Ane closed her diary in her hands and stood up. She heard Remna and Clyon come back just a little while ago before they headed upstairs. The princess tied up her silver hair and wandered off to the kitchen, where she took one of the cups and made herself some tea. She hoped that Remna wouldn’t truly mind as she mingled in her kitchen, but she was thirsty.111Please respect copyright.PENANAiysicbqGVr
“Good morning,” said Jarco quietly as he appeared in the kitchen.111Please respect copyright.PENANAUVKrLybVDt
“Good morning,” greeted Ane. “Where did you come from?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAVF7ANmhNgQ
“Upstairs. Remna and Clyon gave us the opportunity to meet Ninéya, so we can get answers from her,” Jarco replied.111Please respect copyright.PENANAe7BH3XzfDj
“Really? That’s wonderful!” beamed Ane. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAf9o6u6LURS
“Quiet,” shushed Jarco with a chuckle. “You would not want to wake up the others.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA4ppFk6SrWY
“Of course,” smiled Ane whilst she prepared two cups of tea for Jarco and herself. The two then walked outside, where Ane had to get used to the liquid around her as they went and sat down on the bench in front of Remna’s house.111Please respect copyright.PENANAud25J7epjK
“So what exactly happened between you and Lewir last night? You came in pretty late,” Ane said with a curious hint in her voice as she glanced in Jarco’s direction. The fairy sought a way to answer that without leaking too much information, but he quickly came to his senses and realised this was Anevay he was talking to, and not some naive girl he met on the street.111Please respect copyright.PENANAaUJsIl5roC
“He wanted to be with me,” Jarco said, “but I told him that it was a bad idea.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAWW7m1Wu1Gi
“Why is that a bad idea?” exclaimed Ane.111Please respect copyright.PENANA0WyksbnaTp
“The timing is off -”111Please respect copyright.PENANAuBhlvMETBz
“You couldn’t have a better timing than now, Jarco,” Ane said. 111Please respect copyright.PENANACPyaiAtakB
“Anevay… Clyon is my ex-wife,” sighed Jarco.111Please respect copyright.PENANAX9L0PK9bb1
The princess shut up and she glared at the man in front of her.111Please respect copyright.PENANAbmckAHi2KR
“Oh,” she mumbled. “Perhaps it is quite an off timing.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAM6RsGJVJ3P
“Thank you,” nodded Jarco. He leaned back and the silence between them grew awkward.111Please respect copyright.PENANAvIKa91oKci
“Why did you never tell me anything about your past anyway, Jarco?” Ane asked, the stern tone in her voice returning, almost as if she was disappointed.111Please respect copyright.PENANA5E9xodnOeI
“They are troubles that you needn’t worry about,” explained Jarco. “Seriously, Ane, it is better like this.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAl9b9vY0UDv
“It is not better like this, Jarco.” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAgOeqvYRsOn
He faced Ane and was taken aback by the firm glare on her face. It was an expression he’d never seen directed towards him, and to finally see it made him feel quite intimidated. He seemed to have forgotten that Ane was growing up.111Please respect copyright.PENANA7sud4wn3ab
“I should know what is up with you,” Ane continued. “We are a team. We are comrades. Partners through battles, you know? That is not nothing. I trust you, Jarco, but you need to tell me stuff.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA1L9HUG1WfF
Jarco couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “You are more mature than I thought.”111Please respect copyright.PENANABaYEZvxnvL
Anevay nudged his arm and shook her head, not helping the laugh on her face that she tried to hide by taking a sip of her tea.111Please respect copyright.PENANACA3B3lYxXy
“There is also one more thing I have got to tell you. I am a fairy, and I was in the Eastern Bay,” Jarco spoke.111Please respect copyright.PENANAjPzgbftLKN
Ane spat out her tea in shock and watched as the tea that she spat out merged with the water in front of her. She wiped her face and turned to Jarco with big eyes and a jaw on the floor and Jarco almost found it humorous.111Please respect copyright.PENANAxynbFqkcB5
“You are a what?” she uttered.111Please respect copyright.PENANAJ749sA9nCm
“You heard me, Anevay.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAg6xS9tkBXA
“And why did you not tell me earlier?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAPo21E1FmeB
“Never found it necessary till now.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA2GeUWjtbPp
“Cheers…” muttered the princess. “So… you are a fairy. Where are your wings?” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAjpxxut6pe5
“They have been stolen from me,” sighed Jarco.111Please respect copyright.PENANAAHfATYMIz3
“Then we shall get them back,” Ane replied.111Please respect copyright.PENANAYaexmPe1v6
“Stolen by Ni-”111Please respect copyright.PENANADSwfsBCDeP
The front door swung open and revealed Clyon. She looked at Ane and Jarco and then gestured them to come inside, where everyone had woken up, having breakfast around the too small dining table. They all greeted each other and Remna arrived with another plate of pancakes. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAQFJqBkjacA
“Good morning, lovely people!” she exclaimed.111Please respect copyright.PENANATtigLvZq2v
“Likewise,” smiled Ane. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAcEjnIO7els
Remna then began to talk about how she managed to make an appointment with Ninéya, and that she would be happy to meet these foreigners that crossed the land just for her.111Please respect copyright.PENANAneGarkipVg
“Watch your tongue, though,” Remna said. “Ninéya does not stand people who disagree with her.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA6llrr2F8vv
“She can be a bit of a bitch sometimes, but you have to suck it up,” shrugged Clyon.111Please respect copyright.PENANAnpaedTSlFI
“That is easy for Clyon to say,” Remna replied. “You kiss her ass all the time.”111Please respect copyright.PENANANhwlFlxD2N
Nobody was sure whether it was a joke or not, but the icy silence that lingered in the kitchen and the electric tension that played between the cousins clearly showed that the statement had been loaded with frustration and negativity rather than a simple joke.111Please respect copyright.PENANAB27KstTXzN
“When can we go see her?” asked Mounty, trying to soften the atmosphere that hung over the group.111Please respect copyright.PENANAKBiX6Z16Cd
“In a couple hours,” Remna replied. “So enough time for us to have proper breakfast, explore the town a bit more…”111Please respect copyright.PENANAPHL8duh8c8
“I saw a peculiar portal yesterday,” Lemennie said. “Near the edge of town. What’s it for?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAmjjLOC8n2V
Remna and Clyon shared a glance.111Please respect copyright.PENANAGKXP4V5BKm
“You mean the one with the blue gems?” asked Remna.111Please respect copyright.PENANAHp1EJ8Lpze
“That one,” nodded Lemennie.111Please respect copyright.PENANAt0sjQAptOf
“That’s the portal to resurrect the dead. Only people that practice magic from the underworld can make use of that portal,” informed Clyon.111Please respect copyright.PENANAOHphbpLWmx
Lemennie turned to Ane and Elliot, and they turned to each other. The enthusiastic smile that lay on Lemennie’s face was indescribably ominous, but the group decided to follow her anyhow.111Please respect copyright.PENANAV8o8UU21Kz
“I collected the life energy of Marrie and Livi as they died,” Lemennie said while the group arrived at the portal. “I can transfer it into Eucilde and Aris.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAsIQSZP4904
“Why can’t you just resurrect Marrie and Livi?” asked Lewir.111Please respect copyright.PENANAkLmzHtLHD0
“Returning life energy to its original owner is almost like wishing for a freak,” Lemennie said. “It is like you are returning it to its former owner. There is nothing to revitalise anymore. If given to another body, then it can work.” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAfLcOP0yt28
“It doesn’t make any sense to me…” muttered Lewir.111Please respect copyright.PENANA43c10GZRNk
“The life energy recognises its shell. If you try to put it into its former owner, it recognises its last state - which is none. In a new shell, it can completely grow again. Listen, I’ve tried to resurrect one of my mates once.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAKsTZs5Q1DU
“How did that end?” asked Elliot carefully.111Please respect copyright.PENANA8PpWUvrNDX
“I had to kill him with my own hands because I couldn’t watch him suffer like the puppet he became,” Lemennie answered. She then turned to Ane and Elliot. “If it is alright with you, then I would gladly resurrect your parents.” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAz93HJuPUqh
“I… I guess I would like that,” murmured Elliot.111Please respect copyright.PENANA7t0TN5YS9p
“I would not mind either,” Ane said. “Is it safe though?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAYEjiyOiQMB
“If the ritual goes well, then I can guarantee their optimal life quality,” answered Lemennie.111Please respect copyright.PENANANDw1WNYtzj
“This is severe magic you’re playing with, Lemennie. Are you sure you can do that on your own?” Mint proposed. As a sorceress, she knew how heavy some rituals could be.111Please respect copyright.PENANA5TdiFw94PY
Lemennie gazed at Mint and had an internal dilemma as to uphold her independent image or grow closer to the group and accept her help.111Please respect copyright.PENANA5F4rtqUxB7
“Let her help you, Lem,” Peita said as if she understood what Lemennie was thinking. “I remember that the last time you tried it, it drained you.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAxjGmpdHPtH
“Alright,” Lemennie sighed. “I’d appreciate your help. Are you a grand sorceress?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAzkCjp0C7a0
“I have been trained well,” nodded Mint. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAOjfdejXjrK
“Well… you just have to follow my lead,” Lemennie said.111Please respect copyright.PENANA0ojSdp57j4
Mint faced the portal in front of her. It was huge and made out of an ancient stone, with a liquid-like substance floating between the ellipse-shaped walls. Blue gems had been placed in the walls and the substance shared the same, divine colour blue.111Please respect copyright.PENANASLniIUWzio
“What do we do?” she asked, the nervousness creeping up her spine.111Please respect copyright.PENANA0mvdSZ1PB7
“You’ll be alright,” said Mounty. “Just be carefull.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAThJSZ1SqJq
“We are not responsible for whatever happens in there,” Remna spoke. Lemennie then took Mint’s hand and guided them in the portal.111Please respect copyright.PENANAnV2J499LKO
The heat flickered up around Mint as she walked through the portal. The realm that they had entered was a mixture of fire, darkness and void. She wasn’t even sure what she was walking on, and it felt like an endless abyss spiralling beneath her feet.111Please respect copyright.PENANABh4CERyV40
“Just follow my actions,” Lemennie spoke calmly. She took Mint’s both hands so they’d be facing each other.111Please respect copyright.PENANAngWQ9g8BjK
“We are in the underworld now,” Lemennie spoke. “Do not interact with anything else but me and only reach out to Eucilde and Aris.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAbHkHtjHXRt
“Roger,” nodded Mint.111Please respect copyright.PENANAiiwzmL6S98
Lemennie then inhaled deeply, and Mint couldn’t help but follow. Soon after, a sensation of nothing but magic flowed through their bodies, connecting both of them on another level.111Please respect copyright.PENANAziBW8xtKQ1
“Do you think they will be alright?” Sarkhan asked, looking at the portal.111Please respect copyright.PENANArP4IMlteg2
“I trust Lemennie,” Vastice spoke. “She wouldn’t purposefully put others in danger.”111Please respect copyright.PENANANjkJysOaGA
“We don’t have a choice but to trust her,” Mounty said.111Please respect copyright.PENANA7fPJKRxwVX
“You can trust her,” confirmed Peita. Mounty glared at Peita, and she smiled back.111Please respect copyright.PENANATE94Oavtex
“Thank you,” whispered Ane to Elliot.111Please respect copyright.PENANAvRCzdA1gEp
“What for?” he asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANArEadpBq4RK
“For trusting Lemennie with this. I know you and Lemennie are not on the smoothest patch, so it must have been a pain to trust her with your mother her life.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA5LFnaplOt0
“I care more about my mother than the secrets Lemennie is holding back from me,” answered Elliot thoughtfully.111Please respect copyright.PENANAgGh4ivymNG
Ane squeezed Elliot’s hand and she turned to the portal again.111Please respect copyright.PENANAmti4dE865z
“What is your business with Lemennie, by the way?” Daphne asked Clyon.111Please respect copyright.PENANAKsVTT5rKew
“My business with Lemennie?” scowled Clyon.111Please respect copyright.PENANAy2SdirskXk
“There surely is no denying it,” Daphne replied. “You know each other.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAEgpbRdgEqy
All eyes were on Clyon, and she felt the pressure building up the longer she remained quiet. She also felt the heavy pressure on her by Jarco, who was equally curious.111Please respect copyright.PENANAVZ4Px7Js7R
“I do not think this is the right moment to talk about this,” Clyon said.111Please respect copyright.PENANAA18ER7rb4G
“It will never be,” Ane said. “Tell us, please.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA5lqbO3Pxmz
Clyon knew she had no way out, so she decided to speak.111Please respect copyright.PENANA7uJQa7hmCe
“A long time ago, I needed help with something beyond just,” she confessed. “I needed someone’s help, Lemennie’s particularly. It led to somebody’s death, unfortunately.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAqkr9x80Zbg
“What exactly did you need help with?” Bethil asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANACyOCbOq1io
“I wanted to drain the life energy of someone while they were still alive,” admitted Clyon.111Please respect copyright.PENANATP1XHVuyhQ
“Why am I only hearing about this entire life energy facade now?” questioned Bethil.111Please respect copyright.PENANAeQdKLqYH43
“Because it is only crucial in matters that people with a conscience shouldn’t mingle with,” snapped Remna, clearly disappointed in her cousin. “Who did you try to kill?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAOvFbsRO7oU
“That does not matter, because they were not the person to die…” 111Please respect copyright.PENANA7wj4fFGUKr
“Then who died?” asked Daphne.111Please respect copyright.PENANABvKPaXkg9X
“Just a citizen,” shrugged Clyon.111Please respect copyright.PENANA9xA9DSX8dk
“This is someone’s life we are talking about,” Mounty replied. “Did you never take responsibility for it?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAXQ2Mh04UVq
“She never needed to,” Jarco answered. “Because she put the blame on me.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAVxOWyrDKyh
Clyon’s crippling facial expression revealed the truth, and a painful moment followed. Jarco explained everything. He explained it all. How the woman he loved turned his back on him, blamed him of a crime he did not commit, just to clear her own conscience. How he was thrown out the Eastern Bay, robbed from his wings by them being ripped off. Mercilessly, he was the one to turn up for Clyon’s mistakes, the woman he believed to love. And Clyon was in tears, and Jarco’s face was miserable, and Remna was completely astonished and nobody else had any words to spill.111Please respect copyright.PENANAdh9kT1HCS0
“What about Lemennie?” Peita asked, almost too scared to ask. “What did she have to do?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAZljLAPUaZp
“I couldn’t let anybody know that I had contact with her, so I told her to stay out of my life,” Clyon said.111Please respect copyright.PENANAC6dhochu8K
“And she just did?” frowned Vastice, finding Lemennie’s obedience hard to believe.111Please respect copyright.PENANACwkexGueju
“She wanted to come clear and protect Jarco, telling the townsfolk that he never did anything, but I stopped her.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA69rFrbIkFj
“How?” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAEga5hxESch
“I threatened to…” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAAASKNejxeN
Clyon was too afraid to continue her confession, but she eventually uttered the words anyhow. “I threatened to take down Taverness.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAo2Hqm843ww
Peita and Vastice were beat to silence.
“Why didn’t she just kill you?” scowled Mounty, trying her best to remain civil.111Please respect copyright.PENANAXu1jJvldBq
“Because Lemennie is no bad person,” answered Peita, not tearing her eyes away from Clyon, “unlike you.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAYZ7nAqKQ2A
“I am sorry,” said Clyon, crippling under the heavy reactions she received.111Please respect copyright.PENANAO06uCfCes0
“Leave,” Remna said. This reaction shocked everybody the most, especially Clyon. Her own cousin, she thought. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAu4rpZgRdWK
“Excuse me?” Clyon whimpered.111Please respect copyright.PENANAxfjY45yAdN
“Do not come near us ever again,” Remna continued, clearly upset. “And if you dare to interfere our moment with Ninéya, I will have your wings ripped off just the same.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAGE418Use2M
Clyon shared one last look with the comrades who all wore different faces, and she then fled.111Please respect copyright.PENANArm58YhRO4l
“Are you alright?” Ane asked Remna, who was boiling with held-in frustration.111Please respect copyright.PENANACrWyhlDtzj
“Sorry. I’m just very disappointed,” Remna said.111Please respect copyright.PENANABW4dT9UkkU
Lewir was comforting Jarco in the meanwhile, while the others had little to no clue as to how to react to this. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAG2JXxuJNn8
Just then, the portal opened and revealed Lemennie and Mint. Mint’s red hair seemed brighter and more fiery than usual, and her eyes were brighter than Mounty could have ever remembered. Lemennie didn’t look very different - probably because she was used to this exposure to magic like this.111Please respect copyright.PENANAdQT2lLb86n
The warm smile that they both carried put a layer of softness over the group and they pushed back what had just happened to listen to what Lemennie and Mint had to say.111Please respect copyright.PENANAQo24GFgd7S
“Welcome your parents,” smiled Lemennie. The two sorceresses went out of the way and revealed Eucilde and Aris appearing through the portal. And they looked gorgeous and beautiful and their children ran to embrace them immediately.111Please respect copyright.PENANAl3shZ1643m
Aris looked stunning, her blonde hair flowing around her shoulders. Her sharp ears were perfectly pointy and her smile was warm and full and heartfelt. Her son around her neck, who was sniffing and crying as he held his mother for the first time in far too long, unleashed a wave of emotions within Aris herself. Her tears seemed like little crystals rolling down her cheeks.111Please respect copyright.PENANACI9FB3SaRo
Eucilde, the King of the Northern Bay, had never expected such a tight hug from the woman that had thrown her arms around him. Anevay was crying her heart out and she felt regret for the time she failed to spend with her father. The warmth her father gave her as he hugged her was overwhelming too. The King was tall and beautiful, just like his daughter.111Please respect copyright.PENANAlDNtyUqL4E
The others had a hard time to watch the scene in front of them without their hearts feeling heated. Remna even did so much as to shed a tear as well. While Ane and Elliot enjoyed the intimate moment with their parents that they had lost, Jarco took Lemennie aside to fill her in on what happened.111Please respect copyright.PENANAPU4Fza9b8g
“Thank you,” he said in the end, “for wanting to protect me.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAKJyCi3NY3x
“I never knew that was you, Jarco,” Lemennie said with a frown on her forehead.111Please respect copyright.PENANADUFZTOWS6M
“Does not matter. Thank you. And thank you for this, too.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAZvTXPt5xBt
“Couldn’t have done it without Mint,” grinned Lemennie. 111Please respect copyright.PENANA9OStG8NTFb
“I am so proud of you,” Eucilde said. His daughter smiled at him, tears in her eyes.111Please respect copyright.PENANAWsLy9KsyEf
“Thank you,” she whimpered.111Please respect copyright.PENANAEjdyoGdUEI
They spent the rest of their free hours catching up over some tea and pancakes, and they all dried their tears together.111Please respect copyright.PENANAyqiZy5y91q
“So, you will be meeting Ninéya?” Aris asked, more worried than curious.111Please respect copyright.PENANAQSV7xtx6kC
“Yes. She is the one who can give us answers about the evil that is acting up,” replied Ane.111Please respect copyright.PENANAzgzo2Kilxs
“It is a courageous thing to do,” said the King.111Please respect copyright.PENANAqqDYaKMGG3
“She is but a person, is she not?” asked Ane.111Please respect copyright.PENANA3qs1p1KtWz
“She is no mere person, sweetheart,” chuckled Aris.111Please respect copyright.PENANAkXzh6Xzgpn
“Then what is she?” Elliot asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANAFRelmsVmnr
“She can be a bit of a witch sometimes,” interrupted Remna.111Please respect copyright.PENANAICnBkkvKjo
“No need to speak so kindly of her,” Lemennie replied.111Please respect copyright.PENANAMztzWtbObb
“I wish that I could speak freely, Lemennie,” Remna replied with a stern tone in her voice that nobody really figured out.111Please respect copyright.PENANAODZ5DQTboy
“I have met Ninéya before,” Aris said. “Also for answers.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA1sm7ix1uy0
“How did that turn out?” Eucilde, the King, asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANAKwz97K3vwF
“Let us say that… she is very strong-willed,” Aris mumbled, “and not picky in her ways.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA4f12Iy2X8N
“What is she?” Bethil asked, purely curious.111Please respect copyright.PENANApyGqpdUCra
“I read that Ninéya is a hybrid. Part-fairy, part-mermaid, part-Druid,” Vastice said, munching on pancakes.111Please respect copyright.PENANAgdB1Jrq155
“Part-Druid?” Daphne frowned. “Well, be damned.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAvxFekwUIiR
“I’ve always wondered…” began Mounty. “If people are parts of pure races… are they stronger or weaker?” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAaZdoynSXDf
She set off an argumentative debate where they all threw their arguments out there, getting louder by the instance, until Sarkhan took the lead.111Please respect copyright.PENANAbCLDyMoyac
“Their powers are amplified,” he said, “simply because they have more gems. The gems from a fairy and a mermaid cannot overlap, so eventually that’ll result in more gems. Easy as that.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAmiMIO2SAOp
“I don’t want to fight this girl then,” Peita mumbled.111Please respect copyright.PENANA0zxnFmKyAx
“I doubt you’ll have a choice,” Remna said.111Please respect copyright.PENANAjdCmkr7Fbc
“Excuse me?” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAnZOLlBPsof
Remna shook her head, waving away her remark, and she hoped truly that nobody would ask for it again. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAuFWVyP0D89
The group waited outside for everybody to get ready.111Please respect copyright.PENANAeHvMf7h4Tb
“Will you be coming with us, father?” Anevay asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANAft8qAYQF4r
“I am sorry, Ane, but the Northern Bay needs me. I appreciate Dawn her help, but she is no queen. I will have to return; but remember, I trust you. And I know you can do this,” Eucilde responded.111Please respect copyright.PENANAOcw1Dhpj3G
Ane sighed. “Tell mother I said hi.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAizO4gnKKQt
Eucilde pulled his daughter into a tight hug and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Be safe, darling.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA7okL6VTLfY
“Only if you will,” grinned Ane. The King greeted the others before he walked away with Vastice, who had agreed to help Eucilde get back to safety. Vastice gave his ring to Peita, because he trusted both Peita and his dragons that they would be able to cooperate well.111Please respect copyright.PENANAfWUZFpAebF
“What about you, mother?” Elliot asked. “Will you be remaining with us?” 111Please respect copyright.PENANAv4SYxhTg7Y
“I need to set some stuff straight,” Aris responded, strangely determined. “I will remain here, if that is alright.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAzaDgNfN12S
“Lovely,” Ane spoke.111Please respect copyright.PENANAqyvvyrBgXg
“I sure hope so,” smiled Aris.111Please respect copyright.PENANA1L72o8nkSb
After a few more minutes of preparation, the group headed out the lake again. Remna led them around the lake just a little bit further, until she believed that they were right in front of the castle’s entrance.111Please respect copyright.PENANAV1tGlgPkZK
She squatted down and rested her fingertips right on top of the surface of the water, and it glistened both through her veins and skin. The others supposed that it was a strange connection that only mermaids could have with the water. Remna soon stood up and raised her hand in front of her, and to everyone’s surprise a path of ice grew over the water as if it was nothing. The path spread metres in front of them, three metres wide, until they could barely see it - that’s where the castle would be.111Please respect copyright.PENANAzCFhOPRFKu
The ice seemed solid, but most of all it was wonderfully bright and almost seemed to curve like a bridge. Ice railings to the side had been neatly placed so that they wouldn’t fall off the bridge if it were to get too slippery.111Please respect copyright.PENANA7VXCkqOWXn
“Awesome,” beamed Bethil. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAFhLVZ6RDjS
“Ice,” thought Elliot aloud.111Please respect copyright.PENANAqMTeL6s7gm
Remna slightly turned her head to Elliot with a grin on her face and she then, along with Bethil, took the first steps on the bridge.111Please respect copyright.PENANAwTYs4e2kSf
“Ice?” asked Peita, fidgeting with the necklace in which she had put Mia and Judian.111Please respect copyright.PENANAI9XxoPdJRt
“She was born in the continent of aquatic ice,” Elliot spoke. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAaEQLqiJm4W
“I am not familiar with that,” Peita responded.111Please respect copyright.PENANAP6lmZFKUdM
“It is an ancient theory to explain why certain mermaids specialise in specific elements,” Jarco said. “It is never confirmed, but mermaids never deny it either. That may be because they are unaware of history themselves, or because they want to keep the continents a secret untold.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAEpcoHw1KOB
“Secret or not, I’ll go have some fun,” Daphne said, and she took a little sprint right before she slid over the ice bridge, sparks of coldness flying around as her shoes neatly brought her over the surface. She could not stop herself, which resulted in the crash of Remna and Bethil.111Please respect copyright.PENANAbqgX21djIw
Ane had a laugh before she also headed over the icy bridge, together with Aris. They calmly walked over, chatting as they went, catching up with heaps of what they had been through so far.111Please respect copyright.PENANAfy3PgBZqRJ
Mounty and Mint decided to race, but Mounty had forgotten that Mint had always had the best endurance of both of them, so it was only a matter of time when Mounty eventually huffed and puffed by the time she had reached Daphne whereas Mint easily halted and walked the rest of the road with Bethil and Remna.111Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8NQ8ZCaJG
Peita and Sarkhan both decided to just walk together. They were both genuinely impressed by the craftsmanship of this icy bridge and they got talking about technology and all the inventions that Taverness had and Sharran’s Valley did not. It truly did seem as if those two came from different worlds - which wasn’t as far-fetched.111Please respect copyright.PENANAUgRWatjeim
Lemennie and Elliot were forced to walk together in the back, but none of them truly knew what to say to one another. They hadn’t started off on the best note and they weren’t sure if they’d ever be capable of living in harmony with one another, but they knew for the quest’s sake that they had to at least try.111Please respect copyright.PENANA6ZcFm6NA2d
“That was very noble of you,” Elliot spoke. “To try and come clear for Jarco.”111Please respect copyright.PENANA2T4DCsdYq7
“I suppose it was. It is only right,” Lemennie said.111Please respect copyright.PENANA1zcZcCQdqm
“Right is not always easy,” sighed Elliot. “Who did Clyon want to kill, though?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAvp94NWnbrR
Lemennie remained quiet for a while whilst glancing at Elliot from the corner of her eye. “She wanted to kill Ninéya.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAQyxb7g6hqt
“I am sorry?” snapped Elliot.111Please respect copyright.PENANApmeeKy8525
“Ninéya is the one with answers, do not get me wrong, but the woman is vile,” Lemennie said. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAIhM0Qj5HmB
“People said that you are no bad person, but the moment you try to kill somebody, does that not make you a bad person?” Elliot asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANAIBewkcoVy8
“If you try to kill somebody who has numerous deaths on their hands, then you can protect all the others. I do not like to think by the act, I prefer to look at the consequences,” Lemennie replied.111Please respect copyright.PENANA955gWajWMj
“I believe you are both bad, in some sense,” Elliot said.111Please respect copyright.PENANAL7YSHatFma
“I accept that,” Lemennie said.111Please respect copyright.PENANAx3XfU4bQRn
“At least you wanted to right your wrongs.”111Please respect copyright.PENANALCojxrYiy5
“That is what I try to do,” Lemennie replied.111Please respect copyright.PENANAi77oE5YDoR
“I do suppose so.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAd6OtOeksCw
“Elliot.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAnvJhDfCOdJ
“Yes?”111Please respect copyright.PENANA7RtHSsI9FP
“You and I are more alike than you think,” the devil said and she looked at Elliot’s reaction. He frowned, confused and oblivious to what Lemennie meant. He asked her what she meant, and she simply said that he would figure out sooner than ever.111Please respect copyright.PENANAGrqN6dGc2c
They had reached the entrance ports of the castle after a while of talking and walking. The castle was constructed by the most excellent architects in the country. Built tall yet light, it seemed to nearly float as it stood there. Its glass-looking walls had been made out of crystal and the pearly glow that showed off a pearlescent light was nothing but magnifying. Towers above towers reached for the sky and large, round windows let heaps of light, creating an endlessly high effect.111Please respect copyright.PENANAOxRQdAHP5B
“Is anybody else as nervous as I am?” Remna murmured, looking around the group.111Please respect copyright.PENANASqp0EoO19m
“I am just curious,” Ane replied. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAxa9gu56h5v
Remna knocked on the ports, and at first it seemed anything but exciting. A rather flat thump echoed as Remna knocked, but that’s where it ended. Anevay shared an anticipating glare with Elliot, whose hands were nervously fidgeting with the bottom of his shirt.111Please respect copyright.PENANA7tj4tYTNue
The port opened inwards, immediately revealing the beautiful hallway. Large and spacious with an incredibly high ceiling, its crystal charms worked off on everybody. Two hallways had been built on each side and one large, glass door had been placed opposite the port. The glass was cloudy, and offered no sight inside the room that Remna announced as the throne hall.111Please respect copyright.PENANAEHEaRqzITs
“To your right are the accommodations and to our left are the recreation rooms, varying from libraries to aquariums where the mermaids usually take a swim,” she informed.111Please respect copyright.PENANA5MEzRVY4ZT
“Are there any other rooms?” Bethil asked merely out of curiosity.111Please respect copyright.PENANA64hDI0Scj9
“Ninéya has an entire pavilion to herself. I have never been there myself,” Remna shrugged. “Are you ready to meet her?” 111Please respect copyright.PENANA8SMa84uYex
The group followed the pink-haired girl to the cloudy door, and she then pushed it open. 111Please respect copyright.PENANArVKwIeMawc
The throne hall was spacious and light. Several windows poured in overdoses of light into the relatively empty hall. Sculptures had been built and placed between the windows symmetrically, and each sculpture seemed to be a type of race. It almost looked like air, and Elliot could tell it was silica gel. Remna told them to stand in a neat line next to each other, so that Ninéya could easily view them, so they all obeyed.111Please respect copyright.PENANA86ZdHFBK64
About ten fantastic sculptures on each side eventually led up to the throne, placed on a little stage with a number of three, small steps. Sitting on the throne that had been made out of either crystal or glass was no other than Ninéya. The two guards next to her showed off their beauty as well, almost nude, flaunting their near perfect bodies. Yet despite the perfection of the guards, they could not take away the huge aura that Ninéya gave off. 111Please respect copyright.PENANABO33qSYHSL
Ane’s breath was taken away by the simple sight of such a serene being. Ninéya carried the brightest red aura that Anevay had ever seen anywhere. The porcelain skin on Ninéya’s body seemed to literally glow and nobody was truly sure whether she was actually glowing or not. She had bright, intense, blue eyes that eyed Ane just like she eyed her. Long, golden hair framed her gorgeous face and her soft shoulders, draping behind her back. Her body was only covered by a white fabric with a golden belt, perfectly accentuating her waist. Her endlessly long legs were crossed and it showed a sign of elegance.111Please respect copyright.PENANAYPqETCHhui
“Good day,” she said. Her voice was a layer of silver, sparking any sexual senses within Anevay herself. She then stood up, showing off her tall figure. She was even taller than Mint, who was already the tallest female in the fellowship;111Please respect copyright.PENANAfn2t7U3H7v
“I have heard a whole lot about you,” Ninéya said. She approached Anevay first who just stood in awe.111Please respect copyright.PENANA4r9cAUCX5U
“Nice to meet you,” she uttered eventually when Ninéya stood right in front of her. Her sphere was breath-taking and Ane was afraid she’d choke in her beauty. The hybrid ran her hands through Ane’s hair, which was an odd type of intimacy. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAhrAduM3LbJ
“I have never met somebody with silver hair,” Ninéya said.111Please respect copyright.PENANAwDuyYZKGt2
Ane remained quiet.111Please respect copyright.PENANAB5QSICMaqe
“You are the necromancer of whom I’ve heard, are you not?” Ninéya questioned with an enigmatic tone under her voice.111Please respect copyright.PENANAcaBwMoUIb7
“I am,” nodded Ane.111Please respect copyright.PENANAv1500Tyxgg
Ninéya moved on to the others, simply eying them with the ominous smile curved on her lips. She seemed to hesitate in front of Lewir, but she smoothly continued and ended at Daphne, at the end of the line. Ninéya had the audacity to run her fingers over the surface of Daphne’s horn, but the Druid kept her cool as she let it happen.111Please respect copyright.PENANAXkfgru4onR
“Poor thing,” she whimpered. “How did this happen?”111Please respect copyright.PENANA1MjhGpqxZS
“Family,” shrugged Daphne, sheepishly chuckling. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAJFBDlpT26Z
“What noble family does this to a princess?” Ninéya asked, joining in on the humorous act of Daphne.111Please respect copyright.PENANA8vlVEFTcBi
“A princess?” frowned Ane, turning to Daphne.111Please respect copyright.PENANAYN3ZzR9dbc
“A heroic princess, mind you,” Ninéya replied. “Of course, you are too, though you have not been confronted with crucial loss like this. Or have you?”111Please respect copyright.PENANALecayu6WGw
Anevay looked at Daphne, who had a light scowl on her face, and then turned to Ninéya, whose mocking expression showed that she just wanted to set off a fight.111Please respect copyright.PENANAx1uFjWAbSz
“Indeed,” Anevay replied, wisely.111Please respect copyright.PENANATMQHR2vIl6
“What a beautiful lot you are. Fantastic individuals, one by one. Fighters till death, warriors with bravery and courageous knights! I even have the grand honour of meeting the four heroic figures of this era,” exclaimed Ninéya as she made her way back to her throne. “A devil, one of the most powerful Killheels of all time, a necromancer whose powers are unheard of, a shapeshifter who hasn’t even come close to its boundaries, a druidic princess, a prince who holds the original root of the doomed within him, a sorceress brighter than light, a doomed with a fate of a saviour, and a former hero who has achieved more than anybody could have expected.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAOPj6arMu7X
The group remained quiet and ignored the fact that Ninéya skipped over Elliot, Jarco and Lewir, and nobody dared to question why she had.111Please respect copyright.PENANA4h9fcMTy4D
“A true glorious sight,” sighed Ninéya when she sat down again. “And I have the honour to provide you with answers?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAZBjpYbmXNo
“Yes,” Ane spoke. “We know that you can tell us where we need to go and what we are ought to do.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAvFsROhLVDl
“I am no seer, my child,” Ninéya responded with a dull face.111Please respect copyright.PENANAOnV02WeA2N
“You are,” Aris replied.111Please respect copyright.PENANAn5IVFXpb64
“Who asked you anything?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAZHXuSBt9eV
“You provided us with answers, why not them?” frowned Aris, ignoring Ninéya’s bitter reply. The hybrid did not respond, and instead glanced at the group in its whole again. Ane picked up on this. Something was clearly off. 111Please respect copyright.PENANATz3wSL58EX
“Do you not trust us?” she asked. 111Please respect copyright.PENANA5EXuQyrpai
“Why should I trust you, darling?” smirked Ninéya.111Please respect copyright.PENANAnE5EhDc8G5
“Did you establish relationships with Korlos, Ghordo and Rok?” Ane continued to ask.111Please respect copyright.PENANAjOLns0rsmA
“Don’t blame me for trusting them blindly,” Ninéya said. “They seemed more genuine than you. You probably started this quest without even wondering where to go next. No plans, no structure, no nothing. Is it even such a miracle I will not allow a group of amateurs like you to know about the deepest secrets of this realm?”111Please respect copyright.PENANAnvGgjRwq5F
The friendly tone with which she spoke coloured Ninéya in as a rather ambiguous character, neither kind or bad. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAYYovjMDjWW
“Do not lie, Ninéya,” Aris responded. “You know very well that Korlos, Ghordo, Rok and I were nowhere near their level of experience.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAAcIhzmS18n
“Aris, dear, it is time for you to stop interfering,” Ninéya replied.111Please respect copyright.PENANAGvQtZuyZEQ
Anevay immediately connected the pieces. Ninéya would simply feel threatened. Korlos, Ghordo, Rok and Aris didn’t seem like very much in Ninéya’s eyes, so she had no issue with passing on the knowledge to what she deemed as idiots. Though it is a hideous idea, Ninéya knew that even if they knew such secrets, she would still have everything under control. However, with a group like Anevay’s, it was clear that the potential was enormous and impeccable and Ninéya would feel too much of a threat to lose the high power she possessed now. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAsMBNtqWOVH
“Why can’t Aris just tell us?” Daphne asked with a light shrug.111Please respect copyright.PENANA7WP4GjHp4m
“The oath, love,” Ninéya sighed. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAQJbCtSenik
“If I break the oath, I instantly am robbed of any power and life energy,” Aris explained. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAlla9cC61Iu
“It is time for us to go. Shall we have the honour to try and negotiate with you tomorrow?” Anevay asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANA3ESaGxaxDj
“I would wish to speak with the heroes only,” Ninéya responded. “The others are free to roam around the palace as they wish.”111Please respect copyright.PENANACBDAggRVBW
“Can I show them their rooms in the right wing, Ninéya?” Remna asked.111Please respect copyright.PENANAFsdYbWaAKq
“Of course, darling. Enjoy your night. The dining rooms are also in the right wing, do not forget to eat!” Ninéya exclaimed strangely cheerily. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAeSVgezeAJn
Remna led the others out of the throne hall and she shut the door behind her. As they had all gathered in the entrance hall, they faced one another and shared their held-in reactions.111Please respect copyright.PENANA9fwHk5FLZE
“What a woman…” mumbled Peita.111Please respect copyright.PENANAQfEv4LTlKQ
They all agreed with her, and they started to chat about what they felt like in there. Eventually, Remna led them to their rooms, which were on some of the top floors and gave a beautiful sight to the lake and woods. The rooms were relatively small yet cosy, with a giant window, a cupboard, a vanity and a huge bed in the centre. A bathroom with a large, royal bathtub in the middle, a toilet in the corner and washbasin had been attached to every room as well. 111Please respect copyright.PENANA37DfqSYUzw
Ane and Elliot shared a room - to grand horror of Aris -, Bethil and Daphne decided to share one, Jarco and Lewir found no reason not to sleep together, Mounty and Mint naturally picked the same room, Sarkhan offered to share a room with Peita and Aris eventually was paired with Lemennie. Remna told them that before they’d go to bed, they’d have to try out dinner. She then greeted the others before she headed home.111Please respect copyright.PENANAoaHFkkRSqo
“So, can I tell you something?” Lemennie asked whilst she tried out the bed.111Please respect copyright.PENANAt97NLNC8pN
Aris turned away from the window and faced Lemennie. 111Please respect copyright.PENANAq46WhC3K70
“I am half devil, you know? Humanised. Lost the core of evil,” Lemennie began. “I left my kin when I was just a child and always explored as I did. I used to be… one of those hideous creatures. Leather skin, hideous wings… Well, I still have those wings.” She chuckled lightly, nearly nostalgic. “My father never agreed to me being such a free spirit. He knew that one day, I’d lose my sense of evil if I were to continue like that. I didn’t care. I discovered. I eventually met Peita and Vastice, and I completely lost the dark core inside of me. I broke off contact with my father. Rather, he broke contact with me.”111Please respect copyright.PENANAVTRhiv3Rj8
“I am sorry to hear that, Lemennie,” responded Aris.111Please respect copyright.PENANAs7hNtPiHQt
“It’s quite alright. However, my father… There is something very peculiar about my father.” Lemennie glared outside the window, avoiding eye contact with Aris, lost in a nostalgic feeling that she hadn’t dug up in quite some time.111Please respect copyright.PENANA04JXB6Fa7G
“Aside from the fact that he is a devil?” chuckled Aris.111Please respect copyright.PENANAxTZxubUAFQ
“Aside from that,” grinned Lemennie. “See, my father… I think you know him.”111Please respect copyright.PENANANxY4XrrGiG
Aris looked right into Lemennie’s gaze that shifted back to her. Stern and firm and slightly uncomfortable. Aris was frozen in the middle of her chuckle and her conscience was soon thrown to trash again.111Please respect copyright.PENANAzI1XpFIyxy
“In fact,” continued Lemennie, not breaking eye contact with a flustered Aris anymore, “I am fairly certain that my father is also Elliot’s father.”111Please respect copyright.PENANApzkuexoZ8E