[Year 1 of The Eternal Age]
Lyn landed atop the fortress at the heart of Lynhold and made a beeline for Kory's cell. She pushed open the door and walked over to the still-sleeping man. This is for you, Gina. She held her clawed appendage over him.
"Gwin tho tauns / hen i lúg Gina Peterson." She felt the very slight outpouring of mana that – thanks to her new divinity – she could see as a clear stream floating through the air. It surged down into Kory, and he rolled over in his slumber. She then saw the stream stay connected to his chest, his mana core, before it extended and shot off into the distance. One promise kept.
She walked to the small writing desk and left Kory a note advising him of the spell being performed, and then left the fortress. It was late in the night, and none except the guards were awake, and they saluted Lyn as she passed by. They took in slight inhales at what she assumed was their reaction to her cosmetic changes. Turning to one, she saw the look of wonder in his eyes.
She continued onward into Lynhold proper, approaching the Baxter house. She extended her wings and flapped up to the small balcony next to Ben and Trisha's room. Landing, she knocked gently on the door and waited.
Ben slid the door open, dressed in pajamas, and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Lyn? What's up?" he asked in English.
"Do...do you not see this?" she asked as she gestured to the horns.
He yawned and rubbed his eyes once more before blinking them clear. Then, his jaw dropped. "Holy shit...you actually did it? And you're still—"
"I'm still me," she replied as she grinned. "I did the spell for Gina. I can do it for you and Trisha now."
Ben let her inside and gently woke Trisha. She rolled up in bed as Ben rapidly explained what Lyn had said. Her eyes went wide, and she sat next to her husband. Looking up at Lyn, she smiled with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for this. Keeping us together forever."
"You're welcome." Lyn repeated the spell as she held her hand over Trisha, replacing Gina's name with Ben's. "And now your souls, consciousness, whatever it is, they're bound together. You'll find each other in every next life you have." She smiled. "It's not as good as eternity in my eyes...but I must admit there's a bit of a romance allure to finding your soul mate over and over again."
Trisha got up and hugged Lyn tightly, weeping for joy as she whispered thanks over and over. Ben came over and held the two women, and Lyn let herself sink into the embrace of true friends.
[January 28, 2026, 7:46 a.m.]
William Westerly, former Artificer hero, got to school and went right into the gym locker room on the boys' side. First one in, he thought as he pocketed his phone.
He had woken up in bed in his room. An hour ago, he had returned to when he would have been woken up by his alarm. As Gina had put it when he flew into her as a mana core, "We will wake up the same morning we were summoned. Whoever the first Artificer hero was that made the summoning statue of Aelor...he was gentle for that."
William sighed as he put the phone in the locker. He had enjoyed his time on Ghomar, but he wanted to really bring some new concepts back with him. All of his experiences, all of his knowledge, all of his ideas spurred by the Artificer core's ability to create innovations based upon desires – they were etched into his mind. I can fix things, he thought.
After waking up an hour ago, he had immediately put pen to paper and wrote out every single piece of information he could pull up from his brain. He hid the composition book in his special hiding spot, behind a picture frame on the wall so his siblings wouldn't find it.
But now, he was back at school. All you have to do is graduate, he thought. Get into college with one of those inventions boosting your cred. Then, you can make inventions to help save the world. The thought of being an innovator and inventor unlike any other filled him with a giddiness, and he caught himself chuckling as he dressed for P.E.
Elias and Darius walked in and looked at William. "You too?" Elias asked.
William nodded. "Yeah. I learned so much I coul—"
Elias just huffed and walked to his locker. "Fucking waste of time. The only good thing from that whole experience was I got to have a few years of fucking around before I died."
Darius looked over at William and shrugged. "I got to bang a lot of chicks while I was there, so that's a massive plus." He laughed and began dressing in his own set of gear.
William shook his head as he closed his locker and slipped his phone in his pocket. "We had an experience...no one else has. We literally were in another world. And that's all you two took away from it?"
Elias slammed his locker shut and stomped over to William. "I fucking died! You died! Darius died! It was a cruel, fucking joke, and I can't wait to forget about it. Don't you fucking bring it up around me!"
Darius walked over and pushed Elias back. "Chill dude. We won't bring it up." As Elias turned to walk out to the field, the sportsman looked over to William and clapped him on the shoulder, "I don't mind talking about it if you need to."
William nodded. "I'm good for now. But...thanks."
"No problem, bro. I wonder which girls came back?"
William followed the larger man out to the field. He saw Ms. Gundy waiting at the start of the track, holding her attendance clipboard, dressed in a full set of joggers. William began stretching out alongside Darius, but Elias just stood there at the start line, stewing as he stared ahead. "The rest of the senior class must have had a wild night, eh?" Ms. Gundy asked.
"Yeah," Darius replied. "Wild party last night."
"You guys made it back!" William looked to the voice and smiled as he saw Ashley walking over from the girls' locker room. "It's good to see you!" She hugged William, then Darius, and gave a slight side-hug to Elias, who shrugged her off.
Ms. Gundy chuckled. "We had class yesterday." She eyed the young woman. "Ah, unless you're...well, none of my business. Alright, warm-up lap – you know the drill."
Elias put in his headphones and began jogging, and Darius bolted past him as he moved much quicker. William walked next to Ashley. "So...what are you going to do with what we experienced? What we learned?"
Ashley grinned and pulled out her phone. "I already started writing down a story. I'm going to write an amazing book and use that to propel myself to influencer fame and glory."
"That's good!" William said enthusiastically.
"What about you?"
"I have all these neat inventions figured out. I can fix emissions that contribute to climate change. I've figured out a fusion reactor that will work...I really think I can fix Earth."
Ashley smiled. "Well, at least you're doing something useful." She pointed at Darius who was halfway around the track. "What do you think he'll do?"
"Honestly? He's going to be some type of fuck boy."
Ashley laughed in a mesmerizing way. William always found her attractive. "I'm happy you chose to come back," she said softly as she reached for his hand. "When you die and have years to reflect...you realize there's no point in waiting. So, how about it? Want to date?"
William grinned like an idiot. "I'm all for that."
They both looked over as Ms. Gundy was yelling at Julie, who was late as usual. The class bitch – one of Cecily's best friends, go figure – jogged up to the duo holding hands. "Can you believe Lyn? That bitch."
William frowned, and was about to say something, but Ashley stepped in. "She's not around anymore. So, you can stop blaming her for, quote, 'taking your man.'"
Julie flipped her off. "Fuck you, you ugly bitch."
Ashley shrugged. "You wouldn't have a chance in hell even if I was into women."
Julie mumbled something under her breath and fast-walked in front of the duo.
William leaned over to Ashley and whispered. "You handled that well."
She whispered back. "I know. I'm good at deescalating situations." She rubbed his hand with her fingers and the touch sent shivers down his spine. "I want to make the most of this life. I want to tell our story. Get rich. Do something good with my money."
William smiled and looked up at the sunrise that began to crack over the mountains in the distance. "We'll make this world better."
[Year 6 of The Eternal Age]
Trisha rolled out of bed and stretched. She was pulled back into bed and giggled as Ben assaulted her with kisses and snuggles. "Hon, I've got work today," she said in English.
"Mmmm, five more minutes," Ben mumbled into the pillows.
Trisha lightly slapped him on the thigh. "You have work today also. Eli comes home from mandatory service today."
Ben shot up in bed. "Shit! I forgot. We have to make sure the cake is ready!" He shot out of bed and ran into restroom. Trisha followed him in and began brushing her teeth as he activated the inscription on the tub, filling it with hot, soapy water as he washed up for the day. After a few minutes, the two swapped.
"What flavor does Eli like? Was it chocolate and blueberries?" Ben asked.
"No, that's Gil. Eli is chocolate and blackberries."
Ben spat out the toothpaste that Brad had developed to improve dental health across Ghomar. It tasted foul, but cured all cavities and prevented all manner of gum and mouth diseases. "Alright. I'll make sure I get the baker to make a good one."
Trisha got dressed and went downstairs. Lyndra was standing in the kitchen, dressed in warrior's leathers. She looked back at her mom and gave her a quick hug. "Soon enough, right? At the end of the week?" she asked in Triskol.
Lyndra nodded. "Yeah. I'm off in three days." She sighed and turned around, leaning against the countertop. "Two years of service?"
"You know it's required," Trisha reminded her daughter. She began to set out plates for the two youngest who were just waking up judging from the sounds directly above her. "Everyone serves from eighteen to twenty."
Lyndra sighed. "Even prodigies like us?"
"Especially us."
Lyndra crossed her arms. "I'm named after Empress Rivers, right? I never asked...but why?"
Trisha gave her daughter a warm smile. "You were named after someone else. A woman named Lyn. A hero, just like your dad and me." None know save the heroes, she thought.
Lyndra nodded and grabbed a hunk of bread, slathering on jam as she gave her dad a nod, the tall man descending the stairs in a hurry. "Alright. Well, I'm off to the training field."
Ben tutted. "Nope. You're with me today. We have to get the stuff for Eli's cake. Plus, I talked to Lyn—"
"You did?!" Lyndra exclaimed as she squealed with delight. "Yes! Did she say when?"
"Today. After Eli's party." Ben gave Trisha a look of "I'll handle this" as he led his eldest daughter out of the house.
Trisha just chuckled slightly. Lyn had offered Lyndra something special: a spear artifact. She had offered to make an artifact for each of the Baxter children at the start of their service. In her words, "I made a promise to William that I would do all I could for your kids. This is part of that."
The two youngest girls ran downstairs, all dressed up and ready for school. Misty sat down and began scarfing down the food Trisha set out, but Ginavieve slowly, methodically ate her meal. "Excited for today's lessons?" she asked the girls.
Both nodded enthusiastically. Ginavieve might be more measured and slower-paced of the two girls, but she did show her own type of enthusiasm – her feet tapping the floor the indicator of her anxiousness to leave.
Misty, however, was a bundle of energy and just went off with a rapid flurry of words. "Today we are supposed to learn how to do something in Elenthir I've been wanting to try! Internal spells! I get to be big and strong whenever I want! Just like Empress Rivers. And even better, the teacher told me that I might be able to do shifting spells!"
Trisha leaned back and smiled softly. "That would be something incredible to experience. Flying and all that."
"Why can't you do that?" Ginavieve asked.
Trisha sighed. "Well, I have a good mana core, but I've focused on honing my mind. You two, though, every day I've had you doing that mana exercise. I bet you both can do spells I couldn't dream of."
She stood up and walked to the staircase as Gil came down. He was twenty-one, and the only one of the Baxter family that stood out as not their genetic child due to his crop of curly hair. But he was still her son, despite being adopted, and she gave him a hug. "It's good to have you home," she said softly.
He returned it. "Good to be home, Mom." He had finished his mandatory service a month earlier and had spent two weeks gallivanting around Kor's Hold, visiting King Marshall's sons and experiencing the joys of being pampered like royalty. "No place like home," he said with a light sigh.
Trisha nodded and pulled away. "Do you mind walking your sisters to school today?"
"Mooom, we're old enough," Misty complained.
Ginavieve nodded as she cleanly wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin. "Lynhold is the safest place in the empire, Mom. We'll be fine."
Gil chuckled and walked past Trisha, turning back to her and mouthing "I've got this" as he herded the two girls toward the door and walked them down the boulevard.
Trisha stood at the doorway and let out a contented sigh. Where is Lawry? she thought. She grabbed the communication amulet. "Lawry, are you in the Raven Tower again?"
"... Yeah," the teenage boy's voice came through the amulet next to her ear.
"Did you sleep up there again?"
"... Yeah."
She sighed. "You've only got a year until your mandatory service."
"I talked to Miss Finala about that. She said that I can serve the empire under her instead of joining the military."
Trisha felt a slight bit of confusion but a large amount of relief. Military service wasn't necessarily dangerous given the peace that reigned in the empire, but keeping ravens was much safer. "Alright. As long as she approved it."
"Spymaster Velenna approved it. Right from the top!" His enthusiasm coming through his words was palpable. "Empress Rivers asked for me specifically to be her underling on the council!"
"That's wonderful news, honey!"
"I'll come by home later. Gotta go! I have a new brood that's waking up."
Trisha let the amulet slip from her fingers and looked at the massive fortress at the center of Lynhold. You've done so much for our family, she thought. Smiling, she closed the door of the Baxter home and headed to the hospital.
[Year 6 of The Eternal Age]
Ben walked with his daughter through the bustling capital city of Lynhold. She was right behind him, and the two popped into a bakery. Ben quickly detailed the order and pulled out a pouch of coins imprinted on one side with Lyn's profile, and the other side the symbol of her empire – three interlaced triangles reminiscent of an old band logo.
"What's it going to be like?" Lyndra asked. "Serving, I mean."
Ben finished with the clerk and grabbed the receipt before turning to his daughter and walking outside with her. "Let's find a place to sit," he said as they made their way to a small café, sat down, and ordered some tea. He stirred the drink slightly trying to think of how to best approach his response. "Well, in all honesty, it's going to suck. You probably won't see much combat – most likely you'll be doing training and drills. But because you're my kid...you'll be targeted by others."
"How come Gil didn't get that same level of treatment?"
Ben grimaced. "He's not my biological kid, sweetie. Even dumb grunts – sorry, fellow citizens – who know little about the heroes from the last cycle know that. But Eli...and you...you are unmistakably our kids. You'll be put through the wringer."
She leaned back and took a sip of her own tea. "I'll be fine. I've been training with someone special."
Ben leaned forward and took another sip. "Oh? Who is that?"
Lyndra leaned in and whispered. "Empress Rivers."
"Really?" Ben was floored. I had no idea Lyn was doing that. What the fuck? She could've told me. "So that's where you've been every day after classes."
She nodded and kept her voice low. "I go into the Conclave of the Fortress, to this really old cavern with a weird inscription at the end, and a pool of obsidian. She's been giving me lessons. An hour a day, but I've learned a ton."
Ben nodded and took another sip. "Just don't forget your roots. Weapons can get lost, but—"
"I'll always have my fists," Lyndra finished. "Yeah, I know. You drilled it into all of us. Except Lawry."
"He's a softer lad. Not like Gil or Eli...or you," he said with a chuckle. "I think Ginavieve will be like Lawry in that regard."
"Is that some type of joke?" Lyndra replied haughtily. "Calling me a hard woman?"
"It's a compliment," Ben replied as the two laughed. "Come on, finish your tea. I've got a surprise for you."
She gulped it down, and Ben tossed some coins on the table, nodding at the Newen server who scuttled past. The duo walked down to the large lake at the edge of Lynhold, and he led her to a warehouse partially in the water. Pulling out a key, he unlocked it and led her inside. "I know you've always wanted to explore the sea, so I asked Thomas—"
She squealed with delight and ran over to the partially submerged metal vessel. "How'd you get this?! One of the submersibles?!"
"Like I said, Uncle Thomas made it. It will seat two people."
"Can we take it for a spin?"
"I don't see why not." Ben helped his daughter in, sealed the small hatch, and poured mana into the inscriptions as fresh air circulated around them, the space pressurized, and he pointed out the small joystick in front of her. "Go on, give it a go. Pour mana into it to make it move."
Lyndra took hold of the stick and pushed forward and down as the vessel shot off toward the bottom of the lake. She was giggling ecstatically, and Ben couldn't hide his grin.
[Year 6 of The Eternal Age]
It's time, Kory thought as he stood up. He looked out the window one more time as he prepared to go through with his plan.
"Just money, please."
The man nodded. "Can do. One minute." He went into a back room with the gems and came back with a pouch. He opened it and counted out more paper currency, setting it on the counter as he counted, before putting it all back in the pouch and zipping it. "Pleasure doing business."
"Can you point me to a place I can buy a laptop?"
"There's an electronics store about a half mile down the street," he replied, pointing down the road. She thanked him and went on her way. One hour gone. Five years passed.
She found the shop quickly enough. She went inside and purchased this laptop – an odd, black, flat device in a padded box – and also bought this "hard drive" she was told to purchase.
Last is this generator, and then getting onto this world wide web. Thinking of those words made her shudder as she instinctively thought of spiders that covered a whole world in their webbing – but she knew that it was just a nickname for an information network. One that promised near-limitless knowledge.
She easily enough purchased a portable, hand-cranked generator, and then found a restaurant with a large, golden pair of arches marking the location. She set up in the corner, and pulled out her notebook, following Thomas's instructions exactly.
Two hours passed. Another ten years, she thought. But after the time had elapsed, she downloaded this entire database. An online encyclopedia that, according to Thomas, had practically unlimited knowledge. She then copied that to this hard drive, packed up the supplies, and headed outside.
Now to find a quiet place to return. She made her way through the city and found a park in the center. It was filled with many, many people. But she found a space underneath some bushes and poured mana into her ring.
She felt the world shift around her and was suddenly inside the Conclave of the Fortress. Glancing back, she could see the tiny pinprick of green – barely the size of a pinhead. The world-bridge stayed! she thought with excitement. She grabbed her amulet and willed it to contact Thomas and Lyn. "I'm back!" She reached over and grabbed the lever that would collapse the bridge behind her. But it was stuck. Damnit.
Lyn appeared almost instantly, and she looked...different. Her eyes were different, as were her horns and scales. "Report."
"First, the lever," Stellas gestured. Lyn reached over and pulled it. The bridge vanished. Stellas then gave a detailed account of everything. Every little detail. Thomas arrived halfway through her recitation. "Forgive me," she said as she concluded. "How long has it been?"
"Twenty years," Lyn replied.
Stellas looked down at the device Thomas had given her.
[January 30, 2026, 1:00 p.m.]
"This says four hours."
Thomas smiled. "Good! We know the time dilation. How do you feel? Any side effects? Dizziness? Headache?"
Stellas shook her head. "No, I feel just how I felt when I departed."
Thomas reached for the objects she held and opened the laptop. He cackled with delight. "We got it! The blueprint to modern society. And...practically endless knowledge for you, Stellas."
Lyn smiled, "Great job, Stellas." She looked to Thomas. "It is one hour for five years?"
Thomas nodded. "Yup. One hour there, five years here. I don't want to get too much into the numbers, but just keep halving it. Thirty minutes there, two and a half years here, and so on."
Stellas felt faint and began to collapse. Lyn stepped forward and caught her. "Fuck!" She waved her hand over Stellas and muttered something. Stellas caught her breath and sat up in Lyn's hands. "What was that?"
"You just aged," Lyn replied as her eyes were covered with a pink hue. "You instantly aged twenty years...minus the four hours."
Thomas clicked his tongue. "So that basically means that only Ari or Duskari could make the journey to Earth without issue."
Stellas coughed slightly and pushed herself up off the ground with Lyn's help. "I'm sorry."
"Why? You did just what we needed," Thomas replied. "You scouted out the time dilation and brought back a trove of knowledge."
Lyn nodded. "Come on, take some time off and relax. Maybe visit the hot springs."
Stellas shook her head and walked over to Thomas. "Let's get that up to the archive and read it!"
Stellas pulled Thomas up from the ground as she picked up the hand-crank generator. "Come on! I need to see what all is in there!"
[Year 20 of The Eternal Age]
Thomas heard a knock at his hidden door within the archive. He stood up and walked to the lever, pulling it as the latch opened and the door swung open.
Stellas was there, smiling, with slightly grayer fur – a physical sign of her rapid aging. "It's my turn."
Thomas nodded and gestured into the room as the Vharthon woman went into where they kept the few technological items from Earth. The duo were taking turns finding various technologies from the article pages and figuring out a progression path that wouldn't cause any sudden "shock" to the populace. The trains were just teetering on the razor-thin edge of that blade. Let alone Lawrence's plan of going for spaceships – that would need to wait a long time.
He shut the door to the hidden chamber and sighed as he left the archive. I should...
He felt restless. The type of restlessness where you want to do something but there's nothing to do. He had no projects, no goals, and no real...desire. I need to talk to someone, he thought.
The city was buzzing with activity, and Thomas found himself wandering the streets aimlessly, just letting his feet take him where they would. Trisha was probably busy, as was Ben, Lawrence, and Brad. Lyn was doubtless embroiled – he only saw her at council meetings as of late.
He walked to the nearby forest and found a smooth log that he sat upon. A place where countless others had no doubt sat, and he looked up at the canopy. The chirping of birds and the sing-song nature of their sounds and calls were soothing.
But he still felt restless. I need to do something.
He sat there, contemplating what he could do, when he caught sight of a group of children from various races running through the tree line. They were shouting in delight as they played some game, and he felt a sense of satisfaction. He had helped make this place something special.
And yet, the boredom and desire to...do anything still pestered him.
He picked up his amulet and focused on Lyn. "Hey, you free?"
"Sure, give me a moment."
He set the amulet down and five seconds later, in a flash of blue light, Lyn was sitting on the log next to him. "That was fast."
"I did say a moment. I wasn't busy." She looked over at him and crossed her legs. "What did you want?"
"I..." Thomas looked forward into space. "I'm restless. But I don't know how to fix it."
"You need a hobby."
Thomas chuckled. "Really? Please. I just finished the third volume of the history of Ghoma—"
"No." She cut him off. "That's a job. I mean a hobby. Something you just...enjoy."
He looked at her before shifting his gaze to the ground. "I...I don't know what, though."
Lyn smirked. "I can think of something." She held her hand up in front of her with the palm facing up. There was a prismatic sparkle of energy that surged up from her palm before churning around in a circle and forming a spherical shape.
"Holy shit. You're serious?!"
She handed him the dragon egg. "You were the happiest when you had Hector, and were left to your own devices. You've done a lot for the empire...and I never truly paid you back. So...thank you, Thomas." She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "You deserve this."
Thomas was awestruck. "I...I don't know what to say."
Lyn tapped the top of the egg, and it began to hatch. Thomas held his breath as a small set of horns poked through the shell. Silver horns. They wiggled back and forth for a few seconds before the eggshell began to give way and little, clawed feet pulled at the edges of it. The hatchling that stared up at him was deep, ocean blue with silver edges on the scales. Its eyes were a piercing silver, just like the horns and tips of the claws.
"Erp?" It made an...interested noise. Lyn waved her hand over it, and sparkles descended from her palm as the dragon's eyes widened before returning to normal. "Oh...hi," it said in Arinol.
Thomas felt a surge of emotions within his torso and hugged the small dragon to his torso. His dream since arriving on Ghomar, granted. Thomas could feel the tears rolling down his face as he took in shuddering breaths. He pulled away, and the hatchling cocked its head sideways. "Why sad?" it asked.
Lyn snapped her fingers and the hatchling's attention was riveted to her. "He is happy. Go ahead, tell him your name."
The hatchling turned back to Thomas. "I'm Hector."
Thomas looked to Lyn. "Is he-"
She nodded. "I brought him back for you. Your Hector, in a dragon's body. He'll remember you, given time; I didn't want to rush things too fast and would rather your bond developed nat—" She was cut off as Thomas hugged her.
He was choking back sobs. "You...gave me back my best friend," he whispered in English. "I...I can't ever pay that back."
"You've more than paid for it. And you'll keep helping the empire. Dragons live a long, long time. He can be with you for all of your lifetimes." She slowly pulled away. "I have to go," she muttered as her eyes flashed a deep, abyssal black. "Ghomar needs protecting." She vanished in a glimmer of bright blue.
"What's wrong?" Hector asked in Arinol as he dug his claws into Thomas's pant legs and the skin underneath.
Thomas looked back at his support animal...reborn with intelligence as an actual dragon. "Nothing...life is perfect, now." He stood up and hoisted Hector in his arms like he was holding a baby. "Come on. I want to show you all the wonderful friends we have."
"We have more friends?"
Thomas nodded and headed toward the Raven Tower. "Yes...we do, best buddy."
[Year 20 of The Eternal Age]
Lyn floated above Ghomar and held Cataclysm, the blade of neon-blue lava cascading with pure, destructive power. She had fully activated every single internal spell at her disposal. A true deity. Inexorable and unstoppable.
Despite her vast, enormous powers over the very fabric of reality itself, the entity before her was still a threat. She had named them Mana Devourers, as they were drawn to her as a moth is drawn to a streetlamp. She had dealt with five in the past twenty years, each at a varying interval.
This Mana Devourer was a colossal serpent that wended its way across the black of space. The only indication it was present was when its sinuous, gigantic form would dash in front of a distant star.
Lyn smiled and flew forward toward the creature. It lashed toward her – the mouth the size of the planet behind her – and she went right inside of it. Dumb creature, she thought. She shot through the back of its neck as her blade of pure destruction carved a path that disintegrated the creature wherever the blade impacted.
She floated behind it as it wheeled around and struck out once more. Standing her ground, she willed the blade to expand in length until it was the same size as a ring around Saturn – dwarfing the creature and Ghomar. She chopped into it and severed the head cleanly in two. The form writhed before vanishing into black motes that slowly faded away.
Lyn put Cataclysm away and willed her focus back to Ghomar. Within an instant, she was back in Lynhold where she had left Thomas. The man was walking away and talking to his new pet. Happy I could help you out, she thought.
She walked through Lynhold, and the people bowed, singing her praises as she passed by. Being worshipped did nothing for her power-wise...but damn was it one hell of an ego booster.
"Empress Rivers!" a voice called out behind her in Triskol. A familiar voice. She turned and spotted Lyndra – now a young woman of twenty-eight and member of her Riverguard – approaching as she saluted.
"Yes?" Lyn prompted.
"I had a request."
"Do tell."
"Empress...may we talk in private?"
Lyn nodded and gestured for Lyndra to follow her into the fortress, to the throne room, and ordered the Riverguard to seal the chamber, leaving her and Lyndra alone. "What do you want to talk about?"
Lyndra took off her helmet and held it under her arm. "I...I want to ask for permission to leave the Riverguard."
"Why would you want that?"
"I want to join Gil and Eli."
Lyn chuckled and turned in the throne so she could let her legs dangle over the armrest. "You three want to go looking for dungeons, don't you?"
Lyndra nodded. "We know that there is not any purpose to acquiring dungeon cores...so I would ask that you allow us to become your dungeon hunters. We'll find them, defeat them, and then bring any mana cores back to you. But...we want to keep the other loot."
"Why would you want to take such a risk? Dungeons are dangerous, you know."
Lyndra sighed in frustration. "We were...we've been told all our lives about what amazing deeds our parents did. We want to make our own mark on the world."
I can't blame them for wanting prestige. Hell, I wanted the same when I first returned. That was the whole point of coming back. "Very well. I accept. You will report to High Riverguard Vael. Keep the armor and inscribed items...you'll need them." She held her hand up and incanted a spell.
Lyndra stood stock-still before she gasped. "I can see...streams of light on the ground. Like paths. There's...hundreds! But they are faint."
"This is my gift to you for your service these past eight years. You will see the path to dungeons. Stay safe on your travels. Oh, but first, talk to Brad and get all the healing concoctions he has and is willing to give you. And, give my best to your parents."
Lyndra bowed and grinned. "Thank you, Empress!" She formed her hand into a claw over her heart and then left the chamber.
Lyn shifted her position on the throne to sit upright and pushed her consciousness down into her mana core. The spectral forms of Yheron and Raevan appeared.
"What can we help you with?" Raevan asked in Arinol.
"I've made up my mind."
Yheron lay down and rested his massive head next to the two Duskari. "Good. About time. What is the plan?"
Lyn crossed her arms. "Now that I know about how the time dilation works, I have inscribed items that will revert the effects. My concern is that when I make the bridge more permanent...will mana...I don't know, "awaken" on Earth?"
"I never tried reaching out to other worlds," Raevan muttered. "I can't speak to what would happen. Are you sure you don't want to focus on expansion in this reality? The space around Ghomar?"
Lyn nodded. "I need to fix Earth. They need direction and guidance, like what I provide to Ghomar. And I can't send divination sensors far out enough in this reality to find other inhabited worlds. I'd rather go for the sure-shot place I know can be saved."
Yheron chuckled. "What of these technologies? They sound quite difficult to combat."
Lyn waved her hand dismissively. "I could crush them."
"Is that the wisest move though?" Raevan muttered. "Crushing them? Wouldn't you rather descend from on-high as a deity and fix all their problems, turning them to you with love and affection?"
"Yes," Lyn replied. "I'd like that. But realistically, the people in power there won't give it up that easily and be subservient to another foreign entity. We know the lesson that Yheron's mere existence caused." She turned to the true dragon. "The world united against a common threat. I would be considered that common threat."
Yheron nodded. "True. And with the way information spreads on Earth from what we've seen in your memories...the masses can be mobilized against you by fearmongering propaganda."
Lyn nodded. "It would have to be a slower, insidious process. But it can be done...I want to do it." She sighed. "In a few hundred years. I want to let the Eternal Empire advance further technologically."
Raevan smiled. "Your return could have been ruinous to all on Ghomar if you had chosen that path...but you chose a more enlightened path. I am proud of you."
"Thanks," Lyn muttered.
"You've done your dragon daddy and Duskari mommy proud," Yheron said jokingly.
Lyn flipped him off and focused on returning to her body, coming back to herself in the throne room, seated upon the powerful object. Once we hit the Industrial Age, I think. Maybe later...if I'm patient enough.
She nodded and stood up, walked to the doors, and threw them open before walking out into Lynhold. She manifested her wings and flapped up until she was far, far up above the Valley of the Volcano.
Lyn looked to the southwest, toward Khrelardia and the Free City of Bashinol. Memories of her first arriving as the Scout hero flooded her mind and she smiled as she remembered her allies being welcomed in a huge parade. I came here to save the world. And I did so.
She looked north, to Trisk, Vharthos, Raptol, Fosk, Feylin, and the Ruins of Elent. The memories of her near-immediate return sparked into her mind, and she smiled at the recollection of traveling with allies once more. I proved my dominion over others...and my benevolence.
She looked lastly to the southeast, the abandoned kingdom of Valagonia – formerly Shereld – now called the Shatterlands. Her defeating of the Elenthians in their ethereal forms, and capture of Cecily played through her mind. I saved it a second time.
Lastly, she looked up into the skies above. Her eyes could make out the countless stars and wonderous display above – a tapestry of creation and possibility. All of that could be mine to rule.
Then, she thought of Earth. The heroes that had chosen to return. By this point, approximately four hours would have passed since they woke up on the day of their summoning. She envisioned descending from the skies above Earth – maybe a big city, like Los Angeles, London, or Tokyo – and declaring her new world order. Now, with the inscribed "bridge" between worlds...she could reliably send people back and forth.
I'll return there eventually. I'll destroy and ruin all those who oppress the innocent. I'll set that world to right, just as I have Ghomar.
It's my right to rule everything.