1-93 Time to go home.

Gisley darted through the trees, anxious to find the meeting spot. So much had happened in the last few days that it was difficult to express in words. Jaina had her tattoo and Roric his third class, but that was only the beginning. Jaina had become a chosen mate of a powerful dragon and, by cherishing his mark and refusing to give it up, honored him. He appeared on the way back and bestowed another gift out of respect for her devotion. That gift was more than they could ever have hoped for as he broke the collar's restrictions and freed them.

Now Roric had three fully functioning collars with no limitations. Gisley and the others were eager to have their collars locked for good, fulfilling their shared dream. It would also be a huge boost to Roric, who gained more power from a locked collar.

The mood among their group was one of jubilation, but the positive changes weren’t even done. They were on the way to meet Heather, who was going to have a portal opened to take them all home. Of course, they could use the magic doors, but that meant leaving the palanquin behind. Heather didn't want to leave hers and wanted to bring the magic doors with her.

Gisley briefly wondered about the earlier conversation where Heather's group mentioned that bringing the magical doors through a magical door might cause an explosion. She hoped that wouldn't be the case, but then they said the wizard who opened the portal would likely know if it was safe.

She thought about the place they would soon call home and began to dream of her pond. Evalynn assured her it would be twice as beautiful as the last one and even have a secret cave. Gisley was so excited she wanted to dance, but that would have to wait. First, they needed to get back to the meeting point and then wait for the others.

“Do we really need to keep the dragon stuff a secret?” Gisley asked as she looked over her shoulder.

“I think it is best for right now,” Roric explained.

Gisley nodded and tried to understand the reasons why. They had debated it for hours over the last couple of nights, trying to make sense of why the succubus wanted it. Chandice finally deduced that there must be power in the mark and the succubus knew of a way to steal it. If that was the case, it was likely that other players knew how to steal it as well, and Jaina might become a target. None of them could attest to having heard of such a thing before, which meant it was very rare. If word got out, people might come flocking to study or steal it, or worse, it might draw scrutiny from Heather's enemies.

They would have to make some effort to research the magic and see what they could learn. Unfortunately, it would remain secret until they knew more about what it meant or how valuable it was. Roric's biggest concern was that some high-level slaver might demand Jaina as a rare and exotic trophy. Her being a morphic seductress was bad enough, but one also marked by dragon power made her unique. If the silken princes were squabbling over her now, what would they do when they found out she had become even more rare and precious?

“I am more interested in what the dragon said,” Evalynn explained. “What did he mean about being able to see the magic of the world and its layers?”

“I have no idea,” Roric said as Gisley darted around a clump of trees. “Not even Chandice understood that. But whatever his relationship to the magic, it allowed him to alter the collars. It is certainly something of a mystery that we should not take lightly.”

“Are we talking about the dragon again?” Chandice called from inside the palanquin. She leaned out the side door to join the conversation as Jaina took advantage of her position and grabbed her rear.

“We were just mentioning how little we understand what he said about the magic and its layers,” Roric clarified.

“Oh,” Chandice said before swatting at the woman behind her. “Stop that. Haven’t you eaten that enough?”

“No,” Jaina replied with a smile. “Now, be a good girlfriend and lay back so I can have all I want.”

“Sorry,” Chandice sighed to Roric. “The nympho calls.” She returned to her place inside the palanquin, where Jaina was quick to feast on the folds between her legs.

“Now I regret not riding inside,” Evalynn laughed.

“At least you get a choice,” Gisley called back. “I have to pull the disk. I never get to make love as we travel.”

“I am sorry about that,” Roric said. “I will keep my eyes open for a mount that can carry all of us so you can play when we travel in the future.”

“Honestly, most people walk,” Evalynn said. “They use the city portals to get close to their destinations and then walk the rest of the way.”

“I think Gisley likes being our mount when Chandice is here to motivate her,” Roric said as he looked at her purple rear and admired the butterfly-shaped butt plug.

“I do like that,” Gisley laughed. “It makes being out here fun. But we haven't done that in days.”

It was surprising for Gisley to discover she liked a little punishment. She had thought about why for a while now and could only come up with because she had no say so. It was all done playfully, and the leather outfit Chandice made her wear made her feel special. She wished they had done it the whole trip into the north, but that was impossible. It had become far too dangerous, and they needed a fully armored Evalynn in the driver's seat beside Roric.

She was rattled from her thoughts when something stung her rear with a sudden crack, and she looked back to see Roric holding the whip. She laughed and pushed to go faster as he waved it menacingly, threatening to give her more if she slowed down.

“I wonder how long we will have to wait?” Chandice said as she stroked the dark-haired head between her legs. Jaina didn't respond, her tongue too busy teasing Chandice’s tender rose petals. Chandice smiled and lay back as her body trembled. It was a rare day when she got away without having three or four orgasms to that hungry tongue. Jaina loved to eat her pussy, and Chandice loved to have it done. It was a part of their relationship she relished and hoped would never end.

“I could lay here all day and let you do this,” Chandice cooed as her stomach trembled. She was surprised when Jaina suddenly stopped and climbed up her stomach in kisses. She finally met her lips, and their tongues danced as Chandice tasted her own body.

“I have a better idea,” Jaina whispered as Chandice looked up in surprise. “Spread your legs wide.”

Chandice did as she was told, and Jaina leaned back, so she was between them. Her form went gray, indicating something about her was changing, and Chandice gasped to see what it was. Jaina had copied the form of the succubus as best she could. It wasn't perfect, as her power to copy anyone she touched faded days ago. Still, it was a good copy right down to the throbbing cock between Jaina's legs. Chandice tensed as Jaina pushed that cock into her wet pussy, finding no resistance as it slid right in.

Jaina lay across her body, pinning her to the cushions as they began to make love. Their breasts were crushed together while tongues continued their dance of lust. Candice's hands clutched at her back as she struggled to keep her legs spread wide, her feet bouncing in the air with every thrust.

“When we settle in our home, I am getting you a ring,” Jaina whispered when the kiss parted momentarily. “I will play the man in our relationship, and you will take it like this every single day.”

Chandice was in love with that idea, and her smile was all the answer Jaina needed. The two went back to kissing passionately, making slow but firm love for hours. It was a magical day full of happy thoughts that were focused on the adventure that would come next.

Gisley swayed happily as she fluttered along, enjoying the forest air. She knew they had to be getting close to their destination and was hopeful the wait wouldn't be too long. To her surprise, a sunny voice called from just to her right, singing out her name.

“Gisley!” Heather called from the distant trees.

“It's Heather!” Gisley shouted and veered off, heading in a straight line for the women. She was delighted to see Heather as it meant they wouldn't have to wait. She was even more delighted to see Heather dressed in a long yellow dress and a floppy, wide-brimmed sunhat tied with a ribbon. It made her look like a woman from an old movie, giving her a timeless grace.

“She is with Blackbast,” Evalynn noted as they rapidly approached.

“I see their camp beyond the trees,” Roric added. “We have made it, and they are already here.”

Gisley flew with her arms stretched out and tackled Heather into a warm hug, squashing the woman’s face into her chest.

“Heather!” Gisley cried. “Oh, I am so glad to see you!”

“I can tell,” Heather said as she tried to extricate herself from the woman's arms.

“I love your hat,” Gisley said as she squeezed Heather tighter.

“Thanks,” Heather replied as she seemed to struggle. “Could you not drown me in those?”

“Oh, I forget you're not like us,” Gisley laughed and turned her loose. “That’s a very typical greeting for one of us.”

“I am not surprised to learn that,” Heather replied as Blackbast struggled not to laugh.

Roric and the others climbed out of the palanquin and assembled as Heather called for the others. Frank, Breanne, and Quinny gathered to discuss what had happened, and soon the questions were flying.

“So, did you find the woman?” Heather asked while staring at Jaina’s bare stomach.

“We sure did,” Jaina replied with a smile. “And she was.”

“Horrific,” Chandice cut in. “I have never met someone so obviously evil in all my life.”

“She was just an NPC playing a role,” Jaina countered but understood the point. The succubus's behavior was unnerving, and it was a relief to be away from her.

“She played it well,” Chandice agreed.

“Oh, she made my skin crawl,” Evalynn added as she hugged Gisley for support. “And she frightened Gisley.”

“She wanted me to stay and play with her,” Gisley said with a gag.

“I see you didn’t go through with it then,” Heather said as she looked at Jaina’s bare skin.

“I most certainly did,” Jaina replied with a smile.

“What?” Heather replied and looked at Blackbast. “But I don’t see a tattoo.”

“Oh, it’s magical,” Jaina said. “You don’t see it unless you do something to trigger it. Then it glows with a pink light for a little bit.”

“Wait,” Heather said and leaned over to stare at Jaina's stomach. “So you're saying you have the tattoo, but nobody can see it unless the exact conditions are met?”

“That was an elaborate way of saying it, but yes,” Jaina replied.

“I wonder,” Heather said and looked at Blackbast. “Do you think that could be how?”

“How?” Jaina repeated as Heather and Blackbast descended into a private conversation. She looked to Roric for direction but had no idea what the two women were discussing. Blackbast finally suggested they explain their recent adventures and the theories it created.

The first big surprise was that somehow during Heather's wedding, Umtha had managed to marry them. It was done by accepting the goblin woman's crown on her wedding night, adding her to their union. Heather had no idea this was going to happen but didn't seem too upset about it. What was more important was the discovery that Heather had gained ghoul and goblin powers through her wedding.

“That's impossible,” Chandice balked, but Heather showed them her character sheet and that she now had the ghoul draining touch ability.

Frank also had new powers and assumed so did Umtha though they hadn't had a chance to interrogate her. Then the story took on an amazing twist as Heather explained a recent revelation. Under her active spell effects was one called polymorphed, indicating that the woman they were seeing was not who she really was.

“You are under a polymorph?” Chandice asked. “So this body isn't the real you either?”

Jaina and the others were stunned by the revelation, but Blackbast quickly asked them not to be alarmed. Heather had born the effect for as long as she could remember, likely since she spawned in. Moreover, they had strong evidence that Heather had lived several lives in New Eden, each of which ended in a reset and the loss of her memories.

Jaina asked Roric if such a thing were possible, but he could only offer that he had never heard of it before. However, he was quick to point out that anything was possible, and none of them knew for sure how New Eden worked.”

“So we could lose our memories if we get reset?” Gisley asked with a worried expression.

“No,” Heather said and held up a hand. “We think this was done to me intentionally. We also think the polymorph effect was placed on me in a previous life and persisted through the resets. So we were trying to think of how somebody could have a spell placed on them that would persist, and then we thought of the tattoo.”

“Oh,” Jaina said and looked at her stomach. “You're right. The tattoo will persist after even a reset.”

“So you think you have one of these tattoo’s already?” Frank asked.

“It is just a theory,” Heather said. “Blackbast and I dismissed it a minute ago because I assume you would have seen it by now.”

“But if the tattoo remains invisible until it is triggered,” Roric said as he nodded his lupine face. “You might be marked and not even know it.”

Now it all made sense as Jaina, and the others began to wonder. Could Heather be marked by a tattoo that was invisible until triggered? Could this tattoo be causing a polymorphed effect and maybe even erase her memories after a reset? It was a compelling theory but one that couldn't be proven unless the tattoo could somehow be triggered.

“But what could trigger it?” Quinny asked as she looked from face to face.

“I doubt it triggers like mine does,” Jaina said. “I suppose the condition could be almost anything. For example, she might need to cast a certain spell or complete a certain task. Maybe even be in a specific place.”

“And potentially at the right time,” Chandice added. “It might even require a series of criteria all designed to make it near impossible to locate except by the one who placed it.”

“And there is no way of knowing what the conditions are?” Breanne asked.

“Not that I could tell you,” Jaina replied.

“Hey, maybe the succubus knows a way to see it,” Gisley offered. “She knows how to make them, so maybe she can help.”

“I would sooner trust Alexandria to help,” Chandice said as she pulled out her wand. “Why don't we see if we can learn something about it first? For all we know, this has nothing to do with tattoos.”

“How can you help?” Blackbast asked as they considered her offer.

“I am an enchanter and a warlock,” Chandice said as she approached Heather. “I can detect and discern curses and magical effects, so maybe I can figure out what is causing it. With your permission, of course.”

“Go right ahead,” Heather offered and stepped up as everyone else took a step back.

Jaina and the others watched as Chandice got to work using her wand to spread a golden dust along the ground. She drew a magical pattern used in the more powerful detection magics, then stepped back to admire her work. Next, she reached into a pouch and pulled out a hunk of red chalk. With this, she drew hellish symbols around the pattern, combining enchanting magic with the dark powers of the warlock. She explained that this would create a dual-layered magic circle that would amplify her power. Heather was asked to stand in the center while Chandice waved her wand and chanted.

The hellish symbols glowed with a red light and almost seemed to bubble like boiling blood. The entire circle lit up as Chandice evoked the power to identify the source of magic in the center. Suddenly the light exploded out, and a massive shape appeared around Heather. It grew so quickly that it expanded out of the circle and swallowed up the spectators making it impossible to discern what it was. A second later, it was gone, collapsing into a golden dust that collected in a pattern over Heather's head. It flowed like water, twisting and morphing until it finally coalesced into a single word.

“Sahvilassa?” Chandice said as she read the writing.

“What just happened?” Breanne asked as the others looked on in shock.

“That was just a simple spell to reveal the nature of the magic that is affecting her. Honestly, I have no idea what that shape was, but she's not cursed,” Chandice said as Heather looked up to try and see the words. “If I had to guess, I would say she is under the effect of a powerful magic item. I don’t know what the word means, but it has something to do with the magic affecting her.”

“So, it isn’t a tattoo,” Frank said just to be sure.

“No,” Chandice replied with a shake of her long golden hair. “The tattoo is a curse, and it would have shown as a red ring around her waist with runes that describe the curse. Instead, the enchanter circle responded, meaning it has to be something tangible that has been enchanted. And it isn't just a simple magical item. This is more like an artifact with tremendous power. Whatever it is, its power is beyond my skill level to detect. All I can tell you is that it is a physical object.”

It was clear Heather was dejected by this outcome as Breanne tried her best to offer words of solace. Chandice apologized for providing so little information, citing that her magic was too weak to read such a powerful enchantment. Blackbast assured her they knew she did her best, but all these mysteries surrounding Heather were becoming a burden.

Jaina and the others understood completely as they considered the poor woman known as Heather. She firmly believed she had been forcefully abducted from the real world by the aliens known as the visitors. Why they chose people and what their purpose was a mystery, but the ones they abducted became known as the chosen. These players were given bonuses above the regular ones, including an extra class. However, it stood to reason that a person dragged into New Eden against their will might find the world more of a prison than a paradise. As if that wasn't bad enough, poor Heather had come to learn she had been here much longer than she suspected. She had lived previous lives under previous names, all ending in a reset that wiped her memories. Could she even be sure the ones had now were her own or was she somebody else altogether? It had to be frightening to realize that your identity was false and that you had no idea how to find the real one. Worse, this wasn't even the body she wanted or knew. Instead, it was one forced on her by some powerful enchantment. Who was she, and how did she come to be in this state?

“We can imagine how hard this must be for her,” Roric said as his ears twitched. “But are we sure this magic is related to the polymorph?”

It was a good question and one that Chandice couldn't answer. She had gotten nothing from the effect aside from the fact that it was an enchantment and thus had to be connected to a physical item. The brightness of the glow indicated it was extremely powerful, possibly several hundred levels strong. All she could do was apologize again and say that if she was closer in level should be able to learn more.

Quinny spoke up and suggested this could be a part of Heather's unusual respawn mechanic. She then explained how Heather first spawned into New Eden near a statue of herself. Quinny tried to draw the link that the magic might tie her to the statue in some way. Chandice immediately asked for more information but Heather sighed and said it would take hours to explain. She suggested they go and see her mother to arrange a portal home, and she would begin the tale on the way. She also cautioned them not to be surprised when they saw Umtha as she was not the little goblin they last saw.

“She’s super sexy now,” Quinny laughed.

“Oh, now I want to see her,” Jaina said.

“Wait, the goblin woman is sexy?” Evalynn asked as the group looked confused.

Heather quickly explained that part of the goblin mechanic was a type of evolution to a more human-proportioned goblin. It was tied to the points she got when Heather accepted her crown, and Umtha had quickly spent them. Now she was as tall as Evalynn with ideal proportions and a lovely face. Heather then shocked them by telling them that Umtha wasn't from earth. She was an alien from yet another world the visitors had harvested, and by Umtha's accounts, it was all against their wills. Gisley asked questions about where the planet was, but Heather had no idea. All she knew was that goblins came in three varieties, those from the alien world, the NPCs of New Eden, and the human players who chose to be one like Legeis. The alien goblins were all chosen and extremely powerful in their crafts. However, a shocking detail was revealed when Heather explained the limitation put on their speech. It was a confusing tale, but Heather did her best to explain it. It appeared that the goblins used to be able to speak human as well as their own language. But after the goblin wars and their efforts to aid Hathlisora, the vast majority of them were reset. As part of this reset, they were given a limitation that garbled their speech. No matter how clearly they tried to articulate an idea to a human player it came out in broken words.

“That’s terrible,” Chandice remarked. “And the visitors did this to them?”

“That sounds like they punished them for the role they played,” Roric added.

“Umtha is certain it was a punishment, but we can only assume the visitors did it,” Heather replied. “Thankfully, the limitation is removed if they choose the evolved form. It's so much easier to talk to her now. It's like speaking to an entirely different person.”

“But an alien from another world,” Gisley said as she tilted her head. “And now that I think about it, why should that be surprising?”

“Why indeed,” Roric agreed. “We are in a fantasy world created by aliens, thus proving there are more than just us in the universe. Who's to say there aren't hundreds of alien races here?”

“Wow, a lot has happened in our absence,” Jaina said. “Your life moves very fast.”

“Don’t remind me,” Heather sighed and shook her head. “I still haven’t told my mother about it. I am not sure how she is going to respond.”

“Well, you better think of something fast,” Breanne suggested.

Jaina watched as Heather agreed the time had come to face her mother and set off with Frank. They watched her go then turned back to their palanquin as Jaina wondered why they were waiting.

“Can’t we just use the doors to go over?” she asked.

“We would have to disassemble our palanquin or leave it behind,” Roric explained. “The portal spell should make an opening large enough for us to bring it with.”

“Oh, please don’t leave it behind,” Gisley pleaded. “I like pulling it when we play with the whip.”

“All of you girls are strange,” Chandice laughed.

Speaking of strange,” Evalynn interjected and pointed. “Look!”

They all turned to see Heather and Frank had gone through the magic doorway, but somebody else had come out. Umtha stood nervously beside the palanquin, chatting with Quinny about something. She was tall and thin with a curvy waist and decent breasts. She had a lovely narrow face with elvish ears that pointed straight out. There were slight points of tusks jutting from her lower lip, carrying over her goblin heritage. Her skin was a smooth green, with her hair a much darker shade. It rolled in gentle waves down her back as if freshly washed and styled.

Her funny dress also seemed to have changed; now, it lengthened to fit her new slender form. It was tight around the waist and fell just below her knees, leaving her lower legs and shoulders bare.

“Wow, she really did change,” Gisley gasped.

“Are they sure that’s the same woman?” Roric asked.

“She is basically a green elf,” Jaina said as she studied the new creature.

“I am grateful I don’t have Heather’s life,” Evalynn said. “I couldn’t handle all that uncertainty.”

“It certainly seems to be shrouded in some kind of cloud,” Roric agreed. “But one has to ask who wants it this way and why?”

“This has to go back to the possibility of one of her past lives being this Hathlisora,” Jaina said. “We know from Rajeen and others that King Kevin hates her for her past dealings with the necromancers.”

“Could he be powerful enough to have done this to her?” Gisley asked.

“From what we know, he is one of the five most powerful players on the server,” Roric said. “I remember debates online about how he had to be chosen because of his unusual abilities, yet some people argued he was something more. Whatever the case, he was clearly rocketing to the top and got well ahead of regular players.”

“What classes did he supposedly play?” Jaina asked.

“A crusader and a paladin,” Roric said. “Two hard-core combat and holy classes stacked on each other.”

“The perfect person to hate necromancers,” Evalynn said. “But he didn’t seem to care about them until they started working with Hathlisora.”

“Which begs the question, is she the cause of the necromancers being outlawed?” Jaina asked.

“None of us know enough to answer that,” Chandice said as she turned to watch the goblin woman. “But something about Heather seems to be coming to fruition. It might be worth the effort to try and learn what we can about the war and Hathlisora.”

“I suspect that is a good idea,” Roric agreed. “But it needs to be done discreetly. If there are people both powerful enough and dangerous enough to polymorph her while also resetting her class and memories, they may be watching for people trying to dig up the past.”

“Maybe we should leave it alone then,” Jaina suggested. “Let’s focus on our home and the plans we have.”

They debated how to proceed for over an hour, with many concerns raised. Heather obviously had problems, and they would help in any way they could, but it was best to focus on their own plans. When they were established and running, they could always keep alert for any rumor or information that might shed some light on Heather's misfortune. Unfortunately, actively hunting for that information was likely to draw attention from the wrong people. When they had more power and allies, they could make a few discreet inquiries, but until then, they needed to be somewhat invisible to the powers.

This debate ended, and they settled in to wait, with Gisley helping pass the time by singing. She fluttered about in a playful display, shedding her magic all through the surrounding forest. A little while later, Heather and Frank returned with a man dressed like a wizard. He appeared to be an elf of some species with very well-chiseled and noble features. He looked at Roric with a fascinated expression, then said something to Heather while pointing.

“Who is he pointing at?” Jaina whispered as they noticed the man's focus.

“Gisley,” Roric said with a smile. “I suspect her performance has caught his attention.”

Heather shouted to let people know they were back, and once again, the group gathered to hear the recent news and meet this new man. Heather introduced him as Orman and then introduced everyone else one by one. Orman was impeccably polite and well-spoken, carrying himself like a great king. He was also fascinated by Gisley until he noticed the woman’s collar.

“You are too lovely a creature to wear such a thing,” he said to Gisley, eyes heavy with concern.

“Oh, aren't you a sweetheart,” Gisley cooed in her musical voice as she fluttered a little. “But I love being master Roric's slave girl. He takes such wonderful care of me, and we have the most amazing adventures.”

“But you are a child of the fey,” Orman insisted. “You should be free to run wild and spread your magic.”

“She is free to run wild and spread her magic,” Roric interjected. “I would not keep her any other way.”

“But she wears a collar,” Orman protested.

“And I command her to be free and play,” Roric replied. “She sings, dances, and loves just as freely as she always did. All that has changed is she calls me master and looks to me for protection.”

“I see,” the noble elf said as he stepped back. “Well then, let us not waste any time. I hear you have been away from home much too long.” He then stepped to the side, beginning a spell to open a portal. It only took a few moments to open a small door, but that wasn't sufficient for the palanquins. He drew a blue crystal and traced a circle in the air as he chanted in magical tones. The portal began to grow, getting larger and larger until the palanquins could pass through easily.

“The portal is open,” the man announced with a bow and a gesture to the doorway. “Welcome home.”

“I can’t believe this is it,” Jaina said as Gisley summoned a magic disk.

“You should all get dressed,” Chandice suggested. “We are about to arrive in Gwen's city, and it will probably still be swarming with people.”

“We don’t mind if people see us,” Jaina said with a smile.

“She is right. You should dress,” Roric agreed. “We will be arriving with princess Hannah and Prince Frank and need to be more careful.”

“Ah,” Jaina agreed as she activated her morphic powers, changing her skin to appear as a simple dress. Evalynn was still in her armor, but Gisley had to use magic to summon a simple white dress. She hurried into it, and then they started across. Heather and Frank went first, followed by her companions. Roric then led his procession across, stepping through a hole in time and space. One foot was in a forest in the north, while the other was in a bustling city in the south. He crossed over and helped his girls while Gisley brought the palanquin through.

A crowd immediately gathered as people shouted that the prince and princess had just come through a portal. People waved and called out greetings, with some going so far as to profess their love for Heather.

“People really like you here,” Jaina said as she stood behind Heather.

“For now,” Heather replied. “But if my secret ever gets out, that could all change.”

“Nobody is going to change this,” Roric said as he understood her worry. “Your story of rescuing Gwen and restoring the city is widely known. People see you as an honest-to-goodness hero with a good heart.”

Heather went to reply, but Orman finally came through and closed the portal behind him. He announced his task was done but gave Gisley one final bow, promising to visit her soon.

“Somebody has an admirer,” Jaina teased as the man vanished in a flash of light.

“It's not like he's the first,” Gisley laughed. “But he might be fun to find wandering in the forest.”

“We should get moving before anyone asks where we just returned from,” Heather said.

“So we travel the normal way from here?” Jaina asked.

“Yeah,” Heather replied but turned to Legeis. “You should use the doors to get back. The rest of us will fly on the disks.”

“What about Blackbast?” Legeis asked. “She usually rides on my back.”

“I will sit on Gisley’s disc, and she will pull both of us,” Blackbast replied.

“Alright,” Legeis replied and headed for the magic doorway. His armor was too bulky to climb into the palanquin, so he carefully removed the door and set it against the side. He slowly climbed through the narrow opening and vanished from sight before Frank put the door back where it belonged. Then Blackbast climbed onto Gisley's disk, and they set off.

The city quickly faded away, and the open swamps soon greeted them. Gisley was able to fly in a straight line, going across the muddy waterways and not needing to follow the twisting roads. Before long, they were in the upper swamps, and an hour later, they came to a stop. They stood on the dirt path that ran through the land they would claim, staring at the vast expanse.

“Good luck,” Frank said before flashing with light and changing into a ghoul. “I hope your home makes you happy.”

“Thank you,” Roric said with a bow of his head. “And thank you for inviting us to live in your kingdom.”

The others thanked him as well while he picked up Blackbast and put her on his shoulder. Then, with a wave, he took over running, carrying Blackbast away so her disk would follow. Heather leaned out the door to say goodbye, and a minute later, they were gone.

“We’re here,” Evalynn said with a tear in her eyes. “We can finally begin.”

“Oh, I can hardly wait!” Gisley tittered. “I want a pond to dance over.”

Roric nodded and pointed to the distant hills. “Let's establish our camp well off the road and begin construction.”

They headed off to recreate their home on a scale to dwarf the previous forest. It would be a new start in a new place far from the troubles of Alexandria and the silk princes. It was a happy moment filled with expectations, but a dark cloud loomed on the horizon. They had escaped their previous troubles only to stand in the shadow of Heather, the necromancer.