Dramatis Personae: Evelyn-3, Destroyer of Worlds, a robot(but so much more): mother of Izuma Izuma Lunae, Fire Seraph/half-elf: Daughter of Evelyn-3 Wolyn Vuuvaxath, Triton: A friend of the two The BloodReina, Fire Seraph/???: A bad guy Durendal, a sword of power aligned with the element of air: Izuma’s intelligent sword Notorious Zbruh, a Gray Lord: Eve’s Grandfather Izuma took a knee and gently plucked the flower, gazing at its beauty under the fading light. It shone with a luminescence stronger than anything she had known, and blue light coursed along its exterior. Looking closer Izu noticed how… mechanical… it was, with a faint grid pattern showing it was composed of synthetic materials. “I made that for you, ma cherie. I named it the Jolt Flower, and they only grow in this grove. I hope you like it.” Evelyn-3 laughed softly as red lights activated along her cheeks to show her blushing. Eve had taken a smaller frame, roughly the size of her daughter, to show her and Wolyn the Arc Grove in person. Spanning several hundred feet across, Jolt Flowers covered the entire plain circled by metallic hills. Pale blue energy streams served as water, giving the area an almost natural feel. Despite this, the two guests of flesh and blood stood out against the cold autonomy of the land. Izuma laughed and hugged her mom’s metal frame. “I love it! I know it’s not organic, but definitely alive. Thanks mom.” Eve returned the hug, and noticed Wolyn cut another flower with Ragnarok, her lover’s blade. It had seen action recently, it seemed, by the worn and dirtied edge. The triton herself was quiet, not much of a talker anymore, but seemed even more silent in this peaceful mechanical paradise. “Wolyn, is there anything you need?” asked Evelyn. The triton stuck the flower behind her ear, sheathed her blade, then returned to the duo. For a brief moment, Izuma could have sworn she saw Wolyn… smile? “No, thank you though. I… I needed this. I do hope I returned your daughter in satisfactory condition, my lady,” responded Wolyn as she went to one knee. Izu laughed, and Eve joined as well before helping Wolyn to her feet. “Izu is alive and well, and not an abomination of Theirs. She has learned much, and I thank you for that. Behold!” Evelyn turned, and with a mere thought a statue rose from the ground. Black nanites swirled and assembled into the form of an angelic figure battling unseen foes side by side with a triton. “The Grove is for Izu, of course, but it shall never forget you. Your charge is delivered, and I have but one task left for you before I release you from my service.” Wolyn bowed, and embraced Eve. Cold tears flowed from her eyes, and Eve’s color changed to a warm yellow. “Thank you, my lady. You gave me a purpose when I had none. Thank you.” “You are welcome, my dear Wolyn. The Garden shall always be open to you, just say the word.” “I am truly humbled, my lady. I’ll make sure to stop by when I can.” Wolyn smiled, and laughed as Izuma tackled her. “You do want to continue hunting heads, right? I… kinda found it fun, honestly. With you, of course,” said Izu. “Izu, with you, I’d hunt anything.” “Good. I have one more request for Wolyn, Izuma you may assist her, and then I’ll send you back to the Isle. I believe Lady Azruphêl desires your presence, and… you have a task left to fulfill,” said Evelyn-3, her eyes turning bright blue for a few moments as she finished. “Alright, what’s up?” said Izu, helping Wolyn to her feet as they prepared for the briefing. “There is a manifestation of Poly’s psyche in custody of the Order. It will be transferred to a new prison shortly, and I need you to kill it there.” Wolyn and Izuma were taken aback for a moment, then laughed as they drew their swords. “What’s another head?” asked Wolyn. “They’re a dime a dozen. C’mon, let’s roll!” said Izuma. “I want to warn you both to be on your guard. It took 3 knights and your grandmother to detain the manifestation, it won’t be easy. I will join you there myself, I have an errand to run before I join you.” “Copy that,” said the hunters. “Good luck, and make sure she dies, please?” asked Evelyn. Two green portals blinked into existence around the figures, arcing with temporal power. The hunters checked their gear, then waved goodbye as they stepped through. Eve nodded, then passed through hers. The gates shimmered and dissipated, and the Arc Grove was silent once more. /////////////////////////////////// Scene change Location: Nowhere Time: ??? ////////////////////////////////// Wolyn and Izuma passed through the green portal, weapons drawn, into a desolate land of endless winter. Howling winds and snow assaulted them, and Izu surrounded Wolyn and herself with a sphere of fire. A faint howl echoed around them, and they began marching past frozen trees. Wolyn nodded to Izu, and the seraph placed her hand on the triton’s back. Energy began to course through her, amplifying Wolyn’s tracking abilities. Putting her hand to the ground, she searched for aberrations around her. With the increased power, she easily detected a strong signal a few miles away. Relaying the info to Izu with sign language, the two began their trek. Flying and talking was not an option in the strong winds, so the hunters walked through the drifts. After almost a dozen of hours of frostbitten struggle and fending off monsters, the duo drew nigh to their quarry. Where frozen trees had dominated the valleys and hills, here, only ash remained. In its wake the manifestation had burned the forest down in a roughly circular shape. With keen eyes, the two spotted their target gently hovering in the center of the plain. “I knew I would meet you someday, little one. The others fought hard to keep me from you, but I knew your curiosity would bring us together eventually. A pity it had to be here, wherever this… Nowhere… is,” said the manifestation in a loud voice very much like… Izuma’s. “It’s a trick, we’ve fought shape shifters before,” whispered Wolyn as she took an offensive stance at the edge of the ring. Izuma wasn’t quite so sure, but took a defensive stance. “I am no illusion, no polymorph. It’s the real deal, -blam!-.” The manifestation turned to face them, her torn, red robes flailing in the wind. Hellfire erupted around her, revealing her true self. The manifestation had taken the form of Izuma, but twisted in a hideous direction. Blood red eyes where sparkling blue should be, hideous scars instead of fair, unblemished skin and terrifying rage in lieu of unconditional love.