."

The person sitting turns around for a brief moment, and both they and Lito lock eyes. Standing up while abandoning the tablet, the person, who's wearing a powder blue uniform, reveals themselves to Lito.

"You! I thought you died on the surface! No one told me you were alive!"

Lito's eyes grow slightly wider, "Leonie. I'm honestly just as shocked to see you here as anyone or anything else. How did you get here?"

"I was . . ." Leonie pauses for a moment. Dorothea senses the reaching for thoughts into a disconnected void where a thought should be. Leonie continues, ". . . rescued."

"Where is Ailuros?" Lito asks.

"She . . ." Leonie pauses again.

"Who's Leonie?" Iníon interrupts, gently pulling at Lito's arm.

Lito, realizing his lack of manners turns to Iníon and says, "Iníon, forgive me. This is Leonie, we traveled together back in the Library. We've been through quite a lot together even for the short time we've known each other."

Iníon stares intently at Leonie, and Leonie smiles back. Leonie says, "It's good to meet you."

Dorothea can sense the knot of emotions in Iníon's throat and the slight confusion from Leonie, who reads that same knot and is unsure about how to proceed.

Lito also notices Iníon's feelings, saying, "It's good to see you again Leonie," Lito turns to Dorothea and says, "I'd like all of us to get to know each other better. Is there somewhere we can have a drink or something to eat?"

Dorothea says, "What a wonderful idea. Yes, follow me."

The second trip through nondescript halls is shorter than the first, and Dorothea leads the other three into a small dining facility. Food under the Central Sun is more a social artifact than anything, but of the many such artifacts, food is the most persistent and indulged.

All four sit and a meal is soon served, with another person in a powder blue uniform providing the service. Lito starts the conversations, "I must apologize again, I failed to properly introduce myself. My name is Lito."

Leonie's eyes brighten at the name, "You got your True Name back! Congratulations! I assume the Central Sun managed that for you. I certainly didn't help any."

Lito smiles weakly, "Yes, the Central Sun helped me find myself," his smile grows, "I see the Central Sun has done the same for you."

"Yes! I was always depressed, I understand that now. I lived in a body I hated, even with . . ." Leonie pauses, and everyone including Iníon notices. Leonie's mind turns over, "I'm just glad I can live as my true self."

Lito glances once towards Dorothea and feels enough to leave well enough alone. Dorothea says, "Leonie, why don't you show us the mantle?"

Leonie brightens again and says, "You're right! Lito, despite my failure to save you I did manage to save the Magician's mantle."

Without waiting for a response Leonie stands up and casts a spell, the powder blue uniform burning away in a bright light, and the red mantle of the Magician with all the accoutrements in their proper wear and place grow into place with burning flames.

With the double wand, Leonie summons a staff, this one topped with a gleaming blade. Leonie says, "I've been practicing combat. I think I've made a lot of progress, especially since. . ."

Lito feels something dig into his right arm, and sitting next to him Iníon digs her fingers into his skin. Lito says, "I hope we can all spar soon. Training is an excellent way to get to know one another."

Dorothea smiles.

The light of the Central Sun bathes the town of Ciúin on the Isle of Women is warm energy as Lito trains with Iníon in combat. Since becoming a Knight under the banner of Clan Estua, Lito now lives in the town barracks. Endless day after endless day Lito fights other Knights for training.

Lito's record in his fights against even the best warriors on the Isle of Women is respectable given every time he is defeated he works until he can meet the victor again in a rematch and win. His work ethic has already earned Lito a place as a servitor on the next mission to Earth.

The date for departure for Earth fast approaches, and Lito now works to get Iníon up to speed. Iníon is less prodigious than Lito; it took Iníon a good number of days to be able to lift a sword properly, but the strong connection all share with the Central Sun allowed even Iníon to quickly develop.

The biggest issue for Iníon, as it is for any soul under the Central Sun, isn't capacity to learn, it is developing the necessary mental and emotional fortitude to withstand the stress of combat. Even today Lito disarms Iníon for the dozenth time, and now Iníon retreats from the small combat arena.

Lito lets Iníon run away unconcerned, Iníon always runs to the same place, the least used stairwell in one of the corners of the barracks complex. Lito mulls over the situation, this is hardly like combat or military training back on Earth.

But then when on Earth have swords been a main weapon of choice save for the most dedicated sports players? Another strange feature of combat training under the Central Sun is the personal relationship fostered between Knights and their Pages.

Of all the parts of training, Iníon took the best to this personal relationship, and is almost never found more than an arm's length from Lito at any given moment in time. Other Knights prod Lito for "his second shield," and he wonders if he should speak to Iníon about becoming more independent.

That conversation can wait, Lito thinks, and after giving Iníon a few minutes to hide, slowly moves to follow her to her usual hiding spot. Lito walks through the halls of the barracks, taking a different staircase up, and stops at the top of the landing a few steps above where Iníon now sits.

"I don't want to fight. I don't want to go back to Earth." Iníon says, sensing Lito's presence.

"A part of living here is service to the Central Sun, and that service involves the possibility of combat," Lito says, "You need to be able to defend yourself."

Iníon spins around with tears in her eyes, "Defend myself from what?"

Lito thinks back to Dorothea's . . . melding and knows she waits for the day she can have Iníon. Lito says, "Do it for me, please."

Iníon turns back to face down the stairwell away from Lito, "Don't tell me I need to fight."

"If you remain attached to my hip, you will end up with a sword in your hand every time."

"Why can't we do something else, like cooking or pottery or art," Iníon says, "Other people don't fight."

"Go and talk to those who do something else, they've all been on at least one campaign, many of them far more than just one." Lito responds.

Before Iníon can continue talking, a regal presence makes itself known in the atmosphere. Both Lito and Iníon turn to look down the hall from where Lito stands, and a few feet away both see Dorothea. Lito greets the Queen with a bow while Iníon remains despondent on the stairs.

Lito casts an eye towards Iníon and grimaces while addressing the Queen, "How may I serve you?"

"I need the two of you to come with me." Dorothea commands, ignoring the sulking on the stairs.

Lito stands up straight and fully looks to Iníon, who motionless for a second decides to get up and join Lito at the top of the stairs. Iníon asks Dorothea, "What's going on?"

Lito winces while Dorothea speaks past the slight, "I supplied the two of you to a combat team," Dorothea turns to Lito, "I think you will be pleasantly surprised at who you'll be serving alongside."

Lito bows again, and Dorothea turns to leave, with Lito following in short order. Iníon pauses, huffs, and catches up to Lito, saying, "Who does she mean you'll be pleasantly surprised to see?"

Lito responds, "I honestly haven't the slightest idea."

Through the streets of Ciúin Dorothea leads Lito and Iníon, and soon all three exit the town, walking along an old path through the grassy plains that surround the town of Ciúin. A short distance from the town, an old, seemingly derelict tower stands in isolation, and the three travelers approach.

Inside the tower, the ancient sun burnt stone is matched with advanced technology, most notably an elevator with the only available direction being down into the flat Earth. Lito's eyes go wide, this is the first sign of technology he's seen since arrival.

Dorothea motions to the elevator, saying, "Please, after you."

Lito and Iníon enter the lift with Dorothea behind, and all three descend into the mechanical inner workings of the Central Sun's sphere.

Once the four command ships entered space outside Earth's Eternal Moon, each ship spreads out and emits a pulse of energy, and four more portals between Earth and the Underworld open, and from the five portals, all sitting on points of a star, ferryships of all shapes and sizes pour forth.

Down below on the Earth, the ships of the Central Sun all pull upward into the atmosphere and outer space proper, and the small fleet in orbit stands guard, watching as ferryships from the Underworld fill the space surrounding the Earth.

The Second Sun First Born is the last to lift away, leaving New York City's skies clear for the first time in some time. The forces of the Central Sun retreat from Earth, heading towards Venus and the Sun. Prior to leaving, the Second Sun First Born fires a lone bolt of light, hitting a barrier.

With the skies and orbit clear of all else and protected from external attack, the ferryships of the Underworld organize into four fleets deep in the space between Earth and Mars. The White Horse remains close to Earth with its attendant fleet, and the command ship floats above the Selenean summit.

With the tens of thousands of ferryships of the Underworld fleet now within Earth's solar system, all but one of the portals close. The portal anchored to the Eternal Moon with the Blue Moon at its apogee remains, the red and orange nerve-like conduits of energy connecting the ship and Moon.

With everything completed, the four standing atop the Selenean summit release their spell, and the surface of the Eternal Moon returns to tranquility once more with only the light bending properties of the still open portal causing any sort of disturbance, and a peaceful one at that.

The Moon Goddess is the first to depart, jumping off and landing on her ferryship where she makes her way to a hatch which opens to let her aboard. The Great Mother smiles and portals back to her realm only her smile lingering in the thin atmosphere of the Eternal Moon.

The Witch, hosting the spirit of Selene, gives Pleni an expectant look. Pleni offers the Witch her hand, and the two jump off together moving through space towards the White Horse. On reaching the large ship, the two are met with a beam that takes them into a loading bay.

Standing in the open space of the loading bay, the Witch and Pleni are greeted by a man in full Hellish dress uniform. The man salutes the pair and says, "Welcome aboard the White Horse. My name is Captain Stephanus, if you would please follow me."

The Witch and Pleni follow Captain Stephanus as he leads them away from the loading bay and down a passageway. The three pass a number of crewmembers all dressed in black coveralls, all of whom clear the way as the Captain and his two guests pass.

The Witch and Pleni enter a room at the behest of Captain Stephanus, and are greeted with a long conference-like table and a good number of chairs, all empty. The Captain says, "Welcome to the Wardroom. Please, have a seat."

The Witch and Pleni take seats flanking the head of the table where Captain Stephanus sits once the other two are seated. Captain Stephanus opens, "I brought you here to discuss the next step in our project for the integration of Earth into the City of Dis."

The Witch's eyes grow wide, but a force within her fills her mind with Knowledge, memories of the failed resurrection of Tola on Hart Island coming to the fore. The Witch realizes Selene now inhabits her fully as a vessel in the material world.

The Witch finds herself compelled to say, "No one can die anymore."

Captain Stephanus turns to the Witch and says, "That is absolutely correct, and is a major driving force in our current campaign. With the process of death no longer in effect and the arrival of souls fresh from Earth now stopped, we must mow integrate the entirety of Humanity into the Pandæmonium."

"Citizenship and full civic participation in the Pandæmonium is mandatory for all Humans either dead or incapable of dying." Pleni says.

"The Fey are invited to join the Pandæmonium as well, and integration of the Library into the City of Dis is planned concurrently with the Earth project." Says Captain Stephanus.

"This is understood," Pleni says, "We shall live as we are alongside Humanity."

"We must open a bridge between this material reality and the Human astral realm," are the words from the Witch's mouth.

"Yes," says Captain Stephanus, "In order to fully integrate Humanity on Earth, we must enter the realm of the Human mind and awaken everyone. The process will be Hellish, but it is unavoidable given the suppression and oppression of the majority."

"You need Tola resurrected into a new physical body for this." Says the Witch.

"Yes." Answers Captain Stephanus.

"We have Tola and their body," the Witch says under their own power, "but what about the other requirements of the spell? Leonie is in the hands of the Central Sun with the Magician's mantle."

"We must confront the Central Sun directly and obtain Leonie before we can move forward, for reasons beyond just the resurrection spell."

The Witch continues, "How? Do we go to them?"

"No," answers Captain Stephanus, "They will come to us. We will face them head on when they do. Come, we will discuss further later, I wish for the two of you to get settled in on board."

Captain Stephanus rises from his seat and the Witch and Pleni follow suit, and the Captain leads the two out from the Wardroom and down a passageway to their berthing.

The Blue Moon floats low over the Fairy city of Sluagh na Marbh, and the company without the Witch all boarded, with the last being Pleni who waves to those Fey who came to see the ship away. With everything done in Sluagh na Marbh, the Blue Moon drifts upwards towards Earth's Moon.

The Moon Goddess herself stands on the bridge, and with a whispered command a portal on the surface of the Moon opens, and the Blue Moon transits through to the other side, emerging from the surface of the Eternal Moon now in Earth's orbit.

The Blue Moon reenters the dimensional plane with Earth on the far side of the Eternal Moon, settling in over the Engelʹgardt crater. While everyone on board awaits further instructions from either Ailuros or Pleni, Bishop Clement, feeling an inner draw, approaches the physical bodiless Tola.

"I must apologize, we've all come and gone from this ship at least once and no one has taken the time to introduce themselves to you. I'm Bishop Clement, and you are . . . Tola? Pleni told me your name a while ago now, forgive me if I got it wrong."

"Yes, I'm Tola."

"Excellent! I'm glad I could remember a name, though given my long life of study I suppose I should remember at least that much. I hope our failed attempt at your resurrection did not leave you too upset."

Tola is taken aback, none of the other living Humans even acknowledged Tola's presence at any point. Tola says, "You can see me and hear me?"

The Bishop stares for a moment and then smiles, "Oh! Yes, I can. You're dead. Of course I can talk to you, I'm less than living myself. Allow me to demonstrate."

Bishop Clement takes his right hand and places his fingers on his chest, and with a little effort his fingers and hand enter into his chest cavity with no seeming wounds formed. After a moment, he withdraws his hand.

The Bishop says, "That's how I removed the scroll from my chest when we attempted to bring you back. It's a shame it was all for naught."

Tola stares at Bishop Clement for a moment, and after processing what just transpired says, "D . . . did that hurt? The scroll you said you removed, did you not need it?"

The Bishop answers, "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt nor does it leave a scar. I was an accomplished surgeon for my fellows in my congregation. As for the scroll, at the time I had no idea whether or not I needed it. I took the risk and it worked out for me."

The Bishop pauses, then continues, "I've wondered why, but recent events in the Fairy realm gave me some clues. I think the magic of the scroll, which stabilized my body and mind while I suffered from the Rot in the Library became a part of my body and memory without need of the scroll."

A short distance away Ailuros watches Bishop Clement and Tola speak. Pleni joins Ailuros and says, "When do you plan to ask him?"

Ailuros responds, "Let them get to know each other for now, I'll approach when the time feels right."

Tola takes in Bishop Clement's words and remains silent, thinking. The Bishop lets Tola think, and after a little time says, "What do you hope to get out of life again on Earth?"

"Are they still alive then?" The Bishop asks.

"They have to be given they are nowhere to be found in the Underworld. That is why I was sent here on the Blue Moon."

"Well, if there is anything you can do to help, or if you just need someone to talk to, don't be afraid to ask."

Ailuros walks over and speaks to Bishop Clement, "There is something you can do to help, if you're up to it."

Tola and Bishop Clement turn and look at Ailuros, and the Bishop asks, "What is it that I can do?"

"You can open the portal to the Underworld," Ailuros says, "But it requires a sacrifice now that I no longer have my scrolls. Will you do it? Will you be the sacrifice?"

Bishop Clement stands quietly before asking, "Will I end up in the Underworld?"

"Yes."

The Bishop looks at the unembodied Tola and then to Ailuros. Looking back to Tola Bishop Clement says, "For Tola to see their parents again? Yes, I will be your sacrifice."

Ailuros smiles, "Good! Don't worry, if this goes according to plan, we will see you again in no time at all."

"What?" The Bishop sputters out his last word as Ailuros thrusts her left hand into the Bishop's chest, taking hold of his heart. Chanting a spell, dark red and orange energies spill out from Bishop Clement's body and spread out in all directions.

All the rest on board take shelter as coursing magical energy rips throughout the ship, and soon exits the Blue Moon altogether. Standing in a shroud and nothing else, the Witch watches from the Selenean summit next to the Engelʹgardt crater.

The red and orange power flow from the Blue Moon and pierce the Eternal Moon below, throwing rocks and dust into the light atmosphere as well as into outer space. Appearing next to the Witch on the Selenean summit, the Moon Goddess, Pleni, and the Great Mother both portal in.

The three aspects of the Moon and their Plenipotentiary form a square base, and from them a pyramid forms above and below. Red electrical rays fire out from the octahedron, and the power rushing from the body of Bishop Clement joins with the red matter electric.

Beneath the Blue Moon a portal forms that consumes a good portion of the dark side of the Moon. The first Underworld ferryship of war, the White Horse, passes through the freshly opened portal and drifts into the void of space beyond Earth's Eternal Moon, three more command ships follow hard upon.

Pink Floyd - Sheep

https://youtu.be/aPMeZKOX3yQ

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

He makes me down to lie

Through pastures green He leadeth me the silent waters by

With bright knives He releaseth my soul

He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places

He converteth me to lamb cutlets

https://youtu.be/LldtyaqMI5w

For lo, He hath great power and great hunger

When cometh the day we lowly ones Through quiet reflection and great dedication

https://youtu.be/Tj2c6vJvyPA

Master the art of karate

https://youtu.be/3rZt7s9Rw-A

Lo, we shall rise up

And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water.

Get out of the road if you want to grow old.

https://youtu.be/d-Qm6P-rW20

XIII. Death

Leonie torpedoes all the way from deep within the interior of the Central Sun's sphere up into another container, one mounted on the top of the tower in the desert. This container is different from the one Leonie left, for the walls are thicker and made of Zircaloy.

Leonie, given fresh life by the rapid forced ascent, notices some of the differences, seeing the vessel now containing them is larger, with the walls flaring outwards towards the sealed top. Despite new mental acuity, Leonie cannot move themselves freely, their body still very sluggish.

Outside the crucible containing Leonie, the draconic committee member turned technician pulls two much smaller cylinders out from a container located on the tower. The first cylinder is emblazoned with a white lion and the second a red eagle.

The technician inserts the two cylinders into the machine to which the crucible is mounted, and the materials contained within empty out from the smaller cylinders and into the fluid mixture suspending Leonie. With that step complete, the technician pushes a button, sending a signal down below.

Back within the original chamber where the technicians from the Heaven of the First Day prepare on their end, the signal from the tower lights up on a screen, and that signal is forwarded to a transmitter. The antenna required to transmit receives the signal and a second process begins.

Far away from the flat Earth As It Is, in a land of pure ice the antenna with the signal from the tower in the desert rises out of the internal structure of the Central Sun's sphere. Once fully extended, the signal is broadcast, a pulse sent in the direction of the Central Sun itself.

The emitted pulse travels through the empty void between the atmosphered inner surface of the sphere and the Central Sun. Over the course of minutes and traveling at the speed of light, the signal eventually reaches the outer surface of the Central Sun, penetrating into the star.

The pulse begins a process within the Central Sun, a process taking time of its own. With the passage the requisite amount of time, a portion of the surface of the Central Sun's plasma swirls and surges. Soon, a solar flare erupts, accompanied by a coronal mass ejection.

The energy and mass ejected from the Central Sun is not mindless, it takes form under an unseen consciousness, swirling once more into a tornado of super-heated plasma, gases, and particles. The rapidly spinning mass of ejected solar material then takes off away from its origin towards the sphere.

Standing on the tower in the desert within the confines of the Earth As It Is the draconic technician views the surface of the Central Sun through a telescopic device, protecting their vision and allowing them to see and track the coronal mass ejection now hurdling towards the tower.

In traveling the vast distances between the Central Sun and the inner surface of the sphere, the coronal mass ejection cools, tempering itself in preparation for use in the Central Sun's own practiced Art of Perfection. Leonie in their crucible awaits the arrival of the fire of the Central Sun.

As the solar material reaches the upper layer of atmosphere over the inner surface of the sphere, the mass forms a sphere of its own. The spinning mass sends down a small and steady stream of liquid fire, and the draconic technician, with the push of a button opens the top of the crucible.

The fire of the Central Sun pours into the crucible and mixes with the waters suspending Leonie, and Leonie is consumed in the admixture, their old body burning away, and a new one forming from the materials within the crucible.

Leonie does not even notice when the fire hits the crucible, and they are rendered unconscious in the mixing process. Leonie feels no pain in the speed of the dissolution. It is the regrowing in the violent reactions occurring within the crucible that sear Leonie's consciousness and memories.

From the fusion of fire and water grows a new body, one completely female. Leonie's own consciousness intertwined with the Magician's mantle works the materials within the crucible to build themselves the body they dreamed of as they lay severely injured on the floor of an Academy spell room.

From only microscopic particles, Leonie forms anew, and with the process complete, the crucible tips over on hinges, the mixture of solar material and infused water pour out into a trench drain, steam erupting from the material now exposed to open atmosphere.

The terrible pain of growing new bones, muscles, organs, and all the rest subsides, Leonie's new body pouring out with the waste material. Once everything drains away, Leonie is left behind in the nude, lying on their back and staring into the sky still burning with the now dispersing coronal mass.

The draconic technician turns again to the container on the tower, this time removing a powder blue uniform and brings it over to Leonie. Leonie's sunlit stupor is interrupted by the technician, and this being from Earth As It Once Was smiles as they offer the uniform to Leonie.

"For you. Welcome to Service under the Central Sun. My name is Elio. It is a pleasure to meet the being carrying the mantle from Earth."

Leonie takes in the sight for a moment before looking down at themselves and taking the uniform from Elio. Leonie says, "Thank you, my name is Leonie."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Leonie." Answers Elio.

https://youtu.be/U2afPuFGZCw

https://www.nynavyleague.org/inr-2026

https://youtu.be/hArkTJLjbUk

From The Crowley Tarot The Handbook to the Cards by Akron & Hajo Banzhaf

The Graphic Design The Tower is certainly artistically the most interesting card of the entire deck, even if it first irritates the observer with its chaotic expression. The process of destruction is not only portrayed here, but the destruction appears to be included in the execution of the picture itself. The card has a disproportional effect through the mixture of different styles: the bottom portion is expressionistic, the middle part cubistic, and the upper section is symbolic-naive. In every other Tarot deck the representation of the Tower is most attractive; but in no other deck does the destruction with regard to content so aptly illustrate the crux of the matter.

An all seeing eye gazes down on the destruction as a Hellmouth burns the base of the tower. The lightning strike of power passing through the eye takes a peculiar path.

Without warning Leonie finds herself cast out into space. Before they can panic, Pleione envelops Leonie, taking them in a container. Leonie floats within the enlightened walls of this new container and for a moment breathes a sigh of relief at having escaped the vacuum of outer space.

A pale translucent fluid fills the container and an overwhelming sense of calm floods Leonie's mind. Drifting into a sleepy happiness, Leonie brushes their hand against the side of the container, hoping to feel Pleione's hand once more.

As Leonie's fingers brush the warm interior of their confines, a realization dawns, but that feeling is quickly quashed by the same overwhelming sense of calm. The calm asserts itself in Leonie's mind and body, causing them to drift into semi consciousness.

Deep in outer space many light years from the Earth, the Heaven of the First Day anchors some distance from a large metallic sphere. The small ship sits, a mote of dust suspended in the gaze of a tractor beam emanating from the external shell of the Central Sun's Panopticon.

The Heaven of the First Day remains suspended, the tractor beam pulls another, smaller vessel down into the sphere. Floating through space, the container holding Leonie drifts peacefully into the open loading bay door awaiting their arrival back under the Central Sun.

Traveling down whitewashed metallic corridors, a team of four servitors flanks the four corners of the cylinder, and behind them a team of technicians dressed in the powder blue uniform of the Central Sun's flotilla. Leonie as contained is guided into a large, open space filled with hundreds.

The familiar humanoid faces and forms of those serving the Central Sun in the campaign on Earth are joined with a plethora of other forms and faces, some very alien to anything seen on Earth. Leonie's procession makes its solemn way through this gathering space, disappearing into another passageway.

The inner surface of the Central Sun's sphere contains a multitude of flat worlds of which the Earth as it is today is only one. Flanking the Earth as it is are more Earths as it once was and as it will be. Beings strange to us on the Earth as it is inhabit these other flat Earths under the Central Sun.

Some of these strange beings are quite old and established with roots on their Earth going back millions of years. The Central Sun's planning maps for the development and sustainment of life on Earth and other inhabited worlds spread out on the inner surface of it's sphere.

One of the members of the planning committee for Earth As It Is joins the procession in a jog, catching up as Leonie's retinue passes into the passageway towards the next step in processing the newest arrival from Earth.

The green skinned, draconic being dressed in powder blue touches the shoulder of one of the crewmembers from the Heaven of the First Day, "Everything is ready for the ceremony. I will preside."

The crewmember alerted by the committee member nods in understanding as the procession continues down bright corridors on its way to its destination deep within the internals of the sphere surrounding the Central Sun.

Following a long walk down a series of passageways, the vessel containing Leonie reaches its destination, a large room filled with mechanical and electrical equipment, the centerpiece being a housing just for the sort of container holding Leonie.

A large pipe descends from the ceiling and when Leonie's vessel is mounted into the machine designed to hold it, the bottom of the pipe connects with the top of the vessel. Nearby, a circular elevator that ascends into the ceiling, and the draconic committee member stands by, waiting.

The four servitors are dismissed from the room by the crewmembers of the Heaven of the First Day, leaving only unarmed and unarmored technicians behind. Within the vessel, Leonie senses that movement has stopped, which jolts them out of the stupor they languished in since encapsulation.

The fluid filled vessel is soon injected with fresh oxygen, causing Leonie to fully wake up, reaching an oxygen high attended by mild euphoria. The top of the vessel is opened remotely by the machine it's mounted within, and contained within the access pipe above is more fluid.

Fluid from the pipe and the vessel intermix, and Leonie looks upwards to see a small, brighter light than the soft lighting from the interior of their vessel and pipe walls above. Outside the vessel the committee member steps into the elevator and ascends, disappearing into the ceiling.

Below in the room, a hydraulic ram pump activates, and the generated water hammer knocks Leonie out of their vessel and up through the pipe, following on the heels of the draconic committee member now ascending towards the inner surface of the Central Sun's sphere.

Topside on the inner surface, a sandstone brick tower stands alone in a desert landscape, wind and sun beaten. The draconic committee member emerges from the elevator in the base of the tower, and they quickly exit and make their way up a round set of stairs mounted to the inner wall of the tower.

Once the committee member reaches the top of the tower they exit onto the open roof of the structure and into the eternal noonday light of the Central Sun burning directly overhead. The committee member turns and looks up towards the shining yellow star and smiles as they wait.

Every day aboard the Heaven of the First Day is the same as the last. Leonie is confined to their quarters, and their only interaction with any of the crew is during meals when Leonie is given food. The crew who feed Leonie are friendly, but they are careful to prevent giving any avenue of escape.

"I can't say this is a bright and pleasant experience, but who am I to judge?" Leonie says to themselves, "Who knows how they regularly treat others in comparison."

The Central Sun crew granted Leonie access to reading materials and kindly gave them a tablet with which to read from the provided digital library of books. With nothing better to do, Leonie reads books at a rapid pace, going through half a dozen in the time they've been on board so far.

The books provided are all from Earth, and some of them Leonie read once in the past, but that does not stop them from reading some of them again. Leonie hoped for some books on magic, but nothing was on offer with Leonie not being surprised in the least.

During one of the artificial evenings on board, provided to Leonie in their own room for their comfort, Leonie puts their tablet away and lays sitting up on the rack provided for sleep. Thoughts of Leonie's recent experiences flow in and out with much older memories, some going back to childhood.

Leonie does their best to quiet their mind, and they do so by focusing on a calming emotional feeling, a mild sense of wonder and euphoria Leonie got when reading one of the science fiction series loaded onto their tablet. Sitting in the dim lighting Leonie feels the most recent book.

Leonie's story of focus is one where a spectacular being from outer space visits the protagonist in his home when he was asleep, whisking him away on a space based adventure. While sitting in the pleasant emotions generated by that book, Leonie rests their eyes and meditates.

In the realm between awake consciousness and sleep, Leonie says to their empty room, "I'd love to meet a kind, adventurous being from outer space so I can be taken away from these four walls."

With a flash something entangles with Leonie's mind, and the sense of calm pleasantness erupts into a blue hued euphoria, that soft color filling Leonie's mind for a moment. When they come to, Leonie sees they are no longer alone in their quarters.

A pale, luminous being of flowing light in humanoid form stands by the side of Leonie's bed. Leonie fails to react in their disorientation, and once they regain their full awareness, Leonie senses the visitor's own thoughts and emotions broadcast in communication with them.

The being radiates excitement, underpinned by a constant flowing feeling of love. Overwhelmed by the emotions of this new visitor flooding their mind, Leonie's first words are, "What time is it?"

The being let's out a laugh, but not one heard aurally through the air between Leonie and the visitor. This laugh is all in Leonie's head, yet they know inherently it is a laugh and emanates from the being. Without missing a beat, the humanoid form picks up Leonie's tablet and hands it over.

Leonie looks down at the device at the time in the corner of the screen. Where before the time given was the time in New York City, now all the numbers flash simultaneously. Soon enough the four digits all flash zero and the tablet powers off. Leonie is left staring at the being of light.

The light being speaks to Leonie without making a single sound, the room remaining perfectly quiet. The being says, "Hello! Would you like to know my name?"

Leonie considers the words and the situation, their eyes shifting between the being of light and surrounding room. Leonie notes the light does not illuminate the room, and they wonder how such a feat is possible.

"Maybe it's a shroud or veil of some sort?" Leonie thinks to themselves, questioning the nature of the being's light.

"Don't worry about that, little one, you'll learn everything there is to know in good time, if you so choose. Would you like to know my name?"

Repeating the question shakes Leonie's awareness completely into the conversation at hand, "Sure, what's your name?"

"Pleione." The being beams.

"Pleione, that sounds like my name Leonie."

"Leonie, that sounds like my name Pleione."

Taking a moment, Leonie wonders, "What is going on?"

"What's the matter?" Pleione asks, "You act like you've never met yourself before."

"I'd think I'd remember if I'd met myself before."

"How could you be sure? What do you look like?"

Leonie stares at the being of light named Pleione who says they are one in the same. Leonie asks, "If you're me, why are you here?"

"You called."

"I called."

"You called, and I answered. You want to go on an adventure, get out of this prison room of yours, do you not?"

"I very much do." Leonie responds.

"Alright then, take my hand and we'll be out of here faster than the speed of light."

Leonie takes one look around the barren room, picks up their tablet, and with their other hand reaches out and takes Pleione's offer."

With the shifting of one frame to another the one that are two disappear from aboard Heaven of the First Day for good.

Beneath the basalt platform the scarab form of Ernest and That-Came-From-Before cast a spell, and the servitors of the Central Sun lose their forms, the pure light energy seeping through their armor while forming into a sphere of light energy that the scarab takes into its possession.

The combined light of the five servitors pulsates and grows, forming ever larger concentric rings of energy hued in yellow and red. Above on the platform, Ailuros stands watch in double form, flanking the center of the working as the light from below draws up towards the Eternal Moon.

The pale light from the Eternal Moon flows down to meet the yellow-red light of the Central Sun, meeting at the knees of Ailuros in the form of two great jackals. The mixing and transference of energies radiates outwards in in waves. Soon, the light of the Central Sun reaches the Eternal Moon.

When the Sun meets the Moon, the contact of these energies affects Selene, the Personification deeply causing her to cry. Her tears are great droplets of blood, nine of which drop from the Eternal Moon down onto the basalt platform, forming an esoteric pattern in their descent.

The blood tears of Selene fill bevels in the basalt, flowing through the circular platform in a magic pattern that lights up, that light reflected in the pale blue and white shroud of the Eternal Moon as a crimson river. The Witch watches this grand spell awestruck, lost in the swirling energies.

A thought enters the Witch's mind, one not belonging to her but recognizable as Pleni's. Pleni says to the Witch, "It's time. Walk forward between the Watch and step forth into the mixing light."

The Witch finds herself unable to question the order, and her body moves of its own accord. The vortex of light energy draws the Witch up towards the Eternal Moon, and the Witch watches transfixed as she ascends towards Selene's abode. The Witch is taken in by the Eternal Moon.

Consciousness shifts as the Witch's awareness drops completely from her striving encounter into the unconscious embrace of Selene. Reality shifts, and the Eternal Moon waning in the skies of Mag Findargat now waxes in the skies over the Earth. The Moon of the Library changes with the Moon of Earth.

Down on the surface of the Earth below, the replacement of their Moon for another gets missed by the bulk of Humanity. The change does not go unnoticed on board the Second Sun First Born.

Alarms ring, and the servitors corralling the masses of people undergoing forced magical awakening at the hands of the Central Sun abandon their missions, all returning to the great ships floating over all the great cities. Chaos reigns supreme for a moment in time on the surface of the Earth.

The light of Sol touches the Eternal Moon and that light is reflected back down onto the Earth, and regardless of how cloistered or how deep someone is buried, the light of the Eternal Moon finds them. The Earth is flooded over, awash in the pale glow emanating from the new Full Moon in waves.

Penetrating into the souls of Humanity, the light of the Eternal Moon reprograms all with which it interacts. Humanity, once filling the streets in destructive displays of magical energies all fall asleep, at least for a time. People drop where they stand, animals too as all rests under the Moon.

The chaos of sunlit awakening dies down quickly enough and the Earth stands still, a globe engulfed in absolute silence.

Back in the Library, the spell changing out the Moons completes, with the Earth's Moon now hanging over Sluagh na Marbh. The dark material taking the form of jackals recedes back into the ground, and Ailuros's two selves pull back together as one.

The two dog forms of That-Came-From-Before descend under the basalt platform, and upon seeing the empty suits of armor consume them, leaving nothing behind. Ernest is released from his union with That-Came-From-Before, exiting the Mold as he was, now without the chitinous armor.

The dog forms themselves rejoin their humanoid self, and Ernest and That-Came-From-Before leave the underground, joining Ailuros on the surface of the basalt platform.

Ernest is the first to speak, asking Ailuros, "So what just happened?"

"We switched Moons." Ailuros says pointing to the Earth's Moon overhead.

"Is that all?" Ernest asks.

Ailuros smiles, "There is much more yet to be seen and done. For now, we wait for pickup."

"Pickup?" Earnest wonders out loud.

From the outskirts of the Fairy lands resting close by to the shroud separating Sluagh na Marbh from the rest of the Library the Blue Moon lifts off and drifts towards the settlement.

After walking for a minute, the Witch asks Ailuros, "Is there a reason we are heading back the good old fashioned way?"

"I have my reasons."

As the two walk through along the paths of Sluagh na Marbh, Fairies gather along the way to lay eyes upon the Witch and Ailuros. After a short way, a Fairy wielding a guisarme steps out from among the throng and offers the weapon to Ailuros. With a smile Ailuros takes the polearm.

The ornate weapon has two hooks under the main blade. The Witch tries to study the weapon, but finds it difficult with her helmet.

The Witch removes her helmet's visor, "Did you know this would happen?"

"Yes," Ailuros says, "I requested this weapon awhile ago."

The crowd of Fairies thins as the Witch and Ailuros approach the buried library, and soon it is just the two of them once more as they reach the clearing in front of the main entrance. The Witch moves to enter the library, but Ailuros stops her.

The Witch says, "What's the hold up? What's your plan?"

Ailuros takes her guisarme and knocks the base on the ground three times. After a moment's hesitation a black substance bubbles up from the ground and takes the form of two dogs.

Ailuros smiles at the sight and the Witch says, "That-Came-From-Before."

Ailuros nods, "Yes, things below ground seem to be going well."

Bursting forth from the library entrance in a hail of fire and shattered wood, Ernest in his insectoid armor carries one servitor over his right shoulder, drags a second on the ground using his left hand, and is assisted by the humanoid form of That-Came-From-Before.

The humanoid Mold walks along a growing carpet of Mold that carries the other three servitors and recedes back into the ground once That-Came-From-Before moves far enough along. Ailuros motions for everyone to follow her down another path away from the underground library.

The Witch drops into the procession following Ailuros alongside Ernest and asks, "I haven't seen Bishop Clement or that poor secretary. Are they alright?"

Ernest grunts out his answer under the weight he carries, "The Bishop is fine, if shaken. The secretary was used as the doorway for these Central Sun people to break into this protected place here in the Library. She's alive, but unconscious. The Bishop is looking after her."

The Witch thinks about the situation as she walks past Ernest, catching up to Ailuros, "How are we dealing with these . . ."

"Servitors," Ailuros finishes, "We will surrender them to Selene on her altar."

The Witch accepts the answer with a nod and follows Ailuros towards the altar belonging to the Personification of the Moon. Walking along the path, the trees and structures of Sluagh na Marbh give way to a meadow on the edge of the town, the red and purple grass shimmering under the Eternal Moon.

The meadow is not empty, but is home to large structures constructed of dark stone basalt. Most visible from a distance are two towering lighthouses each housing an eternal flame. The procession following Ailuros reach a smaller structure before and in between the towers.

The small structure allows for entry underground, and Ailuros has everyone stop by the portal down. Ailuros says, "Ernest you and That-Came-From-Before will take the servitors with you through this door. That-Came-From-Before knows what to do, follow their lead."

"Understood." Ernest says.

Without a second moment's notice That-Came-From-Before's humanoid form subsumes Ernest whole, armor and all. The Witch is startled, saying, "Ernest."

Ailuros waves down the Witch, "It's alright. Ernest is fine and will continue to be so. How do you think he got that armor in the first place?"

The Witch shakes her head and watches as the Mold takes Ernest within itself, forming into a giant scarab beetle. The carpet of Mold carries the five servitors into the underground chamber. The two dog forms of That-Came-From-Before take their place at Ailuros's side.

Ailuros says to the Witch, "Come, let's get up to the altar. There is still work to be done."

The Witch follows Ailuros and the two dog forms up onto a large, circular platform made of basalt much as the two flanking towers. High up in the sky, the Eternal Moon remains partially hidden behind its own shroud, only a crescent visible.

Ailuros takes position in between the two basalt towers and chants a spell in an ancient language. Again reality itself shimmers and breaks, and from a long seam torn in the fabric of space and time Ailuros herself is ripped in two.

Instead of death, both halves have other halves step forth from the tear. Where there was once one Ailuros there are now two. Continuing her chanting, each Ailuros takes position in front of either tower. From the ground great streamings of dark material bursts out and into the air.

The dark material pools around each Ailuros's feet, raising her up into the sky, eventually enveloping each Ailuros completely. The new form for each Ailuros is different from her human form, she now resembles two identical jackals.

The two jackals each stand watch, tips of their ears reaching just below the upper platform housing the eternal flame of each tower. From the Witch's vantage point, each jackal holds a guisarme the left jackal holds the weapon in its left hand and the right jackal in its right.

The two dog forms of That-Came-From-Before take their positions in front of each jackal, standing on mounds of earth, and the Witch stands outside of it all as sole witness.

A voice enters the Witch's mind and says, "Now the fun will begin."

The buildup of energy into the stone circle grows, pulling in massive amounts of magic from the surrounding area. The Witch feels energy syphoned off from herself but lets the energy go without a fight. Once enough power collects in the center of the circle, a flash of light blinds the area.

Collapsing into a sphere, the magical energy condenses but remains transparent enough to see the smaller circles within the larger sphere. Each miniature circle covering the surface of the sphere expands outward and collapses back in on itself, with all the circles overlapping each other.

The overlapping of the circles leads to the formation of bounded arcs, giving the appearance of pedals emanating from a center point. The Witch is reminded of rosette decorations. A sudden vacuum is drawn and the temperature drops, and the Witch braces herself.

Emerging from a fold in space and time adjacent to the sphere of collected energy is first an arm, and then quickly the torso, legs, and full body of a woman. The slip seals shut and the air warms up once more and the air pressure equalizes, leading to a calm state.

The woman emerged from elsewhere takes the collected magic in her left hand, bracing it against her whole arm, and in her right hand she holds a large staff with cubic crystalline structure attached to the top. From the ground, the stones of the circle lift up and form a chair.

Taking a seat on her throne, the Great Mother of the Fey looks away from the Witch and Ailuros. She wears armor, with the chest piece constructed of large deciduous tree leaves, golden colored and laced together in a lamellar fashion. Her helmet bears two large goat horns, curling up into the air.

Ailuros breaks the silence, "It's been too long!"

The Great Mother turns to view Ailuros and smiles at the sight of her, responding, "It's only been a moment."

Ailuros returns the smile, "If we may do away with formalities. . ."

The Great Mother dismisses Ailuros's concern with a gesture, "You know better than to worry about formalities, not that you ever did worry about them."

Ailuros approaches the Great Mother on her throne, "I bring you a warrior, a student of mine once upon a time back in my Academy days. I wish to secure your blessing for her in order to defeat the servitors of the Central Sun that now walk uncontested in your realm."

The Great Mother's eyes turn to the Witch, looking her over and studying her woody armor. The Great Mother says to the Witch, "Approach."

The Witch walks up to the Great Mother, only barely reaching up to her shoulders even though she is seated on her throne. The Great Mother stands, dwarfing the Witch.

The Great Mother says, "Here, this power collected from my realm and its people are now yours. With it comes responsibility. Defend us as your own. Be my knight."

"I am your knight." The Witch answers.

The Great Mother pulls the collected mass of energy into herself, great streams riding up her left arm and down her right, the light of magic filling the cubic crystal on her staff. The Witch stands firm as the Great Mother takes her staff and pushes the crystal against the Witch's chest.

After a brief moment of physical resistance, the crystal penetrates the Witch's armor, the cube entering fully into the Witch's chest. The Witch feels a wild burst of energy courses throughout her entire body, and she feels as though both her mind and body are awake for the first time ever.

The biggest change for the Witch is in perception, the sudden flow of high energy magic opening up pathways of thought such that she compares her previous state to having a lead blanket thrown over her mind. Her body has the energy to match, and the Witch feels no feat is beyond her.

With the energy transference complete, the Great Mother removes her staff from the Witch's chest and takes a step back. The throne collapses into the ground, forming the neat circle it was before the Great Mother's arrival. The temperature starts to drop again, and once more a vacuum builds.

Ailuros gives a bow, "Thank you for everything you've done for us both. We will defend your realm and rid it of the forces of the Central Sun."

"I have faith in you Ailuros."

The Great Mother slips away as she arrived, and the Witch and Ailuros are left within the stone circle surrounded by the trees and buildings of Sluagh na Marbh. The atmosphere changes with the return of warmer temperatures. Fairies populate the area where no one was before.

The Witch comments, "No one was here when we arrived, now people walk through as if they've always been present."

Ailuros says, "That's because everyone was always present. To meet the Great Mother, one must take a step in her direction. She does not reside in the same plane of material reality as all the rest of us do."

The Witch readies her staff and asks Ailuros, "Which direction is the library? I mean to fight."

Ailuros motions towards one of the paths leading away from the stone circle, "Right this way. Let's go draw the servitors of the Central Sun out into the light of the Eternal Moon."

Ailuros and the Witch leave in the direction of the buried library and towards confrontation.

With the servitor of the Central Sun well on her way to the surface at Pleni's suggestion, the Witch takes one quick look around at the devastated portion of library on her current floor, shakes her head, and steps up and off the railing, riding her staff in flight over the central pit.

The Witch casts defensive spells to strengthen her armor and provide a magical barrier before rising up floor by floor in pursuit of the servitor she sent flying. Quickly the Witch flies, passing the dozens of floors in a blur, steeling herself to continue the fight in the library foyer on the top floor.

As the Witch crests past the floor of the foyer she is faced with two servitors situated between the two mirrored staircases flanking the sides of the round landing on the top floor. Kneeling on the ground is the servitor the Witch fought, and with her a servitor wearing a ram's head helmet.

Quickly the Witch's presence is known, and the servitor with ram's head helmet positions herself with her battering ram facing the Witch. A slug of magical energy erupts from the battering ram, and the Witch gets blown back against the far wall from the stairwells.

The kneeling servitor stands and marches towards the Witch from her left and the ram's head servitor from her right. The Witch picks herself up and asks, "And who might you be? I need both your names now."

The servitor with the battering ram smiles and says, "Given how well you've fought against my page, I'll give you my name. I am Soleil. Surrender, Lucy, and this will be far less painful."

The Witch readies her staff for the coming fight, but before the two servitors clear halfway around the central opening in their march towards the Witch, a sudden sense of unease fills the foyer. The air simmers, waves of energy pour out of the empty space in the center of the foyer.

Reality itself ripples in the void over the pit descending downwards, and with a frame stutter Ailuros appears midair, a third servitor tightly bound. Cord in hand allowing Ailuros to dangle the servitor below her over the pit, Ailuros greets the Witch with a wave using her free hand.

The appearance of Ailuros stops the two advancing servitors in their tracks as they each reorient into defensive stances vis-a-vis Ailuros. Ailuros says to the Witch, "Good! That's three of them. All we need are the last two."

With a loud clamor emerging from the hall leading down towards the Witch's living quarters, everyone turns an eye to the sound. Emerging from the hall and into the open foyer, a man dressed head to toe in chitinous armor drags along one still struggling servitor.

Behind the man in insect-like armor follows a faceless That-Came-From-Before with the last servitor underarm, the Mold continuously getting burned away by the servitor running white hot in an attempt at escape. The Mold outgrows the charring to keep its grip.

The Witch is the first to speak looking at the armored man with armored servitor in tow, "Ernest?"

Lifting up the compound eye laden helmet he is wearing, Ernest reveals his face to the Witch, saying, "Yes, thank goodness you're alright too."

Soleil interjects, "This fight has only begun. The first battle ends, but the war continues."

Still in flight, Ailuros takes the cord connected to the bound servitor and starts spinning him around, and after a few good turns let's the servitor fly in the direction of Soleil, who braces for the impact and catches the bound servitor with her body.

Ailuros touches down on the floor between the Witch and the first servitor she fought down in the depths of the Fairy library. Still facing the servitor, Ailuros says to the Witch, "It's you they're after, so you need to get out of here."

The Witch responds, "Alright, and how? Will you help me exit the way you entered?"

Ailuros offers her right hand around her back towards the Witch, "Yes, take my hand and let's go."

The Witch moves forward towards Ailuros as the servitor she is blocking from the Witch moves to stop the escape. Bending time and space locally around herself, Ailuros uses a directed wave to knock the servitor back and off their feet. The Witch takes Ailuros's right hand, and the two slide away.

Ailuros and the Witch reenter normal time and space on the surface once more. The two now stand at the edge of a large town square, with ornate brickwork laid into the ground. A shimmering blue-green swirling pattern runs from the outer edges of the open space and descends in a spiral to the center.

Surrounding the square are buildings and trees of all shapes and sizes. The space is empty, and the Witch notes the eeriness of it. The town was lively when they first arrived. The Witch senses as nature magic swirls in the air, often getting pulled along with the pattern in the bricks.

Energy builds, coalescing into the open square. The Witch asks, "What is this? Where are we?"

Ailuros answers, "You are ready to take the next step. It's time you meet the Great Mother of the Fey."

The Witch takes in Ailuros's words without comment as the trickling swirlings of energy expand into a flooding inrush, all condensing at the central point of the inlaid blue-green spiral.