This wasn't exactly how Severance wanted to revisit Ascendance. He would have preferred to slip through the crowds as one of many, an inconspicuous player who blended in with everyone else. That way no one noticed him, no one looked at him, and no one bothered him. That was how he liked it.

But this—this couldn't have been more the opposite!

He had to keep one hand gripping Vast's scruff, as he was worried that the vastlhidan would take offense to anyone that got too close. Vast kept his ears back and lip curled, revealing glistening fangs. He rumbled softly, the sound practically vibrating through his entire body.

At least people were smart enough to get out of the way. A narrow path opened up for them, creating a gauntlet of stares and chatter.

"Hey, where'd you get him?"
"I want one too!"
"Wanna do a trade?"
"Let's be friends, yeah?"
"Ha, must be a rich clan."
"Hey, sis, you ever see those people before?"
"You guys taking new players?"

Severance was tempted to match Vast's rumbling growl with one of his own. He was nearly as tense, too.

"It's quite lively today," Maun commented. He wore a faint smile, appearing perfectly relaxed as if having a morning stroll through the woods.

Batin was much the same. Or at least, as far as Severance could tell since it was hard to read the mysterious clansman at the best of times. Still, he hadn't missed how both Veiled kept him in between them, nor how they remained fairly close. Like Vast, they were on guard. Something strange was going on because even for the Veiled, this was excessive.

Keeping his voice low, Severance asked, "What exactly happened in Two Bridges?"

"It's been taken over," Maun answered, equally as quiet. "A joint force between the Chosen and Traders. The Valkyrie didn't stand a chance."

Severance's stomach sank. The Chosen had been attacking the city of bridges for a while, but the Valkyrie had always presented a strong resistance. Never once had he actually thought they'd fail.

"Did the Valkyrie..." No. He didn't even want to go down that train of thought. "What happened to the survivors?"

"We don't know for certain. Only the Outsiders affiliated with the Valkyrie have been seen since. As for the Valkyries themselves... they could be in hiding."

Could be, huh? It wasn't a very heartening statement. He wanted to help them if he could, but he didn't know the full situation.

"Has anyone been inside Two Bridges since then?"

Maun turned his head and fixed with him a look. "The only people who can safely venture into the city now are the Chosen and Traders. Don't even think about going there, Severance."

Severance nodded, though inwardly he wondered what the risk was. As an Outsider, the only thing he'd have to really worry about was getting captured and held for a few hours, like the Veiled had done to him when they first met. As long as he was careful, he could check things out and see if there were any Valkyrie left in the city.

They were fierce and courageous warriors, and the thought of them wasting away as prisoners didn't sit right with him. The Chosen would not be kind captors, either.

"Why would they even do such a thing?" He wasn't really directing the question to anyone, but Maun answered anyway.

"It's a strategic location. Close to a dungeon, well-fortified with only two access points. If you think about it, it's the perfect place to train new soldiers."

"That's true."

Severance wondered how this was going to affect players who weren't part of those clans. The Chosen den was the quickest way to level to 30.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice the constant backward stares from Awesome Dude. Nor did he see the occasional, frowning look from Ironhide. The two players followed close behind the clan representatives, allowing a healthy amount of space between them and the Veiled.

The representative from the Vigilant, Avris Denyer, turned onto the path that led them to the north edge of town. It didn't take long before they came to a very familiar bridge that crossed over a little brook. The area around it was open and relatively free from any people.

As they neared, Severance cast a long look at an empty spot beneath the golden tree where Lady Joveline used to stand. She'd be there every day, greeting people with good cheer and sending them out on mischievous quests. There was no sign of her now, and he wondered where she'd gone. Or what trouble she was stirring up; she had once engineered the death of one of her supposed friends, and he still carried the ashes of that 'friend' with him.

That had been the very first person he'd killed in Eliona.

Vast tugged at his grip, growling fiercely. Startled, Severance yanked back, only just managing to stop the vastlhidan from snapping at Avris. The Vigilant, along with the others, had come to a stop in the middle of the bridge, and Severance had gotten far closer than he realized.

Heat warmed his ears. "Sorry."

He knelt by Vast and grabbed the beast's head with both hands. Vast took the opportunity to try and lick Severance's face, which Severance narrowly avoided. He didn't want to be anywhere near that tongue right now. It still had Awesome Dude's blood on it, for crying out loud.

"Vast," he said firmly, "Stop it."

Vast just looked back, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Good boy." Severance decided that was about as much as he could hope for. "Now listen. These people are friends. You can't attack them, okay? If you do, I'm going to get mad and I'll never take you with me again. You'll have to stay at the House by yourself. Is that what you want?"

Vast whined and he lowered his head a fraction. His brilliant blue-silver eyes didn't waver as they stared unblinkingly at Severance.

"Don't give me that look. You want to stay with me, then you better behave."

With a gentle woof, Vast snapped out his tongue and gave Severance a lick on the nose before Severance could evade it.

Severance recoiled and wiped his nose on a bracer. "Good enough, I guess."

He got up to see everyone watching him. A weight settled against his leg as Vast sat beside him. His tail predictably coiled around them both, which was annoying, but at least the beast wasn't growling. Or tearing out throats.

"Wow! He's so cool!" Awesome Dude nearly had stars in his eyes. He came closer before Ironhide grabbed the back of his collar and held him back. "Aww, what's the deal, man? Let me go! I just wanna pet it."

"Did you forget about getting killed?" Ironhide asked coolly. "Don't be an idiot."

Severance winced. "I'm really sorry about that."

Grinning wide enough for his gold tooth to flash, Awesome Dude waved away the apology. "Nah, it's fine. It was actually pretty neat! You'll have to tell me-"

"Dude," Ironhide growled. His grip tightened as Awesome Dude tried to tug free.

"What?"

"Stand still and shut up."

"But-"

Avris laughed lightly. He folded his arms behind his back. With his armored robes of pale creams, he looked like the very picture of elegance.

"What a lively group. I'm glad I was able to come out today and meet all of you."

Smiling pleasantly, Maun cleared his throat. "I believe introductions are in order. I am Maun, of the Veiled. That is Batin. And some of you are familiar with Severance." Here, he gave Severance a hearty clap on the back.

Severance gave him an annoyed side glance. Of all the times Maun could have said his name properly, it was now?

"A pleasure," Avris said warmly. "I am Avris Denyer, a Leader of the Vigilant."

"Enson Ferrason, from Eternal Champions. Also a Leader." Enson looked carefully at each of them in turn, as if memorizing their faces.

"I'm Ironhide," Ironhide introduced himself next. He regarded Maun and Batin with mild interest for a moment before nodding to the player in front of himself. "This is Awesome Dude. We're both Champions."

"Hi!" Awesome Dude grinned and waved.

"We've met," Maun said, amused.

"Right! You're the super strong guy we did that dungeon with. Man, you probably didn't even need us. You totally could have soloed the whole thing yourself."

Maun just smiled. He said nothing to deny the claim, Severance noticed with some mild disgust. The guy was probably soaking up the praise and preening under the sun.

Like the quiet whisper of steel scraping against its sheath, Batin said, "Perhaps you should tell us why you wished to speak with us."

Enson's attention snapped to Batin. The Eternal Champions Leader already seemed tense and guarded. This was only magnified as he regarded Batin. He shifted, one hand inching closer to the axe he had holstered at his side.

Severance didn't blame him. He knew exactly how Enson felt.

"Of course," Avris quickly cut in. "A certain-"

He stopped when a player approached the bridge. She was a cryomancer, from the looks of her blue robes and the bracelets glinting on her wrists. She slowed as she squeezed past, openly staring at them. No doubt she was trying to figure out why a bunch of people were crammed onto a rather small bridge in the middle of Ascendance.

No one said anything until she stepped off the other side of the bridge. They watched her retreating form until Avris cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, a certain discovery has been brought to our attention. Therefore, we, the Vigilant and the Eternal Champions, would like to form an alliance with you."

"Ah. You wish to partake in this 'discovery.'" Maun spoke the last word with deliberate emphasis.

"Naturally."

Severance wanted to roll his eyes. What was the point of being all casually cryptic when everyone knew what they really were talking about?

This had to be about the weird scroll he'd found in the dungeon not so long ago. Both Ironhide and Awesome Dude had been there. One of them, probably Awesome Dude, had brought it up to their clan, and now both the Eternal Champions and the Vigilant wanted in on the prize. Although, it was interesting how the Vigilant had gotten involved, since both of his friends were Champions.

Severance absently scratched Vast's ears. The two clans must have a pretty close relationship.

"What are they talking about," Awesome Dude stage-whispered to Ironhide. It was loud enough that everyone heard it, and Severance withheld an exasperated sigh. Okay fine, everyone except Awesome Dude knew what was going on.

"Shush," Ironhide told him.

"Well," Maun acted as if the two players hadn't even spoken, "If we were so inclined, what would you offer?"

Avris' smile never wavered. "A team. Resources. We know the Veiled are limited. Some could even say your clan is but a shade of what it once was, yes?"

An odd silence fell, like a cloud passing over the sun. Severance was aware of Batin's complete lack of motion beside him. And Maun... Maun observed Avris with a relaxed sort of expression. It wasn't any less unsettling than Batin's eerie stillness, because Severance was starting to understand that a relaxed Maun was a dangerous Maun.

"What makes you say that?" Maun eventually asked.

Both Ironhide and Awesome Dude looked from one side to the other, as if searching for clues into what was happening. Severance shrugged at them, wishing he could explain but knowing he could not.

"Some have a long memory," Avris murmured. "Our clan Head is one of them."

"I see." Maun looked to Enson. "And you?"

Enson didn't quite scoff. "The same. But you knew that, didn't you?"

Instead of answering, Maun just tilted his head and watched them.

"Gentlemen," Avris spread his hands. "We mean no ill. I merely wanted to point out that we understand your position and we wish to help in any way we can. I believe we share a common interest in keeping this out of the hands of the Chosen, Traders, or the Knights for that matter."

"In that, I can agree."

Avris brightened perceptibly. "Excellent! Then, you are willing to work with us?"

"I am not opposed to it," Maun stated. "But it's Sev here who will have the final say. As our Outsider, he is the one that must act on our behalf."

"What?" Severance couldn't believe it. Was Maun trying to dump this mess on him now?

"That's entirely reasonable," Avris agreed. He turned to Severance, his expression nothing but open and friendly. "Severance. When you are ready, I ask that you find your teammates among the Vigilant and the Champions. You can trust us to be discrete and reliable, and we will offer any resources or aid that you might require. Is that a fair statement, Enson?"

"Yes," the Champion said. He seemed pensive.

"That is quite generous of you," Batin murmured.

Avris inclined his head. "Like I said, we will do anything possible to keep it from those clans."

"And to glean the benefits for yourselves, no doubt."

Avris laughed lightly, showing he was not offended by the accusation. "That too, my friend. The best alliance is one where everyone benefits, is it not?"

"Um, hey." Awesome Dude raised his hand. "Is someone going to explain what you're talking about?"

Severance absently nodded, not really listening. "Sure."

This whole interaction felt off. Avris, and Enson for that matter, were well aware of the Veiled's past, which was something the Veiled guarded closely. They acted friendly, but friendly words, in Severance's experience, often masked the other party's true intentions. The Vigilant and Eternal Champions were huge clans, and if they were so inclined (and managed to find the hidden Veiled House), Severance was sure they could stamp out the Veiled in a single day.

He needed to be cautious here. Real lives were at stake.

"Sev?"

Awesome Dude was staring at him now. What? Had he missed something?

"Yes?" he asked.

"It's cool we're official allies and you're like, all epic now but dude! You gotta tell me what's happening!"

The Shade's whine was so impressive that even Vast tilted his head. Severance wanted to bury his face in the palm of his hand. Didn't his friend realize he was surrounded by four high-ranking clan leaders?

"We'll talk later," he promised, before politely addressing Avris. "Thanks for the offer. But it'll probably be a while before I need it. I have to level up a lot first."

Avris didn't even hesitate. "Not a problem. As I mentioned, we are happy to help. Perhaps with the Ruins?"

Of course, Maun was quick to agree. "Excellent idea. Sev, didn't I tell you to go on a dungeon diet? You should have listened."

"You made it sound stupid," Severance retorted. "Why would I listen to that?"

A heavy, overly dramatic sigh came from the Veiled man. "This is what happens when you get distracted by the ladies, Sev. You lose sight of the important things."

Severance didn't even think about it. He shoved his elbow into Maun's ribs, and was pleasantly shocked when his jab actually hit. Sadly, Maun didn't even flinch. He just lifted a brow and gave Severance an unimpressed look.

Severance pointedly ignored the clansman. He met Avris' eyes.

"Okay. When I need some help, I'll contact Ironhide or Awesome Dude."

"Yeah!" Awesome Dude cheered.

Maun put a hand on Severance's back, which earned a quiet rumble of displeasure from Vast. "Then that's settled. We'll keep in touch."

Avris gave a gracious nod. "Of course. How can we contact you?"

"You don't." Maun smiled pleasantly. "If you need anything, have the Dude reach out to Sev."

That caught Avris off guard, for he was momentarily silent. He glanced over at Awesome Dude, who was grinning away.

Severance suspected he was hoping to set up some kind of regular contact with the Veiled, which almost made him laugh, because there was no way that was going to happen. Not with the Veiled's paranoid behavior.

Maun's grin was a little too sharp. "Now then. We must be off."

And like that, Severance found himself being prodded back over the bridge. Tail swishing side to side, Vast prowled beside him, one eye on Maun.

"Wait! Sev!" That was Awesome Dude, who came running after them

At the same time, Severance half turned, forcing Maun to stop. "Hey-"

A tall, thin shadow cut across his field of view, and Batin was there, wearing a faint smile like a pointed weapon. He aimed it at Awesome Dude.

"Later, perhaps," he said mildly. "We have an errand to attend to."

Awesome Dude went stock still, his eyes growing round. For once, he was silent. It was almost alarming. Severance tried to peer around Batin's frame, but Maun gently but insistently pushed him onwards.

"It's best if we leave this area," Maun spoke to him in a low tone. "Too many curious eyes."

With a heavy sigh, Severance didn't fight it. He silently apologized to Awesome Dude, as they'd have to catch up later.

"Fine, where are we going?"

Maun's answer was positively gleeful. "A walk, Sev. We're going on a nice little walk."