Heulyn's Adventures - Arc I: Corner of the Sky [Eteru/Iammelon] [FIN]

Abridged Version can be found here. Also highlights important changes.


The Story of Heulyn Lloyd up to this point.

In spite of the ongoing power struggle occurring in Solus there was still time for development to occur and research being done on new lands. Around this time a general report was sent out into the public domain by Alexandria researchers that been latter approved by the administrator Juliette Goldcorn. It most summarizes the existing overall consensus for geographical resources and landmarks. In regards to Solus region of the continent. The biomes consist of temperate forests along the northern border and the further south it goes there is a transition into tropical forests. Soil is fertile, enriched with decaying litter. There is a bit of Semiarid Desert along the coastlines, The inner Great Bay has a very tropical environment. Like Faulkon, Solus posses unique minerals to the region from the Stones of Xol to the Ishnar Valley. Savathon Mountain is still to be fully studied along with the mysterious Ishnar Necropolis that exist not far under the surface.

---

After getting her belongings she stood with the Lady-Lord as they face the luxury shuttle. She took a gulp of air as it hang there in the air. A silver ark that will carry her far, far away. Yet despite how far she travel she knows that her shadows will remain with her forever. That at some point she'll return to Angelarium to face her destiny once more. But for now she's just a girl who’s seen too much. That it takes effort to rekindle sparks long burned out. "I...appreciate your kindness, With everything else as well." She added in humility. Never having earned a honest coin to her name. To have the privilege of being in a expensive craft is something that she won't take for granted.

While the forces of Excave, or rather now the Iammelonian Union, were indeed quite preoccupied with the business of removing Omnipo influence in the Solus Province, they didn't instantly cancel their work. The Anubites continued their work for instance, as well as various Union organizations. The Savathon Mountain and the Ishnar Valley were of interest. The Anubites of course were particularly interested in this Necropolis that had been discovered, and been gearing up to explore it for a while now. The Union meanwhile wanted to assist there too, but also take a look at the mountain in order to get a close up study. Lady Kissa of Aztecha and the Combat Drake Mackleth'Adun, generally known as Lord Macky, ultimately ended up deciding that they would have to keep their resources focused on any sort of exploratory manner, for the sake of security. Thus, the two of them choose to aim to look more into the ancient Ishnar, who needed more studying. The Necropolis would serve this goal.

---

It was a rather different experience for Lady Tarset, getting into a luxury shuttle. It was somewhat mundane to her at the best of times, and at the worst of times a sense of dread. Such a shuttle being openly used almost always meant there was work to be done, and somebody of her status could only go to business in appropriate spacecraft. That could be normal business, or extreme matters, such as what was going on now back home in Iammelon. But never something casual or pleasant, not in her line of work. Still, the shuttle right now was secondary to Heulyn right now, who she wanted to make sure was alright. The Lady-Lord gave the Amziel girl a soft smile, nodding, "You are quite welcome to it after all the work you've done, Heulyn. So don't worry about it, you've quite earned this small kindness. Let's get aboard now, shall we?" With that, the Lady-Lord moved to get into the waiting shuttle. She didn't want to rush Heulyn however, and so moved at a brisk pace without making it seem like she was expecting the young woman to keep up perfectly. This was a fairly large moment for her, after all. The moment was also one where Tarset's graceful upbringing shined through, as while she was not the best with words always, she was quite good in speaking with body language, something almost certainly trained for use in court.

While Necropolis was the pick for the major expedition. A rumor came up the chain of command from a worker overseeing ground surveillance from their satellite had taken note that the pillars were arranged almost symmetrically. It's hard to notice on the ground because the pillars lean to different direction due to the soil underneath becoming weaker overtime. Which would have taken a very long time to reach the state the pillars were in. The worker sent the pattern through the computer for any close match. It returned with a 87% match, a floor plan of a peripteral octastyle doric temple. The major difference was that the layout was much longer with more columns. It had made him think that perhaps at one point or another, an colossal temple once sat in the valley. This rumor would make its rounds and possibly make people wonder. Why would the Ishnar build temples of such great size?

In the meantime, it was a easy endeavor to reach the Necropolis. The tunnel was open enough to fit in a small cargo plane and went on for only a quarter mile before opening up to a very large cavern. The ceiling had enough gaps that the city was decently well lit by sunlight. The black city was on the other side of a bottomless ravine with the only way to getting over being a stone bridge with artistic engravings on both the railings and the bridge itself. The art seem to depict some sort of passage. Perhaps a ceremonial way to represent the living going into the land of the dead.

---

The red head gave a meek nod before coming aboard the vessel. Stepping into the entryway she felt she just cross over a invisible boundary. Crossing from one life into another. Inside she would find herself a place to sit down. The hair on her neck stood out of anxiety. Settling down she would mentally attempt to ease her worries. The guilt was felt at the bottom of her stomach. Feeling the need to distract herself she would attempt to make small talk with the Lady-Lord. "If you don't mind me asking. What are the other lords like? All I know is what their station entails." It was lucky that she had spent a week reading up on Anubite culture otherwise she would be more of a wreck.

The layout did raise many a question for the leadership of the expedition, but they rationalized that the best way to find out was to investigate directly and find answers within the Necropolis itself. They could have people watching it all day and try to infer, but only up close could they get the data they really needed. The approach was not difficult for seasoned Anubites to handle, as they had plenty of experience with this sort of terrain thanks to work back home, and so they went in first to clear a good path to the Necropolis. Lady Kissa went in soon after to inspect the images on the bridge, trying to compare it to Ishnar data they already had. After which, she would see to crossing the stone bridge with a team of Anubites so they could investigate the entrance to the dark city, as well as of course make sure the bridge was safe to cross. The bridge wouldn't be needed for Macky the Dragon, since he could fly, but everyone else couldn't so they needed to be sure.

---

The shuttle, being the higher class vessel it was, provided comfy seating on large couches for passengers, and it was easy to find a good spot. Tarset sat down nearby, though not too close as she didn't want to make her uncomfortable. The Lady-Lord was all too happy to take this distraction of small talk, and smiling she nodded, "Ah yes, I can tell you more about them. The other three great lords are Lady-Lord Ipwet, Lord Nerotep, and Lord Rayumere. Ipwet is a personal friend of mine, though she's a fair deal older than me! So like a mentor. She is a smart and charming woman, who enjoys teasing and being playful. But underneath she has quite the cunning, so I do feel sorry for those on her bad side. Ipwet does her role as the Empire's Stewardess quite well. Rayumere is different, far more uptight. Very dedicated to tradition, and very honorable, but he's not exactly the best at making conversation with. Still, I respect him for his loyalty. And Lord Nerotep... He's an odder one. Inside him there's an anger, and he's so distant. He can come off as very smart and amicable, but after knowing him for so long it's hard to actually tell who he really is. And his claim to the throne is disturbing... Be careful if you meet him, Heulyn."

Upon closer inspection she would find the bridge to be layered in a ceramic plating. The delicate contours were incised into the paint before firing, and details were reinforced and highlighted with opaque colors, ranging from white and red. The black figures depict the numerous stages of a traditional funeral. After the family rituals they would carry their deceased relative to τελικός παύση. A special burial ground where they settle the bodies into the family tomb. Once they settle one coin on the body they do their final rituals before leaving the cemetery. When τελικός παύση is vacant of the living it’s said that the spirit of the departed leaves the tomb where they would head to the central, small temple and walk down a large stairway to meet someone called the βαρκάρης. Cross referencing Ishnar text came up with a negative. Both writing systems were different yet both were Ishnar. Which could mean that this is another language that the Ishnar wrote. As she studied the paintings the group would find that the necropolis is large enough to be called a small town. Elaborate tomb monuments in the shape of houses were arranged in a town layout at well. Each house bore a banner with a unique emblem on them. All of which are in different colors and shapes. One feature they found were metal braziers sat in the middle of the main roads. All were lit with a green flame that gave off no heat but helped illuminate the area. At the very center of the Necropolis was an elevated temple of humble size. Some of the pillars all had braziers lit with the same green flame.

---

A disturbing claimant of the throne? That gave Heulyn some flashbacks of those old days where she frequently found herself in the midst of political squabbling and legitimacy fights. Not to say they were bad per say. Rather she had grown a certain amount normality with them. Especially when it involves dealing with nobility. Beside the ominous lord she was glad that Ipwet seems to be on good terms with Tarset. It was easy to feel alone among the powerful so having more than one friend can help ease that. Lastly Rayumere sounds like an interesting fellow to get to know. Although knowing her past experience with traditional nobility that may be a bit of a challenge. “Ah that’s nice to hear. Having bonds with other nobility is always a good thing.” She compliments her relationship. Not pressing to ask if she could introduce herself to her as that sounded like she was using Tarset as a shield. “Lord Nerotep huh, he does sound mysterious. How is his claim disturbing?” She spoke out of curiosity. Having been intrigued by the tubit of information.

The images certainly confirmed that this was a tomb structure of some sort, as was initially inferred of this necropolis. So Lady Kissa started coming up with theories in her mind. Perhaps a mass grave site? A communal grave area? Somewhere for the nobility or higher class to assure their dead were well taken care of? Lots of possibilities. She was partial to the last one however, given the monuments and how well designed they were. It was unlikely this was just for common Ishnar. And the unique banners gave a nice hint. She had Anubite scholars record the designs so they could be cross referenced later, and then she decided to head towards the temple for herself with a small group. It was the central location, so perhaps it held the most important answers.

---

Lady Tarset did seem quite happy talking about Ipwet, indicating that the two of them had a good relationship. In truth Tarset was very thankful to have a good friend who was also very experienced in the court, and sometimes shielded her from its worst sides, so she nodded, "Indeed. It's a good thing to have her as an ally instead of an enemy. She's a true friend, so I hope I can introduce you to her one day!" She was neutral about Rayumere, as they in truth rarely met, and they weren't the sort to get along anyways, so they just had a mutual non-interference silent agreement between them. She got a bit less happy at the question, but she decided it was one that should be answered, "It's a disturbing claim because he fully believes in it, and I'm sure would be willing to try and press it. With his position as the head of a military house, it is dangerous. But what makes it disturbing is that we have tried to arrest him for this dissent, but the ancestors council refused. We do not know the reason why they did not approve the request. So, it is all very uncertain, and thus disturbing."

It was certinally not for the common folk. Scanning devices would detect high quality items inside the tombs. Likely heirlooms or personal belongings that were buried with them. The banner do seem to be some sort of family coat of arms. One symbol of interest was found on a building near the temple. The banner was grey in color and bore the symbol of a white lion. A symbol a white stylized lion embroiled on it. There was a vauge sensation of familiarity when Kissa looks at it. While some of the scholars went to record the dynasty banners in the city the group would make their way up the temple stairs into a open and empty area. The floor was glossy, very polished despite how long it had been underground. In the middle of the floor was a rectangular open space that reveals a descending staircase into darkness. It's a wide staircase, easily twelve feet across and the steps 20 inches long. Lined around the edge of the space were more of the strange letters carved into the floor. All of which radiate no whiff of any magic.

---

She felt guilty that the topic was making Tarset unhappy. Unfortunately she can't simply switch off the switch on her observing nature. She is after all, a third rate magus. So she was taught on the art of investigation and deducting to solve her problems. Even if there was a truly unsolvable mystery, there is always a route of clues that will lead her to the truth. It just takes effort to find it. "That does sound strange." She noted. Having read only a little bit regarding the relation between Anubite and their ancestral spirits. She could tell their society heavily revolves around the word of the spirits. It reminded her of the cliques she been a part of. Good times. "Has this ever happen before? I mean the council rejecting the requests of the living on important manners?"

The quality items had pictures taken of them and scans performed, though the Anubites were careful not to remove any of them. They weren't going to move anything just yet, not until they got their investigation along further.  After all, they may mess up their understanding of the Necropolis by tampering too early. Preservation would be the name of the game right now. Kissa looked at the lion for a while, trying to place why it felt similar, but she had to move on in order to help with investigating the temple. She had the scholars spread out, and then with a few guards they brought out a few glowing orbs of light which when thrown up floated around the Anubites. This was to give them illumination as they carefully descended down the wide staircase and into the darkness. Anubites had Night Vision, so they were ready as is, but one could never be too careful.

---

Tarset, while a bit uncomfortable, wasn't unwilling to discuss these topics. Hard topics were often the ones that needed to be spoken about the most, and her position required her to be ready to do so. So, this was like a bit of practice for the younger Lady-Lord, quite valuable to have in a friendly environment. She considered the question, and then nodded, "Yes, I do believe this has happened a fair few times before. Usually because the Ancestors had greater wisdom and could provide important context and information for a wiser course of action. Perhaps that is why they did so this time? Did they perhaps foresee this Iammelonian civil war, and know that Nerotep's Warrior Family would be needed? They do have great warriors. So, maybe that's it. I hope that is it."

The set of stairs went down quite a ways. At least a few stories before stopping to what seems to be a long, wide hallway. By the time they step off the final step their equipment were starting to behave strangely. A compass would start to spin, any signal began to fitz out, and the time on their devices would stop. The scanners still worked down here. Showing that the hallway is a half mile long before opening up to a seemingly open area. Once walked down they would come out into what seem to be a large underground cavern but can neither see the ceiling or the other side. Around them was a small, flat pier surrounded by water. The pier was elevated somewhat with an incline bridge going down onto a fifty yard long section. At the very end they could see a working lamp post that illuminate a well dressed figure sitting is a walking chair. Chocolate-colored hands hold open what seems to be newspaper. He was too far away to tell his face or what species he is. Behind him on the water was a wooden boat.

---

Heulyn was not sold on that but she was not the sort to dispute that at the moment. She doesn’t know much about Anubite culture very much after all. But the one thing she can sympathize with is relying on the wisdom of spirits. She had pretty much been raised and taught by spirits. So she could see why they put a lot of faith into them. Thinking that she should steer the conversation away from Nerotep for the time being she focused on the spirits. “You have a lot of faith in the council. How did this relationship between the living and supernatural come about?” She had read that the empire worked with spirits to help build a better society but did not get into the history of it.

The oddity in their equipment was alarming to the Anubites, who tried to fix it and diagnose the cause of the malfunctions. Still, it was good their scanners kept working, as those were the more important pieces of gear they brought down here. And that allowed them to keep moving forward, deeper into long hallway. Upon emerging, they were at first curious as what this area of the Necropolis could be for, just a dark area with a pier. But they all reacted as soon as they noticed there was somebody here. Lady Kissa stepped out in front, and with some guards behind her she moved forward and spoke out to the fellow in the rocking chair, "Hello? Who are you? Why are you here?" She was being cautious instead of hostile, as from experience it was best to try and be amicable with ghosts. Some were aggressive, so she was being careful, but it was never worth antagonizing them. Or at least she was assuming this was a ghost or undead, as currently she wasn't sure what else it could be.

---

Tarset seemed happier with this set of questions than before, as this was getting into territory she knew well, unlike the confusion person that was Lord Nerotep. She smiled as she explained, "It's been around since the beginning of our Empire, really! It was spirit channeling that allowed the Lord of Aluxandri, Anrak Ithkar, to unite our homeworld. And proclaim himself the first High Lord of the Anubites! Though the story of spirit channeling begins somewhat earlier than that. Three lords prior, Anrak's great grandfather was the one who first learned to channel spirits, but we're not sure how he learned. What we do know is that he one day early in his reign wandered out into the desert alone, and was lost in a sandstorm. He was presumed dead given that he had not returned in four weeks, but he did come back. He didn't tell what happened, and locked himself in his palace for three years, exiting only once in that time span to kill a brother who tried to usurp him. But when those three years ended, he came out accompanied by spirits, including the dead brother's. He taught others the art of Spirit Channeling, and from there Aluxandri spread and conquered with the might of the ancestors supporting them in battle, but also with their wisdom. It was under Anrak's reign that the world was united, and he was proclaimed the first High Lord of the Anubites by the will of the ancestors. It was with their help we united so early, and thus could focus our efforts onto eventual spaceflight, slowly and steadily. It is why we are among the first of Hoshizora's spacefaring nations ever!" She paused, and then got a little embarrassed, "Uhm, sorry for the info dump. I got a little excited." She was tapping her pointer fingers together, worried she had gone overboard.

The new voice cause the figure to look away from his newpaper. Revealing that he look somewhat like a human. Bald head with dark shades. Blue pinpoints of light softly shining through behind the lens. An expression of perplexion was evident on his face. “Oh blimey! Excuse myself.” He snapped himself out of his trance. Folding the newspaper he stuff it in his pants pocket. The same which a pocket watch hung from a silver chain. Getting up he straighten his attire to appear presentable. “Was not expecting to see fellows like yourself down here. Shouldn't even be here in fact. But aside that for now. I’m Chesron, the ferryman for the departed.” He introduces himself in a friendly manner. Hands clasped behind his back as he proceeded to speak again. “As proper, why don’t you tell me about yourself and where you came from? You certainly don’t seem like dodgy folk, too professional.”

---

She was unsure about relying on the ‘will of the ancestors’ to that degree. While she had relied on my spirits it’s somewhat agreed among scholars in her life that the future lies in the next generation. For there may be ancestors who plot against the living much like how that could be the case with Nerotep. Who's to say the spirits of his family know something that the living don’t? Concerns aside she was interested in spirit channeling. For it may provide her techniques that are not a huge drain on her mana reserves. When she worked with Chaulkuau she had to use the generators to supply her with mana. Especially when she was contacted with over a hundred spirits. Most were even degraded in order to not be a huge consumption on the generators. There’s one spirit in mind who’s so costly that the mere drawing of his bowstring can snuff out an average mage life force. Ever since she was taken away from Chaulkuau she only ever learned to use her Atziluth Sorcery that seem to use her own soul somehow. She needs to look into that later to get an idea of what had happened at the crashed tour. “It’s no problem at all Tarset. You’re culture is fascinating.” She compliments with a smile.

Feeling like sharing her own story on spirits given she would be working with her she went to talk about her experience. “The reason I asked was because it reminds me of when I once worked with spirits. Several years ago I was a part of a security organization founded by Solgaleo, Chaulkuau. It’s purpose was to oversee the singularities in the time-space continuum due to the incomplete process of HZD Terraforming Project. For most of Chaulkuau existence it never ran into much trouble. That is until a month after I was employed there it was attacked by a malevolent entity that served a greater darkness. Disregarding my adventures for a moment. We worked alongside spirits to help us solve the many problems that arose over time. My friend and I have bonded with a lot of spirits. So it gave me wonder if perhaps this spirit channeling could be a way for me to meet them again. I along with my friend have poor mana reserves so we had to rely on Chaulkua Prana generators to supply us.” She explained. Recalling many warm memories of those distant days. “So if possible. I would like to learn about this. It could be a good way for you to meet whom I worked with!” And for my personal sanity but she will never admit that to Tarset. Not yet anyways.

Lady Kissa was pleased to see that this Chesron seemed willing to talk, and was not in fact an aggressive spirit. Still, it was odd to see a human down here, or at least something taking the form of one. Then again, humans were oddly spread out, disturbingly so. Perhaps they really were evolved from roaches as some theorized! But that was for another day, right now she focused on the figure. Speaking back in a friendly tone herself, since she liked this attitude and wanted to keep it as such, she began her questioning, "I am Lady Kissa of Aztecha, and I'm an Anubite leading a team of researchers in this Necropolis. I wasn't aware there was a river down here, nor one that required a ferryman. In fact I'm quite sure I didn't expect to find anybody here at all. So really it seems neither of us expected the other! And ferryman for the departed? Do you mean you carry the corpses around? This is a Necropolis after all."

---

It was rather clear that Tarset was very trusting in the ancestors and their judgements, which fit given her position. It was important for the Anubite of her rank to trust the ancestors, as they were the ones writing down the histories. She was smiling at first, nodding and glad she was of help, "Ah, thank you! I am glad to hear we Anubites are interesting folk still! Hard to stay interesting when so many have emerged in our lifespan as an Empire." She was rather interested in Heulyn's own experience with spirits. First because it seemed fascinating on its own, but secondly because Anubites were always very wary of anybody who wasn't them interacting with spirits. It was often quite dangerous, as she knew personally from studying records. Many a fledgling civilization was marked in Anubite textbooks as having fallen due to playing with the dead without being ready for it, and she expected many more would join the list over time. Still, it was interesting, "It is nice to hear spirits are helpful to other civilizations as well! Bonding with them is impressive, I've only really done so with my family ancestors, but they're nice people! As for this malevolent entity and greater darkness, probably the Son at work if I'd guess. His influence is usually the one that tears down people who interact with spirits without being prepared for the consequences." Tarset was happy so far, but her ears and eyes fell as Heulyn spoke that final request, her enthusiasm lost, "Oh... I would love to teach you, but I cannot. Because I don't know how to do it myself... I tried learning, and failed. I am no spirit mystic, the only great lord to lack the ability. I am sorry, but maybe I'll bring you to Ipwet. She knows how, unlike me..."

"A pleasant name from a equally pleasant sounding place. I don't often meet fellows from places I never heard of before." He noted in a chirpy manner. He briefly grabs what seems to be pocket watch to open it to look at something. "Hm you came from a new direction as well. To connect the dots I assume the 'Necropolis' you're all studying is something that never been used in a long while?" He inquires as he closes the watch. "It's safe to say I never expected folks like yourself! From what I can gather this Necropolis is a subject of little knowledge to you. Well to summarize the Necropolis is sort of like a VIP parking lot. Nobles and/or rich folk bring their dead near the temple where the boundary sits. Given I can tell you are a sharp mate you might have noticed letters that framed the edge of the stairway. That was a maker that separates the world you came from and this pier. Not a separate dimension mind you, Just some wicked quantum engineering with non-euclidean geometry. It's why your gear may be acting funky here." He joked in a causal manner. It does feel that he is a friendly being despite the dreary surroundings. "As for myself. I do ferry the dead across this river. All the way to Κάτω Κόσμος. A decent place, it really modernized over the years compared to how it was in the beginning."

---

She look thoughtful from considering Tarset words. While she's not the sort to accept or deny others culture theology she does find ways to see the dots from another perspective. "That does fall in line with the legend behind the entity that we came to learn was named Etia. The aggregate form of King Xolom seventy-two Demons. To begin with, the 72 demons were “a system to efficiently promote proper reason” invented by the founder of (Amziel) magecraft, Xolom. It was originally created as a magical ritual to look after Amzilean after Xolom's death, the Amziel Order Correction Ritual. Said system grieved and raged against the relationship between King Xolom and Amizelean, becoming a curse that takes action to conquer “the imperfectness of Amziels” that King Xolom continued to ignore. It eventually changed into the Amziel Order Incineration Ritual. A magecraft with its own will that was devised in order to attain true wisdom, and had attempted to reach the origin while making use of the entire Amziel history."

"After King Xoloms death, the 72 demons that were sealed away inside his corpse awakened to their own ideology, swindled Xolom’s name and embarked on a new venture to convert the entire Amizelean into energy. And thus, Etia resumed activity by making king Xolom’s corpse into his nest. It's possible that the son had spurned Etia against Amziel. Who Etia sees as a pile of contradictions and unfaithfulness. A waste of resources on in the universe. And...he's not fully wrong much to my shame in saying that. Amzielean have never been the most nicest when it came with spirits. Albertch and I having strong bonds with a lot of spirits is something of a rarity. The majority of time summoners either treat them as tools or abuse them." She felt akward in saying that to a Anubite but it was something that she needed to be honest about. Yes it's true that there are Masters who had treat their Servants with respect. Sadly most Masters tend to be aristocrats who tend to behave differently than those not a part of a privileged organization like the Clock Tower.

Seeing a gloomy rain cloud above Tarset made her instantly regret. Her ears flattening against her skull and her big sad eyes completed that wounded dog look which to say the least was very effective on her. Swiftly coming to Tarset side to gave her a hug. "Hey, hey now I'm sorry to say that." Being bad at something widely regarded as common knowledge in society was something she can empathize with. Being a third-rate when it comes to magic after all. "I'm sure you can attain it Tarset. It may take awhile more than others but you'll get there."

Kissa was certainly intrigued by the information that Chesron offered, as it would be quite helpful for the matter of understanding this place better. He'd already given them important info, like confirming this was a tomb for the elite, and the mention of some sort of portal or teleportation method that got them here. That last one would certainly need further investigation, but for now she simply responded calmly, "Well, I did guess this was a tomb for nobility, glad to see I was correct in such. But you are right, the location we came from is long since abandoned and empty. Still, thank you for saying why our gear is acting strangely, we can adjust for such now. Though, I can't say I've heard of any such Κάτω Κόσμος. I'm assuming this is some sort of city for the dead? Another necropolis?"  

---

Tarset listened closely to this tale about Etia, King Xoloms, and these 72 Demons who had spawned from the King. Still, the story to her lined up quite well with what she was thinking, and she nodded, "Very likely the Son, in truth. The Son's influence is mostly heavily felt among those who interfere with the spirits without being prepared for him, and those who are cruel and abusive are practically perfect for him. These masters, if they were as you say in their majority, are just the sort the Son would love to force into conflict with other forces of the dark, like Etia. For either way, he wins and grows in power." Then she sighed, shaking her head, "Sad proof of the Anubite belief that other civilizations simply aren't prepared. I would avoid letting the Highlord learn of this. He will take it far less well than I do."

The Lady-Lord was still a bit gloomy, but the hug raised her spirits a fair bit. It was hard to be very gloomy when being hugged and comforted as such. So a slight smile appeared on her face, and she tried to recompose herself to respond, "Oh, well... It is reassuring to hear that, Heulyn. I will not give up on the goal just yet. After all, it's not every Anubite who can do this. But... It is a trademark of the highest nobility to have the skill, and so it is disheartening to the only of my rank lacking. But... Thank you for believing I'm not yet lost." She sighed, feeling better now, and her ears returning to a normal spot, "Still, in the meanwhile, that does provide an excuse to introduce you to Ipwet. She can teach. Maybe by watching you learn, I can finally figure it out myself?"

"From what I can tell so far I'm not surprise." He simply remarks as he ponder upon all the information laid out between them. "Like yourself I've not heard of Aztecha, nor have I've ever seen folk like you before. It seems we're both opposite ends of a great mystery." Despite his witty jokes it's clear that he's taking this matter with a degree of seriousness. For unaware to Kissa's party their presence can mean several bad things. Furrowing his brow he place a palm on his cheek as the thought deeply. "An abandoned Necropolis. Typically I would get notified about something like that. What makes it more of a oddity is that you are the only ones to have come from there. Dead included. To explore a unknown variable how did you come across this Necropolis? And for a follow up question, in what region of space?"

---

The most damning part about what Tarset has said. That she was simply correct from how her scars tingle in phantom memory of those days. 'To lie is to be the association' The oily, baritone thought rumble in the back of her mind. Its taunting voice rattling her once solemn thoughts. She subtly grit her teeth in agitation. Dawning on her that she has not taken her medication yet. 'Why hide Lloyd? You know it's true. No matter how much you try to block it out. You know that deep down that Outremer Amzielean is not the Amzielean you oh so fervently fought for. You had fought for a history that never existed on Angelarium!' Memories of Tiamat visiting her in the hospital room sprang up to the forefront of her mind. Sitting beside her to give her condolences of what she went through. And the truth. It was a blessing that she was still a bit drugged up. In hindsight that is probably why Tiamat came to her then, because she knew she would not be as forthcoming. 'Do you hate her?' No. She can't hate her. She can't hate. All it takes is one. Just one drop of that black poison. A drop of black darkness to finally break her back.

'Do you hate the Mage Association? Those greedy old fools who have long left the enlighten path. So stuck in their ways and mentality that they rarely make things any better. Morality is irrelevant and nothing is sacred in attaining the 'Root'. Is that not why they brought you in and disbanded your family? Why they put you in a special bubble for 'research and then sending you off to dear old pops in parts?' It's times like these that she was thankful on learning from charismatic kings and heroes. Thankful that she had attain the mental willpower to not buckle under her personal darkness. But if she were to be honest with herself. Her subconscious was right. The assassination and even the monastic orders have long been degraded. Amziel was a disease ridden animal gasping for air. Extinction...would've been merciful. And that's a cold hard fact. No matter how much she dresses it in emotional language. She was a thrice-over savior of Ishnar history. Not Angelarium. 'There's no logical reason to care for Angelarium.' At this point she had long comes to terms that she was never fighting for a world. But to not disappoint her former family. In the end, she knew that what had saved her from more misery. So it might be true that the world don't deserve a ounce of her compassion. It takes strength to resist the easy way down into hatred. "You're correct. It's a sad proof." These scars are proof of it. "In fact there came a time where I would've been of the same mindset with the Highlord." She continued in a gloomy mood. The distant gaze was reminisce of the one she gave after she was shot through the stomach. She snap her gaze away to get rid of her lingering moodiness. Turning her head to the side. Giving a small smile to Tarset determination. "No worries. It would be fun to learn something together!"

Lady Kissa was quite aware there was something of concern going on now, given his reactions to what information she brought herself. She then decided to ask a question, "You said we're the first folk you've seen in a long time. I'm going to assume you've not had visitors for a long time, and perhaps you're figuring out why now. As for the area of space, it's on a world named Angelarium, inhabited by Amziel as a species. We know it is from old Ishnar, if that helps." She was curious to see why this was of such concern to the ferryman, and so watched closely for his reaction to each word.

---

Tarset of course could not be aware of Heulyn's internal battle of willpower as she faced down her memories and voices inside her mind. Though she could get glimpses into this struggle based on the body language and tone of the Amziel woman. That stare she recognized, the quick snapping, and turned head spoke to her of some internal conflict within Heulyn. For the Lady-Lord, it was simply a shame she didn't know what exactly it was, as that could let her try and help. But for now, she was happy that there was agreement, and her determined smile grew a bit, "Excellent! Then that is what we shall do when we return home. Erhm, well, my home. Sorry... But still! That shall be the plan. Should be approved, since we can train in safety, and the Empire will be mostly concerned about keeping me safe. They'll see this as just a convenient way to keep me under watch. Works out anyways." She was smiling now, pleased at the prospect of the near future.

"Of your kind I mean." He corrected in a polite manner. Giving a simple nod to the answer. "I know the Amziel very well, my normal passengers in fact but not from this world." Giving a small sigh he placed his hands in his pockets. "The reason this makes me worry is due to the nature of this world. To explain, the Ishnar are still alive and kicking in most likely a very distant region of space. For if they had in the past colonized 'Angelarium' they would have need to transverse astronomical distances. Millions upon millions of lights years of distance. I find it rather hard to believe that they would have spared the effort to go that far out. Which leads me to the thought that this appearance of Amizelean on a world so far from their ilk may be related to someone I had heard of. The amziel Taimat. Does that name ring any bell?"

---

"Hehe it's okay." The pressure in the back of her skull subsided. Her episode seemly passing much quicker than the last one. A good sign she thought. It wouldn't do for her to be shackled in her darkness and remaining stagnant, never growing past her trauma. She gave a nod in understanding of the need to keep her safe. The attack on Angelarium would put any empire on edge with the safety of their rulers. "I look forward to it as well. It'll be good for me to get back into studying thaumaturgy." A productive brain was a healthy brain she was told once. That and she somewhat became a bit erudite during her employment at the organization. Okay she's a full erudite but not to the degree of her friend Albrecht. He's a utter workaholic to the point that it made her look lazy in comparison.

Lord Kissa considered that, finding it quite interesting that there was apparently a whole different den of Ishnar very far away that was still alive. Very curious indeed, something to look into for later if they got the chance. But there was the matter at hand now to attend to, and so she nodded to Chesron, "Yes it does. Tiamat was the name of an individual rather involved apparently with the event that seemed to have reforged and terraformed Angelarium. The event that brought in Iammelon to occupy a section of the planet to restore order. Same section we found the Necropolis in, actually! But I'm going to surmise then that, by your confusion, Tiamat must be a cause for why you are unaware of Angelarium's existence, and why there is Amziel in a location they should not be according to your information. But I can assure you, they are. We have a couple on our teams here, in fact. Well, in the Necropolis, I mean. They're taking well to Iammelonian life." She had to wonder now what would have happened if she came down with some Amziel, like her assistant Heulyn before she was taken off planet. Lady Kissa did miss her, but this was for her own safety and that of the Lady-Lord. Unimportant matter however, so she refocused to the task at hand, "Still, care to explain the relevance of the name Tiamat from what you know yourself?"

---

Tarset was rather pleased that Heulyn seemed to be improving, which to her did indicate that it was good for her to get away from Angelarium for a time. So the Lady-Lord smiled, "Ah, good, good! Then we are in agreement! Guess then we just have to finish our journey. Ipwet will be in the capital, I'm sure. High Lord Sethus would also normally be there, but considering the situation he is likely off working with Tyfrondor right now to direct the war effort. He's not a passive ruler, he'd never accept sitting back at home when he feels he must be taking action! Hehe, but still, we have a bit more time before the shuttle arrives." She stood up from her seat, stretching a bit, and then turned back to Heulyn, "Which I suppose means there is time for a question or two! I'll ask you, and then you ask me! Here goes, what's your honest stance on the triple power control of Angelarium? You know, the Firstborn, Delmah, and Iammelon!"

Chesron took an intake of air at the relaxation that Tiamat is around. “Yeah. Yeah that’s bad.” He plainly stated. Hands lowered in a steeple position he let out a small sigh at trying to wrap around this discovery. “To start from the beginning for you to give context. Tiamat used to be a Welkin. A cultural title for cosmic beings that have a sphere of influence over a domain. In fact I’m a Welkin myself, I govern over Boundaries and Territories. Hence why I ferry the dead. Now, the reason why Welkin is a cultural term is because not all Welkin came from the same place in the universe. Now this is where the Ten Houses of Ana'hosas comes into this. Each household is not dynastic, rather it’s more of a fancier term culture group. To use myself as an example again, I'm a part of House Coriariena. Before we became a part of Ana’hosas and started looking after the Ishnar we looked over two different races. Other houses are similar, having came from entirely different regions of the universe and had converse with different species. Now. House Anfauglir is the house that most of us call the House of Origin due to being the first house to be made and draw us all together. What makes them special is that they are the guardians of Amizelean. Having stood watch over the Ishnar for countless generations. So how this ties everything in is that Tiamat used to be a Anfauglir. But not anymore. Oh no. Tiamat did...quite a few bad deeds to put it simply. Don’t know exactly what given that entire situation is way above my pay grade but I did hear of the aftermath. Not only was Tiamat denounced and banished to forever wander the universe. But she was also forcibly stripped of her transcendence. Reducing her to a mortal Amziel. So, after that whole shebang it has been so long that we have for the most part forgotten about Tiamat. Figuring that she finally died or what not. Given that’s not the case than it’s both in our best interest to have a better understanding of everything here before this leaks out to Anfauglir. They’re the only House who would not be happy to hear about Tiamat unfortunately.”

---

So it was like a game of twenty questions. She like the sound of it given there are a lot of things to talk about. A smile appear on her lips in gigginess. It was very much a girl thing to do that she has not done in a long while. Women by nature are more sociable than men. Meaning they like to talk a lot. They talk about life, they talk about love, they talk about each other. They talk about the weather, they talk about movies and music, they talk about the enormous magical disasters that threaten their world. Sharing stories in a circle with their sleepwear on and passing around snacks. Those were good times. A pleasant respite away from the daily routine of working around the organization and rayshifting across history. Slivers of time where she can act as a normal young girl.”I like the sound of that!” She exclaimed before getting into a thinking pose.

“Mmm” It was a hard question. She has more loyalty to places than Outremer. And she hardly spent much time with the latter. When she did, it was not usually a good time. The funny thing is. After seeing prosperous civilizations. Outremer becomes paler in comparison the more she sees the many faults in it. A rapid animal stuck in a corner that does everything to try to survive. Even if the short lived civil war never happened, she had the feeling that they would have fallen into anarchy. “Like you said, Amizelean was deep in the spiral of their own destruction. I don’t think they would have lasted long without outside help. So I’m glad that help did come. Besides that, I don’t really have a strong opinion on the triple nations themselves. Speaking of which this is my question. What’s the war about? I was pretty much out in the hospital so I did not hear much of the news.” A thought came to mind if that’s why Lady Kissa send her away. To be safe from the war. But she had a feeling that war may reach the dunes of Tombuiorn either way. Such is the nature of warfare.

Lady Kissa found that certainly interesting, guessing that these Welkin were just a race of powerful mages or psionics. Races like theirs, such as the Psions, often overestimated themselves in the universe and called themselves more than what they really were, or at least that's what Lady Kissa surmised. Regardless their bunch seems have to divided itself into a number of groups, houses in this case, as per their culture. Still, it was interesting to hear about, and was something that would have to be looked into, later at least. Right now the relevant actor was this Tiamat, who she knew to still be alive, although as far as Lady Kissa remembered she was off with the Delmah, "Tiamat is of course not dead. As far as I know, she's quite alive and off working with one of the occupying powers of Angelarium besides Iammelon, the nation that I personally hail from. As far as I know, the world was somewhat reborn, but there was present life active on the world before that reset. Perhaps I'll have to seek out Solgaleo's assistance in explaining that part. Hm, actually, does her name ring a bell either?"

---

Tarset was indeed looking for a simple time to talk and act normal, although she lacked the same memories of such times as Heulyn had, being a noble. And being the heir to a very important family made it even more pressing for her life to be somewhat more controlled, so the experience of laying in a circle in sleepwear telling stories was something she lacked, although she did want. So it was very nice she was getting a chance for such, smiling widely as Heulyn indulged her, "I do suppose you haven't seen much of the civilizations, given the time! Perhaps I'll ask again later once you've gotten to know Iammelon better! See how the answer changes." Then she paused, to consider the question. Lady Tarset did get an update while Heulyn was resting, and had been watching the buildup, so she delivered her interpretation of the war's cause and reasonings, "Ah, well, from what I know this is a war of direction. Iammelon has been in a sort of political limbo for a very long time now, a bit more than a thousand years! As one might guess however, things have been boiling up in that time, political directions forming with their own supporters. Things have finally hit the breaking point. Iammelon is split into two, with two different factions for what our future should look like. The Union and the Confederacy. The Confederacy, the ones who attacked us, compose mostly Iammelon's East, and believes that Iammelon should become a Confederation of its various internal states, each with a great deal of autonomy, with the various states having the most sway. The Union, which the Anubite Empire has sided with, stands opposed to them. It prefers a more Federal model, with a powerful central government overseeing the country, built upon a mostly Republican view of having the people of Iammelon decide their fate, rather than the elite of their various planets and countries working together. It is effectively a battle for if Iammelon is a Union of Iammelon States, or a Union of Iammelonian People, with the Confederacy as the former and the Union as the latter. Although, it does get more complicated in certain places. There is a great deal of war for personalities involved too, given that Monrio and Tyfrondor lead  each time, and both quite the powerful deal of personal force to their respective side of the conflict. Although I suppose you don't know who those two are yet. But first, let me ask another question. Do you believe there is ever a just reason for war?"

"Hmm can't say I do. Though her name does sound Zeidaenan. Actually now you got me thinking of something. A good long while ago there has been a story passing around about a roaming band of people that travel the great void. Supposedly each of them came from either fallen nations and/or species that died out. Connecting the dots I think Tiamat may have found her way to them and that how she got to this world." He hypothesizes to Lady Kissa. This was a better scenario than Tiamat working on her own because there are not many like minded folks who can agree with her beliefs. Meaning if she were to do anything the other travelers would have stopped her. If only he knew how spot on he was with this assumption. Clasping his hands together he appear to have become more relaxed. "Worst case scenario possibly ruled out aside. I wager you got a plethora of more questions for me. I can tell that you're not the type walk away from something new." He joked. The Anubites truly gave off the vibe of wanting to explore the unknown, understand it, and record it.

---

Heulyn nodded in agreement to what Tarset said in regards to her answer changing over time. She only gotten a good week of cultural study and that was only for the Anubite Empire. It dawned on her in the first hour how large 200,000+ years worth of history is. With that in mine and thinking about other cultures, it truly boggles the mind of how immeasurable galactic history is. It gives her a sense of sonder when she browse the many history pages. So she defiantly needs time and experience to truly make solid opinions. Her thoughts is further validated as she listen to the reasoning behind the war. Not knowing who she would side with. It was slightly amusing to her as the reasoning relates to Tarset current question. That and there is a element of personal bias in the form of elitist/monarchist sympathizes. But she's self-aware enough to know that legendary rulers are hard to come by. All that it takes to soil a reign is one bad egg to bring it all down. From the many conversations she had with servants it was harder to come up with a solid response. But that's a ironic thing now she thinks about it. It was hard to respond because there is no absolute answer. Just like with war. "From my understanding...there's no absolute answer to that. Just as there is no true basis for universal morality. The duality and hypocrisy of the individuality prevents a White vs. Black scenario. Reality is shades of grey in which I think people don't know how to deal with so they come up with their own rationalization that they are in the right. To make a quick analogy lets bring in the Anubite Equilibrium. From an emotional (or moral may be more correct) standpoint, it's wrong to feed souls to Gluttony to be lost forever. But on the logical standpoint it's right. For the universe is in balance." There was also elements of individuality vs. collectivism that that related to her thought process but she felt she will get side tracked when she rambles on for too long. "To be plain it's hard. There's not any truths on war." She concluded her answer with a small sigh. For how many wishes and dreams did she trample on to ensure that her friends can see they bright blue sky once more? In the end she admits to herself that she was somewhat Nihilistic, Just not stupid and defeatist about it. Nothing has inherent meaning, meaning is assigned to things. "I suppose my next question is who is Monrio and Tyfrondor?" For while she did research a bit on Iammelon aside from the Anubites, she does not know the important folks in the rest of Iammelon.

Lady Kissa wondered now what the implications of being "Zeidaenan" were. Perhaps they'd have to ask her later, to get extra information. But for now, she stuck with Chesron, and his hypothesis made sense to her, as well as being one that wasn't too dangerous to Angelarium and Iammelon. So it was a worst case scenario out of the way. Now that she could continue without worrying they had stumbled on something of immense danger, the Anubite smiled at his already forming knowledge of Anubites, "Heh, you are quite correct, I am not done with questions yet. So, if you are a Welkin then, I suppose I must ask a few things based on that. First you said you were a ferryman for the dead to some city. Is this city inhabited by Ishnar and Welkin? Or do Welkin all fulfill specific purposes rather than having a simple civilian base? Second, you spoke of Zeidaenans, is that a house? Third, do Welkin have any central leadership? Or is authority separated between all the houses instead of bowing to one ruling house or individual?"

---

Lady Tarset nodded along to Heulyn's interpretation on war, as well as of course her speak on morality in general. She understood that analogy very well indeed. So, she gave a final nod, "Yes, that is what I believe as well. War is something so great and common, so varied in reasoning and context, that it is impossible to assign it as universally evil, universally good, or even any sort of universal moral classification. It is all dependent on the individual circumstances of the individual war, and judgement must be applied to each war in itself rather than on the concept itself. And since that encompasses so much... There is no absolute answer indeed." She smiled, since while it was a bit somber of an answer, Tarset was the sort who believed you had to accept certain realities in order to get anywhere. There was little progress in being blind to reality. Though even then, she felt she had much to learn on that front, being so sheltered for her life. All she could gleam were the lessons she learned from history textbooks, and the brief experience she had, but as Heulyn would've seen in the assassination attempt she still had a lot left to be experienced before she was really ready. Still, for the question, she nodded, "Ah yes, I did name drop them. Only fair I explain the significance. Now, Monrio and Tyfrondor are two of the most important figures in Iammelon. Monrio was the CEO of Omnipo, and now the leader of the Confederacy in addition to that. He's an interesting man, being a younger human who has taken on quite the mantle. Ambitious and intelligent, he also has a rather clear set of demons to him. But certainly a far better person than his father was. Still, he's the mastermind of the Confederacy, and the prime enemy, given that his personality and strength of character is what is keeping the varied forces of the Confederacy united. Meanwhile, Tyfrondor is the Grand Drake of Heord, leader of the Dragons, and the CEO of Excave. He is also now the Interim President of the Iammelonian Union, making him the leader of our side in the war. He is somebody I do respect, being a benevolent yet firm leader. It's not a wonder he similarly is the strength of character and personality that urges the Union onwards. He's a very pragmatic person, and balances that with his kindness, although he is a bit worrying in some aspects. He is rather forceful, and his cult of personality is particularly dangerous, given that he has an entire species of warriors at his beck and call. Combine that with his stern and forceful attitude, and it is easy to see why one may worry about him becoming a tyrant. Now, with that said, my question! Did you have any figures like those two back on Angelarium? And are they still around?"

At this point he was a bit regretting enabling them. Preferring to have just taken them to his boss. A prospect that was impossible of a few levels. One being he does not ferry the living across the river expect for extremely rare circumstances. Second being that his boss is not the type to like it when people shove their problems on his desk. So he has to bite the bullet and tolerate what may be hours of questioning. Stroking his chin he began answering the questions given. "Κάτω Κόσμος is definitely a big city. And that's not including the space around it. As mentioned each House of Welkin came from different parts of space. Before Anfauglir became involved with with the wider universe we mainly interacted with the Zeidean and Drachidae species (Which is why I said Solgaleo sounded Zeidaen) till they died out. So the city has a mixed population. As for other Welkin in the city there are only three. Lord Aïdōneús who is my boss. His chief assistant Hekatos. And lastly you got Aïdōneús lieutenant, Pethaíno. " He listed the names in a warm manner. Suggesting that he does hold his colleague in good graces. "Would be nice if I finally got my raise." He quip in a joking manner before brushing it off. "Hah ignore that. That's a small running joke between Aïdōneús and I."

Putting his hands into his pockets he continues with the rest of Kissa questions. "As for concentration we're very much spread out. Doing their respective jobs, having personal cliques with other Welkin, and 'in general' have a somewhat hands off approach with the Ishnar. Organization wise it's somewhat based on oligarchic and republic principles. There's many united councils and the like but for the most part each house keeps it to themselves. Each house has their own internal structure partly due to the reason that each House of Welkin coming from different places and as a result have different cultures. As for bowing to a higher power there is, she's the one to have brought all the Welkin together in the first place due to some misusing their innate talents. For context the word Welkin also comes from a exotic energy substance in which all Welkin were born from. Now at the time many of us did not know that. So it's no surprise when some had gotten it to their heads when they compare themselves to other species that they are 'divine'. Spoiler alert! we're not. We do bleed after all. Anyhow she, she being Aoanno saw the growing imbalance and went to fix it. After that she made the House system. Then she somewhat became a distant observer. Can't say I know much about her really. I don't think any of the House Lords talk to her often We do know that she's not a Welkin by any means."

---

She rub the back of her neck in ponder of the question. That was a complicated one she thought. "Well firstly I've never met anyone outside of Chuaulkuau so I can't say in that regard. The only interaction I had with people like them are with my Servants. Since my friend and I had to make up for all the dead Masters we contracted with hundreds of spirits. Legendary heroes, inventors, poets, assassins, pioneers, mages, mercenaries, and kings alike. And that's not mentioning the other weird variants. It's...a sight to see so many individuals from varying cultures and beliefs managing to put aside their differences to work together. Apparently my friend and I were really good at keeping things calm. Even some of the Servants told us that we had something unique in managing to ensure 'tranquility' even with the most vile of Servants. With that said, there are some that we had bonded closer to than others. But in general we were blessed to see the perspective and philosophy behind many great figures. It really showed us how context is important in History. While some of the Servants might have been Tyrannical, but for the time, it was the norm and what was expected of the time period they lived in. Or are viewed Tyrannical from a perspective in morality or philosophy. King Goljaumush was one such Servant. First King of Amzeilean and the Oldest Hero. He's egotistical, arrogant, and greedy. But the thing is, he's fully self-aware of it. He chose to be the antagonist for he loves Amzeilean and wants them to shine. His personality is more complicated but plainly put, he's one that I'm happy to call King with devotion rather than out of respect. It goes back to what I said about black and white morality. People would just take a glance at Goljaumush and call him a evil tyrant without bothering to delve deeper. Because it's easy for people to paint in absolute. To build more on this let backtrack to something I was thinking about. Collectivism vs Individualism. If the we went back in time and partook in Goljamush court. And see a group of people come in. A noble, a merchant, a commoner, and a slave. Which one will the tyrant king kill? No one. Because they each have a purpose in society. He believes progress at the cost of the individual is better for the collective, it lowers the amounts of threats possible and bring us ever closer to the future that Goljamush saw when Amzeilean has dominated the stars. This solidifies aziel's position and makes it so that there are less and less threats to him until there are none. It is the best way to ensure the survival of the collective, its knowledge and its further advancement but at the cost of happiness of the individual. And you lose something core to mankind. On the other side, the individualist believes that it may be better for amziel to live in blind happiness, unaware of the things that wait for him beyond the stars. Blind happiness is the greatest thing in the world, since you have no worry. Yet you lose amzielean's collective drive for progress, its desire to constantly improve goes away if there is no reason to improve. You lose something core to amzielean. In the end, I tend to be drawn to the more gray morality in leaders like King Goljamush. There's plenty of other rulers to talk about. But nothing that exactly fits Monrio and Tyfrondor fold I don't think. It has been awhile since I last saw my Servants." She concluded on a somber conclusion before perking up to move past it. "With that in mind did you ever meet any interesting spirits?" It was interesting to think of what it would've been like to live in a world of Servants. To have grown up with them for all their life.

Chesron was indeed correct in that he was enabling them, and it was very fortunate he was only dealing with one curious Anubite Lord. Dealing with multiple talkative ones would've been quite a bit worse for him, given the situation. A lot of them meant a lot of questions, and it was hard to escape a group of Lord with powerful mystic abilities. But thankfully, it was only Lady Kissa, a more polite Anubite. So it would only be a moderate flood of questioning for him to deal with. As for Kissa, she was listening closely, taking mental notes on these Welkin, finding it interesting that there were only three of them in the city overall. Seemed they knew eachother well enough however, given that they had running inside jokes, but it answered her question well enough as she got an idea of how Welkin functioned. They didn't seem to be a very populous people, but quite involved with others. This Aoanno was interesting if she was apparently not a Welkin herself, yet was the one who organized their houses then that added a third level of species relations to this. Very intriguing, getting a nod from Lady Kissa, "Interesting, if this Aoanno is an observer now. But if she is not Welkin, then what is she? Very curious. Still, this is a nice insight. But I suppose I must ask one more thing. If the Ishnar still live, and through here there is a connection to them, I suppose then it would be a bit odd to just leave this sort of limbo. It'd be interesting if this could be used to gleam more information with more time, but as I would not want to force anything on you I'll instead ask if it would be possible to send messages? Or any other way to get more formal communications?"

---

Lady Tarset listened closely to Heulyn as she explained the various spirits, or Servants as she called them. It was interesting to hear the variation in sorts they brought back for such a role, and found it very interesting that Heulyn got to know many of their kind's old leadership and heroes. It wasn't too foreign to her, as she was an Anubite and they did this themselves, but it was interesting to hear other cultures were capable of it. Of course, if the High Lord heard that, it would not last, she knew, given what Heulyn had said earlier about them not often being well treated by those who summoned them back. Still, it was a good deal of insight, as Heulyn spoke, of the many times gray truth of heroes and villains in history. People had reasons for what they did, sometimes these reasons were just and distorted later, or were bad at first and simply ended in a way that benefited everyone. It was all a mix, and could only be truly deciphered from meeting the person yourself. And of course one had to consider as Heulyn mentioned things like collectivism and individualism impressing themselves on people at any such time. Although she wasn't quite as believing of "dominating the stars", given that such a thing had cleared not happened. The Anubites would know, and the only ones to ever do that in any meaningful way was Elis. Still, she nodded, "Interesting sort, this Goljaumush. But it does seems you're right that nobody fits their exact mold perfectly. One day perhaps we'll see if we can talk to these servants! I'm sure Anubite methods can call on them as well."

She was smiling, and then clapped her hands, nodding, "Now then, as for your question, I have met a fair few! I met the primogenitor of my family! Lord Ultimset Suerankh, that is. A lord of minor rank from Aluxandri, he was from the time before Spirit Mystics. Nonetheless, he lead an expedition that discovered the great tomb complex of the Anubite that founded Aluxandri in the first place! He studied it greatly and brought back many important findings and knowledge thought lost, and so he was given wealth and power. He cast off his old family, declaring his new family name as Suerankh, and starting the family tradition of unearthing knowledge of the past. Became quite relevant once spirit channeling was discovered! I met his spirit, and he was a very stern sort, short-spoken and clear. But very proud of what his own family accomplished! He was a bit rough, but he encouraged me as a child to treat my role seriously! Oh, and somebody else interesting that I met was my great grandfather's brother. A Suerankh who lacked spirit channeling like me, but was a great leader of warriors! Not common for my family to take on military matters, but speaking to him I found that he was very kind and understanding. Not bloodthristy as I originally thought. He was just the sort to believe that a stern hand is needed in order to ensure knowledge is safeguarded. And it was from him that I learned the reality that nothing can be perfectly black and white, but also not to despair at this. Perhaps I should try and meet him again... Maybe he'll know better how to handle this war." Her ears slumped a bit, thinking about the war, but then they went back up, "But my questions now! Uh, hm... Let's see, how about this. It's a little embarrassing, but I've never been able to ask anybody this, and so it's a little girlhood dream of mine... Have you ever had a boyfriend? If so, what was it like?" There was innocence in the Lady-Lord's eyes, which implied she was asking this because she hadn't the faintest clue on anything regarding the subject. In truth, she was asking for the reason she said, a girlhood dream to ask a friend at a slumber party about crushes. It was something she saw in clips and movies, and so she thought it was something that had to be asked. And, of course, she was simply curious.

“There’s a few theories here and there. Mostly speculation. The general census is that she’s some form of higher power.” He throws the guess out there. Chesron is not the sort to mingle with other Welkin all that often. Mainly keeping it to the underworld. As a result, he can be a bit out of the loop at times. “Heh, no worries about pressing me to do things.” He brushes off the concern. He is a Ferryman first but close behind that he’s good at giving people directions. “Besides I’m not surprised that you want to meet them. Contacting them is easy, the tricky part is developing a passageway. While this place is connected to thirty-six other grave complexes on numerous worlds they are still in use. So we can’t use them as metaphorical highway between Angelarium and them. Hmm let me think. I could rewire Angelarium line to pop out in Supmylo Fortress. It’s the main residence for my House on the Ishnar throne world. Our appearance won’t make much fuss from the other Welkin living there. So you don’t have to worry about that. As a bonus the fortress is situated near the Ishnar administration building complex.”

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Heulyn nod in introspection. “Thinking about it. I guess it goes to show why those who try to live up to another person image fail. Because they are not that person. Focusing too much of being another person than being who they are. Moniro is Moniro and Tyfrondor is Tyfrondor.” She muse as she recalled the days that she try to mimic the traits of others but fell short. It took time for her to make her own identity among the great. “It would be nice to meet them again.” She started in a solemn manner. “We did not really had a proper goodbye. Even had something planned a week later to commemorate the bonds we forged by performing a Palingenesis ritual. A process to incarnate Servants out of their class vessel into self-sustainable living bodies with no need to rely on another mana source to exist. They would’ve been free and could have lived a second life. The process took only one Holy Grail, basically a highly concentrated clump of mana. At the time we collected 80 of them over the course of our journey. In hindsight...I could see why the Association clamped down on us. The thought of us having an army of spirits was horrifying. But an army of free and loose Servants who have a permanent existence was probably even more terrifying. They don’t see Servants as beings with emotions and thoughts. All they saw was us having a band of dangerous tools of mass destruction.” A sigh escaped her in her lament. But held a sparkle of hope in her eyes. Anubite magic may be the key in bringing their family back together.

Personal sorrows aside she listen to Tarset tale of her ancestors. Feeling empathetic to Tarset situation on wanting advice from those who know more than her. There are many things that she had relied on her Servants on. Whether it be how to handle stress, loss of friend, bloodshed, and other dark themes of life that she was forced to bear. Her deep thoughts were abruptly broken by the next question. A blush rising to her cheeks much to her embarrassment. Mentally unprepared to be asked such a seemingly innocent question after how this conversation was going. Getting herself together she gave a bashful grin as her eyes wander away. Her hand rubbing her arm. It was silly of her to act this way yes. It’s not the first time she talked about boys with the girls. But that was with Servants. Not actual people aside from Matthew. The principle was different. “Here and there. I had my fair share of infatuations.” A Servant existence was transient and due to the nature of class vessels they were copies of the original spirit origin. So they were much more willing to ‘share’ than they would if they were still alive. This alongside with her poor self-esteem of having the fear of being a poor Master. Intimate relationships were common in her room. And that’s not even including the situation with mana transferring. Thinking on it out of all the Servants there were six that she considered to have the closest bonds with. “Love...is a tricky subject for me.” Mostly because it’s a sensitive subject for her but she won’t spoil Tarset mood. “You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly. That what it felt with most of my relationships. Yaemya especially.” She trails off trying to determine the next thing to say. “I think...the most important thing to know about love, is that forgiveness is the final form of love.” A small, bittersweet smile graced her lips. “Like when they leave your life. In which you realized just how much you lived for them. Of how they became your sole reason to live.” Not wanting to get too dark for Tarset she shifts gear to give her next question. “Sooo~” Her tone became more girlish. “Since we’re talking about boys now. What are the Anubite courting rituals?”