A procession of Automatons marches down 1st Avenue from the loftier heights of haute housing. Walking in front of the march is a lone old man. The old man grumbles at the need to walk instead of drive, but the steely blank eyes of the Automatons remind him of the need for a little exercise from time to time.

The old man takes the time to glance up at the United Nations building as he and his otherworldly retinue drift past. Once clear of the U.N. and where 42nd Street meets 1st Avenue is where one finds the northwest corner of the Robert Moses Playground. Walking past 42nd, the old man makes his way to the next left, East 41st Street.

Once past the athletic field, the old man turns and enters the property home to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel Ventilation Building. The fencing proves no barrier as the old man simply uses magic to phase himself through it while the Automatons dismantle those portions in their way behind him. The Automatons enter the ventilation building behind the old man.

Getting onto an elevator, the old man produces a key which when turned reveals a button unseen to those without the eyes necessary to perceive. Pressing it, the old man and a collection of dolls descend some distance into the bedrock under Manhattan.

Once the doors open on the destination floor, the old man and attending Automatons find a young man waiting for them. The person waiting wears the standard issue black suit of the Magic Men, but this particular one lacks the other gear. The young man's hazel eyes are uncovered and show surprise at the scene in the elevator.

"We received word you were arriving sir and with more than just yourself." The young man peers at the Automatons, "Are these . . ."

"The forces of Hell itself? Yes." The old man answers, "Where's my wife?"

The young man blinks then responds, "Where she always is, sir."

"Good, take me to her."

The young man nods, turns, and leads the way down the corridor to the old man's wife's room. Through the pale lit halls, everyone makes their way soon to stand outside a door. The door is unmarked and unremarkable. The young man uses a key card to unlock the door and the old man sees the flash of a defensive spell deactivate.

The old man enters his wife's room unannounced. The room itself is kept dimly lit, and the old man walks up to the hospital bed housing his wife. At this point she is more machine than human, more fel magic than pure soul but she still breathes. The old man does not let his wife die.

"One of our kids is coming to visit soon, and I wanted to be by your side when it happens." The old man tells his wife. He receives no response, only the steady machine assisted breathing breaks the absolute silence.

The jump through Jamaica Station was uneventful, with the servitors on watch there directing Elanor to lead her crew to Elmont. Upon reaching Elmont the five warriors of the Central Sun with their three Human charges quickly get ushered into the adjacent parking lot for Belmont Park.

Once reaching the servitor assigned to handle their arrival, Elanor asks, "What would you have us do?"

"We have two different missions, and we must ask you to provide one of those under your command for us here. The rest of you will head north to the Merchant Marine Academy."

Elanor winces, "Give up one of my own? For what purpose?"

"We need someone to look after the Human magic users we're gathering. You will need their magic as soon as we can integrate it into our own systems. Your mission up at the Merchant Marine Academy will fail without Human magic."

Elanor nods, "I understand."

Elanor turns and looks at the other four. She scans each and every face and makes her decision, "Liv, you stay behind and work with our forces here developing our capacity to utilize Human magic."

Liv acknowledges the order, taking the three Humans and shepherding them eastward towards Floral Park at the direction of a servitor. Elanor turns to the remaining three under her command and then to the servitor directing her forces, "When do we leave for the Merchant Marine Academy?"

"The first group of fighters heading up that way leave in the next few minutes, you'll be with them."

Elanor accepts the order and taking direction from the servitor she with Nora, Blanche, and Bernice move to the southwest corner of the Belmont Park parking lot. Gathering near the on-ramp to the Cross Island Parkway, a large collection of soldiers of the Central Sun mill about, waiting for the order to move out.

A servitor breaks off from the gathered bunch and greets Elanor as she and her crew arrive, "We're glad to have you with us Ma'am."

"Who's in charge of this operation?" Elanor asks the servitor.

"You will be, Ma'am. You are the highest ranking of all of us and with the most combat experience."

Elanor frowns, "This is ad hoc."

"Everything is ad hoc."

"This won't do."

Elanor moves towards the gathered group of soldiery and raises her voice with magic, the booming sound turning all heads all at once, "Who among you knows what is your mission?"

Non answer. Elanor's eyes grow dark. She whispers to herself, "This won't do."

Elanor leaves the assembly of fighters and finds the first servitor with which she spoke. She says, "What is the nature of my mission? I must know if I am to lead it."

The servitor glances away for a moment before locking eyes with Princess Elanor, "You must overcome Hell itself and stop the resurrection ritual the Human Underworld now looks to conduct."

Elanor stares back into the eyes of the servitor, "I'll need far more than what you've given me to do that."

"You have everything we can spare. We will get you the Human magic you need, but you must be in place to assault Hart Island when that time comes. Please get your command organized and on the road to the Merchant Marine Academy as soon as possible, preferably right now."

Elanor maintains the locked gaze for a long moment before breaking away and returning to the assemblage near the on-ramp.

Inside The Pavilion still hidden in a memory of the sun, the Witch and company stand around an altar of their own construction, overgrown roots, vines, and trees forming a table on which Tola's body now rests. Pleni sits in meditation with Ailuros standing close by, and after a long contemplation Pleni opens her eyes.

"The Central Sun prepares for us." Pleni says.

The Witch asks, "How are we handling that?"

Ernest adds, "We need Leonie to come to us, you said. I don't think it will be so easy as Leonie breaking into here by themselves and surrendering to us without a fight."

Ailuros answers Ernest, "We will not be left to our own devices here."

Pleni adds, "Help is on the way."

With the famine of magical energy blanketing the Earth along with the shroud of darkness, there remains only one ship and rider to attend to their mission. The Pale Horse slips from its space-bound mooring and along with its fleet descends to the Earth.

In high orbit as the Pale Horse plies the atmospheric waves Hell stands with Death on the bridge. Death is dressed in her standard garb, a simple black cloak concealing a body of bones. Hell stands in the nude, she plans to free jump. Hell wishes to feel the energies of the friction of atmosphere on her own auric shield.

No words are spoken on the bridge as Hell gives one final salute to Death before exiting the space and heading to the nearest airlock. Once pressure is equalized, the doors exposing the chamber to the upper atmosphere of Earth open, the ripping air currents battering the chamber and Hell, but Hell stands firm.

Hell takes the plunge towards the Earth. The air rushes by, the heat of friction not touching her blister red skin. Instead the energy of friction rolls off her in and her defensive aura in dancing flames.

Once the ground starts coming into better focus, Hell sees the City of New York and its buildings form clearly in her sight. Down on the ground below in Fort Totten, a large number of servitors of the Central Sun gather as the flee the city. Standing outside the guard house on Totten Avenue, two servitors keep an eye on the road towards Bay Terrace, they and others being tasked with keeping the forces of the Underworld on the other side of the Cross Island Parkway.

In the overbearing darkness only cut by the red Moonlight, gleaming flames start to shine against the shrouded sky. One of the two guarding servitors feels something, and looking up sees the sparking Hell, but she is too far up for the servitor to make out what she in fact is.

Before the servitor who looks up can react, Hell uses magic to accelerate her free fall into a bolt shot. With a thunder burst behind the sudden shift Hell's velocity breaks the speed of sound. Hell herself slams into the servitor feet first, blasting him into the asphalt.

Hell's earth-fall is the signal Automatons waiting in the wings react to, pouring through the Totten Road underpass towards Fort Totten. The dozens of servitors throw up light barriers, but Hell starts grabbing them one by one, slamming them into the ground. Some portions of the shield don't get erected, and Automatons rush the breeches.

Left behind by Hell without consideration, the fellow servitor at the guard shack draws his sword and charges at Hell. While facing her back the servitor watches as flames envelop Hell, forming her dress blue uniform. By the time the servitor reaches Hell, she spins around, picks him up, and puts him down again. The asphalt shatters.

Without a word Hell steps onto the servitor's back, digging her heel into the point where his heart would be in a non-light body. The energy center there performs much the same duties. Casting a spell, lashes form in Hell's hands, and she secures the servitor both head and feet, and with a swift movement, lifts her heel up and brings it back down with enough force to drive the both of them into the ground some more.

The servitor lets out a wail, and with two more heels to the back of the heart, the energy body of the servitor dissipates, the light energy scattering to the four winds. The other servitors look on in horror, and without waiting they retreat, the servants of the Central Sun running ahead of the pursuing Automatons. Hell watches them all go.

Standing where Totten Road and Totten Avenue meet, Hell looks to the north towards Hart Island, and with a leap flies high into the air, arcing down onto Hart Island after crossing the East River between Fort Totten and the island.

Hell lands on Hart Island with a spectacular thud, and the immediate presence of her energy is sensed in The Pavilion dream.

"Help has arrived." Ailuros says.

"I'll go out to meet them." The Witch says.

"We'll go together." Says Ailuros.

Hell enters the memory containing The Pavilion as the Witch and Ailuros exit the building. Even from a distance the Witch is impressed, Hell stands head and shoulders above the average Human being with two great horns emerging from her head. A classical demonic look, the Witch thinks.

Hell's uniform is striking, and the Witch recognizes its similarity to what she saw on the White Horse. Hell marches up The Pavilion's staircase to meet the Witch and Ailuros on the landing outside the main entrance.

"You came alone." Ailuros says.

"I'm all you'll need." Hell answers.

"What's the word on the outside?" Asks Ailuros.

"The Central Sun masses what forces it still has left planet side for an assault on your location here. It will fail. We will make it fail. I will make it fail."

"We have one target in particular . . ."

"Yes, I am well aware," says Hell, "Leonie is yours to deal with Witch."

The Witch is taken aback by the direct statement from Hell to herself, "Th. . .thank you."

"Let me see the altar. I want to insult your preparation." Hell says to Ailuros.

"It's not my preparation." Ailuros answers.

"It is as far as I'm concerned. You are here overseeing it, thus it is yours. Take me to it."

With a sweeping bow Ailuros ushers Hell into The Pavilion and gives the Witch a cat's smile as she does so. The Witch and Ailuros follow Hell back into the building.

"What are we doing with these?" Asks Liv.

"We escort them out east." Answers Elanor.

"We've been nonstop for days now," says Nora, "What's the long term goal here? What are we even doing?"

Elanor stands a little taller with the three Humans huddled behind her, "We organize ourselves and fight back. The shadows now rule this world, so we must learn to fight in the shadows. These three," Elanor sweeps her hand presenting the escorted, "Will help us live and fight in a world of darkness."

Nora sizes up the three Humans. One is hastily dressed in a gray sweat shirt and pants, one is in khaki pants and a polo shirt, and the third in a button down shirt and slacks. Two men and a woman, at least at first glance.

"How do they help us fight Hell on even terms?" remarks Nora.

"Underworld magic is Human magic, at the end of the day. It is their Underworld, tied to them, a part of them." Elanor says, "Do you want to know how the Underworld powers their shroud of darkness over this world?"

"I'm alright," Nora says, "For now."

"Quick change there." Liv says.

Nora gives Liv a side eye, "I'm not comfortable with the idea of using that sort of magic."

"Nor was I," interrupts Elanor, "but if we don't want to get bottled up by our enemies we must learn from them."

"Bottled up?" Asks Bernice.

". . . Captured and subjected to who knows what torment." Responds Elanor.

Nora walks away from the others and towards the train platforms heading east out into Long Island, "While you were away Princess we were given our slot to get out of here. We have to go now, I was told either we follow the schedule or we get left behind."

The five servants of the Central Sun with three Humans in their care make their way to the train platform, and from their are directed towards the tunnel. Once in position at the end of the platform, another servitor with the garrison greets Princess Elanor's group.

"You're mostly on your own from here. We have shields up all along the way, but keep moving. We aren't sure how long this route will last. The last couple of shots taken by a smaller Underworld ship sent our way pushed us to the brink."

Elanor thanks the servitor with a nod and turns to her own crew, "Alright. We make short, frequent jumps."

"What about our energy reserves?" Blanche asks, "We will run low quick doing a large number of jumps."

"The shields will cloak you if all you do is move. We have a few reactors staged along the way, but don't linger. Lingering while drawing large amounts of energy is what drew down the last two shots." Answers the servitor standing watch.

"We can's stand around anymore, we need to get moving." Elanor says to her crew. Turning to the servitor, "Is there a plan for where we go once we reach the end of the line here?"

"We are gathering a force for a strike, you will likely be given orders to support it. I don't have the details, you'll get those on the other end."

Elanor turns back to her crew, "Alright, lets move."

Nora, Liv, and Bernice all pick up a Human, and with everyone secured, the five begin light jumping down the Atlantic Branch LIRR line towards Jamaica.

Lito lands and re-materializes on a far, rocky shore in the shadow of stately homes raised above the rough beach into which he slid. As he takes stock of his situation bathed in the low ruby light of the Blood Moon he sees Iníon standing unsure of herself with the five servitors they met in the Kingsbridge Armory.

Leonie is slightly apart from the rest, standing a few yards to the north on the rocks, looking in the direction of Hart Island.

Lito approaches Leonie, asking, "What is it?"

"There's something . . . someone over there. Someone familiar."

Lito pauses. This is going to come up sooner rather than later. Dorothea isn't here to put a lid on it anymore, Leonie will have a reaction to seeing the Witch again, even if they do not consciously recognize her.

This is how we fall, thinks Lito. Leonie's situation is a major point of weakness in taking on the Witch, especially on ground favorable to her. Lito says to Leonie, "Would you talk to me about it?"

Leonie's gaze towards Hart Island remains unbroken as they say, "I have a pull, a connection to someone on that island. Their name is . . ."

Lito waits as Leonie's mind searches. The water where the East River and Little Neck Bay meet laps gently against the shore. Leonie says after awhile, "I don't know. I suppose there is no reason that I should."

Lito frowns. Thinking for a moment he casts a glance towards Iníon. The five servitors now surround her, teaching her swordplay. As Iníon struggles to land a blow against Oran, Lito lets thoughts flow by untouched, hoping a mental stillness allows a decision to well up from within the waters of the subconscious mind.

Pouring out from Lito's soul come his words to Leonie, "Does the name Lucy ring a bell?"

Leonie does not react. They stand on the shore looking north.

The Fairy wearing boots casts a spell resulting in large roots rising from the ground below, these roots forming magical barriers that pen in the five servants of the Central Sun. Great canopies of leaves prevent any escape upwards, energy arcing and coursing through the trees brought forth by the Fairy.

From Atlantic Avenue the first group of pursuing Fairies pass through the arbor barrier without issue, more than doubling the number of Fairies facing the five. Princess Elanor keeps a steady eye on Atlantic Terminal through the magically summoned urban forest she and her forces now find themselves within.

"We are not getting out of this one." Blanche says to Elanor.

Elanor parries a bolt thrown her way from the Fairy standing between them and the terminal and she marches towards her attacker, closing distance while knocking each and every attack into the ground with spectacular flashes of energy and asphalt. Elanor's sword lodges in the Fairy's staff when she makes her first strike.

With a wrenching movement Elanor rips the staff apart, and the Fairy takes a jump back. The other four servants hold off the other two dozen Fairies, and Blanche gives a grunt as the glowing eyes of Automatons start filling in the gaps between the leaves and tree trunks on the other side of the barrier.

"They aren't passing through the barrier." Blanche says to Bernice.

"Even if they can't, they don't need to. We won't win fighting like this." Bernice responds.

As Elanor attempts to pin down a flighty Fairy she sees a flash of light emanate from Atlantic Terminal. Disengaging from the Fairy, Elanor steadies herself, sword outstretched with the point focused on the center of the light. When she feels the light fire off from the terminal, Elanor rockets forward on a beam.

Eleanor meets the beam from outside the magical barrier at the same precise moment she hits the barrier from within. The barrier erected by the Fairies cracks, and shatters along the axis of Elanor's strike.

"Everybody get out!" Elanor screams.

Liv and Nora throw up shields of light to protect Blanche and Bernice as they make a full run for it. Once the first two meet Elanor at the breach, Liv and Nora retreat as well with all five escaping the Fairy barriers.

The Fairies give chase, easily traversing their own barriers while the Automatons locked outside the barriers swing around to give chase. Two dozen servitors exit Atlantic Terminal, providing cover for the five escaping from the trap to enter into the safety of the terminal. A light barrier prevents the Fairies and Automatons from entering the terminal.

Once inside the terminal, Elanor and the other four servants find it filled with servitors. The trains no longer operate, but the rail right of ways are used as safe travel corridors for beam travel, with servitors operating local shield points along the way east. A servitor approaches Elanor.

"We need to get east." Elanor says.

"You and everyone else." Answers the servitor.

"Do you have means of recharging ourselves?"

"Yes, but our local reactors are running at capacity. You will have to wait in line with everyone else."

Elanor thinks. The servitor most definitely recognizes her as a Princess, but this affords nothing.

"How long will the terminal hold with the forces outside being what they are?" Elanor asks?

"We are well entrenched here, but yes, this is not a tenable position long term. We evacuate in the next day or two, situation depending."

Elanor pauses, then asks, "Is there a way to cut to the front of all the lines?"

The servitor gives Elanor a hard eye, but softens and says, "Yes. We give priority status to those willing to play escort."

"Escort? Fine. I volunteer my team for escort duty."

The servitor chuckles once, "This is not an easy duty."

Elanor's face scrunches with a quizzical look, "Who is getting escorted that it would be so difficult on a guarded route?"

The servitor motions for Elanor to follow him, and Elanor lets Blanche, Bernice, Liv, and Nora know to stay put in the terminal foyer with a glance. Taken down and out through a service door, the servitor leads Elanor to a collection of a few dozen Humans, all of them awake, waiting in a back room of the terminal.

Elanor sees the confused and somewhat frighten Human faces and says, "They're awake."

"Yes, and that's why they are here. We need use of their abilities."

Elanor wonders what abilities beyond their resistance to the effects of the shroud and subsequent spells cast by the Underworld forces. The Central Sun is unaffected in the same ways already.

Elanor asks, "What's the planned use for their abilities?"

"We need to live and operate in the shadows."

Elanor frowns. Surrender. That's the plan. Surrender to the Underworld, even if it only means using their magic. That's how it starts, with using the magic.

"We can fight without using Underworld magic."

"No, we can't."

"It is not for us to use." Elanor says with force.

"What prohibits us from it?" The servitor asks, "We cannot wield Underworld power inherently, but Humans can. These are still living Humans and they are free to choose who they help. They all chose to be here."

With confusion written on Elanor's face, the servitor continues, "Yes, a number of Humans came to us, asking for help or for refuge. The reasons all vary."

"This will transform us, and the Central Sun, forever." Elanor says flatly.

"So be it." The servitor answers, "We transform no matter what, we may as well do what we must to survive independently. Are you aware of what happens to those of us taken prisoner?"

"No." Elanor responds.

"Prisoners are fed to the Moon."

"How, we can't die."

"Yes, we cannot die. All that are fed to the Moon are alive inside the Moon. They labor for the Moon now. The Underworld uses our power, so we must reciprocate in kind."

Elanor takes a good look at the Humans present. It's a tired group of people, most looking like they haven't slept in days.

"How many escorts do you need us to take?"

"Three is the max for a team of five."

"Give me three, you pick."

The servitor makes his choice, and Elanor leaves, returning to the foyer and her team with three Humans in tow.

As Princess Elanor, Bernice, Blanche, Liv, and Nora exit the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel on the Brooklyn side, Bernice and Blanche each take up position just outside the tunnel exit. Using magic, they force the tunnel doors shut, the Automatons chasing them through the tunnel are blocked from following.

Princess Elanor looks out into the pitch black skies with the only light being that provided by the Blood Moon, and with an order gathers the four serving under her command to her side.

Elanor says, "We cannot use magic any more than is absolutely necessary. The light emitted lights up stark against this night sky."

"How do we get out of the city from here?" Asks Nora.

"The plan for just this situation was to secure escape routes along the major rail and road corridors running east. I will get us to the nearest anchor point. With our connection to the Central Sun and to each other as weak as they are, let's hope the nearest anchor point to us hasn't fallen."

Elanor's four servitors all give pensive and strained looks, causing Elanor to bark an order, "Let's get moving now. We run as fast as we are able given our energy reserves."

"So we move on foot?" Liv asks.

Elanor responds, "Yes, the skies are not safe and the roads are clogged with abandoned vehicles. We can, using a controlled amount of energy and magic, run fast enough to keep clear of the Underworld's mechanical forces. We have to be moving at all times though, we cannot stop or slow down."

"How far do we have to run?" Asks Liv.

"From the tunnel here to Atlantic Terminal."

"That's a long run." Says Nora.

"There will be fights along the way." Adds Bernice.

"We fight only when we absolutely need to fight," Elanor says, "We make it to the terminal."

Everyone nods in agreement. Eleanor steps forward up the expressway littered with abandoned vehicles with the rest following, and seeing an on-ramp to the tunnel to the left past the open cut to the tunnel entrance, Elanor breaks into a run.

As the four others run to keep up, Elanor stops at the intersection where Hamilton Avenue meets Hicks Street and the ramp to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, "Alright, everybody run and don't stop."

With that Elanor breaks out at full speed, a fully armored Princess of the Central Sun and her four servitors bounding up the southbound side of Hicks Street. Block by block the five run without issue, no enemies to be seen. The darkness is matched with eerie quiet, what human beings about are all asleep.

After a good number of blocks, the five reach the end of the road where southbound Hicks Street taps off Congress Street. Bernice and Blanche take up position facing west towards the piers one block away, and there they see mass movement. Automatons organizing on the waterfront mass in large numbers.

Elanor turns to keep an eye down southbound Hicks Street while Nora and Liv take up position facing east down Congress Street. Standing on the overpass crossing the trenched Brooklyn Queens Expressway are two dozen Fairies wearing boots. Automatons from the waterfront start moving eastwards along Congress Street.

"We can't fight here." Elanor says.

"What do we do then?" Asks Liv.

"Jump over the north side of the overpass and shoot ourselves across to the other side. Aim more north than east, away from the Fairies. Can everyone make the shot? Do you all have the energy?"

Everyone nods and Nora adds, "We can't make many shots, even short ones like this."

"We can make this one though." Elanor responds, "Go."

With the word Elanor takes point, vaulting over the railing, becoming a beam of light that fires across the expressway, landing in the dirt of Cobble Hill Dog Park. One by one the rest follow, Liv and Nora then Blanche followed by Bernice.

As the Fairies wearing boots reorient themselves, chasing up northbound Hicks Street, Elanor and the others break through the low slung iron fencing around the park and run. The servants of the Central Sun turn right on Atlantic Avenue and speeding full tilt past hundreds of vehicles and sleeping people, the Blood Moon dripping what little light there is overhead.

The five servants of the Central Sun belt down Atlantic Avenue, block by block clearing obstacles as bolts of plasma and other magical strikes land all around them. Eleanor keeps everyone safe, using energy to cast a shield.

"You can't shield us this whole run to Atlantic Terminal." Bernice says while running alongside Elanor.

"Yes, I can. I have more of a connection through the shroud than most."

"If you say so."

Bernice takes the lead, using her own power to help clear abandoned cars, "I can make this easier for you, for all of us."

Blanche, Liv, and Nora join Bernice in helping make the run easier for Elanor as she simultaneously casts and carries the shield. Through the chase and all around assault, the five servants of the Central Sun finally come to an open plaza.

Elanor reaches the jog of 4th Avenue on the opposite side of Flatbush Avenue from Atlantic Terminal and sees a lone Fairy wearing boots standing in Times Plaza.

Elanor comes to a stop a few yards from the Fairy standing alone in Times Plaza. The Fairy says to Elanor, "Surrender. You do not die."

"None of us ever die." Elanor responds.

Elanor draws her sword as the Fairy summons a staff.

"So what is your plan for getting out of here?" Lito asks Oran.

"We plan to fight through the Fairy guard outside, and from there move as quickly as we can in the direction of Hart Island." Oran answers.

"Assuming we can fight through everyone we meet between here and City Island, how are we getting to Hart Island? We don't control the skies at the moment."

"With your energy and connection to the Central Sun, we can shoot across the water on a beam of light."

"Why can't we do that from here?" Lito questions.

Oran shifts uncomfortably, "Technically we can, but given our limitations and the three of you having to boost the five of us, we can only travel in a straight line once before having to reorient and more importantly, recharge. It will take us more time than you even with you supplementing us with your energy."

"We need to reconnect with the Central Sun through the shroud." Lito muses.

"Yes, we do." Oran responds.

"Without control over the skies we have to shoot blind, don't we?" Lito asks.

"It is now direct, ground based line of sight for us under current circumstances, yes."

"Which is why you want a short jump from the coast to Hart Island."

"Yes."

"I don't want to go straight to Hart Island. I don't think we have the capability to complete the mission as we are." Lito says.

"What do we do then? All we have left, our only hope for victory on Earth is completion of this mission."

Lito thinks, and then responds, "You are not the only active servitors left on Earth. Where is everyone else?"

"Retreating eastward."

"Out towards Long Island?"

"Yes."

"Does the Central Sun still have control out that way?"

"Yes, we've consolidated outside the city. The Fairies never pushed as hard outside New York City in Long Island, though they have their . . . portals and oases out there."

"I want to gather as many servitors as we can for this mission. Do you know where our forces are mustering?"

"In a few places. Plans were hastily thrown together and communicated by light beam channel, but that is increasingly hard for any of us to do the longer we remain under the shroud without full connection to the Central Sun. If only we could all have your robust connection . . ."

Lito says, "Maybe you can. We can't go straight to Hart Island. Do you know of any specific muster locations you can point out to me on a map? Do we have maps?"

"We do still have access to light scans of the Earth's surface. I can project one, with your help. I'll show you where those ordered to retreat now head, so long as nothing has changed."

Lito turns to Leonie and Iníon still sparing, noticing Iníon is now on the back foot. Leonie appears to not be giving one hundred percent, dragging the fight out further. He wants to make sure the motivation is pure, but for now he says, "Leonie! Iníon! Come over here for a moment."

Leonie quickly sheathes their sword as Iníon takes the break in fighting to breathe. Leonie reaches Lito first and asks, "What do you need?"

Lito answers, "Please help Oran project a map of New York City and surrounding area to the east."

Leonie summons their staff and uses to project a beam of light through the back of Oran's head. Beams of light leave through Oran's eyes, projecting a map of the city from memory onto the floor of the armory. Lito investigates the map as Iníon makes her way over to the crowd.

"I could have done that." Iníon huffs.

Without looking up from the map Lito says, "Yes, but Leonie is doing it. Don't worry, you will have your chance to help as well. I'll make sure of it."

Iníon frowns while staring down Leonie. Leonie does not betray whether or not they notice Iníon.

"Can you mark for me where the closest muster points are on Long Island within a relative straight line from here?" Lito asks Oran.

"Yes." Oran says as a couple of points light up on the projection. Lito studies the two closest to Hart Island and within a direct line of the Kingsbridge Armory. The first is Fort Totten and the second the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

"We have forces mustering at the Merchant Marine Academy?" Lito asks.

"It's a relatively secure facility and the previous owners no longer have need of it. We took it over early after our arrival."

Lito uses his own eye to cast a line from the armory towards the Merchant Marine Academy. A straight line shot puts them on the coast nearby, and there is more room to maneuver further east, away from the more concentrated Fairy and Underworld forces.

"We'll aim for the coast near the Merchant Marine Academy." Lito says to Oran as Leonie secures the light from her staff and the projection disappears from the floor.

"Do you plan to shoot there all the way from here?" Oran asks, "That is a very long shot and it is very dark outside."

"Leonie has the energy to spare." Lito says as he registers another huff from Iníon.

"How will we deal with the forces waiting for us outside? Our shielding works for now, but this drains us greatly. We will have to collapse the shield to give us the energy we need to make the trip even with your help. We are very vulnerable to attack between lowering the shield and taking the shot out of here."

"Yes, and we need to launch from quite a distance in the air above the armory, so we will be very exposed. I will handle defense on this end. Iníon will help you at our destination."

Iníon's eyes grow wide, "I can't defend anyone on my own! Let me stay and help you!"

Lito places a hand on Iníon's shoulder, "You'll be fine. I will send you second, and as the other servitors arrive provide them with your energy and they can fight with you. It will be far easier for you out there where we still have far more presence and control."

Iníon nods, and she places a hand on her shoulder when Lito moves his in order to speak with the servitors.

Lito asks, "What's the highest point in this building?"

"The two turrets flanking the main entrance." Answers Oran.

"Good," says Lito, "show me."

The five servitors lead Lito, Iníon, and Leonie to the front foyer, on a bit of a distance on either side of the main entrance are the entryways into the two turrets overlooking West Kingsbridge Road. Lito looks east in the direction of Long Island.

Motioning to the left turret Lito says, "Oran, take everyone with you up to the roof of the left turret. Wait for my signal, my signal will be a bright flash of light, it will be unmistakable."

"Especially in the darkness outside." Oran answers.

"Leonie," Lito says, "You go up the right turret. You will be both the archer and the bow. Did you get the target in your mind?"

"When I projected through Oran, yes." Leonie answers.

"Good. You wait for my signal as well. Everyone, get a jump up into the air high enough to clear all the obstacles between here and our destination in Long Island. Leonie, you go up first and everyone will follow your lead. You will be in the air the whole time, so you are the most exposed. I will help on the ground, but be aware of everything going on."

"Understood." Leonie says.

With everyone in position at the roof access of their respective turrets, Lito casts a spell to force open the main doors to the armory and steps out into the darkness. Lito hears the approach of opponents, uncountable footfalls on unseen ground rapidly closing on his position.

Raising his sword, Lito casts a spell that flashes a blinding light over the whole area, and for a moment both Fairies wearing boots and Automatons become visible, and the sudden loss of the cover of shadows causes the advance on the forces of the Central Sun to pause, but only for a moment.

In that pause and before the assault begins anew, the servitors with Iníon in the east-most turret and Leonie in the west-most turret emerge onto the turret rooftops. Leonie is the first to ascend to a height above the rest of the structures and buildings, and they see the White Horse parked over Hart Island.

"We never were getting to that island as we are." Leonie says to themselves.

One by one the Iníon and servitors ascend with Leonie using a magic spell to fire each body off as if a bolt of light. A few stray shots get thrown Leonie's way, but Lito keeps his word and fights the assault to a standstill at the main entrance, a localized shield spell giving him enough cover to narrow the fight to numbers he can handle while stretching upwards to give some cover to Leonie.

Leonie yells when the last servitor gets fired off causing Lito to retreat into the armory, sealing his shield spell to cover his retreat. As the light shields put in place by the forces of the Central Sun all collapse, Lito exits the west-most turret onto the roof and ascends to join Leonie in the sky.

"Let's get going."

"Alright. Thanks." Leonie says.

"For what?" Lito asks.

"For making that easy."

"You had as much to do with that as I did."

"Thank you anyway."

Lito looks eastwards and together with Leonie they fire themselves as bolts of light headed for a distant shore.

"We have word they hide in the memory of the light of the Sun," Oran says to Lito, "In doing so those performing the illicit ritual on Hart Island are safe from most attacks."

"But not from us." Lito says.

"No, for we command the light of all suns." Answers Oran.

"How do we get to them from here?" Asks Lito.

"We simply call up our own light from the Central Sun within and enter the memory. That is the easy part. It is who we must then fight, that is the hard part."

Lito frowns. He is well aware of who they must fight. Ailuros, a god. Pleni a being of immense capabilities in her own right, never mind what she gains as Plenipotentiary of the Fay. That-Came-From-Before, a being so old the Earth itself respects its age.

The Witch. Lito turns and looks at Leonie who stands in their armor, having summoned their sword in order to spar with an unhappy Iníon. At least Iníon fights Leonie with a ferocity she can never seem to bring against me, Lito thinks.

"This isn't going to work out for us." Lito says to Oran.

"Why do you think so?" Oran asks.

"The eight of us are not enough for who we now go up against. Our ace in the hole, Leonie, cannot win against Lucy, the Witch. Not as they are. We need Leonie for more than one opponent as well, so even if they could face down the Witch and win there are at least three more opponents of equal capacity."

Oran studies Leonie's fight with Iníon and says to Lito, "Leonie is competent, but you know more about our enemy than anyone. What do you propose?"

"We must keep Leonie off Hart Island for now. They need Leonie to complete the ritual."

"We cannot leave the practitioners on Hart Island alone forever, nor can we wait and build our forces forever. The forces of the Underworld of this place will force our hands if the Fairies do not. We must act, even if at severe disadvantage. It is our only shot, if a long one."

Dorothea knows. She must know, thinks Lito. Lito turns the ritual and general situation over in his mind, "I don't know all the details of the ritual, nor of the exact need for the mantle Leonie now wears, but this is our one card we hold."

"Is there anything we can do?" Asks Oran.

Lito thinks for a moment, then says, "Destroy the body planned for use in the resurrection. We must target the body, clear the way to it, and focus everything on that singular goal. We must do it as quickly as possible. If we end up in a protracted fight with the body still whole, we lose."

"Orders are to preserve the ritual as best we can. We are equipped to take control of it and complete it properly under the auspices of the Central Sun. We need the body."

Lito looks at Iníon deep in thought, "Do the orders you were given explicitly state we need the body?"

Oran pauses, then says, "No. Orders are to preserve the ritual as best we can, which covers the body for the resurrection."

"We can destroy the body. I am confidant in that, and I think so is the Central Sun."

"Are you still fully connected?" Oran asks, "The shroud now in place around the Earth cut most of us off most of the time. We subsist on our internal energy now, those better connected sharing as needed."

"I have no degradation in my connection with the Central Sun, the same goes for the other two who came with me. It remains to be seen if this shall always be the case, but it is for now."

Oran perks up at Lito's words, "If you can manage, would you share some of your energy with us? We can heal faster from our last . . . fight with the Fairies outside. They cannot enter this building, for now. With the Blood Moon held in place, this armory will not remain safe for long."

Lito nods in assent, turning to provide help to the five servitors while Leonie and Iníon continue to spar.

The old man steps out from the portal connecting the Library and the Academy of Witchcraft to his personal residence in New York City. From the outside, the old man's property is a six storey walk-up on the Upper East Side.

There is more space inside the building than the outside would otherwise suggest, and it is in one of those folded-in spaces hidden behind a full length body mirror in the ground floor's main hallway. Once through the portal, the old man faces the mirror, whispers a spell, and steps through the glass back onto regular ground on the Earthly plane.

The Mold remained behind in the Library, but two Automatons followed the old man through. A half dozen more Automatons wait for the old man in the hallway once he steps through the mirror.

The old man squares up with one of the waiting Automatons, and looking the doll's glowing blank eyes straight on says, "Take me to my wife. I wish to see her if it is the last thing I do."

"It is the last thing that you do." Answers the Automaton.

"That remains to be seen." The old man says.

"No, it does not, for we've already seen. It only remains for you to see." Says the Automaton.

"Let's go."

The Automaton steps aside, allowing the old man to exit the walk-up and out into the street while following behind. All the Automatons join in the walk with the old man to his wife with more joining along the way.

Far out in space, the shrouding of the Earth is seen by the forces of the Central Sun. Word travels back to the Central Sun's sphere, and an order goes out telepathically to key leaders. Dorothea releases Lito, leaving him in her bed. She gets up to prepare for the next step in the Earth campaign.

Back on Earth, a group of five Central Sun servitors hold up in the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, and they wait as they were separately ordered as all the rest of the servants of the Central Sun retreat eastward. The ones left waiting in the Armory guard an old codex, the 42-Line Bible Leonie used and collected from the scene of Ailuros and Leonie's return to Earth.

On the Isle of Women, Dorothea makes preparations. Once everyone is aware of the plan of action, she makes her way to Leonie's room, entering without announcement. Leonie, awake and sitting quietly to themselves asks, "What is it?"

"It's time to return to Earth and complete your mission, the mission for which you were born."

Dorothea approaches Leonie, placing her hand on Leonie's face. Tendrils of light emerge from each fingertip from underneath Dorothea's nails and the tendrils caress Leonie's face before entering Leonie through her eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth.

From Leonie's memory Dorothea pulls up Leonie using the 42-Line Bible to open a portal, and she projects the scene out into Leonie's room. The result of the spell recast under the light of the Central Sun is the reopening of the portal, with a portal to Earth emerging once more from Leonie's chest.

Leonie as consumed by the portal stands in their room, and Dorothea says without a glance toward the door, "Lito, thank you for arriving on time. Did you bring Iníon?"

"Yes," Lito responds from the doorway, "and we are fully dressed and ready for combat as you ordered."

"Good. It will just be the three of you going to Earth through this portal given the nature of it. Only those who passed through with its initial opening may pass through it again."

"Shall we reopen the portal once more once through?" Lito asks.

"It won't work," Dorothea answers, "We can send Leonie back through once more like this, but the blowback will destroy the book used to open the portal."

Lito grimaces, "That book is a priceless piece."

"The dangers of using such things for active rituals."

"How will we open the way for you?"

Dorothea smiles, "You already know the answer to that question."

Lito's eyes grow wide, but he regains his composure and ushering a trepidatious Iníon into Leonie's room stands before the portal to Earth. With a salute Lito enters the portal, Iníon in tow. Once the other two are through, Dorothea places her hand on Leonie's portal-body, tendrils are pulled out from her by the force of the gateway.

"It's time for you to return home Leonie." Dorothea's tendrils pull at something unseen, and Leonie collapses in upon themselves, shrinking down to a single point in space before disappearing altogether.

Back on Earth, the 42-Line Bible swings itself open, and from the book a projection emerges. That projection gains material, ripping open into a portal. Emerging from the gateway Lito and Iníon step into the Armory.

A few moments after their safe arrival, the portal takes a more human form, solidifying into Leonie before the gateway itself coalesces into Leonie's heart, collapsing into nothing. When the portal finally closes, the 42-Line Bible begins charring, burning away.

The five servitors waiting in the Armory greet Lito and Iníon, and while two servitors attempt to secure the immolating bible Lito turns around and speaks to Leonie, "I apologize for the sudden rude wake up, but it's time to get ready."

Leonie hears Lito's words in a stupor, but as they find their way out of the haze of their own mind, Leonie summons the mantle with armor and spear. Leonie takes one look around at the Armory they now find themselves in once more and de-summons the spear.

"I've been here before." Leonie says.

"Yes?" Lito responds.

"What . . . I must complete my mission."

"So must we all." Lito answers.

As the bible burns away to nothing, the servitors give up on attempting to save the book, returning to speak with Lito. Lito says to them, "Don't worry, you never could save the book. We will pierce the shroud . . . another way."

The five servitors accept Lito's words. One of them steps forward, greeting Lito, "I am Oran, and we were instructed to place ourselves under the command of the Knight who stepped through the portal."

"I'm Lito. I am the one you waited for. We have a mission and you shall accompany us."

"What is the mission, if I may ask?" Says Oran.

"A ritual is now performed improperly. We must take control of the site and ritual and ensure its completion in a proper way." Answers Lito.

The five servitors nod in understanding. Iníon approaches Lito and asks, "Will I . . . have to fight?"

"It is very likely, yes." Lito says, "But I'll be there by your side. Nothing bad will happen to you."

Iníon smiles as Lito frowns. Lito thinks about his last night with Dorothea.

Standing in one of the open wards inside The Pavilion, the Witch works with Ernest to prepare him for the coming ritual. The body created for Tola lies underneath a sheet on a bed, and Ernest thinks it a strange sight, a never living body hidden as though it were dead that he'll help breathe life into.

The ritual is made more complex for all the missing parts, and Ernest struggles to keep up with the Witch's instructions. Bishop Clement waits and watches the Witch train Ernest from across the room. Ailuros approaches the bishop from behind, and she stops to watch beside him.

The bishop says, "We still need Leonie. How are we supposed to do that with what little time we have left?"

"You aren't worried about assisting the forces of the Underworld?" Ailuros muses.

"I long ago learned to seek council from within when faced with confusion, terror, or otherwise intractable problems," Bishop Clement answers, "And everything within me told me to keep doing as I am doing."

"There is a means of getting Leonie back here on Earth at a moment's notice." Ailuros answers.

"And we have those means?"

"No."

"Then how will we bring Leonie back in time?"

"We won't. This ritual is vital not just for Tola but for unlocking the full potential of the Human souls fighting in this dense, material realm. The Central Sun will seek to stop us. They may even seek to commandeer the ritual for their own ends." Ailuros says.

"What would they get out of it?" Bishop Clement asks.

"Control over the next Human Steward, the person who ushers in the new world with new ways, new institutions, new everything. The old order is dying and soon to be dead, and the old Steward must surrender the power. There is no other choice for him at this point. There never was a choice." Ailuros answers.

"Why the fight then, if there was never any other possible outcome?"

"There's always a fight. The old order always dies ugly. There is a lot to account for, especially for the old Steward of this cycle."

"What's the point of struggling so hard in the end regardless, the accounting just gets worse, not better."

"A lesson Humanity will one day learn," Ailuros says, "But not today."

The bishop goes quiet and watches Ernest for a short time, and seeing the bright look in his eyes is compelled to speak again, "We aren't going to force him to hold a large temporal spell the way we did before, are we? I don't think he'd survive another attempt like that."

"No need!" Yells a voice entering from behind and which bounds past Bishop Clement standing with Ailuros, "With the Witch here on Earth, and the Moon Goddess in her ship on the Moon, we can cast a much larger shrouding spell, one which lets us hold the Blood Moon for as long as we need." Pleni says.

Pleni turns to the Witch, "Are we ready?"

"Yes," says the Witch, "As ready as we'll ever be."

"Wait, don't we also need the Great Mother?" Ernest asks.

"Yes! She is also in position and ready to cast the spatial and temporal shroud over the Earth and its Moon." Pleni responds.

Without another word, the Witch starts walking, heading outside to stand in front of The Pavilion. At the same time, The Moon Goddess stands in a magic circle on the bridge of the Blue Moon and both wait for the initiation of the spell.

Out in space, forming a triangle with the Earth and the Moon, the fourth command ship of the Underworld fleets readies for the shrouding ritual. Standing on the bridge within their own magic circle, the Great Mother chants, her words moving energies both so dense and so fine Humanity is hardly aware of their existence.

The substantial energies gathered by the Great Mother coalesce, the Pale Horse itself absorbing all of it, granting the ship a moonlight glow. With a firing of her forward battery, great spatial and temporal energies mix with the Demonic plasma, firing in a beam towards the Blue Moon.

Upon reaching the Blue Moon, the Moon Goddess redirects the beam through the Moon itself, modulating such that the material making up the Moon is undamaged, but the interactions between the beam and the Moon cause the desired spatial and temporal shroud to form.

A blanketing of the Moon begins as the redirected beam speeds towards the surface of the Earth. The Witch looks up to the skies as a bright light fills her vision, so she begins her chant. The beam of plasma and more subtle energies slams into the Witch, continuing through and around her into the Earth.

Upon reaching Earth's core the energy mixes with the Earth itself, and with seeming mind of its own, the beam reemerges at a different angle, firing back out from the Earth and up towards the Pale Horse. When the beam reconnects with its source, the spell is cast, and the shrouding of the Earth and Moon completes.

Back in The Pavilion, all the others gathered at the top of the steps to watch the Witch, and Pleni, holding a polished moonstone, holds it out for viewing.

Ernest asks, "We'll know when the time is right with that stone?"

"Yes." Pleni answers.

"The Moon will still continue with its cycle within this shroud?" Bishop Clement asks.

"Also yes. When the Blood Moon reaches its fullest, this stone will light up fully red, and the last part of the ritual just performed completes, and with it we keep our Blood Moon for as long as we need."

After a moment's silence Ernest says, "Alright. I guess it's time for the rest of us to get to work."

The assembled company turn and reenter The Pavilion as the Witch walks up the steps to the main entryway, following the rest close behind.

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.