Ruinous Return

[Year 21 of the Eternal Age]

Gil took in a deep breath as he walked through the thick jungle. He struck out with his greatsword over and over, carving a path for the rest of his siblings behind him. He slapped the insects that buzzed around, and growled. "Fucking insects. Why didn't we acquire something to keep them away from Alchemist Brad?" he asked in Triskol.

Lyndra was right behind him, and she shrugged. "They're not bothering me."

"That's because you have that armor," Gil replied as he stopped his chopping and took a few deep breaths. "Not that I'm jealous," he huffed out in between breaths.

Lyndra laughed slightly as Eli pushed past her. "It's alright, Gil. We'll get our own artifact-tier gear soon enough." The slightly slimmer man was dressed in scale armor that was reminiscent of Empress Rivers's coloration, deep black with blue accents. He had his father's tower shield and spiked mace. "Want me to take over for a bit?" He chuckled. "Old man?"

Gil nodded and took the gear from Eli as his brother took over the job of chopping a path. "I'm not old," Gil replied as he crossed his arms and resented his decision to wear full plate armor. The bulkiest of the Baxter children due to his dedication to work with the biggest weapons possible. His adoptive father had told him stories of a character that wielded a fifty-pound sword…and he had been captivated ever since.

Lyndra walked ahead of him. She had trained with High Riverguard Vael and was quite skilled with shield and spear…but had also obtained lessons from Empress Rivers herself. "Just look at the bright side," she commented as she glanced back at Gil. "You have all the opportunities in the world ahead of you. You're only thirty-two, after all."

"Oh, fuck you both," Gil said with only slight irritation. They had engaged in this type of banter for years now, but he felt actual irritation this time because some fucking insect had gotten inside the armor. "And fuck these mosquitoes. Ringa thi gwaew / feng la langal." He felt his mana slightly drain as the air around him chilled to below-freezing temperatures, the sweat instantly freezing as he felt relief from the itching and other pain. The insects also died off instantly.

The trio were heavily body enhanced with peerless alchemical concoctions made by the empress herself. This level of cold was tolerable. Lyndra looked back at him. "Really? You couldn't just deal with it?"

"You two are full up."

"Found it!" Eli announced as he carved away the last few trees and the trio walked into a clearing. He swapped his gear back with Gil, and the trio faced a stone archway with Elenthir carved into the top. A purple film covered the aperture.

Lyndra cleared her throat. "This door marks the dungeon of Sealna, the Seeker of Truth. Threat within – monsters. Reward – artifacts."

Eli rolled his shoulders and muttered the improved, internal spell that they all had learned in school. His muscles bulked up, and he walked through the film. Lyndra was just a step behind, muttering the same spell.

Gil chuckled and whispered his own variant, one that had had begged his father to teach him. Sacrificing speed for raw power. He entered the purple film behind his siblings.

Eli thudded forward under the weight of his heavy setup. He had trained for the past eleven years, since leaving mandatory service, with his father, working on boxing in heavier and heavier equipment until now he could spar in full plate barely breaking a sweat. But, he chose to wear scale armor for the maneuverability it offered.

That training meant that he could swing his shield and mace like a wrecking ball. He willed mana into both objects, and they glowed with a deep green hue. Glancing back, he saw Lyndra had done the same with her spear and shield, mana-charging them to a bright yellow, and Gil's blade was a bright red.

"Ready?" he asked his siblings as they took up their usual positions around the pillar: Eli in front to activate it and be the "tank" of sorts, Gil and Lyndra flanking and slightly behind him with weapons at the ready.

"Of course," Gil said as he took a few practice swings with his massive, almost unreasonably sized sword.

Lyndra grunted in affirmation, going into a mode of total focus. Eli let the mace dangle from the wrist strap, and placed his palm on the pillar. It sank into the floor, and the whole room shifted. The trio immediately found themselves beset upon from all sides by a ferocious pack of enraged Foskor. The bear-men were dressed in tribal clothing from their distant past, and were frothing at the mouths as they set upon the trio with claws, teeth, and large clubs.

Eli interposed his shield between him and the incoming attacks, barely feeling the dull thud of impact upon the bulwark. He swung his mace around in an arc as the spikes slammed into one of the Foskor warriors, feeling the crunch of bones underneath the weapon as he bull-rushed forward, bashing another with his shield.

"Duck!" Gil shouted.

Eli and Lyndra both knelt down, and Gil unleashed a spell that amplified the mana charging his weapon, enabling it to project beyond the blade. It carved into the rushing horde, buying the three a chance to group together tightly. Back-to-back-to-back, as they bashed, chopped, or stabbed at the horde.

"How you both doing?" Eli asked as he weathered the storm of blows.

Lyndra just grunted, but Gil was panting and growled out, "I've taken some hits."

Of course you did. Eli doubled as their healer – even though they all could heal with the same efficiency. He focused on defense and healing and let the other two be more damage oriented. Letting his mace hang down once more, he turned slightly – trusting his massive shield to cover him – as he put a hand on Gil's back. "Nestad!" he shouted.

The deep green mana surged out, and Gil breathed more easily as he continued his bloody work. Eli's attention was returned to his front as he felt his shield being tugged. Swinging his mace around on the strap attached to his wrist, he sent a walloping blow around the barricade that crunched into the Fosk who was gripping the item.

Lyndra stabbed forward with methodical efficiency. She kept her shield up as she was taught, kept it slotted into one of the notches, and pumped her arm back and forth. Each time the tip shot out, it pierced a vital spot. Each thrust, a quick kill.

Easily the deadliest of the trio, thanks to her training with the empress herself, she felt nothing during battle. Vael had taught her in the Riverguard how to control her emotions wholly in battle, and become a perfect killer. One who could do what needed to be done without question, and who would not be distracted.

Not even Gil's occasional grunts or cries of pain concerned her – she knew that Eli would take care of him. And his reckless style was perfect for this large group, as his large, cleaving strikes could deal with dozens of opponents at once.

Lyndra was more suited to small group combat in a narrow corridor, and thus she eventually had to pour mana into her spear to swap to a short sword configuration, slashing at foes that approached her from both sides. She glanced over at Eli and saw that he was starting to be overrun. "Up!" she shouted as she turned to him, leaving her exposed for just a moment.

Eli took a knee, and she put a foot on his shoulder, then launched with her other foot off of the top of the shield.

Lyndra closed her eyes as she sailed above the fray. "Natha rim nin / e lach lúg hiril / feng la mellonh." She opened her eyes as the spell went off and she felt her mana drain precipitously.

An arcing cascade of yellow lightning bolts shot out from her and impacted the Fosk below, zapping them as they were fried in an instant. The cascading electricity jolted from target to target – chaining together through the enemies as it wended past her brothers. She landed gracefully and swapped her sword back to the spear as the last of the Fosk fell.

"Showoff," Gil huffed out as he planted his blade in the ground.

Eli smiled. "We would've been fine."

Lyndra shrugged as the walls returned around them. "I know. Come on, we have to finish this dungeon to get home in time."

The two boys looked at each other then back to her. "Why?" Eli asked.

"You forgot? Mom's birthday is in two weeks. We have to clear this dungeon, then travel a day straight if we want to get back to the boat."

Gil groaned. "A whole day without sleep?"

"Look at the bright side," Eli replied as he led the way to the next chamber. "We don't have to cut a path back to the shore."

Gil groaned again as Lyndra and Eli shared a laugh.

"Alright. Let's try this again," Lawry said in Triskol to the line of ravens. They were all perched atop one of the high walls of the Valley of the Volcano. "From the top." He held up his small conductor stick.

The ravens began singing like songbirds. A song that his mother had hummed to him when he was a child. There was a sour note and he cut them off. "No. So close though!" He walked down the line to the bird that was out of tune. "You need to be up an octave."

The bird nodded and replied in an effeminate voice. "Okay! Sorry!"

"Don't be," Lawry replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch of seeds, walking down the line and giving a small palm-full to each raven. "Let's take it from the top, again—"

A shadow passed overhead, and Lawry turned and bowed as Lyn Rivers, Empress of the Eternal Empire stood atop the wall next to him. "How is the surprise performance coming along?" she asked.

Lawry sighed. "Well, it's not perfect, but it will still be better than any person singing."

She nodded. "What about you? Are you ready?"

"Of course, my empress."

"Good. We want Trisha to be blown away by this. I received word from Gil, Eli, and Lawry – they will arrive on time. But…" She turned and looked out in the distance. "Hmm, odd."

"What is it?"

She turned back to him, and her eyes were dark black. "I have to go. Keep up the good work." She muttered a spell and vanished in a burst of blue light.

Lawry craned his head skyward and could faintly see movement far off in the bright, clear sky. He turned his attention back to the ravens on the wall when he heard another flapping noise. Whisperwing landed next to the other ravens.

"Oh, hi! How is the rehearsal going?" Whisperwing asked one of the other ravens.

"Crappy."

"Not good."

"I got seeds!"

Lawry rolled his eyes and walked over to Whisperwing, offering his shoulder for the larger raven to perch on. It walked up his arm and settled in place on his shoulder, digging talons into the leather pad he wore under his clothes for that exact purpose. "Come here to help out?"

"No, I have a message! Miss Finala said the next brood is about to hatch!"

"Shit, why didn't you say that first?!" Lawry waved his hands to the other ravens. "Practice is over. I'm sure it'll be fine. Dismissed." As they began to fly off, he looked at Whisperwing, "What are you waiting for? Let's go."

The raven lifted off, carrying Lawry aloft, and flew him toward the fortress at Lynhold. He felt the giddy sense of gravity and the slight turning of his stomach at the great height below to the valley floor.

The tower had a large platform built out the side where the wagon-sized ravens roosted, waiting for express deliveries from Lynhold to other parts of the empire. The rail network was great for delivering bulk goods, but it ran on a timetable. If, say, a certain type of life-saving medicine was needed in a specific location, then these ravens would be employed. They could also go and pick up people and bring them back to Lynhold.

Whisperwing stopped flapping as Lawry's feet touched down, and Lawry walked inside, past the few others who were working in the expanded facility. Finala was standing in the hatchery, back to him, as she leaned over a large table.

She glanced back as he walked up. "Ah, you're just in time. They're starting to poke through."

Lawry immediately set to casting spells alongside her. Spells that were ingrained into his memory from repeated use.

The new hatchlings began peeping, and Whisperwing set about to helping feed them as the two finished casting their spells. Over the next few days, their intelligence would increase, and they would be imbued with the ability to learn and understand languages, as well as speak like a person could.

"Good job," Finala stated.

Lawry smiled as the woman, his mentor, put her hand on his shoulder. "Thanks," he replied.

"Oh, hush, little one," Ginavieve muttered in Triskol as she sat in the rocking chair of the Baxter household. The same one that her mother had rocked her to sleep in twenty-one years ago when she was just an infant.

Trisha walked downstairs. Her hair had grayed out, but her exuberant expression of pure joy was written on her visage. "How did my daughter fare last night?"

Ginavieve shook her head. "I'm bone-tired. He kept me up all night fussing."

Trisha extended her arms and took her grandson, rocking him gently in her arms as the baby near-instantly stopped fussing and fell asleep. "Would you look at that," Trisha whispered.

Ginavieve got up and stretched. "How do you do it?"

"No clue," Trisha replied with a smirk. "Have you decided on a name yet?"

Ginavieve nodded and walked to the kitchen, reaching into the pantry and pulling out a hunk of bread and a marmalade spread. "Tovol wanted to name him after his father. I think we should keep with family tradition and name him after one of the fallen heroes."

Trisha nodded. "That would be a sweet consideration to make. Freddy, Zack, Darius, Elias, and William are all the boy heroes that perished. We've got Elias covered with Eli."

"Lawry's name is for which fallen hero?"

"Ah, Lawrence, the Shifter. But we didn't know he survived when your brother was born."

Ginavieve munched on the bread and nodded, feeling a twinge of pain in her abdomen. The delivery was only two weeks ago, and despite magical healing, she had a rough go of things. Her mother had sorrowfully informed her that she would never have children again…well, the natural way. She could always use the new "tube" method that enabled cross-race offspring.

And Ginavieve already had her hands full with the one baby. "How'd you do it?" she asked her mother. "Deal with all us kids?"

Trisha smiled. "It takes a village. I had many, many nurses to help out since I was training up healers."

"Didn't you…barely sleep?"

"Your father and I traded off nights of sleeping. And sometimes we would use a mind spell to put you down."

Ginavieve scoffed. "Really? Forbidden magic just to put an infant to sleep?"

Trisha shrugged. "Well, it wasn't done with ill will. And it's not like it hurt you."

Ginavieve sighed. "Right. So, if keeping to tradition, I could go with something based on Freddy, Zack, Darius, or William."

The front door opened, and Tovol walked in. He was dressed in his Riverguard armor and set his sword on the weapon rack at the front entryway. "Hi, honey," he said as he came over and gave her a kiss before turning to his baby boy in Trisha's arms. "And how's my little man?"

Trisha lightly slapped his hand and whispered, "He's sleeping."

Tovol nodded and grinned. "Sorry," he whispered as he walked back to Ginavieve. "So…what did I miss?"

"Talking about names," Ginavieve replied.

"Right…I've been thinking on that," Tovol replied. "I talked to my father, and he agrees with what you've been pushing for. We should honor one of the fallen heroes. I'm preferential to William or Darius."

Ginavieve smiled and kissed her husband. "Let's go with Darius."

Misty ran through the halls of the mage school in Lynhold. In one hand, she had her mom's birthday present. It had gone down to the wire, but she had finally done what she wanted. Now…she had to get going, fast. Everyone will be there already, she thought.

She giggled and kept running until she made it outside. She sprinted down the roads and arrived in front of the fortress. Empress Rivers had set aside her throne room as a grand banquet hall to honor the Healer hero's birthday. She ran past the bustling people of all manner of races and sizes.

But she stopped when she arrived at the main doors that were pushed wide open. She eyed the passage leading into the conclave to her left, guarded by four Riverguard. I've always wondered what is in there, she thought.

"Misty!" a voice called out. A voice that commanded respect. Her father's voice. "Come on! We're getting started soon!"

"Coming!" she shouted over the din of the hall as she made her way through the gathered guests. Some she knew – like the council members, Archmage Stellas, Scholar Thomas, and dozens more. She greeted them as appropriate in their home language, and eventually got to the high table right below the dais which held the empress's throne.

The empress was seated upon it and looked down upon the gathered guests with a bemused look. High Riverguard Vael was at her left hand, and the two quietly conversed in Arinol that Misty couldn't make out over the crowd. She instead focused on her father, who was waving her over.

She went along the table and circled around the back, giving her dad a hug. "You are late," he muttered into her ear in Triskol.

"Sorry! I had to finish Mom's gift!" She held up a small pouch she gripped tightly in her left hand.

"What is it?" Ben asked with a mischievous grin.

"A surprise!" she whispered back with a giggle. She walked down the line and hugged Gil, then Eli, then Lyndra – lingering with her older sister. "How was the dungeon?"

"Great. When will you be ready to come with us?"

"Mmm…soon. I think I want to do a little bit more research and Elenthir study before I go with you all."

Lyndra smiled and hiked her thumb back. "What do you think of our new nephew, Darius?"

Misty sighed. "Really? Darius? After one of the heroes?"

Lyndra shrugged. "Hey, I didn't make the choice."

Misty walked past her sister and hugged Ginavieve. "Hi, sis."

"We chose a name! It's—"

"Darius, Lyndra told me." She stepped over to Tovol who was holding the baby boy that was babbling incoherently. "How is he doing?" she asked.

Tovol grinned. "Great. We got him to finally—" He was interrupted as the baby hiccupped and vomited over his shirt. He groaned, and Misty just chuckled before whispering a spell that cleaned up the spill and eliminated the smell. "Thank you," Tovol said softly as he wiped Darius's mouth with a cloth.

Misty nodded and went back to her father. "Where's Mom?"

"She's on her way. She wanted a bit of time to herself before the festivities."

Lawrence, seneschal and Shifter hero, tapped a large staff on the ground, and the crowd silenced. "Please make your way to your tables! The guest of honor has arrived!" he spoke in Triskol, which had become a more common tongue across Ghomar.

The party quieted, and people rushed to their seats. Lawrence tapped his staff once more, and Trisha walked into the room, dressed in a resplendent blue dress.

Lyn Rivers stood up from her throne and spoke. "Today, we celebrate the fifty-third birthday of Trisha Baxter, Healer hero, founder of the hospital at Lynhold. Author of the definitive medical texts used across all Ghomar…and my personal friend." She began to clap, and soon the whole hall was filled with thunderous applause. "This occasion, of course, is special; we wouldn't put on a birthday bash like this for any single birthday. No, she has just finished completion of the Cross-Race reproduction project! Soon, people from all over the Empire will be able to have children, regardless of the gender or race of their loved one - and without having to come to Lynhold to do it!" Again, thunderous applause.

Misty glanced at Tovol, who was covering baby Darius's ears, before looking back to her mother who walked into the room with a steady step, but she could tell that the woman was extremely happy. The two had discussions in the past about dreams and goals, and Trisha had confided in her youngest child that she wanted to be renowned for her medicine and contributions to training healers. You did it, Mom. You made it.

Misty looked up at Empress Rivers, who was staring at her. Not Trisha…her. With piercing eyes that seemingly stared into her soul. The look sent a chill down her spine. The empress had interacted with her twice during her youth, despite having wrestled with her siblings when they were children – as they told her teasingly growing up.

Trisha got to the table and sat down next to her husband. "And now, let the feast begin!" the empress shouted as she raised her hands. She incanted a spell with speed that Misty had never heard of before, producing a ten-verse spell in under two seconds. Misty only caught a handful of words in the rapid incantation.

In a flash of prismatic sparkles, all the tables were full a wide variety of foods. People began digging in – Misty included – but she kept glancing back at the empress, who was just staring at her.

Misty turned back once Lyndra nudged her with her elbow. "Why are you staring? That's rude."

Misty frowned. "She's staring at me."

"Hmm. Well, tit for tat, I suppose. Just remember…she might be 'Auntie Lyn' to us…but she's an empress and goddess."

Misty nodded and devoured her meal, keeping her present to her mother on her lap. Hours of feasting, camaraderie, and eventually games and performances went on in the main hall.

As the third hour went on, Lawry left the table and returned to the center of the hall with a flock of ravens circling above him. A few Duskari pulled out several wooden stands and placed them down, and the ravens lined up. He produced a small wand, tapped the wooden stand, and began conducting a chorus.

Everyone sat, entranced, as the most pleasant sound to ever grace their ears sounded all around them. Divine was the only way to describe the lilting, hauntingly happy melody. It lasted for ten minutes straight, and at the end there was such a tumultuous applause that the building seemingly shook from the vibrations in the air. Lawry bowed – as did his raven chorus – and he walked them out of the room before returning and taking his seat.

Empress Rivers stood up, and the room quieted. "Now, we move on to what I think is the best part of any birthday celebration, the presents."

Trisha went red with embarrassment, but there were shouts of encouragement, as diplomats from across Ghomar had sent her astonishing presents. One after another they were opened…and then Misty's turn came. She walked up and opened the pouch, setting the smooth, polished sphere of obsidian in her mother's palm. It was inscribed with Elenthir verses that came to Misty in a dream.

"What does it do?" she asked the young mage.

"It's a scrying orb. I spent the last year working on it. You can use it to see any of us. Anywhere. Plus, you can replay memories on it."

Trisha's eyes teared up and she embraced Misty, and the whole hall went "aww" at the gesture. The two separated and went back to their seats.

"Would you like to say any words?" Empress Rivers asked once the presents had been finished off.

Trisha nodded and stood up. "It has been a privilege to serve the Eternal Empire. I thank you all so very much for coming to celebrate. But most of all, I'm thankful for my amazing family – which just a few weeks ago added a new member!" There was scattered applause before she continued. "And, of course…" She turned and saluted to Empress Rivers, hand formed into a claw gesture over her heart. "I thank you, my friend. That gift you gave me all those years ago is all I could ever want."

What gift? Misty thought as the empress smiled and stood. "Of course. Now please, enjoy the desserts." She waved her hands, incanted at extreme speed, and the tables were flooded with all types of pastries, confections, and foods.

People began to dig in, but Misty met the empress's gaze once more. She gestured for Misty to approach, and the young mage did so. "Why do you stare at me?" Misty asked.

Empress Rivers, her Auntie Lyn, had a pained expression on her face. "You…come with me and I'll explain." She walked down the dais and left the chamber – Misty hot on her heels. She led the young mage down into the conclave. Misty took in the dark tunnels, thanks to her body enhancements…and it wasn't as grand as she envisioned. Why is it so…plain? She rules the world! It should be covered with…I don't know, gold and gems.

Auntie Lyn opened a door, and Misty followed her in. Ah this is more like it. The bed chamber was massive and adorned with rich furniture – gold clashing against black obsidian. She took a seat at a table and gestured to the other chair. Misty slipped into it and stared into the Destroyer's gaze.

"You deserve to know the truth. You are old enough to learn," Lyn stated.

Misty gulped. "What truth?"

"You are not your parents' child. You were adopted, just like Gil."

Misty shook her head and felt panic rising in her chest. "No…that's not true!"

"It is. I know this because I saved you. You were once a mighty, powerful mage…and a close friend of mine. That is why I stare…you look just like you used to when we were friends and allies." She sighed and leaned back. "I apologize if my gaze has made you uncomfortable."

"Wait, so I was the Mage hero? The Mage hero? Misty Misery? The lady who made the mage school with Scholar Thomas?"

Auntie Lyn nodded and held up a slip of paper. "You were once my close friend and ally. Just like Trisha, Ben, Lawrence, Brad, and even James." She nodded curtly. "You attempted a forbidden spell. One that not even I will dare use, despite being able to, because the damage could be irreversible. The spell backfired—"

"Time," Misty muttered. "That's the only one that can backfire as far as I know."

Lyn nodded. "Correct. You are you. Not the old Misty. You are…you. And I am sorry for staring at you, again. But you look just like she – you – used to." She handed Misty the parchment, and the young mage held it hesitantly. "That parchment contains the spell to unlock your memories. Trisha and I do not know if your memories survived the time backlash…but if you choose to, this is a way for you to learn of your past life."

Misty took a deep, shaking breath but nodded in resolve. "I understand." She looked down at the sheet of paper, and muttered a simple Elenthir verse to light it aflame. She tossed it on the ground and let it burn to ash. "I am me. I won't risk losing who I am to possible-locked-away memories."

Lyn's expression was placid and filled with understanding. "The decision was yours to make." She gestured to the door as she stood, "Shall we?"

Misty nodded and stood up, but before she followed Lyn out, she paused. "Could…could we be friends…for old times' sake?" I have to be able to leverage this somehow.

"Ah, but you're not really my old friend. I suppose, though, I could take you on as a pupil like I did with Lyndra."

Yes!

The idea of being taught by the most powerful being on Ghomar filled Misty with a sense of excitement unlike any she had ever felt before. "Deal!"