As much as Ema did not want to admit it, she had no idea where to start looking. Yes, she was a tracker - one of the best, according to Jay - but that did not mean she had any idea where to start. Almost nothing was known about the Frozen ones other than they were old Terpolite warriors. That told her nothing helpful other than the people they were after were most probably looking for a fight. But they could be anywhere in the multiverse. 

"I know that look." Ema faced her friend who was lounging beside her. "You have no idea where to start."

She nodded. "Don't you have some super insight or something that lets you see the Frozen Ones?"

"Afraid not." Her friend tugged at her white hair, pulling it into a high ponytail. "If I could, we would have found them already, yes?"

"Yes." Ema sighed. "Some magical insight would be awfully convenient." 

"You're telling me." Satisfied with her hair, her friend pushed it over a shoulder. "I'm afraid my father was far from an open man. Once I was old enough, he left me to rot so he could take over the world."

"Safe to say that didn't work." Ema nudged her. "So, you're not upset that he's dead?"

She laughed. "Far from it. He was a horrid man who wanted to bring on multiversal damnation."

"I will never stop being relieved about how much you're not like him, Xix."

Xix Archeron gave her a sideways smile. "Imagine how relieved I am."

It had been a shock to learn the identity of her friend, if Ema was being completely honest. The only features Xix gained from her father were her ruby eyes and white hair. The rest of her - the dark skin and Fae features - were from her mother. As much as she tried to hide it, Xix did have her father's dark powers. Though she had much better control.

In the time they'd spent together, Ema often found herself defending her friend from people who wanted her dead. It seemed plenty of people knew Xix's identity and, because of that, believed that she wanted to finish her father's mission. If only they knew how incredible the female really was. She'd saved Ema's life when they first met a year ago. 

Since then, they'd stuck together, traveling to different worlds once a mob decided it was time to get rid of them. There were a few worlds they were always welcome on, one of those being Xix's homeworld, but most wanted nothing to do with the pair. It was fine, of course. They had each other. 

"So," Xix said. "If you were a Frozen One, possibly millions of years old, and had just awoken to find out everyone you knew was dead, what's the first thing you would do?"

"Go after everyone that killed them," Ema joked. She clicked her fingers, remembering something. "According to my friend Jay, there was a message left in the crystal by the Frozen One. He sent me a picture." She fiddled with her phone until she found it and held it out to Xix. "It's written in-"

"The Old Language, yes." Her friend glanced over the symbols. "I am Aurelia. I have not forgotten thepast. You turned the sky blue. You murdered my mate. You slaughtered my people.I am coming for you, Anmerankh-Karareia."

Ema gaped. "You can read the Old Language?"

"Of course I can," Xix said, looking thoughtfully at the picture. "The sky turning blue," she murmured. "Isn't the Terpolite sky red?"

"It is," Ema confirmed. "I've never heard of it turning blue outside of apocalypse stories." She pointed at the last word. "According to Jay, Amneris has never had any interaction with this Aurelia person so was confused when her name showed up in a message."

Xix smiled slightly. "It's not addressed to her."

"But, it clearly says-"

"Anmerankh-Karareia was the name of the first Photon Queen."

Ema blinked. Then blinked again. "So, Aurelia is going after someone who's been dead for millions of years."

Handing the phone back, Xix said, "Yes. This gives me an idea of where they would be," she added. "A small idea, but an idea none the less."

"Better than anything I've got," Ema sighed, stuffing her phone into one of the pockets on her brown rucksack. "So, where we headed this time?"

Xix stood, shouldering her own bag - a black-and-gold haversack. "There's an old castle on a world called Apep." 

She went up to the counter not far from where they were seated, handing over several gold coins and saying their stay was over. The woman at the counter took them, shooing the two females outside.

"Supposedly, the world was named after an old God who used to reside there," Xix continued as they walked down the nighttime streets. "The castle itself is called the Castle of the Chaos Serpent."

"The Castle of the Chaos Serpent," Ema repeated, humming thoughtfully.

Xix gave her a small smile. "I doubt you've heard of it. It's very old and, for the most part, has been lost to history. Only the Terpolite royal family knows about it and there are very few records in the royal library. I'd be surprised if your friends find out about it through their own means."

"Should we tell them?" 

She shook her head. "We don't know for sure that's where Aurelia went."

"Yes," Ema agreed. "We check it out then, if there's something there, I'll call Jay." 

"He's one of your Lyriumian friends, correct?"

"Correct."

Xix frowned. "I'm not sure if those with Lyriumian blood would be able to access the castle. There are wards around it created by those who served Apep. I doubt I would be able to break them."

Ema waved a hand. "Jay's Fae. He just lives on Lyriumia."

"Ah. I see."

That was when another thought crossed her mind. "How the heck do we get to Apep?"

Looking toward the horizon, Xix smiled to herself. "We follow the path of the first sun."