This world was similar to her own yet Ivory knew it was not the same one. Airships, rifles, swords, horses, and technology built around steam was the norm in her world, as it seemed to be here, but there was no mark of the Empire anywhere. This man she and her companions followed, Sol she believed his name was, had mentioned the Fernenish people and she had never heard them before. They also fought battles differently here, she observed. In her world, the Empire made a show of force and engaged directly. In this world, both forces sat inside trenches and fired across an empty expanse of muddy water, dirt, and barbed wire while cannons blasted craters in the land around them. It was a slow way to do battle and left both forces living in appalling conditions.

"My feet are already soaked," complained Victoria, a young woman with dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin, and enough courage to fill an ocean. Ivory has thought little of her on their first meeting but after witnessing her fight through impossible odds with nothing but bravery and a will to survive she had grown to respect and admire the capable young woman. She had never told her so but one day she might, if the urge ever surfaced. Ivory's steel and leather boots ensured that her feet remained dry but there was indeed a substantial amount of mud and puddles at the bottom of the trench. Mixed in were the stenches of sickness, death, and bodily excrement that left her feeling nauseous.

"We didn't want to fight this way," Sol said to them from the front of the line. He wore a leather shirt and pants and slung over his back was a large tank. From the tank, wrapping around his upper body, protruded several pipes, two of which snaked down his legs to the large boots he wore. On his right arm was a massive gauntlet with pipes and gauges and over his face, which she did not see at the moment, was a metallic mask with large, round goggles. "We had to improvise our battle strategies due to a new weapon the fiendish Fernenish had invented. We call in the crank gun."

"It must be this world's version of a Gatling Gun," Karmen said from behind Ivory. The young woman with hair the colour of chocolate and eyes of mahogany was a wealth of knowledge and attitude. Ivory didn't like her very much but she had the amazing ability to transform herself into any creature she could imagine, be it insect, ape or even dragon. She was a valuable part of the team but wasn't the easiest to get along with.

"Which is what, precisely?" asked Aragol. The young man was silver-haired, brown-eyed, and supposedly a general in his world. He wore a breastplate of silver, a blue cape, and wielded a longsword called Dragon's End that thus far had little difficulty cutting through anything. Ivory had fought alongside him several times and had marvelled at his prowess. Were the circumstances different, such as them both being of the same world, she may have attempted to pursue a future with the talented man but it was pointless to do so now. Her seven companions and herself had been chosen by a man made of shadow to prevent a dark force from stripping all universes of life and once their task was done they would return to their own worlds. Therefore, as much as she admired Aragol and his skill, he would forever be no more than a companion and a friend. The man seemed to have his eyes on Karmen anyhow, for whatever reason that may be.

"One bloody gun can fire seven hundred rounds in a single minute," Sol answered. "It can destroy entire formations within seconds and our cavalry is utterly useless against it. Horses are rather easy targets and popping horseless riders is a favorite pastime of our enemy. So, as any respectable Eranin would, we planted our stinking boots in the dirt and held our ground. And you know what happened, mate?"

"What?"

"Nothing. The Fernenish couldn't advance but we bloody well couldn't either. Now both our armies are at a standstill, at least in these parts. Further south the land is too rocky to make trenches and all of our mechanized divisions are there, fighting their darndest to keep our borders secure. It isn't going so well, either, from what I last heard." Sol turned his head, eyed Ivory and her companions for a moment, and cocked it to the side. "Where the bloody hell are you all from anyhow? You're all too stupid to be Fernenish yet I've never seen such a ragtag group of mules in Erana before. Saving my life and all is cause for gratitude but I'd bloody well like who I'm thanking first."

Directly behind Sol was a tall man of muscle, dark skin, short temper, but unfailing loyalty. "I'm Boog and I'd sure as hell like it if you quit calling us stupid."

Sol glanced back, gave him a quick look over and shrugged his shoulders. "All right, mate, no need to be a sore wanker. It's all in good jest, you know."

Ivory was behind Boog and she introduced herself, getting a nod and smirk from Sol. Karmen walked behind Ivory, behind her was Aragol, and then Victoria, and Casandra walked behind her. The dark-haired, blue-eyed, slightly plump young woman was the mother of the group, both literally and due to the fact that she was the most nurturing and caring of them all. Her ability to harness the strand of energy she called wari that connected any being's soul to its body had saved their lives more times than Ivory could remember. She herself had had her life saved early on in their journey when a fierce swordswoman had nearly taken it away from her. The last she had seen of that swordswoman she had been fleeing over a desert with one of her arms cleaved off, courtesy of Ivory's own trusty silver axe.

Behind Casandra walked Celestia, the youngest of the group. She was a blue-eyed blonde with a heart-shaped face, a slender body, and a remarkable ability to grow feathery wings and replace her hands with talons. She wasn't much of a fighter and Ivory paid her little heed but she had noticed how fond she had been growing of Graham, the first member of the group to fall on this dangerous quest. His death was still fresh on Ivory's mind and though she hadn't had many dealings with him he had shown his worth countless times over. His mastery over wind had been impressive and his loss was a heavy blow to the company, especially to Celestia. Ivory was horribly inept at consoling someone thus she had said little to Celestia on the topic but she did feel some pity for the young woman. She knew the terrible pain of loss and did not wish it on anyone she considered an ally. The wound was still fresh on Celestia's face and she had said nothing since their departure from Mohara, the land of deserts and bipedal talking animals.

The last member of the group, bringing up the rear as he customarily did, was Elmar. Ivory had shared a room with him in the Jewel of Fire, a massive, floating, diamond-shaped structure, and had accidentally seen him naked. He was a kind man that was supposedly far older than anyone else in the group and had travelled many dimensions and seen numerous worlds. He had messy brown hair, a fetching smirk, strange purple eyes, and carried a golden staff with a tear-shaped tip. On its tip were seven golden rings and the staff itself could transform into a sword and shield if Elmar wished it. He was a decent fighter, a good friend, and she had grown a certain liking to him, like an older brother. He had seen her in a weak state, before the epic battle for Mohara where Graham lost his life, and Ivory had felt secure then in telling him what pained her but now hoped he had forgotten about it. She wasn't ready. She didn't know if she'd ever be.

Their trek through the trenches brought them beside many grey-uniformed soldiers, piles of crates, boxes, and barrels, and in the wider trenches tents, lean-tos and wooden shelters. The grey sky above had been raining the entire time and had not ceased since their arrival. The soldiers manning the trenches were all grim-faced and silent. Some had eyed the eight destined ones strangely but most had paid them no attention whatsoever. Sol received more attention than they ever did. He seemed to be a hero of sorts, at least to the soldiers. Any officers they walked by, however, narrowed their eyes or cursed at Sol's face as soon as they saw him. Ivory was curious as to why that was, as she was certain all of her companions were, but was more concerned with were exactly Sol was taking them.

A nearby boom sent a shower of mud and water over the heads of everyone walking or standing nearby and Ivory raised her arm, shielding her blonde head from some of the dirt. There had been a lull in the battle until then and Ivory had nearly forgotten they were in the middle of a war. Boog asked Sol where he was taking them but the man never answered. Instead, he raised a single finger, as if to silence him, and then turned down another trench, leading away from the battlefield, and toward a dilapidated wooden shelter. He opened the door that hung on a single hinge, and gestured for them to enter. Upon walking into the small shelter, Ivory noticed that there were cracks and holes in the ceiling and rain was dripping to the ground, which was just mud. She found a seat on an empty crate as her companions found their own. Sol closed the door and sat on a chair behind a table near the back of the shelter. He immediately swung his legs on top of the table, pulled out a wrench from a pouch on his hip, and started to loosen bolts on his huge boots.

"So," he started as he turned his wrench over and over, "I'd offer you all some delightful tea but I'm fresh out. If you want water there's a puddle at your feet. Moving along, how about you all tell me what brings you to Enara in the first place. Don't and try to fool me by saying you belong here because you don't. Your attire is different and you all just look positively alien to me."

"We're human just like you," Victoria said with furrowed eyebrows.

Sol removed his mask to reveal his green eyes and pointed at Victoria. "Aye, human is what I am, but like you I am not, Victoria, right?" The young woman nodded and he smiled. "Aye, thought so. We Enarans once had a young princess named Victoria. She died of illness when she was just a wee lass, though. It was such a shame. Our current queen, Mighty Queen Alexandrina, bloody bitch of a she-devil she is, is running our fair nation into the ground. The right cunt cares more for her trinkets and diamond-encrusted dresses than the fate of Enara!" Sol removed a bolt from his boot, slammed it on the table, and kept talking. "Forgive my language; I just rightly despise that accursed woman. I'm going to shut my gabber now and you eight foolish foreigners are going to tell me why I led you to these fine establishments, savvy?"

Ivory exchanged glances with her eight companions, all of them debating who would tell this eccentric young man their unbelievable tale. Casandra took it upon herself to do so and explained to Sol how they were all chosen by the man in black. She told him of their task to defeat the life-stealing force that threatened all universes in existence. In order to defeat it they first had to cleanse the nine anchors that held it tethered to its world of origin to ensure that it did not escape and become impossible to stop. Once the anchors were all cleansed the force could then be dealt with directly. After the third anchor, the one in Mohara, had been removed of corruption the eight companions were all brought to Sol's world, where apparently the fourth lay.

Sol removed one of his huge boots and placed it on the ground, saying nothing for a few minutes as he digested the grand tale. He began loosening the bolts on his other boot as the eight others in the room watched him. After three bolts were removed, he coughed, and fixed his eyes on Boog.

"Why were you chosen?" he asked him before fixing his gaze on the others. "What makes you all so special? Are you divine beings?"

"Some of us can say that," Elmar said, which made Ivory furrow her brow in confusion.

"We have abilities," Casandra elaborated. "I am uncertain if we were chosen for our abilities or for our skill as a team but nevertheless some of us can perform amazing feats. I can manipulate wari."

"Say that again?" Sol asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Wari is the strand of energy that keeps your spirit tied to your body. If it were severed you would die. It weakens with age but also from injury and I can repair it and strengthen it as well. There are many other feats I can perform but those are the ones I prefer to undertake."

"Sounds like you would do well with the Order of Light. Those stubborn Paladins and Priests could go on and on about spirits and healing and walking the path of righteousness and all that tripe."

"Do you believe they'd know about the anchor?"

Sol struggled with a steadfast bolt and clenched his teeth. "Can't say that they would but I can't say that they wouldn't either. As for myself I've no bloody clue about anchors other than the ones on ships. Might be a good start, though. I'll take you to the city when I'm all finished here." He looked up again and eyed Elmar. "What about you, what can you do?"

"Manipulate the forces of gravity and change my staff into a sword and shield," Elmar answered.

"Fascinating! You can make light objects heavy and heavy objects light?"

"I can do more than that but yes, I can do that too."

"Excellent! I may have need of you back home." Before Elmar could say anything he pointed to Boog. "You have great strength, eh brute?"

"I'd be more than willing to show you," Boog growled. "I can do a few other things too, though I'd rather not mention them."

Sol shrugged. "No matter, I've a feeling I'll get a glimpse of them soon enough anyhow." He eyed Aragol and then Ivory carefully, appearing to take note of the armour they both wore. "You two are fighters. Skill with weapons can be useful, I suppose, if a little mundane."

"Aragol's wounds heal really fast," Victoria added. "Like, insanely fast."

Sol raised an eyebrow to that. "Well, what do you know? That is indeed impressive." He turned to Ivory. "You can do that too?"

Ivory felt her face heat up and she hoped to all that was holy that she wasn't blushing. "Not really..."

"Ah well, an axe is a decent weapon, I suppose. They come in handy when you need some firewood too." Ivory frowned and felt like throwing her axe at Sol to show him that she was just as worthy as Aragol even if she didn't heal as quickly as he did. She didn't though, for a large part of her wondered if she truly was... She instead remained silent and stared at a puddle as Sol asked everyone else's abilities. He truly marvelled at Karmen's and was impressed by Celestia's but sounded perplexed when Victoria told him she hadn't discovered hers yet. He found it odd that someone with no apparent abilities or skills would be put in the same company as such powerful people but eventually cast the matter aside as he finally managed to get his boot off.

An explosion outside made the ground rumble and the entire shack rattled, threatening to fall apart. Sol donned some leather boots he had had hanging on nails on the wall beside him and then stood up. "What say you all to leaving this godforsaken battlefield and I take you all to the city now, eh? The drive is a little long but we can all get some rest on the way there. There might even be tea!"

The eight friends, having no other plan in mind, agreed to follow Sol and he quickly led them outside the ramshackle shelter, leaving his metal boots behind. He guided them down more trenches, leading them further and further from the battlefield. They passed the low ridge the line of cannons was positioned upon and Ivory looked up at them in awe. She had always loved the sight of cannons firing. There was a strange majesty to the way an explosion within a barrel could launch a ball of iron such great distances. The engineers working the cannons paid her no heed, fully focused on their task of loading, firing, and reloading their machine of war.

A few paces later a tall man broad in shoulder and square in jaw blocked their path, eyeing Sol with a great scowl. He wore a red military uniform with golden epaulettes, shining yellow buttons, and several badges pinned on his left breast. On his head was a shako with a puffy white feather that stuck straight up. "Corporal Stewart," the man growled. "Where in the blazes do you think you're taking these strangers and who are they?"

Sol gave the man an exaggerated bow. "Ah, humble Captain Feathertop, what a mighty fine pleasure it is to see you! These strangers as you called them are following me to the capital. They are lost, you see, and I wish to help them find their way home. Now, good sir, would you kindly step aside?"

"It's Captain Wulf, corporal, and you'd be wise to remember that! You have no authorization to take these people anywhere before they are properly interrogated. They could be Fernenish spies! Are you so daft as to forget that?"

"As a matter of fact, captain, I am not. I did question them and trust me when I say that they are no spies. Just bloody well look at them! Do they look Fernenish too you?"

"I can't let you take them, Stewart."

Ivory frowned and grew impatient. She had no time for useless banter. She glanced to the side, where Elmar stood, and wondered if he felt the same way. Instead, to her surprise, his eyes were wide and he looked entranced by something. He was staring at the captain with such intensity Ivory though he'd pounce on him. She eyed Captain Wulf and wondered what could be captivating Elmar's attention so much.

"Buttons," Elmar whispered, answering the question for her. "Such pretty buttons..."

The officer's uniform's buttons were indeed pretty and Ivory was then remembered about Elmar's fascination with them. She had yet to learn the true reason behind that and one day, before she returned to her world, she'd make sure to do so.

"We are not spies," Casandra said to the captain in an uncharacteristically hard voice. "You will let us pass."

Captain Wulf narrowed his eyes at her, curled a finger around his chin, and took a few moments to think. He glanced back at Sol and took a deep breath before saying, "Very well, they are not spies. They may pass."

Sol raised a finger, as if insulted, and opened his mouth to say something but then stopped. He cocked his head to side in confusion and looked back, glancing at Ivory and the others. With a surprised shrug, he started walking ahead. Captain Wulf stepped aside and gave them all the room they needed, offering no resistance.

"Well that never happened before," Sol said after they left Captain Wulf far behind them. "And I had such a wonderful speech prepared..." He sighed in mock disappointment. "I suppose it shall have to wait until next time."

Ivory, now in line once again, glanced back at Casandra and received a knowing wink from the woman. She smiled, surprised that she had used her abilities to manipulate someone's mind. Ivory had not been aware that she could do that but it had proved most beneficial in any case.

The trenches grew wider and cleaner the further away from the battle they ventured. The rain had finally stopped and patches of blue could be seen in the grey sky above. The cannon fire was still loud but Ivory knew that they would have to be many miles away before they ever stopped hearing them.

Sol led them toward a trench that sloped upward to a wide field of grass, the carpet of green a welcome sight to the dismal grey and brown that had filled everyone's sight for far too long. Upon the grass, tethered to the ground by long ropes, was a massive airship with a long gondola. It was unarmoured, unarmed, and on the side of the rigid structure was a white rectangle. A rope ladder dangled over the railing of the gondola and a man stood on the ground beside it.

"Excellent," Sol said with a smile as he eyed the rigid airship. "We still have an undamaged transport. This is what will take you to the city."

"Amazing," Aragol said, his eyes wide with wonder.

Ivory smiled. This wouldn't be her first airship ride by far but for many of her friends it seemed, as she saw the looks on Victoria, Boog, Casandra, and Karmen's faces, that it would be. All the better, she thought, I'll have an advantage over them for once...

"All aboard, lads and lasses," Sol said when they arrived at the rope ladder, the buzz of the spinning propellers beside the gondola almost completely drowning out his voice. "Let's leave this mess of mud and blood and grab ourselves some much-deserved peace!"

Ivory was the first one to climb up.