Before we entered the portal, Erumon had us stand by while he and Ardrin gave the remaining hegraphenes a set of inaudible instructions.
I couldn't help but feel that we had just been in the presence of a god. His overwhelming aura would have indicated as much, but the fact that Ardrin had somehow been in contact with him before all of this began struck me as odd.
No matter how many ways I turned and twisted that information, it didn't make sense. His disposition towards Erumon was so strange and nonplussed that I couldn't figure it out.
Still, the time had finally come to return home, and with Kalia, Devyr, Irun, Athar, and Ardrin coming with us, I knew this wouldn't be easy to explain to my mother, let alone Taegin or my brother.
You're going to hurt yourself if you think about it too hard, Ysevel quipped, feeling my thoughts whirling around. We'll explain the whole situation to them after we get some rest, she gently squeezed my hand and gave me a thoughtful smile. And a bath, I chuckled. Gods, yes! A fucking bath! Ysevel mentally shouted, squeezing my hand more tightly at the prospect of soaking in a scalding hot spring.
What's a hot spring? Kalia asked, glancing at us curiously before we both burst out laughing. "They're not right in the head, are they?" Irun muttered to Athar. "Definitely not, but still more sane than you," Athar chuckled.
"I still can't believe you offered yourself as bait to get him away from the portal, and then dared to call the most powerful mage in recent history a fuck-ass," Irun smacked him upside the head, nearly making him stumble forward and drop the unconscious Devyr.
"Careful, don't want to drop the precious cargo," Athar's alternate voice growled. "You deserved that after almost getting killed for a third time," Irun shrugged. "When was the second?" Athar raised an eyebrow in confusion. "When Kalia found out you were in love with her daughter," I chimed in, getting a chuckle out of everyone present.
Well, almost everyone.
Kalia fumed momentarily, but when she remembered how much care she saw Athar had for Devyr, she relented with a sigh. "I might consider following through if you hurt her," Kalia shifted her body ever so slightly, making Athar flinch. "I-I wouldn't dream of it!" he snapped nervously, sweat pouring down his face.
I felt a warm sensation reach my core from Kalia, though her face and pose would have suggested the opposite. I felt a smile creep onto my face as Ysevel stifled a giggle with her hand. "Is everyone ready?" Erumon's voice boomed from across the hall.
Now that I got a better look at his stature, I saw that he easily dwarfed Ardrin, whose height barely reached his bicep.
"I have finished giving instructions to the others. Ardrin will help me manage the portals between this Realm and your own, allowing your kind travel between them under my supervision," Erumon's voice rumbled. "This will also help your realm stop the other portals left behind by Nexis, but those will take time to find and destroy," he continued, glancing at Ysevel and I.
"Wait, so he was the cause of the creatures from this realm invading ours?" I asked, feeling something wasn't right. Erumon's eyes squinted ever so slightly before he answered. "Not entirely," he answered cryptically.
I don't like the sound of that, I sent Ysevel and Kalia, who mentally agreed.
"For now, take some time to rest, as we will need your full strength for the future," he waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not sure I understand," I shook my head rapidly in surprise. "You will, in time," he nodded subtly. "Come, it is time," he gestured to the portal. "Of course, Lord Erumon. Thank you for your assistance," I bowed. "No, Thoma. It is I who should thank you; all of you," he dipped his head much more than I expected him to.
We bid Erumon farewell with a low bow, while Athar did what he could, still holding Devyr in his arms. The feeling of unease in my gut writhed once more, but I did what I could to hide my confusion and nodded, turning to face the portal.
"Ready to go?" I asked Ysevel. "Of course," she smiled brightly, taking the first step into the portal and leading me by the hand closely beside her.
The infinite pathways appeared before us, reminding me of the first time we'd gone through a portal. The floating sensation returned to us, as our hair, armor, and weapons floated loosely as we moved through along the path.
"I never thought I'd see that again," I mused over the marvelous sight before us. The twilight sky that served as the backdrop for this place glistened and hummed with more unfamiliar mana. This time, I could actually turn my attention toward it, as I tried to take in as much information as my tired brain would allow.
Even if the paths seemed infinite, it was more than evident that each one had a beginning and an end, though like before, I couldn't tell where they ended. "It's beautiful here. I wish we could explore more realms like the Wardens can," Ysevel said idly, which struck a strange chord in my thoughts.
"Do you think they only watch over one realm?" I asked, already considering the improbability of there being a potentially infinite number of them. "Perhaps, but maybe they have subordinates who keep an eye on them in their stead when they're away on duty in another realm," Ysevel suggested idly.
"That's the first thing that's made any sense since we met Erumon," I chuckled, already feeling the thought of their rank structures and other such concepts gnawing at the back of my mind. I was quickly reminded that we were going home when a bright light at the far end of the path rapidly approached us.
The same, rotational feeling overcame us, as we shifted from a prone to an upright position against the path. We prepared for the sudden crash into the floor like we'd experienced through Irun's portal, but we came to a halt just before, allowing us to walk through it of our own volition.
"I guess Irun's was more like an emergency portal after all," I chuckled, thinking back on that time that felt like a lifetime ago. "Oh, absolutely. This is much better," she smiled as I led her through the portal. The white and blue mana washed over us like a warm summer breeze, but was quickly nullified by the snowy courtyard before us.
Erumon, in all his wisdom, had somehow managed to accurately create a portal that landed us directly in front of Myrdin Palace. The familiar structure confirmed that we were, in fact, home, and I felt Ysevel's elation spike through our connection. However, I couldn't help but feel I'd somehow become estranged from this place.
It will pass. It's been a long time since we've been here. Well, a long time to us, anyway, Ysevel sent, immediately quelling the majority of that sensation. I smiled at her, but began to look around at the guards who began to surround us.
"L-Lady Ysevel?" one of them asked. I couldn't recognize him, but how he held his weapon suggested that he was struggling to believe his own eyes. "I'm home," she responded brightly, with a light-hearted giggle filled with relief.
It brought a smile to my face hearing her laugh so freely.
The guard's eyes opened widely in realization, his jaw working to summon words that struggled to leave his mouth. "L-Lady Ysevel has returned! Fetch the Queen and King!" he shouted over his shoulder, as a pair of guards raced up the stairs leading into the heart of the Palace.
"How is this possible?" the guard asked breathlessly. Before she could answer, he turned his eyes to me, which widened again. "Thoma? Is that you?" he squinted his eyes. "Yes?" I asked, almost just as confused as he was. "B-But your eyes…" he trailed off.
I hadn't realized it, but I still maintained my fourth stage the entire journey home. I'd grown so accustomed to doing so inside the dome that it had become second nature. With a light chuckle, I released it, my eyes returning to their usual green. "Is that better?" I smiled as we stepped forward to allow the others coming in behind us room to land.
"Gods above, it is you!" the guard eased, allowing himself a small chuckle. "I thought you'd been possessed or something," he wiped the nervous sweat from his brow. Even in the cold air, I was surprised to see he was that anxious about our arrival. "Possessed?" I asked loosely.
"Those two are always training, but the way they fight makes me think they're possessed by some kind of devil," the guardsman gestured toward the training area. "Ah, you mean my mother and Ren," I chuckled, knowing exactly what he meant. He nodded in agreement quickly just before a voice came from the top of the stairs.
But where are the others? I thought of my companions likely still traveling through the portal. They'll be here soon. Time must work differently when traveling like that, Ysevel surmised. Fair enough. At least it will give us some time to ease the guards into it, I mentally shrugged.
"Ysevel? Thoma?" Aurae's voice resounded throughout the courtyard.