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

The outside world seems to become distant when they enter the pyramid. Eyes widen in shock upon seeing the viscera scene. The loss of life is something to never become easy to shrug off to. So even if she had seen death ad infinitum. Her heart will always grieve for the departed.

Despite her legs feeling like lead there was something stirring within with her, she was compelled to dismount her former teacher who gave her a look of caution but did not stop her. A bit in shock and bewilderment she stepped forward but remained behind Sethus. Thoughts rushing through her heads a hundred miles as she tries to process everything that is happening.

Being called a beast and science experiment didn’t bother her. The first was understandable. No one usually sees a rider coming in on a centaur with a crown of starlight upon her brow, holding a torch-staff, and being to pull out an army out of thin air.

From another person's perspective that is horrifying.

The second while said in a different context still hit home for a different reason. In the last months she has been musing over the nature of her locked memories. Entertaining wild ideas for what may have befell upon here. After all she enjoys indulging in the unknown. To read about urban tales and listen to thrilling plays. But she came to an idea that stuck to her. That the more she thought on it the more it felt right.

She did this to herself.

There was nothing that suggested it but she felt at peace with it. Perhaps there is merit to the saying that no one knows the person better than themselves. So who to say that is why her past self set up this system. If she were to take a step back and look at everything from a perspective of a scientist. A pattern would emerge. If she were to take out her romantic view of life for a pragmatic one. What she once thought was a sad thing to forget was outweighed by the fact that it was better that she didn’t at all.

She is not special. There is no special bloodline, no strange abilities, no abnormal traits. She was a plain third-rate magnus that got kicked out of the family. It was the things she did that made her special. And looking back on her life, she could see an important connection. She goes from nothing to something again and again. Something she wouldn’t be able to do if it wasn’t authentic.

In a way it was a long term social experiment for a variety of concepts ranging from nature vs. nurture, relationship between society and morality, value of civil liberties, and even the nature of enlightenment.

As a philosophical individual she can easily see herself undertaking such a journey upon herself which fuels the belief that she put this all on herself. Wanderlust was always a strong core of what she is as seen with how much she can relate to Proscorians. It wasn’t hard to imagine a life in Proscore.

No, what made her mind race were the words the mad scion preach upon the sarcophagus. Her knuckles whiten as she gripped her torch-staff. Face distorting not in indignation but frustration due to empathy. This was not a scene of a mad man. It was an act from a desperate soul who believed he was alone. Because she had witnessed such a tragic play numerous times before.

Metal struck stone as she slammed her staff. Tongues of fire lash out of the cone in anger. Amber-gold eyes gave off an inner glow. “Are...this isn’t about the title is it!? It’s important sure but that’s not what this is all about! That is not what this whole coup is about!” And she knew it! There was something off about everything surrounding it!

“Let’s say you know something big! You can’t tell it to anyone because no one will believe! They will think you’re crazy! So the logical next step was to secure a position to make your voice heard! Or rather take it because you believe you’re the only one who can solve this so you’re taking it upon yourself!” She could see so much of herself in him that she almost shudder. He was a dark mirror in a sense. Before her was someone that she was very likely to have become if she never got the help she needed. An outsider that no one will believe.

“All of this needless bloodshed could have been avoided if you were just willing to talk about it! You can never know who will listen to you if you never even try! It took me years to talk about my problems to the mystics! And there are even more I haven’t touched upon yet! I confessed to things borderline heretical! I talked about my bonds with monsters and killers as if they were friends! I spoke about the worlds I condemned to save my own! Yet here I stand not locked away in a mental institution!” Her voice rang with pity. Regretting that she chose to focus on Sucali all those years ago instead of Nerotep. She wishes she could have made a better choice. But she knew It helps no one to wail about past choices.”I took the leap of faith. I open my heart knowing the risk that I could be hurt again. I choose not to be alone. Even if it may have brought me pain.”

Shuffling back to be in formation with Hathur and the rest of the mystics she squared up. The grand climax of Nerotep’s story was about to begin. “I had a friend once who taught me an important lesson. ‘To take a life is no easy task nor should it ever become easy. To take a life is to take away any good that individual may impart upon the world and this cannot be quantified. When one acts with empathy and compassion, comforting a small child is equal in magnitude to ending a war. Karma does not care for the breadth and width of a good act. All that matters is that you do more good on balance to the bad you commit. Should a time come that you must take a life, consider if you do this act out of empathy for your fellow kin or the lie of necessity.’”

She gestures to the room stained with gore. “For necessity is the death of morality.”

Nothing more was said. For that spoke all she needed to hopefully get across. Nerotep words reached her. That much was true. But he fell far too deep to extend a helping hand. There are crimes that he needs to answer for. Despite her silent response, she remains true to herself to the end. Otherwise she would be nothing more than a hypocrite if she doesn’t try. “Stand down Nerotep! I know that somewhere deep inside of you there is only something who only tries to do the right thing! We’re not here to kill you!” It was a long shot she knew. But she could leave her knowing she tried to reach out to him. “You are coming home.” Those were her last words before her mana flared up around her in preparation. Dimmer than normal considering all the Servants she’s maintaining. Holding her staff before her she was ready. Having listened to Hathur before on tactics they would be doing.

Sethus smiled as he heard Heulyn speak, as he rather approved of the sentiment she had in this instance. Nerotep was an extremely troubled person, it was clear, based on something he felt he knew and had to do something about himself. Something that was confirmed as he curled up his fists, his calm voice from before now starting to break with clear frustration bleeding in, "I am doing the right thing, because I am the only one who can do this! This has never been about titles or thrones, never! I was raised a Yuya, a defender of this Empire! And in my blood is that of the Rwims, the leaders of this Empire! It is my duty by blood to take on its struggles, to carry everything upon my shoulders! I must be true to both my obligations, I will defend this Empire and lead it against that which manipulates our entire being from the shadows! I am the only one who knows, the only one who can do something about it! This Empire is everything to me, and if I have to I will gladly surrender everything to save it! This is the only necessity that matters... That is who I am, true to myself and my purpose! Now stand down and join me, or die!"

As the Yuya finished his final rant, Sethus stepped forward, shaking his head, "Nobody will stand down, Nerotep. If you do not surrender, we will take you in and figure out what has driven you so mad for ourselves! But we can work with you, I wish to defend this Empire as well! Just please, surrender, give up this mad battle!"

Nerotep shook his head fiercely, his voice taking on a dark tone, "No... No... That's not how this goes. I will not surrender! The story doesn't end with me losing, the Anubite Empire must live on eternally, it has to! So I will not have my war be fought in vain! These deaths will mean something, you'll see! I'll drag your souls along to watch me save this Empire, and bear witness to truth!" With that, Nerotep finally stopped speaking, and stopped allowing for any further speech. The floating Anubite Skulls around him suddenly spread out as he flung his arms out, their eyes glowing a dark green, before they unleashed a barrage of beams of pure spiritual energy. Nerotep himself suddenly conjured to himself a staff, made of spiritual energy, and charged at Sethus. The High Lord counter-charged, and the two clashed, the floor under them cracking from the pressure. Meanwhile, the skull beams suppressed the rest of the Mystics, who were forced to throw up barriers to protect themselves. One such beam was aimed squarely at Heulyn.

She tried to get out words but was cut off by the ghostly ray of power. She instinctively went through the motions to pull up a barrier of her own. Green energy slam against a blue wall. Sparks of magic crackle outward from the grinding forces of mana. The air tense as magic collides violently in the room. She could almost see the air itself wobbling.

“Y-you don’t think I know how that feels?!” She cried out. Her voice almost drowned out by the ongoing battle around her. Her feet started to slip from the pressure but was saved by the presence of a hand on her hand. Glancing over her shoulder she could see her former teacher.

Warm emotions beat in her chest.

Looking back through the glares of magic to the two lords locked in combat she became all the more aware of what Nerotep is missing. “It’s lonely! To feel the weight of billions and feel like you’re the only one to make everything right! And you want to know something!? I came from nothing! I wasn’t born of high status! I don’t have a special bloodline! I was a third-rate nobody! I didn’t have any grand destiny! I just happened to be there and came to be the only one able to save the world!” Her Torch-staff thrum with mana. The beam gradually starts to falter as the wall pushes it back. “I. Had. Nothing! And you want to know how I’m still standing here!?”

If the room wasn’t filled with sounds of magical combat one could hear her soul relic vibrating. The shards beating on space-time like mallets on a drum. Potent mana flows into Heulyn’s mana core. Like in that dream all those years. There’s no great rush of power. No cataclysmic detonation that ripples her flesh until it feels like they’re falling off her bones. No cold, empty hunger that slithers through her circuits as it stares out from between the stars. Nothing at all except for the shadow of gentle rays of the sun kissing her skin. Fragrance filling her lungs. All her exhaustion melting away.

As said once before. She has always been an indifferent magi. Her power is not that which stirs the skies, no: she is a conduit for greatness. The whirring mechanism, the lightning-rod, the well-traveled road. The shadow of someone else’s strength.

The door to their own glory.

Fitting, then, the only true piece of magic she can call her own.

Fitting, then, the name it bears.

With a thought, the Key turns.

Before her an azure disk of rippling energy appears on the ground. A chalice of the finest gold arises from it. Holding a prismatic flame that did not radiate heat. But wonders. It was the flame of dreams. The lantern that is capable of displaying miracles that are thought essentially impossible to happen.

Her barrier became fixated. The onslaught no longer caused pressure upon her. Lowering her staff she held her cone to the lantern. The glimmering flame ignites her Torch-staff with fire of the same light. Her hieroglyphics shone a while light. Holding it back up, an aria came from a place she doesn’t remember. An aria that symbolizes the Maiden of the World’s End. She whose works brought upon miracles, she who brought salvation to countless, and ensured the survival of civilizations unto the dawn of the End.

The rainbow flame billows from her Torch-staff as she held it aloft. “You have lived in the darkness of your loneliness and desperation that you have forgotten the most powerful magic of all! You chose sacrifice and necessity! I chose friendship and empathy! Behold, the miracles that can spring fourth from the power of bonds!” Even her voice changed due to the power churning within it. As if she was speaking through a hollow bass booster. Her lips then began to move rapidly. Rapidly chanting a part of her aria not by sound. But by her very soul in a matter of seconds.


There was no dramatic activation of her magic. No grand display of power that shook the fabric of reality. The ground did not heave nor crack. The skies did not crack with lighting. The world did not shudder. All she did was gently plant her Torch-staff on the bloodstained stone.

The luminosity of her flame intensifies to an unfathomable degree. But the glare did not hurt. The room became flooded with its primistic radiance. Even the smallest of shadows were snuffed by the light. Passing through everything unhindered. The shine even reached outside where even Iskandar could see the glow like a rising sun on the horizon.

Every soul that was touched by the flame’s rainbow light felt peace as it washed over them. With it came a vivid vision of the road to their greatest wish. Of course it did not foretell the future. The future can exist only as a waveform that hasn't yet collapsed to a single possibility. Rather it shines a light on the waveform that can lead to that desired future. Paving them a road that they can follow. This is the power of the visionary flame. To bestow onto others the wisdom they need to walk to that ever-distant horizon. As well a glimpse to what lies beyond that blessed horizon.

The effect of the light varied. Yuya soldiers and spirits outside were entranced by the radiance. Unmoving as they experience a sun kissed dream. The skulls that spew forth rays of magic would be lulled back to sleep. Experiencing their days alive as if they were truly there.

Her friends would not be distracted too much by the flame’s light. Its power comes to them in the form of pleasant thoughts that divine steps to that what they wish the most.

Nerotep took the brunt of the effect. Dragging him out of the darkness of the past into the light of the future. Not only would he receive a vivid, potential future. But Heulyn memories that serve as evidence to her claim that friendship has power that none could rival. He saw Heulyn born as a nobody. No special talent, no title to her name, nothing but the clothes on her back.

Yet memories of her triumphs come to him. She brought down foes that many could not, attained knowledge that many never reached. Her foes were mystified of how such an insignificant mortal posed such a threat.

She was so incomprehensible to the higher powers that they often underestimate her or believe it had to be something else other than her. For how can something come from nothing?

The greatest irony was that Heulyn was never doing anything special. She was the same as she always was. How she manages to overcome such odds all come down to something small. A concept so many easily brush off when times get rough.

She was just never alone.

He would then come to a different scene. Standing within the chamber of the First Highlord. Holo-projectors lit up all over the walls. Taking a glance he could instinctively sense that he was seeing something far in the future. Especially when he may look to the center of the room. Projected from the table was a 3-D image of Hoshizora. Specifically the Radiant Nebula where he could see data in boxes connected to it. He could see that the Anubite Empire had greatly grown to heights they many once dreamt of.

Standing near the table were two individuals. One being Anrank Ithrak himself on the other side of the projection. Absentmindedly talking away about a triple-layered conspiracy between some companies. On the other side facing him he could see Heulyn herself standing there looking at the projection. Its blue glow bouncing off her gem-encrusted armbands. Anrak doesn’t seem to be aware of Nerotep’s existence in this vision.

But Heulyn did. Looking over her shoulder to Nerotep with a soft smile. While she still has a youthful face there was that she got a lot older. “Beautiful isn’t? Everything is still here. The Anubite Empire will thrive as it always will. You aren’t going to lose us.” Turning to him she gestures to him over. “Come over here, I want to show you something great.” She beams a smile. The glow of the Anubite Empire became brighter. Overpowering the image of the galaxy and everything else in the room. Obscuring Nerotep’s vision from the sheer brilliance of his people's future.

All the while he could hear Heulyn’s voice upon the gentle breeze. ”All you need to do is take my hand. Let us be friends, my Lord. And walk together to our everlasting days of light.” There was weight in her words. A sense of certainty that if he were to walk down this path. He will see the Anubite Empire return to greatness.

Nerotep would then return to reality. Everything still looked as it had a rainbow filter over it. Heulyn spoke up on more. “Don’t see this as surrendering. But as a truce to focus on the possibility of a larger threat! Your story will not end here Nerotep.” She was genuine as she always was. Her eyes pleading with him.

Sethus jumped back from the locked staves to allow Heulyn's action to occur without being blocked. Nerotep thus was exposed to the full brunt of the visions impacting him. He didn't go lightly, the flame finding the sheer amount of internal boiling anger and resentment resisted being pulled away, not desiring to see anything beyond what it knew. But eventually, the visions were forced in, making Nerotep see Heulyn's view of the future. He was rather bewildered throughout, seeing what appeared to be a rather glorious future, and of course even he had rather immense respect for the First High Lord. He put his arm over his eyes to block the glow, and only put it down when he finally came back to reality.

The rogue Yuya glanced around, visibly confused at the transition and the strange rainbow filter over everything. His floating skulls had calmed, relieving their assault upon the Imperial Mystics. He looked to Heulyn, clenching a hand. He slowly started to extend it outwards, unfolding the hand... And then he quickly shifted. His outstretched hand suddenly unleashed a great blast of spiritual energy, the anger returning to his eyes, hatred burning. The rainbow aura shattered, a dark green aura spreading throughout the room. The Pyramid itself began to grow a dark green as well, and the aura spread outside. The Yuya Soldiers outside were empowered, resuming their battles with a new vigor. The floating skulls returned to their battle, and now the Mystics had a more desperate defense, their barriers struggling. Sethus had to step back to lend his aid to them in order to prevent them from being overwhelmed.

Nerotep, his anger still flowing as he started to rant and yell at Heulyn, hatred obvious in his voice, "You dare!? You, of all people, have the damnable gall to speak of coming from nothing!? The sheer hypocrisy is disgusting! I could stomach it if you did not lie, but you are either unforgivably ignorant or meaningfully deceitful! In either instance, you are not worth working with against the darkness in the shadows! I will not destroy one beast only to allow the rise of another, no! You speak of being nobody, having nothing special? Please, you know that to be a great lie! Look as you were practically gifted with hordes of allies, and you do not even need fear death! You can die and come back again, and grow ever stronger! A soul that remakes itself again and again, you are a science experiment! One that exists for the Manipulator's tests, and one that can never be trusted! And you speak of having nothing, when in reality you have everything! I am perhaps lucky for being born a Yuya, and having the blood of the Rwims in my blood, but that is all I shall ever have! You? You can have whatever you want, if only patient enough! So how are you still standing here? Because you can, you can stand for eternity while all others fade into the darkness! Tell me that I am wrong for understanding the necessity of sacrifice, because I must sacrifice to make a change! Yet you dare to extend your broken world to another, as if everyone can just follow your example without a glimpse of trouble!? Hypocritical beast, you will help me save this Empire in your death, when I finally break the cycle of your soul that empowers the darkness beyond!" With that he simply charged directly at Heulyn, pouncing at her with his hands out and murder in his eyes.

Heulyn wasn’t surprised nor disappointed by the rejection. He truly mirrors her worst moments. That is not something that one can get out of. But those small cracks in his armor gave her hope.

The green aura had no contest from the rainbow. The spell was not a continuous one. Her Torch-flame returns to normal as the chalice retreats back into her vault. She could feel her other treasures within. Many that would be useful but none is needed. For this is not a fight done in magic and steel.

Hearing his crazed rant was expected. She could only imagine all those years of depression finally boiling over. So she couldn’t get too angry at the outlandish claim. Instead she took his bout of venting as a moment to pay attention to the word choice. For those driven by anger are less likely to hold back important information. When she would come to look back on this moment she almost wish she hadn’t.

Not letting his words get under her skin she picked it a part. Finding it perplexing that an Anubite like him would have a negative outlook on death. It almost made her angry. The Anubites were so privileged that it was near sickening.

Despite that Nerotep goes on about how she is eternal. Her brow furrowed. “You’re all eternal as well. You should know that much.” She spoke distantly. On the cusp of learning something that can shatter an Empire.

Yet Nerotep was acting as if there was nothing on the other side but darkness.

Only darkness.

Ice ran through her veins. Eyes widening in shocking realization. No wonder Nerotep was so desperate. If it was that, then it would truly drive any Anubite to madness.

“Oh...oh no.”

It shamed her how conflicted her rush of emotions were. On one end she was celebratory. She was right. And she never hated being so right in her life. Her hands curl into a fist. On the other side she was angry. Letting go of her staff she met Nerotep’s charge. Engaging him in fisticuffs. It wasn’t a grand exchange of power or skill. Just two lonely souls scarred with solitude and manipulation. Venting all their pent up emotions on one another. Lamenting the cold touch of an uncaring universe. Unlike Nerotep however she did not fall into that dark spiral to self-destruction.

As she exchanged blows with the lord she spoke to him. “I’m not a saint! I don’t delude myself that I am ‘good’ and ‘just’. I made hard decisions, sometimes choosing the lesser of two evils. And when I make it, I steel my heart to their pain. And when it is done, grieve for those I could not protect. And once my grief fades, I become better than the woman who failed so I do not feel the same pain again. I never let myself forget what I did or the consequences of my actions. I’m very well aware of the universe we live in! There will be trouble, the road will be rough, but that is what makes everything worth it!”

Seeing the two need this fight to get all their raw emotions out of them. Kheiron went to aid Sethus and the mystics. Not breaking his stride he came to their side. The form the bowman took was utter perfection, as exquisite as the stars in the sky. Every arrow he lets fly is as swift as a shooting star. Clad in the light of the stars his arrows would meet its mark. The tip wasn’t a point for piercing skulls was pointless. So he fired them with the kinetic force required to knock them back.

All the while Heulyn continues to fight the Anubite Lord. “You’re right you know. I’m a beast. I’m not normal in the slightest but I pretend at it. So I make my own code of ethics to never compromise. Without it, I'm predisposed to cruelty.” Exhaustion was not coming to her yet even though they were beating the shit out of each other. “And for clarification! I never said sacrifice in itself is wrong! There’s a difference between sacrifice out of empathy and out of necessity.” It was a minor counter-argument. A bit of a stall tactic to get her head around the attained knowledge.

“So there is only darkness on the other side?” She started. Tone melancholic at the thought of it. “They aren’t there are they?” She spoke that important question to Nerotep.

Nerotep remained quite angered, throwing punches with ferocity and using his claws, trying to cut Heulyn. While constantly striking, he snarled and spoke back, hysteria in his voice, as the proper anger was being conveyed more via his fists, "There are different types of Eternal, and you should realize that! And not all of them are truly forever, not as it stands! Even cutting that out, you really think that's the same? You are not a spirit, you are something different. Sucali is a spirit, and one that shall go on, but he is still dead! Forevermore, he is a ghost. You? You die, and then you live again! No spirit, just another life, again and again! You change, so unnaturally! But I guess that's why you are perfect fodder!"

His tone grew darker, shaking his head as he threw a heavy punch, "Everyone has done wrong, but what are consequences to a soul who doesn't face death? You can't feel real empathy, real grief or pain! It's all a fading illusion to make you think you are normal, but you are not! Are ethics just some game, some ruse you play to have fun!? You speak of empathy, but that's not it at all! You don't understand necessity, not in the same way as people like me or everyone else! You can talk so big because it doesn't matter for you, you get do-overs! I have one soul, one chance, one name! And I have to make it count!"

Similarly, Nerotep showed no signs of tiring, though that was down to two reasons. His flaring emotions, and the amount of spiritual power currently coursing through him. His eyes however showed more sadness as he spoke in regards to her final question, "There is something there, but it is not natural! A barrier, a creature taking advantage of us! I don't know what it wants, what it is doing... But the bond it holds to our souls in not right, it is not good! Our souls are playthings, and that cannot be allowed! I cannot focus on what is not there, I can only focus on what I know to be present. The burning chains must be broken, and the Empire freed! And here stands before me one of that thing's beasts, blocking the path to freedom. So... Get. Out. Of. My. Way!"

There was no finesse to their blows. More so for Heulyn who could have evaded the past three punches but chose to take it to her chest. Even when her heightened state of ultra instinct made everything seem slow to her. The reason boils down to the simple meaning of fighting with only fists. It is an intimate means to truly know someone, a pure form of expression where words were swept away, allowing for action to reveal the true nature of the people involved. To feel each other spirit as they make contact with their bodies. In this light that was her purpose in fighting in this manner. So she continued on punching and blocking. Her tunic and lower layers get torn by getting caught on Nerotep’s metallic gauntlets. No blood has been spilt it nor did it look like she was getting bruised or scrapped. She let a grunt of annoyance when she took another punch to the stomach. “This argument became entirely subjective!” She spat out. Giving Nerotep a sharp blow to his chest plate. Leaving a tiny dent in it.

“Yes I am different but so are you! Take a second and look how the rest of the galaxy sees you! You’re all abnormal to them just as I am to you! So to try to give an absolute definition to something like eternity and the spirit is moot!” Not that she wouldn’t be down for an insightful discussion like that. Its rather hard to get into the mood at the current moment.

She took on a bewildered expression as she blocked the heavy punch. Shredding a large portion of her sleeve. “That’s nearly word-to-word what many non-anubites spoke about Anubites about as a whole!” No wonder it was difficult for him to gain support. To any other Anubite he may as well be a Zantine in disguise.

Locking arms with Nerotep she looked into his eyes. “Why do you think the Zantines despise us!? Why the Iammelonian Council constantly forbid spirits the right to vote beside the voter clot!? Why do the Fatties look at us in fear!? We both violate the common perception of life We’re the only ones in this galaxy that cheat death, possibly the entire universe! We share a privilege that countless others would commit atrocities for!” She disengaged with the lord by getting out of the lock. Jumping some distance back to get some distance as well to collect her thoughts.

Her amber-gold eyes shone with vexation when she recalled Nerotep saying that she had do overs. Dark fire flows in her chest. Eyes becoming wet in remembrance of her loss. The scars that crisscross her body itch and burn. In the sudden surge of horrible emotions there was a glimmer of certainty within. He spoke as if she had the power to choose her fate. To go back and redo everything she did wrong. That the past defines who she is.

But he is wrong. Never before was she certain. In that moment she suddenly became aware of her surroundings. To the left she could sense Sethus and Hastur. Outside she could sense Clexmose and Tifuri. And up to the sky she could distantly feel the light of Tarset, Kissa, Menthrasis, Anrak, and many others she came to meet. “I know who I am.” Her voice took on the same tone as before. Her mere words radiated power and a sense of finality. It was time to make her choice. To prove that she is who she says she is. After all to truly serve one must devote their entire being to protect the ideals of their country. Not doing so is an act of apathy.

And apathy was death. Thus she could no longer blind herself out of uncertainty and fear of the unknown changing her.

Subconsciously lifting her now bare arms she firmly grabs the ring of shard around her sunfire head. Gritting her teeth she pulled in opposite directions. White cracks appear along the shards. A sharp whine fills the air followed by a sound of breaking glass.

The chain now unbound.

The penance over.

The false crown is now broken.

There was no destructive release of power. The pyramid was not torn asunder. No stars in the sky went out in a fiery death. Nothing occurs to hint anything abnormal has even happened. All except for the shimmering eyes of the young Amziel who now understood her place in the sky.

The shards were hanging in the air around her. Crumpling away like dry leaves of autumn as they vanish to nothiness.  She looked to Nerotep before her. Amber-gold bands now forever circling white pupils that softly shone like starlight. Her expression of calmness and clarity. For the past didn’t matter nor does it define her. How long she lived was meaningless. What she was is irrelevant. As if nothing ever happened she jumped back into punching and kicking at the Anubite lord. “As if you know me!” She shouted at him back in her normal voice. “I understand. You want someone to pin your problems on and I fit the bill practically perfect. But don’t go on as if you understood who I am!”

She delivered a sharp punch to his chest plate once more. Leaving a more pronounced dent in it. Her cheeks became stained with fresh tears as she truly let out all her emotions. Not caring that his last punch accidentally tore off her undergarment. Save for a few stubborn strips her upper body was now exposed. Hideous scars now seen for the entire world to bear witness to. The force behind each of her blows carried her raw emotions. Most of all she felt free.

“You wanna know why I became this way?” She duck beneath a sucker punch. “Out of mere wanderlust! And I specifically set up my path to ensure I never do repeats no matter how much I may have wanted it. I don’t seek the Throne of God. So if there was ever a time where I did bad things or utterly fail I accept it and move on! Just like everyone else!”

Her fists rap against Nerotep's chest with vigor. “Let me tell you what I am!” She raises her now bare arm to black his sideswipe. The symbols on her arm glimmering with red light. “Auinozoaun was meant to be my journey's end. I was a student working towards my History degree. And if nothing had happened, I would have come to learn of my travels to share with others. But no!”

The impact behind her blows became greater. Frustration ran through her golden veins. “Before that could even happen I was attacked by a spawn of a godlike entity after being literally stabbed in the back by my friend! I felt my hot blood leaving me as teeth cut into me!” Her voice rose to a high pitch.

Not bothering to block Nerotep blows anymore as she went to focus solely on the offensive. “I then suffered a fate as worse as death! Being trapped in the belly of a being till the end of time. You can’t even comprehend that length of time, no one is physiologically capable to do so! The thing finally arrived on Angelarium and spilled her guts. I came out of that mud not knowing what had happened. So I grew up in a premature world. Going through torment till I was finally found by the Anubite Empire! I was taken away from that place to the warm sands of Tombuiron!”

Loud whumps could be heard from how hard she was striking. “I came to be friends with so many people and to know many more!”

Whump!

“I love Kissa!”

Whump!

“I love Tarset!”

Whump!

“I love Sucali!”

Whump!

“I love Menthrasis!”

Whump!

“I love Sethus!”

Whump!

“I love Anrak!”

Whump!

She rear back her arm to cock a fist. “I...love the Anubite Empire!” Her voice booms in declaration. The cocked hand soar forth in a surge of speed and power.

Crack!

The result would create a large crack in Nerotep’s breastplate. The blow possibly pushed him back. With a huff she looked at him. The sweat that coats her body gleams in the torchlight behind her. “What I am before does not define me. Nor does the ever uncertain future. The only thing that matters is the here and now!” She set a clenched fist over her heart. “And that Heulyn is Heulyn!” She spoke nothing but the truth. Dropping her hand she looked at Nerotep. A bit emotionally drained.

She kept her distance. Using the time to finally mull over the last things he said. “Ah...fuck.” The vulgar slip would have shamed her in any other instance. Everything was escalating so quickly that the world almost seemed to spin for her. “Nerotep...I’m sorry. I wish I knew what’s happening but I’m more clueless than you are! So please, we’re going to be stubborn about this so let just come to a compromise! Let’s stand before the Ancestor Council and figure something out! Speaking of, do some of them know!? Is that why they mostly ignored you?” She slapped that question with the plea out of desire to get to the bottom of that mystery.

Nerotep was knocked back, his armor showing cracks under the pressure, but he did not fall. There was a scar in the floor with Nerotep's feet, buried into the ground, sent back but refusing to topple. The rogue Anubite Lord grunted, clearly rather tired but determination still flowing through him. He pointed to Heulyn, his voice rougher now but still holding strong, "You do not understand a thing! The power of the Anubite Empire to cheat death, to live eternally, means we cannot accept living in the moment as you so boldly claim! It is not a privilege, it is a duty! Your inability to comprehend that is why I say you are a hypocrite, unable to understand my position! The past is what makes this Empire, and the future cannot be allowed to be uncertain! This Empire must be eternal, it has to be, because it is the only thing that can be. The only thing that can preserve all of our souls, and I see now the threat to that duty! So I will fight that threat, I will do anything I can to defeat it. And that is why you do not truly love this Empire, thinking you can get away without sacrifice! You are a beast who does not need this Empire, treating it as a little plaything for yourself and nothing more. That is not love, you are more like a child with a toy. But I do love this Empire and its people, and I will give everything for it. Family, my reputation, my sanity... All of it is expendable when what really matters is threatened. So I find it funny for you to claim you love Sucali when you don't even understand why he called upon me, and why I am doing what he wishes he could!"

The Yuya, now properly exhausted from yelling, held a hand to his chest to feel his quickening heartbeat, spoke more softly, now, "You don't get to know anything, you cannot interfere, cannot leak! Yuyas do not compromise with the enemy, we win or die trying! I will never surrender when I am in the right, and I will meet the Ancestor Council on my own terms..." And then, once more, power coursed through Nerotep, and holding his two hands out in front of him he unleashed a great blast of energy at Heulyn.

And then, it hit a wall. A shieldwall, to be specific, as suddenly a line of shield-bearing Anubite spirits formed in front of Heulyn, absorbing the blast. If Heulyn looked to the side, while she was dueling Nerotep his skulls were all now within what could be described as bubbles of energy, doing their best to try and blast out of them but failing, just trapped floating in the air harmlessly. Footsteps could be heard as Sethus stepped forth, his eyes glowing with a mix of yellow and blue energy, the spirit stones in his staff all glowing, the High Lord allowing the spirits within to take form. And so, all around Nerotep formed the spirits of long dead High Lords of days past, all marked with their Rwim Imperial Armor, and they began to attack Nerotep, armed with blades, staves, or even just their bare fists. He managed to fight them for a while, his stubborn fighting spirit and the amount of power within him letting him out for a while under the assault. Until Sethus himself marched forward and announced loudly, "Enough! You will be brought before the Ancestor Council, and before them and me you shall explain this threat that has driven you to madness! Until then, under my authority as High Lord, you are under arrest!"

With a snap of his fingers, magical chains formed and launched themselves at Nerotep, binding his arms and legs. They started to break as Nerotep resisted, but then the spirits of the High Lords of the past changed their own forms into more chains and locks, tightening the hold on Nerotep. His power began to wane, and the skulls in their orbs ceased their struggle as their spirits were pacified. Nerotep, while unable to break out, was still conscious and struggling. Sethus sighed at the sight, looking to Heulyn, "If you could, do you have a way to calm or quiet him? I would prefer not to use the physical means of knocking him out, he's had quite a bit of suffering as is."

Nerotep was getting desperate in his argument if he had to resort to cherry picking. Keeping her eyes on the lord she reached over to the side where an azure disk came to be. Reaching in to pull out a while cloak to sling around her shoulders. Her thoughts were occupied on Nerotep but she had a subconscious feeling that she will have a heck of an emotional recoil when she gets home when she fully comprehends everything she said and done. Heulyn was composed like any good actor would. Being able to say and do things with a straight face even if it’s embarrassing, cheesy, or simply stressful. Much like how she emptied her stomach yesterday after visiting Anrak. Her face will be burning for days after all this.

His words were not necessarily wrong when you take out certain context of it. “I know one thing. That I know nothing.” It was one of the core foundations of wisdom. The kindling that has continuously fueled her desire to explore, discover, and learn new things. “So I suppose I am like a child in that regard. Looking at everything wide-eyed. In that light it is weird isn't it? From an outside perception I don’t need the empire. I don’t need to be taught, I don’t need to be trained, I don’t need ..anything. From an outside perception I seem to have a boundless well of knowledge to drink from. To them I could be anything. What could a traveler of the multiverse possibly want from an empire? What could a woman who met great people possibly want with a madman? Why should this woman who lived so long listen to people who only lived a fraction of that? She even had a choice where she wanted to go! She could have served in the union military, go into house development, join a proskal fleet! Hell...she’s not even a citizen yet.” Snippets of yesterday morning came to mind. The past week she had been practicing her oath of allegiance. “What patriotism does this little girl that was never truly born in a country.”

With a movement of her arm her staff zip into her grasp. Planting it beside her as she continued her discourse. “It’s nonspecific to the country, Patriotism means ‘I care for my own, defend my own, because they are my own.’ Like the man in the mirror, they are who support me, and whom I support. The nation is an extended family, and like family, we stick together because we're family, not because we always agree or because we approve of 100% of their decisions or even their history. If a family member does something bad, often the family will stick with them while minimizing the incident. If someone is a good provider but a bad person, often the family will stick with them out of survival. A family of bad people who are good to each other is still a strong family. All of this is true of countries. The nation is literally an extended family. I don’t need anything from the Empire. They don’t owe me anything. I stay because they adopted me. Thus they are family. It has nothing to do with power, fame, or prestige.”

“And of course I don’t understand! Because I never bothered to!” Thinking about it she could see why Nerotep focused on the Sucali part of her declaration. “We both made it clear that whenever we met in that place it was under neutrality. To get away from everything that’s going on. Never once did I even think about pressing for information and he did the same. It was a place to forget about everything, a place to vent, to unwind.” And that was why Nerotep brought Sucali up. He was dealing with so much and Sucali who may be his only real friend goes off to mingle with an alien every other night.

How could he not feel a bit jealous about that. “There was no risk of compromise. No danger except for getting nailed by a blue shell when I’m inches away from the finish line of Go Karts. It was just mindless fun.” Something that if she was a betting woman, Nerotep never had a carefree moment for a long while.

Her voice was beginning to become rough as well out of tiredness from the yelling and speaking. She would have continued if Nerotep hadn’t moved to attack her. Her chest became warm with the rush of mana. Her cloak flutters as excess mana radiates from her body. Her red hair seems to emit luminosity. A blaze of flame billows around her forearm. Magic circuits became alive with the unbound flame.

Rising her arm, her hand began to generate an immense amount of heat. In a moment she would have met that beam with a deluge of flames. A heatwave to wash him away. But that moment never came. Seeing the spirits pop up in the crossfire made her reflexively clench her fist to kill the heat. Smoke of burnt oxygen trails out from between her fingers.

Cooling off her body she watches the turn of events. She gave a look of understanding to Sethus. It was time to finish this once and for all. And she wish to end it by showing Nerotep who she is. To show him who wishes to be a part of such a big family, that she wants to protect is. To show him that there’s hope. Making movements with her staff she began to mentally recite the aria of her soul.


The flame of her staff turned prismatic. She didn’t need the cup, not when the spark is already inside of her.

From Nerotep perception it would appear as if intense light erupts from the staff. Blinding him momentarily before fading away to see something that can’t be put into words.

He saw Heulyn Lloyd in all her entirety. She wasn’t some tool in the hand of some higher being. No, she was far beyond that.

Her soul was not infinite but to pinpoint her age is meaningless. Using arbitrary words to describe the nature of her now awakened soul is pointless. The sheer scale of her soul in its rawest form overstimulated Nerotep’s brain. In an act to protect itself his brain would surely shut down. Rendering him unconscious.

From an outside perspective her staff simply gave off a rainbow radiance. Causing Nerotep to briefly suffer from a epileptic seizure before going limp. Upon seeing that she let out a deep sigh of relief. Tension rolling off of her. The flame of her torch returned to its normal identity. She looked over to Sethus. Ignoring the fact that because she was holding her staff it left her cloak parted. Suppressing those thoughts with the heavy heel of professionalism. “Haah, he should be out could...hah...we did it.” She flashes a small smile. “I sensed Iskandar broke through a while ago. He had been securing the base down and tying the Yuya’s up for transport.” A huge bulk of his army had long returned to his reality marble. Lessening the strain significantly. “Haah, we did it.” She repeated breathlessly.

With Nerotep down her thoughts could finally divert to other important matters. "Is everybody okay? I can bring my medic in."

Nerotep resisted for as long as he could, proving himself more resilient than one might expect, but in the end with his powers suppressed and already being exhausted from the fight, he finally succumbed and fell unconscious after his brain finally decided it was the only way, his iron will overrided by survival instincts. Sethus gave a wave for the High Lord Spirits to fade away, as did the rest of the chains. A group of Imperial Retinue Mystics moved forward, picking up Nerotep and carrying him off. Others gathered the skulls. Sethus, satisfied, looked to Heulyn, "The troops and mystics here are quite fine. I shielded them from most harm, only a few light injuries that my own medics can handle. Send your medic to the main fight, they're more needed with the main troops. Both ours and the wounded among the Yuyas. They'll give up soon, with Nerotep having fallen, and I want as few deaths as possible on both sides. There is little gain in slaughtering our own, misguided as they may be. Such follies are what caused Anrak's son to fall out of favor, so we shall not repeat that here. We have won today, now let us act with grace as the victors."

He sighed, watching as Nerotep's body was carried out of the pyramid, headed for the starport that had been secured by the loyalist Yuyas. A ship would soon be there to pick him up and bring him back to the capital soon enough. Sethus however wasn't fully satisfied, "We got Nerotep, but not the other important figure. Sucali isn't here. He is very important, so I must hope for him to reemerge so he can be caught as well. He may perhaps be more dangerous, but more importantly I believe he knows more about what Nerotep was ranting about. He'll be questioned all the same, but we lack Sucali's important part of the puzzle. Perhaps Nerotep being captured will lure him out... Either way, you did well Heulyn, very well. Thank you for your part in ending this conflict. Now, time to finish this all up. Lots of cleanup to do, but as much as I would like to stick around to oversee that we need to return home. There is important work to handle, and the Ancestor Council must be informed. Besides, some rest is earned I would say. Let's go."

Sethus turned to leave, with some troops staying behind to keep the area secure. Outside, the fighting was dying down immensely. Some small pockets of resisting Yuya troops remained, and would have to be cleared out, but the majority were either already defeated or surrendering now that their lord had fallen. Anubite medics moved across the battlefield, tending to the wounded of both sides. And others were gathering some bodies, with some spirits already speaking to battlefield mystics, identifying themselves so the bodies could be returned to their families, and given their burial rights. Heulyn would briefly get the feeling of being watched, with the faint sound of amused chuckling in the wind, but it passed as quickly as it came, as a prison ship arrived at the starport to pick up Nerotep. Above, the High Lord's flagship covered the sky, waiting for the High Lord to return to it.

Heulyn did as Sethus advised. Relaying the thought to her medical servant. Meanwhile her two other Servants dematerialised as they trickle back into her staff in a state of dormancy. Her mana core is no longer hot. It was evident her dainty body needed more conditioning to counteract the strain.

Standing by Sethus she watches the sleeping form of Nerotep being loaded into the shuttle. His features are now soft and peaceful. Save for that one or two unexpected development everything went according to plan. A lot was learned from the short, intense argument between her and Nerotep. He is dealing with crippling loneliness, that much is certain now. Now he is imprisoned, the solitude will only reinforce his belief of how the world treats him.

He will most likely clam up. Not cooperating in giving answers to those who try to pry information out of him because he sees no point in it. That they don’t understand him. Assuming this beforehand the part of the plan was for her to speak to him in an environment where he is at his most emotional state. A life and death situation.

As someone once said about her, ‘In a certain way, Master's kindness resembles a mirror. Whether they're a good person or an evil person, whether they respected the way they lived or not... ‘That's just how it is.’ That's what you'll see in the mirror.’ It didn’t matter where her personal beliefs lie. What did matter was to show faith, especially to the mentally disturbed. They lived all their life thinking that no one cares about them, that they can’t understand them. Like a true performer of theatre she has to genuinely believe what they are saying. To show that she is here, she is listening to them, she cares for them.

It was to be expected that she wouldn’t get through Nerotep very well. Much like he pointed out again and again she’s not an Anubite. She doesn’t know their psychology. Just as she doesn’t know how Watrike, Arachain. Cuthians, Dragon, and many other species of Hoshizora are wired. They all have their own unique brain chemistry.

Incidentally this is a challenge that many actors deal with. They teach that acting is not acting, it is reacting. As an actor, their job is to understand the unique point of view of their character, and truthfully convey what they are feeling in reaction to any given set of circumstances. Many times when people watch a bad performance, they will see the actor give a general reaction to a very specific set of circumstances. When this happens, it comes off as disingenuous.

She very much falls into the bad actor and she was aware of it. Especially when the set of circumstances involved the psychology and philosophy of a race she only knew for a couple years. Along with the surrounding mysteries that infest the empire.

The subject of Sucali drew a noise of agreement out of her. Sucali is an agent of chaos. An eccentric ball of zaniness that she can never be too sure what is on his mind at times. She had long notified Sethus and her therapists about her nightly escapades with the mad spirit. Given she was hardly a flight risk and including the fact she needed outlets to vent, she was allowed to engage in the many strange shenanigans in dreamworld. A week ago before Sucali went radio silent they were reenacting an old war flick Calamity Now. Before that they did Full Iron Vest and The Ialao Hunter.

All of which were picked because they were going through a war flick phase this month. A bit fitting considering the events of the waking world. She didn’t divulge any of this of course. Over the years she became less required to share what goes on in the dreams when it became apparent of how nonsensical it was most of the time.

Sethus' praise made her smile. Her starlight eyes look over at him warmly. It felt nice to know all that matters to him is Heulyn. All her lives are irrelevant in the present. Just old days of bygone times. The only thing that matters is Heulyn Lloyd. “Right behind you Sethus.” She chimed as she followed suit. Furrowing her brow slightly when she temporarily felt a certain presence. The faint chuckle wasn’t needed, she could feel his smugness from here that jerk.

Nerotep remained unconscious for the entire long flight back, but he was still very carefully monitored. A number of spirit warding tools were being utilized to ensure he didn't somehow break out of his cage, but fortunately their capacities did not need to be tested thanks to their prisoner remaining unable to use his spiritual powers at all for the journey. Sethus was quite relieved on the way back, with the war's end finally in sight. He didn't fully give in to relief just yet however, as he was the sort to wait until all was said and one before celebrating, and the task was not yet finished. Clexmose was with them on the way back as well, although he did not join Sethus and Heulyn in the flagship. He instead was in the prison shuttle, watching Nerotep personally. For all his inexperience at leading the house and his general greenhorn nature, he refused to fail at the last hurdle, and so personally assigned himself to be Nerotep's sentry. And so he remained there, watching his elder brother to make sure he did not escape, for the rest of the flight home.

When they arrived, the prison shuttle broke off from the main group to head towards the actual prison Nerotep was to be held in before his audience with the Ancestor Council. It was the prison within the confines of the Imperial Grand Palace Complex, the same area that held the Ancestor Council building and Anrak Ithkar's residential wing. Nerotep was going to be held within the most secure place in the entire Anubite Empire, as a method of ensuring he would stand trial and not escape. Meanwhile, Sethus decided that it was best to send Heulyn back to Tarset's Fortress-Palace, so his apprentice could get some well deserved rest. The trial would not take place for a few more days, as all the arrangements had to be made. That, and they wanted to wait and see if Sucali emerged, so he could be grabbed and made to testify as well. But until then, Heulyn was to rest and recuperate.

She would be sent down in a shuttle to the Fortress-Palace, and there waiting at the landing pad were a gathering of individuals Heulyn would recognize. One Anubite, that being Tarset herself, and two animals; Mildir and Almas. Tarset was quite happy to see Heulyn come back in one piece, Almas gave a purr in satisfaction at the Amziel's return and went over to demand attention, while Mildir was passive as usual, calmly chewing on a recently acquired stick of butter. The Anubite Lady-Lord smiled widely at Heulyn, "Welcome back! It is very good to see you in one piece, but I think I have for you some extra good news! You went and ended one civil war today, but while you were gone some extra news broke; the Iammelonian Civil War is over too! The Confederacy has surrendered, the Union is victorious. Tyfrondor is going to make a broadcast about it soon too!"

Heulyn spent the long ride home resting in her quarters. Either sleeping or contemplating on her now uncovered voyage across space-time. She still is who she is of course. That is never in question. But that didn’t mean the attainment of so much information was to be disregarded. There were some things that prompted her to delve in extensive research to find things that might possibly relate to it. One of which involved the Equestrians. While she may very much not have had a life in this universe version of the equines, it still beg to be further expired. After all they were a subject she was already interested in prior. Despite secluding herself to her room she made sure to be socially active with other people. Whether it’s getting to know Hathur and the other mystics better or whipping up a chat with someone nearby. There were interactions with Sethu albeit limited due to his tight work schedule. Her Servants also engaged in social affairs on the ship. Kheiron in percuilur was pulled into private chats with Sethus.

Kheiron was a former mentor of Heulyn. As well, a much better person to talk to than Goljamush. The main topic of their discourses revolved around the latest development with Heulyn, Always optimistic the Centaur expressed faith in his former charge. Beside her distant past they wax philosophical discussions about the choices she made. One of which touched upon the nature of Heroic Spirits. ”Keeping a eye on her is not wrong.” He once murmured in agreement to Sethus during one of their short discussions. He went over why Heulyn’s style of relationship to Servants actually carried so much risk.

”Servants were never met to exist for a long period of time. The Throne of Heroes originally being called the Ring of Deterrence should give the connotation of what we were meant to be used for. A higher cosmic force summons forth Grand Servants to defend life against extinction level threats. But then there came a time where lesser life like Amziel, Zeidean, and other species managed to copy the ritual system and manage to summon lesser forms of Heroic Spirits, Servants.” He went over the mentality of a Servant. They were all summoned knowing that they are a brief existence. In a sense one can apply the many philosophical thought experiments regarding cloning to Heroic Spirits to get a sense of their psychology.

”In a sense, while people other than a few have shown to be too apathetic. They were methodically correct. A Servant has only one purpose, much like a machine. But as a result they either get killed or betrayed by their Servant. Servants are still individuals in the end, just with no desire. If a Master could ensure his safety they also run into the risk of losing control of their Servant or using it to create chaos. On the polar opposite of this you have Heulyn who can be seen as too empathic. She is ethically correct, no question there, but when it comes to us it can be dangerous. For she has now given beings of power who were supposed to be limited existence newfound desires. The desire to live, and the desire to be with Heulyn.” These were among the strongest desires for a soul. Desires that can make one defy fate for. As a result they become more protective of their Master. Making more personal course of actions to ‘help’ her.

“If BB didn’t send us back to the Throne before Heulyn was taken. She would have been unable to reign some of them us in, and as a result Angelarium would have fallen by the day’s end.” In a way they could be seen as similar to Watrikes. If the individual Watrike was an immortal force of nature. ”It stands to show why knowledge of Heroic Spirits died out in Auinozoaun very early in its history. While I don’t know the specifics, I can safely assume we were forced into obscurity by many civilizations.” What makes him think this is that Heroic Spirits were rarely ever summoned after Hatheleisia’s lifetime. Which spoke a lot on its own. In the end he concluded that while Heulyn poses no threat to the Anubite Empire an by proxy the Union. For outside threats, well he simply stated that extinction will never come to Iammelon for as long she breathes.

Eventually the fleet finally sailed back to Tomburion. It was a great feeling for Heulyn to feel the heat of Memphi rays as she stepped out of the shuttle in a new set of clothing. Having a welcoming party certainly played a part in the warm feeling in her chest. Fleshing a smile she came up to them. When hearing the news light laughter bubbles up from her throat. Letting out a noise of glee she pulled Tarset in. Their bodies flush together as she Heulyn gives her a congratulatory hug. Breasts rubbing against each other. In the heat of the moment she placed a hand on the other side of Tarset's head to pull her in to give a big kiss on the corner of her mouth. Letting out another noise of excitement as she let go of Tarset, the now happy Amziel went over to her children to give their much needed lovins as well. Not realizing how much she must have flustered Tarset as she dotes on her fluffy companions. “That’s amazing to hear Tarset! I’m exhilarated to watch that broadcast!”

It was useful information for Sethus to know, and to keep in mind for the future. Heulyn was somebody who could be a very useful asset to the Anubite Empire, but also something they had to be cautious about. Once more to use the Watrike analogy, having such a formidable army at their beck and call was quite noticeable. Something others would fear, and fear is often the first step to irrational animosity. He would have to make sure she did not gain too big a profile, as the Anubite Empire preferred moving slowly and steadily. It would be disadvantageous to reveal their hand all at once, lest they end up in a turbulent situation. Thus it was better to utilize her skills in a more low-profile method, expanding their power but in a controlled fashion. But, of course, in case it was needed, it was very useful to have her at full power in case the Empire required it.

Regardless, Tarset was indeed rather flustered by Heulyn's method of greeting her, as she was of course not expecting that degree of intimacy, even if she had been gone a while and gone through a battle. The particular style of the hug was already quite a bit, given how it was positioned, but the kiss got Tarset to blush heavily and be quiet after Heulyn moved off to give the animal companions their attention. So she was a little stunned for a bit, but as Heulyn was petting Mildir she recovered her voice she was still flustered, "Ah, ehm, yes, it should be happening soon so let's go inside to watch. Got the living room set up and all, so, uh, yeah. This way!" She was still clearly flustered, but she turned to go. Almas quickly followed, sensing the chance to lay on a couch. Mildir waited for Heulyn.

In the living room, it was a more humble display. A number of high quality couches were laid out in a circular formation around the large display screen, with some tables in front of the tables. Felt quite more like a regular house's living room for a family, albeit one within an otherwise massive and elaborate palace. Almas hopped up onto the central couch, claiming a corner for herself. Mildir went over and claimed an entire couch for himself, which would likely need some cleaning afterwards as Mildir was not exactly the most hygienic. Tarset sat on the same couch as Almas, on the other corner. Heulyn could sit in the center of that one or on the third couch by herself if she wanted to. Meanwhile in front of them the screen the announcement had not yet begun, and it was currently just a screen that said "THE INTERIM PRESIDENT WILL SPEAK SOON".

Heulyn was a passionate soul whose heart beat at the sound of amazing news. So it was not out of the ordinary for her to lose herself in the spontaneous moment of elation. It meant that she sometimes failed to notice the impact of her mannerism, especially when around close friends. After all there was no harm for physical interaction between loved ones. Something which Heulyn was fond of. The heat of someone's body gives her a sense of euphoric comfort. Just as she was doing now as she gave Almas much needed attention. Threading her fingers through her luxurious black cloak. Enjoying the feel of her muscles as she gave circular massages over them. She was aware however to not neglect her other furry friend. Going over to give him affection as well.  “Great! Let’s go settle down! Just need to drop off my things!” She responded to Tarset as she finished doting on the animals.

Stopping by her room to drop off her bags she headed towards the living room. Almost skipping as she does so. How could she not? The end of a massive conflict will always bring joy and relief to her. No more blood was being spilt. No more orphans from the war. No more unfortunate souls cowering in the ruins of their home as fighters zoom overhead. The long night is over. It was time to wake up to the sun and work towards a brighter future. Heulyn was so happy she didn’t notice how much her cheeks were aching from how much she was smiling. Stepping into the room she took her place on the couch with Tarset. Plopping down right beside her. While she wasn’t much of a drinker she did entertain the thought of cracking open a wine bottle for this special occasion. But she brushed that thought off. Thinking it would be more fun to wait after Nerotep’s trial to truly celebrate. By the stars she didn’t even think about how big that party is going to be. She’ll worry about that later. Now was the time to hear the declaration of the war’s end. It made her feel so giddy that she couldn’t help but intertwine her arm with Tarset’s own.

There was a general good spirit in air, as Heulyn could see that she was not the only one rather pleased with the endings of multiple wars. The palace staff were also visibly pleased, the guards no longer having the tension they had for the last few years. They could finally relax and stop having to worry about every moment becoming a surprise bloodbath. They still clearly understood that they had a job to do, and were in their positions as always, but they clearly felt the future was one of peace. The other staff, like the kitchen staff and housekeepers, were also visibly pleased. No longer did the housekeepers have to fear discovering a bomb hidden in the palace, no longer did the kitchen staff have to worry about their meals being poisoned by enemy agents attempting to assassinate Tarset, and neither needed to fear the possibility of bombers screeching overhead as they came to destroy the entire building. Those fears were past. On the couch, Tarset was surprised at that but she was also in a good mood and so accepted it. Of course there was the third couch occupant, and Heulyn would feel a paw pushing on her side. Almas was clearly requesting that her free arm be used to give the big cat some attention too.

On the screen, the waiting message faded away. Now the broadcast had properly begun, and in crisp detail Heulyn would be able to see Tyfrondor's mighty form. The viewpoint was zoomed out enough to view his full, draconic body, calmly sitting itself down in front of a suitably sized podium. Heulyn likely wouldn't have seen Tyfrondor very often, but his posture was similar to the images she would have seen of him before in shorter addresses and other appearances of the Grand Drake. He was a confident and calm figure, giving away little of what was going through his mind except for the simple message that he knew he was in charge of the situation. His eyes, Heulyn could note, were similar somewhat to Anrak Ithkar's. Not in their appearance, as the Progenitor High Lord's yellow Anubite eyes were very physically different to the dark red eyes Tyfrondor had. But their aura of authority was very similar, the eyes of one who gave commands and always kept themselves on top of the situation. Perhaps that was one of the reasons the Anubites threw their lot in with Tyfrondor's Union. Yet there was a difference there as well. While Ithkar's eyes held an eternal rationality, Tyfrondor's eyes were the only part of him were his true emotions could be seen, and in him was a passion. Anrak gave commands always knowing exactly what they would entail and their outcome, while Tyfrondor's eyes told the story of one whose willpower would ensure his vision came true.

Next to the Grand Drake there were other podiums, for the other major Union factions who had been part of the war. Representatives from Proscore, Javalus, Freeforest, Tarantula, Inshamari, and even Tombuiorn in the form of an attending Amarna Diplomat. And there was one additional presence that one might not have expected, a Zantine, representing Instabull, as it had made its seperate peace with the Union and officially joined it. But they were all silent now, their eyes upon the central podium where the Dragon sat. His eyes looked over the large live crowd that was gathered at the site, and calmly he tapped the microphone once to ensure it was on. Closing his eyes, he waited a few more moments, anticipation among the crowd growing as all locked their attention upon the Grand Drake, until he finally began to speak.

"A number of years ago, I first spoke at this podium with the title I hold now because war had come to Iammelon. A civil war descended upon our homes, forcing the question of Iammelon's future faster than I believe any of us were ready for. A horrid attack forced this Union to be forged in order to secure our lives and freedoms, to assert the Iammelon that we know to be just. The other side fought a bloody war, making war upon their own brothers and sisters. Yet I and those beside me knew that to assert justice, we would have to accept war as the way forward with words and negotiations having failed us. And we fought bravely, our efforts rewarded. But that is not to say the war was not fought without cost. We children of this nebula fought for opposing visions, and Iammelonians fought Iammelonians in a true war for the first time in many, many years, and the blood split has not been seen in such amounts since the Psions and Redmangor pillaged and raped our nation. The Nebula bleeds, and it weeps for its many fallen children. Planets devastated, cities burnt, homes destroyed, and bodies littering battlefields. The people of Iammelon suffered and many died, soldiers and civilians alike. It was a war that lasted longer than either side expected, for I am sure we all believed once that this war would pass quickly and a victor emerge in months. Yet it took years, bringing us finally to today.

So here we are at the end of the tunnel, the war is over! Monrio has surrendered and the Union has triumphed! The Nebula once more knows peace. The guns have gone silent, and the death is over. Union banners fly over all worlds in Iammelon, and I can look to the sky and see the fleets that have brought triumph. Standing before in the crowd are many of my former enemies, tired and beaten. And now that I am here, with victory in my hands, what do I have to say to the people I have led to war and to those who I have defeated? What victor's words shall come out of my mouth after years of conflict? None. There is no malice in my heart, and no satisfaction for a war that may have been well won, but at a cost of Iammelonian lives that should bring no happiness, only sorrow. What glory is there to this? What joy could I possibly extract from seeing fellow Iammelonians bow their heads in defeat? Under any circumstance at all, this sight only brings disgust. As the specter of war passes, I forfeit any gloating. This is not a time for an assertion of dominance, but to extend our hands and claws to our wounded brothers. The victory speeches end on the same day as this war, and now we dedicate ourselves to the actions of mending the wounds in this nation. For in the end, this was not a war of foes, but the same people. We are all Iammelonians, perhaps with disagreements, but we must now unify! Our grudges must be tossed aside, and we must repair the damages. For the future of this Radiant Nebula, when unified by common purpose, is a bright one! One that will evoke envy and jealousy! We cannot fight eachother when the universe beyond us remains hostile as ever, as the barbarians beyond us continue to plot our downfall and marginalization, and we must show them our combined strength! They shall not see that we are not broken and weakened by this, but surprised by the new purpose that shall lead us forward! Instead of fighting eachother, we will display to the galaxy and all beyond why this Nebula is the cradle of civilization, the envy and bane of all Eskalivi, the home of the finest people the universe has ever had the privilege of hosting!

Anubite! Zantine! Proscorine! Avalantine! Javalusian! Desmondian! Ialao! Arachain! Dragons of Heord! Drelakini! Eshnadim! Taurus! Amurrak! Cuthians! Boethans! Watrike! Valorians! All of you who have embraced our Nebula as your home, from many years past or within the last generation, listen to me now! We are Iammelonians, and from the ashes of our war we shall ignite a flame so bright that all the galaxy shall bear witness! Let them all know that this new Union shall not waste its effort bickering, but instead act as a beacon for all the civilized and moral peoples of the ether! This is Iammelon, the nation with the greatest history and peoples you shall ever see! Invaded by the most evil of Eskalivi and yet unbroken despite their greatest efforts! The strongest of hearts and the best of allies, we will rebuild and then take our rightful place in a galaxy that has failed to respect us for too long, as one indomitable people! That is the great future I see, and the inevitable future of our Radiant Nebula!" To cap off the speech his wings burst out and he roared into the air, with the sounds of cannons and clapping joining him.

She had not indeed seen the Grand Drake very much. All her close encounters with him were in those rare times Sethus took her to Heord or Boetha during the later months of the war. In those instances she could still see the same passion shown on screen. And for that she respects and admires him. Underneath the surface however she was a tad bummed to see that Heord Dragon-Kind didn’t live up to the ones in her memory. Though to be fair she knows they are quite different on some levels and she barely seen enough of these dragons to get a good sense of their strength. Auinozoaun Dragon-Kind are considered the pinnacle of the Phantasmal Species. They have members in all three classes of Magical Beasts, and they are considered to be the greatest species within each corresponding class. They were creatures that generated magical energy merely by breathing, their lungs acting as spiritual worlds.

Such incandescent flames…

A small shiver licks her spine. A phantom warmth danced across her skin.

What was she thinking about?

Oh right the Dragon-Kind. Heord was still an inspiring visit despite her brisk stay there. It was a world she wanted to revisit in the future to truly take the time to explore it. Her heart beats in thought of its mountains and open sky of mythical beasts.

Shrinking and expanding in her chest like a small flame.

Her cheeks gave a yellow tint in realization of a very old issue of her acting up again in what may well be ages ago. Perhaps it would be to be expected she mused, if anything were to stimulate that old problem it would be the Dragons. To distract herself she looked over. Having felt the request for attention by the feline. Smiling, she uses her free hand to give her much needed strokes.

As much she wanted to be confident in herself. It was responsible to still talk about that the next time she talked to her therapist if she wanted to visit Herod. She made a lot of progress over the years. And considering all the issues she dealt with, the last thing she wanted a relapse in was that.

The dark passion ebb away from her mind. Hearing Tyfrondor beginning to speak she turned her head back to set her starlight eyes on the screen. Tightening her grip on Tarset's arm and settling her other arm in a hug around Almas.

For a victory speech it wasn’t bad. A bit short for her preference but it did the job of energizing the spirit splendidly. Her feet swish back and forth like a small child would. Much to her suppressed shame the passage of igniting a flame to serve as a beacon did make her feel things that she wasn’t sure were her old problem or just her Origin resonating with it.

Possibly both.

That aside it was a good speech. “He’s quite the firebrand isn’t he?” She chimes as she smiles at her canine friend. “Haah it’s all over. It's a good feeling.” She continued. Absentmindedly kneading Almas muscles. Letting out a content sigh she leaned over to rest her head on Tarset’s shoulder. It really felt nice to be in the company of friends. “How do you feel about it?”

Tarset was surprised at Heulyn resting on her shoulder, but she assumed that Heulyn was just very tired from that long journey. That aside, she thought for a moment and then spoke calmly, "Well, I think it's exactly what everybody needed to hear! It's very firebrand, but I think that was on purpose, to get people to listen. To grab the attention of everyone, be they aligned with the Union or Confederacy, he needed to get radical. And what he is saying really does need to be heard by both sides. It was right to focus the attention on rebuilding and mending the rift in the country, rather than gloating over victory. Fighting eachother just weakens the resources of Iammelon, and there are other nations out there that would happily take advantage of that. It happened before, after all. Redmangor weakened us enough for the Psions to be able to invade in force, and we can't let that happen again. By reminding everyone of that possibility, Tyfrondor is helping to maintain the peace. Plus, it's a good message for hope! I think the future is bright as well, with the worst past us. Nerotep defeated, Monrio surrendering, and both Civil Wars ended. I feel it is quite right for him to put the focus on rebuilding so we are ready to look outwards again. Sethus I know feels the same, the Anubite Empire needs to look outwards too. We can do that more safely if the Union has the same idea."

Back on the screen, Tyfrondor left the podium, and the other representatives spoke their parts. They all ended up advocating for effectively the same things as Tyfrondor, following his lead of avoiding bragging over the victory and instead talking about the importance of rebuilding. Although they each added their own little things of interest. The Proscorine representative spoke about how the navy would need some help into the future to crush pirates who may think Iammelon was weak at the moment, the Anubite spoke of the importance of documenting the events of the civil war so an unbiased picture could be produced, and the Zantine representative spoke of how it would be needed to abandon grudges and do their best to speed along the progress of reincorporating former confederates into the Union, and not taking vengeance on those fighters in the war who did not commit any sort of warcrimes even if they fought for the other side.

With that, it ended, the channel moving on to its normal news station programs. The first bit of news was relevant, that being the scheduled Iammelonian Senate elections being set to come later in the year. Tarset spoke up there, "Oh right, I heard about that. They're setting up the election offices around the city, suppose I should go register for that! The Amarna have already started their planning for setting up a political party, I think I remember Sethus talking to Ipwet about it. He also asked me about it, but for the other house in the congress. The Council of Delegates, I think it was? The Upper Legislative House. I'm no good for politics though, so I think I will turn that bit down. Perhaps I'll recommend my brother, Denjer is a lot better at this."

When Tarset started to yip away she knew she was going to chat for quite a bit. While she was a good person to hold a conversation with even she could acknowledge the chatty nature of the Anubites. In that light it was probably one of the reasons she settled so well among them. That did not mean there weren't times where she wished they could enjoy the silence of company in moments like these. Arms still locked, she rotated her forearm to curve upward. Her hand hovering up to Tarset’s furry head.

A soft whomf was heard. Her hand planted itself on the side of her head near the base of her large ear which she would then proceed to softly knead it. “It was a compliment Terry~ I know what the speech meant. You’re adorable when you go off like that.” Her neck was crane upwards so that she could make eye contact with Tarset through her red bangs. Letting out a soft giggle before resuming speaking to her. “I think it's best for you to turn that down. You get so lost in your train of thought at times that you won’t notice when a big bad wolf comes your way to gobble you up~” Her amber-gold eyes twinkled with mischievousness. Happily teasing her cute friend.

With a noise she sat back up straight. Withdrawing her army to give a full frontal assault on Almas defenseless belly. She heard what the TV said. Politics just wasn’t at the top of the things she was thinking about. A thought came to her as she was giving Almas attention. Looking over her shoulder with a playful gaze. “Speaking of big bad wolves and politics. With the dust settling down I was thinking about things we could finally do now that the nebula is not an active warzone.” There were some places she wanted to go that she couldn’t. Freeforest was one of the worlds she wanted to visit but due to its circumstances it wasn’t safe for tourists.

“I’ve been meaning to ask this. But how does Anubite nobility handle courtship?” She genuinely asks in curiosity. Continuing the royal line was of vital importance in noble culture. So she knew there was probably some manner of system that Anubites have to play by. Knowing Tarset is in her mid twenties she wondered what was going on in that department. “Is it a predetermined thing? Is there a poor fiancé locked away somewhere in your room that I don’t know about~?” She teases her with a giggle. It was fun to talk about relationships with other people.

“Or are you all more loose about it? Finding a partner on your own and all that. Cause it’ll be fun with everything open we can find you a charming lad to hook you up with! I’ll be happy to help you during it. Whether it be dolling you up or giving you boy advice. So they won't mistake something as defenseless as this.” Pulling a quick one she darts her hand to deliver a playful pinch of the sensitive part of Tarset’s side. All the while grinning merrily.

Tarset was rather overwhelmed by Heulyn's sudden teasing assault upon her. The physical start by going for her more sensitive ears was already quite a bit, but the following subject for conversation was also quite a bit. The many sudden and conflicting signals in her body language and words further confused and flustered the Lady-Lord, who had no idea of how to respond to being called "adorable" and then talking about being gobbled up. She was thankful to Almas for her incessant desire for attention, for once, as that  gave Tarset much needed reprieve in order to try and regain her composure for a response, deciding to dodge the bit about wolves and going for the question, "Ah, well, courtship is a more long term thing for Anubites. Very rarely does anything happen quickly, various compatibility tests have to be done. Even in pre-arranged marriages, time is set aside for the two prospective partners to get to know eachother. A-After all, when your relationship goes beyond death, there is value in trying to at least like eachother a little. So it's often more than just political, but that does happen. Sometimes marriages happen to tie together two long family lines, sometimes to resolve conflicts or to increase political power."

She then got flustered again as the topic turned to her own prospective relationships, "A-ah, ehm, well... I-I never was the most sociable of people, so I never went out to know anybody that well. Focused more on studies, you know... A-and my parents died before arranging anything political, so, uhm... I'm following the advice my uncle gave me, to wait and get a good relationship that'll help the family at the r-right time. I-If you know somebody, I s-suppose that may be a good idea." She got too nervous to respond to the pinching, just going quiet and shrinking back a bit, showing just how inexperienced she really was in these matters.

She let out a giggle. Pulling Tarset into a friendly hug. Her friend was just too cute. When she felt Tarset had been played with enough she suggested to go get something to eat. Afterward they would spend the rest of the day together before finally going to bed. These next few days will come and go in a blink of an eye. Heulyn had to make use of it the best she could. She has had her fair share of trials in the past. So she is aware of how long and draining it might be. Before then she’ll finish up some stuff and freshen herself. Mainly writing out the last of her documents to become closer in finalizing her citizenship. At this rate she may get her Certificate of Citizenship after the whole situation with Nerotep.

Official and social affairs aside she did some personal stuff in her free time. Whether it be reading books from her vault, furthering her studies, looking stuff up on the Etherweb, and taking good night rests. Sucali did not show up sadly regardless how much she lingered around some of their spots from the race track carved into an arctic mountain to the diner and among other such places. She knew he was obviously busy with something big. It just would have been nice if they had met one last time before whatever big finale is going to happen. To have a moment akin to rare times in war where two opposing sides stop fighting on a holiday to celebrate together before going back to kill each other the following day. The transient nature is similar to a dream. So disconnected from reality, a far away place from the waking world.

As expected the days would come and go. The air became tense with anticipation for the opening days of the trial.

Tarset was flustered plenty, but she was thankful for Heulyn backing off her at that moment. She wasn't sure at all what she would do if Heulyn kept going, and she would need some time to think about that later when she was in bed later that day. Plenty to think about. Regardless, the days that came after were generally peaceful ones. The Anubite Empire in general displayed an aura of peace and joy, it really did feel like the war had ended. It was all across the Etherweb too, although of course the former Confederate Worlds showed a deal less enthusiasm towards the peace. Fortunately it seemed Tyfrondor's speech seemed to work, with most of them seeming to just accept the idea of focusing on rebuilding so long as their cultures were unharmed. And Sucali was indeed nowhere in sight, up to something in the shadows, and there was a bit of tension in the air. Peace was here, but the finale had not arrived yet.

Heulyn was awoken early on the first day on the trial, by a soldier marked with the engravings of House Rwim. It was a Royal Guard, one that Heulyn would've seen in that final battle with Nerotep. He spoke calmly, "The High Lord requests you come to the prison, he wishes to explain to you your role in the trial, as you will be called as a witness. The High Lord wants to ensure you are ready. Please get dressed and come with me when you're ready." After a moment of silence, and looking around, he paused, "Uh, I'll step out of the room to let you do that. Excuse me." With that, the guard, being a male, stepped out.

“Mmm” She let out a noise of waking consciousness as she roused herself out of bed. “Thank you sir. I’ll be out in a minute.” Sleepiness still melted away from her body as she went through the morning routine. Random thoughts dance around. Some about the trial and others about something else. By the time she got into her tuxedo and ate a quick snack she finally felt energized. Going over to her staff that stood by her desk she went through a short chant to make it shrink enough for her to insert it in a special bracelet around her right wrist. A few days ago she finally managed to complete a spell that would make it easier to carry around her staff in places where it would be a distraction for others. It still possesses the same mass but thanks to her constitution it's hardly much of an issue for her. Pulling her hair into a ponytail she finally went out of her room. Flashing a smile to the guard she would walk with him to the prison.

It was when she was walking that it finally dawned on her what she will be doing. She knew she would be a part of the trial but not quite being a witness due to potential legal reasons. If the trial is like a democratic one then the defendant could find good ways to discredit her testimony. To not being a proper citizen yet to not having a full understanding of Nerotep. The latter is why she feels she can’t testify with much confidence. Her opinion is based on assumptions from what she only managed to glean in a short time period. Even if the witness purpose is just to speak what they know and other people will piece it together with other testimonies, she likes to speak the truth and nothing but the truth in a trial. Given Anubite culture she does believe they put value on trust and fair judgement.

The Guard gave her a nod as she emerged, and walked with her towards the holding cell Nerotep was being kept it. It was of course being kept in the main Imperial Compound, nearby the Ancestor Council's chambers so he could more easily be brought there. Though of course that meant Heulyn would have to make the longer walk towards the capital district of the Linear City, a fairly lengthy walk. Still, it was a nice time to see the city early in the morning, with the sun rising up over the dunes and ancient buildings. The light reflecting in the river, and a general air of peacefulness. Most were still asleep, which was probably the point of the early rousing. This was a very high profile event after all, among both Anubites and other Iammelonians. She would've have seen journalists setting themselves up in the prior days, coming from other Iammelonian worlds like Javalus, all of whom would've loved to try and intercept Heulyn to question the High Lord's apprentice about the trial. Early in the morning however, long before the trial's actual start, they were asleep.

Heulyn would be met by Sethus towards the entrance of the Imperial Compound, and he gestured for her to walk with him to the prison. He was tired, and seemed a bit anxious, but he did seem elated to see Heulyn, "I hope the early waking wasn't too troublesome, but I felt it was good to get ready long ahead of time. This is going to get a lot more chaotic as proceedings get going. Now, I'll explain your role in the trial. Simply put, you don't have to do very much when it comes to the trial itself. You are not a key witness, but you will be important later on in the trial for explaining what Nerotep told you in that final battle. Most of his civil war activities will be covered by others, including some defectors from his own troops who will serve as the true key witnesses. However, you do have another, more important role that has to do with the security of the trial. Sucali is still out there, and he is not a predictable individual. We're going to have to prepare in case he does anything, and you will be important in that regard. You know him better than most of my own security officers, so you will be working with them."

It was pleasant to see her friend again. She often wondered how he was holding up in all of this. Giving a warm smile she saunters along with him as they make their way into the prison. “Not at all Sethus. I went to bed early last night.” She chimes to him. Mind slightly drifting back to the dream she had last night involving being in Anrak’s army during his global conquest. It made her want to walk about it but knew it was an improper time for discourse on dream symbolism. Listening to Sethus she let out a small sigh of understanding. “I figured. There’s not much I know about Nerotep and I don’t know whether or not I’ll learn more in the trial process. I feel bad if I talk in the context of something that may not exist.” She spoke with a pout. Last thing she wanted to make on the stand was make an incorrect description of Nerotep like saying he has dementia, schizophrenia, or any other physiological issue he may have that made him act this way. It was unfortunate that she can’t talk to Nerotep either. Having a witness interact with the defendant is a big no no in the court of law.

“Security huh. I have no problem with it. I’ll be happy to help them out. I have a gut feel that Nerotep is just a distraction. Whether or not there may have been some form of bond between them. I feel Nerotep was more of a means to an end for Sucali. While he just happened to be a source of comfort for whatever happened in Nerotep's childhood that made him start going to him.” Over the past few days she had been conversing with her Servants. Sucali was most likely to do something somewhere on the planet while the attention is all on Nerotep. And she wanted her Servants to have their eyes peeled for anything suspicious. Even if it’s redundant considering her sensory ability grew leaps and bounds over the years to the point she could see extremely far. If she were to look at the moon where the banished Anubites were exiled to she could make out the tombs on the surface. She knew that she wasn't perfect. There was little doubt that there will always be something that will slip by her. Thus relying on others to help her.

One thing for certain. This was not the final battle. From how Sethus is holding up she knew that he felt the same. “Let’s do our best Sethus. I have faith that we’ll get through this.” She warmly smiles at him. They needed to have faith now more than ever. There was nothing stronger in the universe than the power of hope.