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“Good afternoon, Aceline,” said he, “-I’ve sort of maybe...”

“What is it?” returned she loudly, “-Rosespire is very loud,” when spoken, the duo of Thena and Nike ambled about childishly. “-Wait for me,” said her distant voice.

“I might have taken off for Arda, it was a spur of the moment event, everything fell into place, I didn’t want to ruin the moment.”

“No worries,” said she, “-Thena and Nike are good company. I’ll be fine, take as long as you need.”

“I’ll have an attendant make arrangements for your stay, deal?”

“Deal.” Julius hailed from the next seat over disruptively. The shaky gestures garnered a ‘what’ expression. Attention on the caller and face to the prince;

.....

“-don’t cut the phone,” he mumbled.

“Why?”

“Tell her the driver’s ready to escort them to Apexi’s studio. Someone important is waiting for her.”

“Someone important?” he covered the microphone, “-who is it, Scott?”

“Spot on,” a thumbsup ended the call. ‘-Scott’s here, I hope he makes up with Aceline. The two were inseparable until I masterminded her downfall; not only did I aggravate her narcotic consumption; I also blamed her and had her dear manager side with me. None’s in the right, time will say if it’s worth it.’

Council and Princess wouldn’t meet just yet. Night hid their arrival. The airfield, a place of carnage and prior death, subjected to assault from magic and guns, had seen better days. One of the hangars was but a shell, a massive home on the roof, broken metal beams, and the adjacent path in disarray.

‘Sad,’ crossed Igna’s mind. A saddened wind blew onto the dirt-filled airstrip. If it had been a day, a wave of dust crashing onto the forest’s shore would be the culprit. Alas, between the meadowy moisture and the cold surrounding, a warmly heated car fitted convenience. Military, namely, the blood-kings faction closely guarded the iron fenced checkpoint. Flashlights pierced the windshield, “-excuse me” signaled a soldier.

“Might I help you?” the windows rolled.

“May we see some identification. I didn’t spot the car coming in, how were you able to get inside?” affluently spoken words begot a grin from Julius. Darkness hid the blatant disrespect.

“Viscount of Glenda.”

“First princess of Arda.”

“Second Prince of Arda.”

Three heavy titles swept the men’s confidence, “-I’m sorry,” they saluted, “-lord of Glenda, Prince, and Princess, we must dutifully ask proper identification. Our country is in great turmoil.”

“Will this suffice?” the noble’s crest hung shy of the window.

“Yes,” a quick scan, “-may thee have a pleasant journey.” What little amber light remained dried to a starry night and no visual cues. Lampposts were a luxury at this point. One hour into the drive, they halted at a nearby village. The latter, cupped onto a gently sloped hill, was more or less vibrant. Four strangers arrived, the faintly lit village-center, empty save adventurers, gloomed.

“The atmosphere feels tense,” said Julius.

“I bet it is,” replied Igna.

“War has everyone on edge,” the shuffle to the tavern halted. A drunken half-elf stumbled to block the entrance. The livelier and better-lit interior breathed a gasp, noise faded to a morguesque silence.

“Where you hail, traveler?” *hic.*

“Over yonder,” replied Julius, “-a place where humans have conquered the night, and said night brings pleasures onto the very same humans.”

“Wrong!” he mumbled, “-humans are evil... the church is evil, the crown is worthless. There can never be peace in our midst, GODS HAVE FORSAKEN OUR LAND, OUR PRECIOUS MOTHER, SHE’S BEEN ASSAULTED AND VIOLATED. Does the church answer for the crimes, nooo, do the humans apologize, nooo, poor ol’ Arda must suffer its fate.”

“Haul him in!”

“Let m-me finish!” a drunken struggle against a strong-armed dwarf would have never worked, “-sorry about my companion, the first round of drinks is on me, consider it my apology.”

“Thank you.”

A humble and nervous tavern leader scurried to the entrance, bear in mind, the party had yet to step inside. Cold stood the hairs straight as did the cold-stares. “I apologize.”

“No matter, is it possible to stay the night?”

“Stay the night?” glanced up, the eyes locked, her face paled to subtly avoid his judging glare, “-I t-think s-so?”

“No, you can’t,” said an overbearing shadow, “-travelers aren’t invited at this tavern. Get out and don’t cause a mess,” armor and a heavy sword on the back, the tag had a silvery tinge.

“Who might you be?”

“Blond boy, this is no place to get laid. Take your friends and leave.” The tavern-lady looked relieved, the paleness reddened. The stare-off broke to focus on the inside, whereby, sat alcoholically flustered patrons, most of which, wore armor.

“Julius, what should we do?” wondered Igna.

“We ought to stay the night. I’m pretty tired, I don’t want to rest in the car, gives me claustrophobia.”

“Can’t you just create a house for us?” proposed Eira.

“Such an outlandish comment,” the eyes rolled, “-I guess I could, but no.” (That’s a genius idea, why didn’t I think of it) went across the mind.

“Stop ignoring me,” grip on the handle, “-I said,” the muscles tensed.

“Shut up,” fired Igna, “-such an obnoxiously loathing accent and mouth. I can barely hear the words from that mess you call a talk,” a singular scan sparked their guard; ‘danger.’

“Boy, I’m a silver-ranked adventurer, do you know what that entails?”

“Yes, and I could care less.”

“Igna, quit it...” whispered Julius, “-else we may...”

“Too late,” remarked Eira, “-we’re surrounded.”

“Boy, that was a mis-” no second left, he blinked and kicked the man’s head into to hardened ground.

“I don’t care much for thy wit,” he glared the tavern-mother, “-tell me,” he leaned to her ear, “-was he the strongest?”

“Y-yes,” said a childish voice.

“What about the rule?”

“What rule,” she gulped.

“You know damn well what rule I mean,” cold fingers ran up her neck. Her knees danced, the face glistened in sweat and belligerent bystanders held their weapons.

“Enough.” Such a brawl ruckus didn’t befit their station. The princess stepped in and justified the misunderstanding. Title and name begot admiration and hate; they knew of the Devil of Glenda. The adventurer reawakened after a mid-tier healing spell. Confusion bit his tongue and he bit his words. So long and so forth, Julius gathered intel from the many crowded tables. Igna, Vanesa, and Eira were given the VIP treatment, also referred by ‘-loner’s room.’

Simultaneously in Rosespire, the scenery differed tremendously. A heavily lit and lively street held the trio. Advertisements were wild, the shops were wilder. Busy sidewalk and busier traffic, the adventurous walk sparked Thena’s creative side. He had yet basked in the modernness of the human world.

“Nike, look, this device lets you draw anywhere and anytime.”

“I know,” he said, “-Igna has one at the manor...”

“Stop being a buzzkill.” Couples checked in and out, students were also a sight to behold. Besides the wide entrance waited for Aceline, the mind, and body lost in thought.

“Look at this,” two jovial men jumped out.

“Mind it,” returned she, “-people are watching.”

“Who cares about them,” shrugged Thena, “-this tablet lets me draw how I want and when I want. The human world is truly amazing.”

“Human world?”

“Ignore her,” refuted Nike, “-my friend’s a little too excited.”

Apexi’s branded a foreign car, plan switched halfway across. Windows rolled to the pink-haired Nona, “-Aceline,” she hailed, “-over here.”

“Nona?”

“The one and only. Stop gawking and get in, we’re headed to the company hotel.”

“Company hotel?”

“Don’t worry about it,” the vibrant trio vanished into the busy capital. The driver showed no interest at first, not until the focus met the passengers’. “I know you...”

“ACELINE!”

“SCOTT?”

“Aceline... it’s you, I never thought we’d meet.”

“I was dead for the most part. Scott, oh, I forgot, you’re a manager for Apexi right?”

“Hey, listen, I’m sorry for the way our relationship ended.”

“I was a pain too, don’t sweat it.”

Company hotel was an understatement. Once inside the commercial district, Apexi’s tower, which reached the heavens, hosted everything the commercial district might offer. A shopping mall, multiple gymnasiums, full-sized pools, and even tennis grounds on the side of the immense infrastructure. Compartmentalization saves plenty o’ headaches. The bottom area was for the shopping mall, the mid harbored the other facilities as for the top, a hotel for visitors. Another side, one complete with a helipad and garage, was grounds for Apexi’s workers, staff, and leaders. Stack it to their fortune, workers were free to buy, eat, and do whatever they wanted for naught but efficient work and higher morale as payment.

‘Continues to amaze.’ The long way involved a promenade through the mall. Surprisingly, the place was very active. Families and friends alike kept smiles. Occasionally, some would have pouts and looks of dejection. Obviously, those were children who didn’t get a toy or ice cream. On the topic of children, Thena jumped at the notice of an art gallery. They could but follow his whims, the conversations lasted hours on end until the rooms.

Morning rose, the renamed capital of Arda, Awei, silhouetted by the rising sun, held woe. The roads up to said tree were scarred and left to ruin. The foliage, once green, was but a reflection of the past. Dust and other wastes layered the leaves. A few rodents of the church lingered to and fro, the main entrance had been cemented in.

“Why’s that there?”

“To stop the residents from fleeing. See the path up there,” she pointed, “-tis the only point of access. They controlled what went in and what went out.”

.....

“How did people escape?”

“Look on higher, there’s another concreted hole. A runaway mage, driven by madness, killed himself to open an escape route. I remember the day vividly, reports of screams had reached the cathedral. I curiously went to look, what return was a pit of dead bodies. Few survived and escape, the injured were shot, and the mad erratically left the moral realm.”

“Why are we just wandering around the tree, there could be soldiers...”

“Don’t worry,” said she, “-I’ve said it before, the church’s out of Arda. The capital is without a leader.”

“Why are you staring at the main entrance, Igna?”

“Don’t you dare,” warned Julius, “-I swear to god, don’t you dare blow open the hole. Let it be, we’ll follow Eira.”

“Fine, fine.” ‘-Imagine if Draconis or Saniata were here... they’d have burst in without warning.’

“Pops, danger. I smell myself...”

“What she say?” frowned Eira.

“Let me translate, she means there’s an Aedric curse or some kind of plague.”

“Cousin...” they slowly made to the entrance; “-I have a bad feeling. Why’s the capital so quiet, should it not have people’s shouts and presence?”

“Potent,” she smirked, “-the stench of sickness and disease... hehe,” her lips contoured sadistically, “-I feel it, pops, they’re mad, very mad.”

“Eira... are you hiding something?”

“Yeah,” they arrived, “-the reason why I know the church left...” the sealed barrier cracked, “-is because one of my attendants witnessed their absurdity.

“By the heavens...”

What couldn’t be described in words and details lingered at the bottom. Buildings were smashed into a rectangle, the ground floor, once a town, was a broken remain of tried and tested torture methods. The ultimate cleansing, to the side, a stair had the charred remains of escapees. Pests and diseases bubbled in the pool of black miasma, the entire residence ship of the capital was killed mercilessly and thrown to decay. “-what the hell...” for the first time in ages, disgust, and irritation nearly forced a gag. Julius’s fled for fresh air, Eira fell to her knees, “-I never expected this...”