ADARA

I carry their dreams upon my lonely wings, though I am no longer alone. Hands wrapped around Fenrer's chest, she held on tight while the dragon of pitch flew them higher every moment. Through thick clouds of silver which brushed against her skin and swept her breath away without taking it in full. It lit up the phoenix fire in her blood when the dragon — Kolis — flew through the last one, the separation between those who walked the land and those who flew the skies. Fiery sparkles floated through the air, around the multitudes of islands carried on the same clouds of silver. Willow trees of pink, blues, and greens, their leaves shaped into teardrops. Wisps skittered out of Kolis' wingspan when he came in for a graceful landing on the smallest floating isle, with a glimmering pond at its center. A bird in a tree raised their wings in a threat display, where flames ran down their feathers, the corvid shape squawking at them as their tail weaved through the dance of fire. Kolis lowered himself, and Adara dropped herself onto the ground with Fenrer, eyeing the creature in the tree. It folded its wings, a deep, twilight purple in the flames and the rest of its plumage a black mixed with starry flecks.

Adara glanced around the small inlet, but spotted no fae with a hunger for the power in their names. Quite alone save for the bird in the tree, fluffing out their feathers into a fireball. It was then it clicked in her mind when it met her in the eye. A phoenix, but none so similar to the ones in storybooks, but just as dangerously beautiful as a bird on fire could be. It took wing, spreading the starry sparkle in its flames when it disappeared into one of the clouds. Kolis straightened himself out, then said, "They are here. Take caution... and I wish you luck in the battles to come in the world of the living." Swept up into the storm, Kolis took flight and disappeared into the rippling twilight sea of stars below.

"But... there's no one here," Adara pointed out.

Fenrer's reflective glass looked around with a couple rapid-fire blinks when a green haze settled on them, so close to revealing the eyes he had within the land they came from. "No... he's telling the truth, they are here. We just can't perceive them because we're not of this world. It's like they're part of a different echo, like when Yuven uses his bloodline..." His eyes widened into a realized shine. "If that's the case, they're the original users of spatial and time magick, and they must've given it to the first Avaerilians which as generations passed and the Traye's surfaced—" He held out both hands. Ripples of pressure formed around him, a gentle tug pulled at the magick underneath her skin. Redirection. The little fire wisps started to swirl around Fenrer, before he pushed a reflective glyph outwards, causing them to slam into an unseen barrier around the island.

Tendrils started to snake out of the air, hovering over the shimmering pond. It brightened the tree the phoenix perched on. From those tendrils, colorful plumage started to swirl into spherical beings. Adara pressed a finger into her temple when the feathery spheres grew larger. It stung into her eyebrows, but Fenrer dropped his arms. "And there's the fae."

Adara waited for the headache to subside to stare at the spheres. "...those?" She pointed at them.

"Within this world, yes," Fenrer replied.

Adara pinched her chin when one floated closer to her, though no sound came out considering its lack of visible orifices. "How are we supposed to communicate with them?"

"Communication might not be the point," Fenrer muttered, inching closer to her. He paused when the feathered spheres breathed outwards. Several notes sounded from each one, hovering over the shimmering pond. Each melody sent disturbances deeper into the water. Adara wrapped an arm around him when the water opened up its maw to reveal the bottom of the basin, scattered with gemstones and pearls. It glittered, magick rising out of the cracks. "The better question is what the toll will be."

Every one of the feathered balls split to swirl, though left an opening for them to enter the pond with its water pushed to the side, held aloft by the wind. On the dreams of past, present, and future, she let go of Fenrer to approach with her surge of curiosity, held back by fear of the unknown when she pressed her boot into the pearls, gemstones, and pebbles. Once she was in the center, the colours turned silver, but nothing else of note happened except a sweeping chill down her skin when a stray feather brushed against it. Flames trailed after it, before disappearing again. The sensation was all too familiar, but she knew not from where it tugged. The moment Fenrer joined her, the feathers blocked their entrance and escape. A swirling, soft tornado which barely rustled their clothes.

"We're trying to find the Traveller," she said through the eerie silence. "We were told we'd have to pay your toll." Not that I know what featherballs would need...

Fenrer followed suit, and in the tornado, his eyes had returned to normal. No longer the reflective crystal. Green galaxies which spun and hypnotized. "We mean no harm," he finished. "We wish to seal a rift and awaken the Traveller from his slumber. In our world, a great abyss has freed itself and threatens both sides of the Echoes." Fenrer approached the wall. "Whatever you seek of payment—" He paused, staring into the wall. Adara nudged him to grab his attention.

Voices hummed through the feathery mist. Familiar ones.

Images came out of the fog the gale spurt out in tiny clouds. Past. It fluttered in her mind's eye, and sent flames into her temples, with Fenrer clutching at his head. Present. From the mist, Yuven and Evyriaz, flying through a blizzard and the quiet hums turned into raucous screams when they too, disappeared. Futures yet untold. Her hand found Fenrer's when the wall of sparkling water followed along the eye of the storm and darkness dragged its teeth across her eyes. Tendrils to point at her. Crimson dusks peeked over the horizon, reflecting off the plumage. Each one grew withered and sickly black until there was nothing to see but eyes of red. Fenrer went ashen, though she failed to see anything except the crimson tongue which angled its way at them.

"What are you willing to lose?"

It sloshed in her ears, and she pressed herself against Fenrer when the water crashed around them. It dug into her ears and smacked into her eyes, and she waited for the sensations to settle before opening them.

Alabaster walls stretched on forever, with unmarked halls and swinging golden lamps. Pillars provided structural support, but she jolted when a warm hand grabbed her forearm. "It's Euros," Fenrer whispered, and they stood in the hallway. Familiar, but something shifted in her mind.

"What?" Adara twisted to face him. "It can't be! We were in Irimount. If we're back here in Euros then—"

"Neven?" Fenrer asked.

Around the corner, an armored shape with gold-spun feathers poking out of their helmet inched closer to them with clinking footsteps from their steel-clawed boots. Their scale armor gave them the appearance of a wyvern with the horns poking out of the helmet. Fenrer approached him, and Adara followed to question the senior Warden, but slammed to a stop when they unlatched the helmet, and the horns were not a part of it. Tangles of blonde fell over their ears as they walked with a sense of purpose, ignoring the two.

"Since when did Neven have horns?" Adara whispered.

"He doesn't." Fenrer narrowed his eyes, then followed the lookalike. Adara stared at the back of the Naveeran knight. "That isn't Neven."

Though the corridors were the same as the when she was last within the citadel's warm walls, the lookalike led them deeper in, helmet tucked underneath an arm. He came to an attentive stop in front of a door, knocking loud on it before taking a small step back.

"Come in," another familiar voice said and the door followed suit.

Adara peeked around the frame when the lookalike entered. One foot pressed against the ground, he gave a respectful bow. Behind a desk, a white-haired figure with grey feathers stretching around their ears. Twirling horns grew out of the crown of their skull, but when they looked up, she choked at who it was. "Euron," she rasped. "Fenrer..." She eyed him when he returned the expression. "This is a thousand Turns past. We're not here. We're being shown this."

"But why..."

Euron beamed at his visitor, jumping out of his seat. "Atoran," he said, though the golden-haired Avaerilian remained unmoved at the approach of Euron. "What brings you here?"

"I heard down the grapevine that you plan to go through with the spell suggested by Pyon to seal the bridges to the Obscura for good," he said, causing Euron's smile to fade. "I'm here to offer myself to act as the source of power." He bridged the distance. "My king... a shield spell of that magnitude needs a heart — life to give it form. I am not well-versed as some are, but even I know the basics of such. I have fought with you on the fields of battle, saw you arise as a king. Let me do my final duty." His gold feathers stood up straighter. "As a final act of service to you. Let me perform it so our homes can be safe."

"What are they talking about?" Adara whispered, and frowned when Fenrer shrugged.

Euron evidently knew what Atoran referred to. His smile became tight. "Atoran," he said with a quick shake of his head. "You know I can't allow that. You have a family, a duty here." He pointed between them.

"You do too," Atoran said without a shift in tone. "Such is the power in that spell, yes?" His golden feathers flicked. "It grows in power if the source has something to lose by letting go of life and their heart."

Euron's gray ones folded. "...you overheard my conversation with Pyon."

Emotion settled in Atoran's deep blue eyes. "I cannot allow this, my king. I do not doubt Pyon's knowledge, but it is his intent that I cannot fathom."

"Pyon found where the Crimson Dusk was coming out of."

"And he sent Ojain inside to seal it," Atoran threw back. "Now he is suggesting you give everything up to create a shield to separate this world from all the rest." He clutched his helmet tighter, revealing his fangs. "I will not allow it. Let me do this if you see no other way, as your knight, as your friend."

Euron's smile dropped in full, and he shook his head. "No," he commanded, and Atoran narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to sacrifice anyone else for this—"

"You've already sacrificed thousands," Atoran snapped back with a click of his jaws, causing a hiss to leave Euron's nose. "Lasen has started asking questions that you have bid me to answer through veils of lies. I have lied for you, pretended for you, I am even ready to die for you." He set his helmet aside to approach the king of Naveera. "But do not tell me of your hesitate to sacrifice at this turning point. You already have. Many have lost their lives for fleeting chances. Many have died to make sure Ojain got through the rift — Pyren included—"

Fenrer froze.

"There was no other way," Euron argued.

"And there is none here?" Atoran huffed. "Then the matter should be simple enough. What are you to tell your brother, your wife? Or your daughter, your heir apparent, whose barely ten?" He fluffed out his golden feathers. "I have kept my mouth shut on the matters Pyon posited, but I will not stay silent here."

Euron frowned. "Atoran, are you certain you're not blinded by your dislike of Pyon?"

Atoran went quiet. "Such is not the matter at hand, Your Grace."

"But it is," Euron pointed out. "Through my bloodline, the fae awakened the latent energies... it has to be me. I can perform the ritual. I can accept what is to come to make sure no child ever fears this world again, that they can explore in joy of the things which remain to us." His smile grew again, a terrible hopefulness once wrought on Fenrer's face when he held on so tightly to his belief. "I will not sacrifice my best friend for something that I must do. I have asked enough of you, Atoran."

"Do not do this, Euron," Atoran growled. "There is too much risk, did Pyon not say such?" He clenched his armored hands. "If anything goes wrong, the effects could be far more drastic than intended."

"I have measured the risks, and deemed them worth it." Atoran sucked in his lips, then released a heavy, defeated sigh. He snapped his gaze upwards when Euron clung onto his shoulders. "I don't ask you to have faith in Pyon... but have faith in me, my oldest friend," he whispered, tone soft. "I go to Avae'londu, unburdened, but please... once this is over, watch over my family."

"I swore an oath," Atoran muttered. "You need not ask, I will defend them to the end of my long days and beyond."

"You're so mired with doubt," Euron said. "It's unlike you, Atoran. I know what I ask of you is heavy, but trust me."

Atoran sank into his shoulders, and his gold feathers followed suit. Euron let him go, and walked past him, before disappearing through the wall of futures untold which overtook the frame. It left her, Fenrer, and Atoran Lotayrin alone. Atoran slipped his fangs over his lips, and Adara jumped when he kicked the desk with a nasal hiss. "I don't think you're grasping the price this is about to ask of you, Myl'lo." His golden feathers folded as he shook his head. "I just hope my worst fears don't come to pass."

Colours drained at her fingertips, but when Fenrer reached out to the visage of his adopted father's ancestor, the ancient Avaerilian disappeared into mist and darkness.

It left only cold, and the roar of the blizzard.