At World's End; Resurrection

When the Fire fades
And the Sun has lost all his strength,
The black Thorns will rise
And cover the world in dense briars.

When the Earth crumbles
And the Mountain no longer stands,
The dark Terrors will rise
And cover the world in blighted dark.

When the Air stops dead
And the Sky turns to gray stillness,
The ancient Dragons will descend
And bring flame and destruction to all.

When the Water dries
And all the land is left barren,
Creatures from the Depths surface
And bring to all the curse of undeath.

When the Elements fade
The world is covered in darkness,
The age of Man will come to an end
And there shall be Doom upon all the World.

~Sara~

The jungle invited them into its outstretched branches. Even after watching the branches move apart to allow them entry, Sara stood at the entrance, struck with all the awe and amazement A world filled to the brim with magic, like in the storybooks she used to read in the libraries back home. Gray-hair did not call out to her, he waited by the huge root of a tree that stretched on for miles and miles. Sara took her first steps past the sandy beaches and into the grassy field. It was like walking into a totally different world, and a feeling of warmth passed over her as she entered the jungle.

“What is this place?” asked Sara, unable to contain all of her amazement. Even though it was mid-January back home, the air here was warm and the trees and foliage still had all their green and brown colors. Gray-hair smiled at her and stretched out his hand in gesture to her.

“This place is called Sertao,” gray-hair said. “It is more commonly known as the Horus Grand Jungle. It covers the majority of our little island and is the home to many fantastical and dangerous creatures. Be wary of looking up while we are traveling through.”

“Will something be angry with me if I do?”

“No, nothing like that. But I doubt you want bird feces to land in your mouth.”

“Eww!” Sara stuck out her tongue in disgust before remembering why she shouldn't be doing that and hurried closer to gray-hair. He led her around the roots of the huge trees and over a small wooden bridge. The bridge hung over a small creek below. Multicolored frogs rest on the rocks in the creek, soaking up the water and the bits of sunlight leaking through the canopy.

It would not be long before she started to hear whispering, as if a person were calling her from very far away. Struck with a sense of insecurity, Sara looked over her shoulder and saw a pack of blue-faced monkeys following them. They did not break their gaze as she noticed them, only seemed to be far more interested in her as they stared. But they were not aggressive, only they seemed curious about the new feet walking through the jungle.

A spark of fire between her and the monkeys spooked them. Sara yelped just as the monkeys did, only they immediately ran south, away from the fire which had already gone out. Gray-hair pulled her back around and they were back on course.

“What were those monkeys doing?” asked Sara.

“The beasts around her are very intelligent, young miss,” gray-hair replied. “It would be wise not to give them attention. Pretend that you do not notice them and many will quickly lose their interest in you.”

The duo came to a stop before another bridge and Sara sucked in her breath at the view. She had heard the waterfall from some distance away, but seeing the cascade come down over the roots of a tree was something else entirely. The water fell in a steep drop to a huge lake that circled all the way around the roots of the largest tree Sara had ever seen. She could see homes built into the branches and even what appeared to be a castle sitting at the very top. She could faintly make out people climbing rope ladders and bridges through the village, and this was where the bridge at her feet led.

“Welcome to Horus Village. Home of my people. Do take care to watch your step across the bridge. It is older than I am. Ha!”

~Clark~

Sand, sand, sand. Everywhere the eye could see there was nothing but this desert. Over one dune and there would be yet another one to take its place. Over that dune and suddenly there were four more. Walking through a desert could have been the worst idea Clark had ever decided to do, but what choice did he have? Woken in a foreign land with no sight or sign of civilization. If this were Hell, just what did he do to deserve such a brutal punishment?

But something different appeared over the dunes. White light against the backdrop of dusty sand and yellow clouds. As the dust settled and the distant light came into focus, he saw a huge mountain peak. It towered over the desert like a giant, its snowcapped peak proof of the existence of water in this world. But it was too far away – he would not make this journey.

He collapsed. The sun scorched his back and the sand ate his skin. Even were this not hell, would the afterlife be so harsh and unforgiving? Would he not, as a spirit, be unaffected by hunger or thirst or tiredness?

The wind changed and the sand began to move differently. Or, wait, the wind did not change. The sand burst out from under him, throwing his body up into the air and into powerful arms. A booming voice rocked Clark's mind, like standing in the front row in a live concert. Then, gentler, but still loud and very brusque.

“Give little man water,” the strongman said. His accent was thick and brutish, just as his appearance. When he spoke, it was not to another man, however, nor was it to Clark. He spoke to a camel. The beast walked closer and rubbed its lips. The man opened Clark's mouth and the camel spit into it. “Water of camel is sweet, like milk of cow, no?” The man laughed, and despite Clark's reaction to the camel spit, he suddenly felt energized and no longer dying of thirst. "What is little man doing in middle of desert? Is not healthy for...eh, health."

~Julia~

She woke among fresh air and sunlight. The clouds gently pushed her body, weightless, through the sky. It was like a fluffy cotton pillow, matching the shape of her back and neck and head, fitting her perfectly into shape with itself. As she rose from her slumber, Julia quickly realized that this was not her waking world. It was a dream, a beautiful and refreshing dream of what heaven might be like. But her heaven would not last for long, as the cotton pillow beneath her began to melt away under the sun.

There was nothing she could do to stop the cloud beneath her from evaporating. She could only wait and panic as the last bits of her heaven faded away. Julia fell, and she saw the depths of the world below her. She could see a huge landmass to the north, a continent so large it covered the horizon even from her height. To the southeast she saw lights from beneath the ocean. A massive city of lights, though she could not make out anything but the stars. Due west was a collection of smaller islands, with the largest one host to a large mountain that spewed white smoke from it's top.

But she still fell to the world, and no matter where she landed it would end up with her death. All she could do was close her eyes or watch the beauty of the world before it rose up to meet her... Except that it never did. She was still falling, the air below her nearly tearing her pretty dress off and her hair was out of control above her, but the ground no longer rose and she began to get the sense she wasn't falling at all.

Above her she heard laughter, and upon turning around she saw three young boys riding cotton-clouds like she was. All three were laughing at her once she noticed them. They spun in a circle around her, talking or yelling words she could not hear due to the wind in her ears, but justice came swiftly for these troublemakers as a woman came into the picture, riding nothing but the wind itself, pulled aside the boys and sent them off elsewhere. A cloud formed beneath Julia once more and the rushing of wind stopped. She could hear again, and she heard a song. It was indescribable, and it filled her with warmth. Her breath had never felt more peaceful and her mind was as clear as the crystal waters below.

“My apologies, little lost lamb,” the woman spoke and wind gushed from her mouth, carrying her voice and echoing it in the open air. When she called Julia little, it was not because of age. This woman was incredibly tall, almost to giant proportions, but she was thin and almost appeared frail. “The tribes of the windbearers have mischievous children. Are you unharmed?”

Bang.

A click of a gun's hammer followed by a loud shot was the last thing Clark had ever heard before everything went black. That wasn't the end, though. Clark's consciousness drifted off in a sea of the unknown, dazed and lost. For a while, there was nothing. His mind slowly and gradually tried to put itself back together, and managing in Clark's own voice tried to snap him back to reality.

Wake up.

Clark opened his eyes and found himself in the middle of a desert, sand finding its way into his hair and pockets. He stood up and looked around, only to see a mountaintop as the sole landmark in his field of vision. Naturally, he followed straight forward, hoping to find something other than sandy grave. He couldn't make it. Clark didn't stand a chance against the endless wasteland and felt his head go light as he passed out on the ground. Maybe he would have been better off if he had died at the library. For what purpose could fate have brought him to an unforgiving desert just to die again? Well, it looked like fate had other things in store.

A camel spit into Clark's mouth like it was at a wine tasting, and Clark jerked up awake and let out a sharp exhale. There weren't words to describe the taste of what had just gone into his mouth, but whatever the case may be, he was up and alert now. Much to his disappointment, he was still in the desert. At least this time he had company. A giant of a man and his camel had come to save him, and the man asked Clark what he was doing in the desert.

"Oh, you know, the travel brochure said this was a lovely place to visit this season, with plenty of tourists sites and - yeah, no. I'm wondering what exactly I'm doing here myself. This isn't Edinburgh, obviously. Where exactly is here?"

The sleep beforehand had been without dreams; an endless abyss of black and oblivion, with no ending or beginning to be found. Tomorrow was a big day, and Julie needed to make sure that she got ample rest for all of the events ahead of her... or at least, so she thought. An indeterminate amount of time passed in this strange sea of black... as would be normal with sleep, but something may not have been quite right...

With time, Julie awoke... though not in the bed she got in last night. All around her was extremely fresh air and abundant sunlight, as if she were in the sky herself. She got up, stretched, and looked around... and she was in the sky! Upon a literal cloud, she was high above a beautiful ocean dotted with tiny islands. The sun was bright overhead, making the water below sparkle with a brilliant shine. "Where... Where am I?" Julie said, gasping to herself, looking all around her. This definitely wasn't where she was used to being, but a part of her didn't complain. The scenery was gorgeous, albeit surreal, as if she were in a dream.

Things didn't stay that way, though. Slowly, but surely, the cloud that supported Julie was melting away under the warm sunlight. "No, no, no..." She could feel the cloud supporting her melting away, and her weight sinking into the surprisingly chilly material. She tried moving to the center, to keep herself on the cloud as long as she could before it dissipated. Eventually, it vanished with a poof, and she started falling, fast. Julie screamed to no avail, the wind everywhere around her drowning out any noise she tried to make. The violent wind threatened to rip the wig from her head and her dress from her body, but she couldn't really do too much more than flail and panic as the ground came closer and closer, with no parachute to keep her safe.

Suddenly, though, she stopped falling, though wind still roared through her ears. There were kids riding clouds like she was on when she woke up, seemingly laughing at her, though she couldn't really hear much. Her heart was still beating fast, but it didn't cause her pain like it usually did, which was very odd. The kids that were poking fun at her were sent away by a really tall woman, and in her presence, Julie was beginning to feel calm and at peace, her heartbeat coming to a rest and a song she couldn't make the lyrics out of coming to mind. Lucid as she was, though, she had no idea what was going on. The very large woman addressed her, and Julie responded, unsure of what to say. "I think so," she began, straightening her wig, "but what is this 'windbearer tribe'? For that matter, where am I?" She looked all around, still in amazement of how beautiful the scenery was. She certainly wasn't at home anymore, and she would most certainly be late to her commencement ceremony.

~Sara~

The villagers stopped as Sara and gray-hair passed them. Every eye was turned to her, the stranger in their village. Many of them kept their silence, others bid her welcome. It was a strange feeling to Sara, many of the faces here smiled at her. The children – which there were many of – looked up at her with curiosity. The girls all had their hair twisted up into knotted tails while the boys were all shaved or had very little hair.

Sara shied away from the attention, stepping into gray-hair’s shadow as a means to try and avert everyone’s staring. The pathway was not wide enough, and the bridges between homes strained with their added weight. Despite the warmth, a cold chill crept up her spine and stayed there until most of the crowd was behind them.

“Where are you taking me?” asked Sara. Gray-hair pointed forward but said nothing. She could not see what was behind the leaves and branches but assumed he was leading to the castle at the top of the tree.

Sara’s guess turned out right, as the mansion revealed itself. It was much larger up close than when she saw it from the bridge, but just as beautiful. The wood was polished to a bright sheen and the stone closer to the mountain did not have any visible cracks or awkward edges. Two women guarded the front of the mansion, wearing gold and red plated armor that exposed their midriffs but that space gave off a reddish glow, as did their arms and faces. They both wore crowns of the same colors, but the tips of these crowns each gave off a candle-like flame.

“Guru Euron.” the women spoke and knelt in unison. “Welcome home.”

Gray-hair smiled. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”

“Elder Miriam is waiting for you inside. Who is this child you have brought?”

“Someone Miriam must see.” Gray-hair, or Euron, lead Sara inside with his hand on her back. The hall beyond the doors was huge and decorated with both plants and beautiful metals. A few steps away stood a woman wearing obsidian armors. She appeared to be very old and wizened, with pure white hair and innumerable wrinkles. She saw Euron and her face lit up with a bright smile.

“Euron, how thankful I am that you have returned,” she croaked. Despite appearing so frail, she wore the armor well. Sara had never seen a woman as old as she carry such a weight. “Who is this you have brought?”

Euron nudged Sara forward. She immediately ducked her head down and shied away from the woman. But she did not speak to her. She stood with her hands folded and a kind smile on her face. It took a little time before Sara could feel the pressure lift from her shoulders just enough.

“Sara,” she said.

~Clark~

The muscled man threw Clark up onto the camel. From the back of the beast, Clark could both sit comfortably and see some distance over the next dune. He would see the outline of stone protruding from the mountain base. They were not so far after all, he discovered, but the trip would still have been impossible for him were it not for the shirtless guy. The man took hold of the camel's reins and began to pull it towards the mountain city.

“You are on the continent of Setukh. Home to desert, mountain, desert, and very large desert. You will not be wanting of sand here, no?” The man laughed, his voice booming across the sands despite the openness of the air. “It is clear that the little man is not from this place. I, Geode Stonehart, will take you to my village under the mountain.”

Clark didn't have much choice in the matter, it seemed. It took hours for them to reach the village, no matter how close it was it seemed to always stay the same distance. It was only until they were inside the village borders did Clark realize how close it was, really. Something strange was going on here, but it may have just been a mirage from the desert heat.

Stonehart took the camel to rest at a water trough, and Clark was finally given real water to drink from a wooden mug. It was cool and clean – possibly the best water he had ever drank before. But more likely that was the dehydration talking. Finally getting a chance to look around without having to worry about getting dizzy, Clark would see the base of the mountain made up most of the city's homes. Several caves were dug into the side of the beast and led to who knows where. Around them were homes made mostly of stone, with little wood to speak of. Some buildings went out into the sand, but most remained attached to the mountain.

It was a bustling city despite the locale. There yellow sand and gray stone made for poor backdrop, and most of the people had dark skin. Cloth garments were common among the people, but Clark saw a few men dressed in gold armors that reflected a great deal of light. The armor was limited to golden braces around their biceps and scaled kilts. There was something different about them though. A glow came from their exposed skin, though it was nearly impossible to discern with the bright sun overhead, it became clear as the sun when in the darkness of the caves beyond.

Stonehart dragged Clark away and presented him to a rather intimidating-looking woman. She too wore golden armor, with a leather strip covering her sizable breasts. “Queen Edna,” Stonehart said, “I found this little man in the desert. He is not from here.”

“Is he a spy?” the woman asked. Her voice was just as powerful as Stonehart's, and she carried with her a stony demeanor. Though there was a small gentleness to her voice, it did not hurt as Stonehart's did.

“It is not likely.”

“Then you will have him washed, watered, and fed. Thank you for bringing him to my attention Stonehart.” Edna looked down at Clark – she was like those Amazon women with how huge she was. Not just tall, but strong. “Welcome to Setukh City, young man. I am Queen of the Mountain. What is your name, and where are you from?”

~Julie~

The woman's movements were slow and deliberate. With every gesture she made, the very sky itself appeared to move, as if parting the wind for her. As she raised her hands, Julie was lifted higher into the air, and the cloud beneath her expanded to include the giantess. The song seemed to grow louder the closer Julie got to the woman.

“The Windbearers are my treasured ones,” the woman said. She was being awfully vague about this whole thing. “You are in Aten's Sky. The Windbearers are protectors of the land below. They bear the wind to keep the sky whole. I am their mother, Niah. You came from a very far away place, but do not fear. You are safe now, and so long as you remain with me and my children, you will be protected from the fall.”

Falling was likely not something Julie wanted to experience again anytime soon. Niah brought the girl closer and they drifted through the sky. As they did, children and adults began to gather around them, keeping their distance from Julie. They wore long white and gold cloths around their waists and part of their chests. Even the women bared their breasts here, and they did so without fear. But there was something strange about them. Their skin seemed to glow, though Julie could not be so sure of what color this glow was.

“The Windbearers are a nomadic tribe. We travel the skies. You have come from very far, but perhaps we could lead you back to your home. What is your name, little one?”

Out of the seven continents that existed in Clark's world, Sutekh was obviously not one of them.  Clark came to the conclusion that it was going to be pointless to ask questions if he was only going to get answers that would leave him further confused. He was given fresh spring water, and downed the mug to wash the taste of camel spit and sand from his mouth. After several hours, Clark was brought to civilization - or what passed for it in this land, anyway.

Mountain people, Clark made a mental comment. He saw the village of Stonehart's people, a swarthy and built bunch. Easy to say, Clark stood out like a dick on a cake in this crowd. The way they dressed and looked, Clark would have assumed they were Egyptian or perhaps Mayan if they were on Earth. Stonehart had brought Clark to the leader of the village; a woman just as built and imposing as the rest of them. The size of her muscles were enough to threaten Clark's self-esteem, but by the looks of it, the woman could probably benchpress his self-esteem and him with it. She asked of his name and origin, and Clark would oblige.

"Clark Halverson, Your Highness," he said, acknowledging what he thought was proper courtesy with royals. "I am from Glasgow, Scotland. It is a place within what I knew as the United Kingdom, though I'm not sure if it still exists... or has ever existed. Many thanks for sheltering me from the unforgiving desert."

Julie looked around to the various landmarks that Niah mentioned. She was obviously no anywhere near home anymore... she lived nowhere near an ocean, and had only seen the Pacific once when she was little. As Niah continued explaining Julie's surroundings, people similar to the children that had teased her from before were congregating around her. They all looked...strange, like Niah, in a way. When it came to clothing, these people didn't wear very much of it. They were all at least partially bare-chested, even the women of the tribe. Julie tried to look away to give them some privacy, but she couldn't help but notice something odd about them all. Combined with the strange song that kept playing through her head, all of this was very surreal.

But, Niah asked Julie's name, snapping her back to what was supposed to be reality. "Ah, I see," Julie began with trepidation, "I have never heard of Atem or their sky before, so I'm probably far away from home. I've also never ridden on a cloud before... it's softer than I had imagined. Thank you for keeping me safe, Niah." Julie bowed her head in respect. Looking back up, she introduced herself. "My name is Julie. Julie Snow. I was supposed to graduate from school today, but it seems I can't help but miss that... How long have I been here for? When I went to sleep, everything was normal, though I only felt chest pains. Nothing out of the ordinary..." She trailed off, thinking about how strange this all was.

~Sara~

“Sara?” the elderly woman hummed. “Your name suits you. Come then, little Sara. You must be hungry from the journey through the jungle.”

Sara's stomach growled, as if giving her answer for her. Sara's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she nodded quietly, walking to let Miriam take her under her arms. The obsidian armor she wore also glowed, like the red ones the women wore outside. Sara could feel warmth come from it and she wondered how that could be. Guru Euron was quickly out of sight, so now it was only Sara with yet another stranger. She felt at odds with herself, some part of her was curious, another part confused, and still another part wanted to run.

“I understand what you're feeling, little Sara,” Elder Miriam said. Her voice was so soft and gentle, it put Sara somewhat at ease. “It is not often a stranger comes into our midst, but it is clear you have simply lost your way. You may stay here on the island for as long as you like. Perhaps you will find a part of you here that you once thought lost.”

“Thank you, ma'am,” Sara said, swelling with gratitude and relief. She shied away from saying anything else, but Miriam did not press her or speak out again until they came to a small room. A wooden tub filled with water sat in the very back.

“Before we have supper, I thought you might want to wash off first.” Miriam gestured to the water and a fire sprung to life beneath the tub. “When you undress, leave your clothes there by the basin. A servant will bring you clean clothes and escort you to me once you are finished. Feel free to take your time, supper will be ready when you are.”

Miriam left the bathroom and shut the door. Sara herd the click of a lock and let out her breath. She hadn't realized how tense she was. All of this was just so much to take in. She wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to handle living in a totally different world. A world full of mysterious, yet kind, people.

~Clark~

“Clark Halverson of Scotland,” Edna greeted, “I admit I know not of your lands. We have no name for our world, only our continents possess names. Now I have matters to attend to. Stonehart, since you found the boy, I am assigning you to be his guide. I hope this will not cause issues with your other students.”

“Of course not, Madam,” Stonehart said in his best formal speech.

“Well then, Clark Halverson of Scotland. It has been a pleasure meeting you. For now you may consider Setukh your home until we find a way to get you to your homeland.” Queen Edna tipped her head in his direction and walked past him. Clark didn't have much time to watch her leave, as Stonehart put his hand on Clark's back and pushed him towards one of the dark caves. He brought with him no torch, so they were quickly plunged into darkness.

At the end of the tunnel came a light, and upon reaching the room could Clark see the inside of the mountain walls. It was an enormous place, the likes of which couldn't be seen anywhere back home. Pathways cut through the stone and spiraled down, leaving a huge gap in the center. At the very bottom of the long drop Clark could see the main part of the city. Smoke rose from the homes and rose up through the gap, making the whole inside of the mountain turn warm where it should be cold.

Stonehart led Clark down the spiraling path and down into the city. It was quite the trip into the thick of the stone city, but eventually they came to a smaller rock house. Unlike above, there was no wood in this place. All the doors were made of solid rock. Before Clark could wonder how they opened and closed the doors, Stonehart threw his fist into the door, knocking it aside with ridiculous ease.

“Come, little man,” Stonehart said. He guided Clark to a room on the other side of the stone house. There was a large depression in the ground filled with murky, gray water. This must be how the people here got thier stony complexion. “Dunk yourself in the pond there. I will bring you a tunic to better weather the desert.”

~Julie~

The Windbearers gave Julie some odd looks and whispered among themselves. Even Niah seemed to be a little disturbed. “I have a feeling I know where exactly you came from. Come, I shall lead you to the truth.” The wind whistled softly in Julie's ears as Niah pulled the clouds closer to her. Julie could still see the land below her and the wonders it held. She shot past the waters and over the great mountain on the larger continent. When they came to a halt, they had arrived at a totally different sky.

The sun was no longer in the skies, leaving the skies open to the stars above. A bright blue moon shone overhead It was far closer than the moon back on earth, and took up more of the sky. Niah gestured above them towards the moon's surface. At first, she saw nothing, but then a long, snake-like shadow crossed over the moon. “It is as I feared,” Niah said. “The time has come to put aside our differences. Windbearers go forth, and spread word of the approaching dangers. The dragons are returning.”

Several of the men and women bowed to Niah, then sped away on their clouds, strong winds guiding them away. Niah turned herself to face Julie once again and gave the girl a small smile. “I must apologize, but it seems we do not have the power to return you to your home. In fact, I have a small favor I must ask of you. In return I will give you the power of the Windbearer, so that you may cross the skies at your will. What say you, young Julie?”

Unexpected. Clark had figured that their queen would have thrown him into a dungeon or executed out of a fit of suspicion, but she accepted what Clark had to say without question. The idea of death wasn't such a frightening prospect anymore, if the life he had lived was so inconsequential. Maybe he'd end up in another life. Maybe the lights would go out once and for all. Who cares. He spent the entirety of his life in education, and the more he thought about it, the more the notion soured.

I get my fucking head blown off a week before finals. Spec-fucking-tacular. At the end of it all I probably just ended up as a statistic."

He had a brooding scowl the entire walk to the stone house, and snapped out of it upon being instructed to dip himself in the pond. Despite the mass difference between his size compared to everyone else, Clark wasn't particularly self-conscious about undressing. He immersed himself into the water and splashed it onto his face.

Julie noticed that the people around her looked with strange eyes and talked about things probably about her in hushed whispers, as if something she had said was bad. Before she could ponder over it too much, Julie was swept to a completely different place as Niah led her to what she proclaimed to be the truth of this situation. While not quite as bright as Atem's Sky, this place was no less beautiful, the stars shining above her without being blotted out, but where the moon should have been was... a blue moon in its place. It seemed a lot closer than the moon ever was when she saw it every night. She knew there was a saying behind a blue moon, but she didn't think to take it quite so literally. If Julie didn't believe she wasn't home anymore before, she definitely couldn't deny it now. Niah made a motion in the blue moon's direction.

At first, Julie didn't see anything different about it, but soon, there was a snake-like shadow that began to cover the flawless surface. With alarm, Julie looked to Niah as she sent the other Windbearers away to warn others of dragons of all things. Just what was this place? There were real-life dragons like the ones she drew in her pictures? She looked to Niah in confusion, and hoping for some answers to all of this. This had gotten very strange over the course of just a few minutes, and there were a lot of terms that Niah threw around that Julie simply wasn't aware of. It was all very disconcerting.

Then, Niah informed her that they did not, in fact, have any way to send her home. This shook her to her core. How did Julie manage to get here, and why was there no way for her to get back home? She had friends, family, and colleagues that she would never see again. Her mouth went slightly agape, then she closed it as she tried to process what Niah just said. Wrapping her head around what Niah just told her was proving to be a monumental task, as a few moments passed after Niah asked a favor of Julie. Snapping out of her reverie, Julie looked down to the cloud she was on and spoke. "I... I don't know. My heart has never been able to handle much." She placed a hand over her chest, though strangely, she still didn't feel the pain that accompanied any sort of stress, as if she didn't actually have any problems at all. "What is it that you would ask of me, Niah?"

~Sara~

When Sara woke, the water was still warm, and every muscle and bone in her body felt loose and energized. She had fallen asleep in the tub. Sara looked around before getting out and looked at herself in the mirror. Her bruises were gone. Not just healed, but as if they never existed. Her legs weren’t sore and her chest didn’t ache anymore. Soaking in the water made her skin wrinkly like a pickle, but nothing hurt. It was a wondrous feeling, where no part of her body felt any pain. She hardly realized how much a difference it made, even having been accustomed to it.

She found the towel she was promised and brought it to her face. It was warm and fuzzy and made her smile when she brought it to her face. Her old dress was gone, but in its place sat a colorful red and gold dress hanging just above the bin. Sara took it down and slipped it on over her head. The dress came to life, startling Sara as it snuggled up to her waist and chest. It tightened until it fit and supported her chest without any provocation. Sara frowned at her exposed cleavage but nearly yelped when the dress pulled itself over her shoulders.

“A dress that responds to its wearer's feelings,” Sara said, her voice shaking with awe. “Wow, that’s cool. What else can you do?” Sara stood in front of the mirror, watching her dress change shapes and sizes and even colors. It would always feel the same though, the cloth was soft and silky - very breathable. Eventually Sara settled with what she thought was comfortable, and just in time for someone to knock on the bathroom door.

Another girl stood outside. She looked maybe a year or two older than Sara and gave her a big smile as the door opened. The girl’s hair was red and short, and her dress was much like Sara's own.

“You’re Sara, right?” The girl asked. “I’m Moira, it's very nice to meet you. Grandmother sent me to come and fetch you. I tried coming earlier, but you were still asleep.”

Sara turned red and looked down. “Sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Moira said. “You probably needed it. Now come on, dinner is waiting for us.” Moira took Sara’s hand and pulled her down the hall. Sara looked out the windows to her left. There was a pale blue glow on the leaves and branches and the sky was aglow with stars. She could barely see the black sky – it was more like a white sky with black dots. She was amazed at how bright it was, despite the sun having descended. The moon here was not like the moon back home. This one was pale blue and much bigger.

A shadow passed over the moon. It was only for an instant, but Sara saw it. “What was that?” Sara asked, looking to Moira for answers. "I saw something move over the moon."

“Probably just a bird,” Moira said, uninterested. "We have a lot of nocturnal creatures living in the jungle, birds included." She pushed on a couple doors and bright lights flooded into the hall, temporarily blinding Sara. As soon as her eyes adjusted she gasped and hid behind Moira. A great many people were inside the hall, either sitting on benches beside tables or standing in groups. Children ran around the outskirts, but everyone stopped when they saw the doors open.

“What is all this?”

“Grandmother didn’t tell you? Tonight is the night of the festival! The whole village gathers together and prepares a feast. We sing, dance, and offer prayer to the gods to thank them for a prosperous year.”

“Oh.” Sara swallowed as she looked at the crowd of people. “I-I don’t think I should be here. Can I go to bed instead?”

Moira laughed and pulled Sara into the hall. “Don’t be silly, of course you’re welcome! Besides, you wouldn’t want to miss the fire dancers. They’ve been practicing all year for today.”

Sara didn’t have any choice – so she let Moira pull her into the mix of villagers. She was afraid now, she never learned how to deal with strangers. But Euron, Miriam, and Moira were all nice people, Sara knew. Maybe all the villagers were as nice as those three. None of them bothered her, only showed her curious glances. Sara suddenly felt very self-aware and her dress responded, quickly covering up her arms and shoulders.

Moira showed her to the food tables and the sight of it made Sara’s mouth water. A feast that spared no expense lay before her. The table was laden with huge, thick leaves with platters of mixed vegetables, steamed crabs, stuffed mushrooms, and deviled eggs. In the center sat a huge roast of some bird Sara couldn’t recognize. It was several times larger than her own head and the tender brown skin made her knees weak. There was a cast-iron pot with some kind of soup bubbling inside. Moira let her have a sip of it and a rush of flavors flooded into her mouth. Sara shivered and her eyes went wide – her whole body felt warm after just one sip. Sara no longer cared about anything else on that table, she got herself a bowl of the soup instead.

“What is this?” Sara asked, energized.

“It’s a lot of stuff,” Moira said. “It’s mostly just fruits and vegetables from the jungle, mixed with bear and venison. There’s actually a super spicy pepper in there. It’s too hot to eat so we tie it down at the bottom of the pot. It gives it that extra punch to really get the body energized. A girl like you could really benefit from some extra energy.” Sara did notice a certain spice to the flavor after another sip. She followed Moira to a mostly empty table.

“So, where are you from?” Moira said. Sara froze for a second and put down her spoon.

“I…don’t remember,” Sara lied.

“Oh.” Moira frowned. “I’m sorry. Grandfather mentioned you might have hit your head, so I guess it makes sense that your memory is gone. Oh, I don’t mean anything by it! I’m sure you’ll be fine. I can’t imagine how hard it is to be in a land of strangers, you must be so lonely... If you like I could be your new friend.”

Moira had her head down and was looking up at Sara with a little smile. She was cute, Sara realized. Her cheeks went red and she looked down at her thumbs. “I’d like that."

~Clark~

The moment Clark stepped into the murky gray pond, he noticed a sharp chill run through his body. As he splashed the water on his face, his skin began to harden, as if turning to stone. Before he could panic or run, he was soon stuck in the pond, unable to move, barely able to breathe. The water sealed his eyes shut, so he couldn't see. For a minute, all he could do was stand there and wait. He could hear Stonehart's heavy footsteps as he entered the bath and then leave, with no indication of giving him any help or worry.

The stone encasing Clark tightened as it dried out. It got tighter and tighter until the bones in his body began to crack and give way under the pressure. But he felt no pain – the pressure was closer to being a full-body massage than being crushed by stone. Every bone, every joint crack made him feel looser and, somehow, stronger. Eventually strong enough to break free of the stone encasing his body. One crack was all it took for the rest of the rock to crumble off, and Clark was free to leave the stone pond, feeling refreshed and surprisingly clean.

A green tunic sat on the table where his old clothes used to be. It was coupled with a pair of loose, black pants. It was better than nothing, and didn't feel magical at all, so when he put it on he wouldn't expect it to do anything. And it didn't – what a relief, right?

“Little man is done in stone bath?” Stonehart said as Clark returned. “Good.” Stonehart gestured to the other end of the table where he sat. A full plate of meat and some odd banana-shaped fruits sat on it. “Meal is ready, eat as you please, there is plenty more.” Stonehart leaned in a little with a grin. “Queen Edna is quite fetching, no? All Matriarchs in these lands are beauties.”

~Julie~

“A single breath is all it will take to soothe the pain and rejuvenate the soul,” Niah said. “The moment you came into my presence and breathed the air I gave, you were healed.” Julie would notice that she and the other Windbearers were beginning to descend. The path was slow, but the direction of the wind made it obvious. They seemed to be headed for the snow-capped mountain on the larger continent. Niah took a moment to speak silently with the people of her tribe first.

“I would ask you to seek out three individuals,” Niah said. “They will be crucial in our battle against the dragons, and the other creatures who harbor the doom of the world inside them. You will also be vital in this, though I cannot know how or why. So I will give to you my blessing and the power of my tribe, to better enable you to fight and protect.

“You must find three individuals. They will be as you are. Of you four, one of you is the Architect. That person must be protected and guided. I cannot know who it is, it must be something for you to discover. I know I ask much and give little in return, but should you not accept, then the fate of the world you should know.”

The sky shook. The figures dancing in the moonlight came rushing down. Three giant serpents, one white, one gold, one red, all writhing in the sky. Fire and lightning and ice came from their massive jaws, and the whole sky seemed to shatter from their collective strength. Julie could feel a weightlessness then, no control over her own body as it floated up. Then everything snapped back to normal, the dragons gone and Niah waiting for Julie's answer.

So Julie hadn't been imagining it... she really didn't feel anymore pain in her chest because her heart was now fine. The problem that had kept her from really living was just gone... but how? She had no time to ask any questions as she and the others descended towards a snowy mountaintop, with Niah silently chatting with hers as they traveled. The air was chilly, but not something she couldn't bear. Niah then began her request of Julie: she would need to find three other people, presumably in a similar situation that she was, and of this group of four that she would be a part of, one of them was some sort of Architect. She knew she had no talent for engineering, so it most likely wasn't her.

Though, the more Julie thought about it, the more that it all seemed way too good to be true. She knew neither hide nor tail of this place, so how was she supposed to find anyone in it, let alone her own way? Niah had been very generous and kind to Julie, but how could she even start to take on this task if she had no idea where to start? She began to open her mouth to politely refuse when the sky above her began to shake. The world around her was simply coming to an end as great beasts erupted from their hiding spot in the moon, dousing the environment in the primal elements. And then, there was nothing, like the sleep she had awoken from, but much more permanent.

Julie gasped as she was brought back to reality. She struggled to form words as she processed what she saw. "This is... what will happen if I decline?" She shook her head and looked all around her surroundings and at each of the Windbearers before returning her gaze back to Niah. If she couldn't go home, these people didn't deserve to have their home destroyed before their eyes if she could do something about it. "If there really is no chance of me going home anymore, then I will do my best to make sure this world doesn't fall. I accept this challenge." She felt really unsure of herself, but her fate was sealed. Hopefully she wouldn't have any regrets...

The moment the water hit Clark's face and body, it petrified his skin and stiffened him completely.

"Shiiiiiii-"

He was frozen in the pond, entombed in what he assumed was cement. He was blind, and could not shift his eyes - only his hearing was still functional. This is really bad. I have made a great mistake, his brain screeched sideways. As the stone worked at compressing his body, his consciousness remained alert and anxious, unlike when the desert's heat had siphoned away at him.

Ringing, dead silent.

Clark could only hear the vibrations of Stonehart's thumping footsteps.

I have no mouth... and I must scream.

The stone covering soon gave way and shattered as Clark managed to break free. He took deep breaths, gasping for air as he removed the straggling bits off his face and eyes. His old clothes were replaced with a new garb, and after putting it on, Clark joined Stonehart at the table. Clark wasn't too bashful about his table manners, helping himself to the meat and fruit that was offered. Stonehart made a comment about his queen and Clark shrugged. He never really viewed anyone as a sexual or romantic prospect, but he would avoid saying anything to offend Stonehart's people and his queen.

"I suppose so. Though I doubt she'd be taken with someone like me," he said, biting into one of the fruits. "So... what exactly is going to be expected of me while I'm here? I get the feeling you won't appreciate me around if I'm not exactly doing anything productive or contributing to your society."

~Sara~

The feast went on through the night. The time with Moira started to wear on Sara, and she was too tired to keep herself up for much longer. She perked up when she saw people starting to file out of the dining hall. Moira grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet.

“Where are we going?” Sara asked. “What’s happening?”

“The best part.” Sara had no choice but to follow along. They went deeper into the castle, though a dark cavern passage that made Sara nervous. She felt the temperature rise – they were headed deep into the volcano. The cavern soon opened up and the crowd thinned out. Before them lay a small island floating above an ocean of fire. Sara rubbed her eyes and looked again – the island was floating. The island was covered in grass and held a few brown trees. In the center was a small body of water. It boiled angrily and every bubble let loose a puff of white hot steam. The heat here was insane.

Three men and three women ran to the edge and jumped over to the island. They all stuck the landing and turned to bow to the applause that followed. Each of them were wearing the strange red and gold armor. A vision of her running to the edge and jumping quickly turned sour as she saw herself fall into the pit of lava below. Sara shook her head and shivered.

The elder, Miriam, stood close to the edge now and the crowd moved back from her. This was the first time Sara could see the woman tonight. She still wore the obsidian armor.

“Now comes the time for prayer and worship,” Miriam announced. “May the gods grant us another year of peaceful prosperity.”

The men and women on the island stood side by side. Together they raised their right hand and lowered their left in front of their bodies. As they spun their hands around, flames came out from their hands. The materialized fire followed the dancers’ movements. They stepped together in perfect unison. The fire crackled and spat, furious but controlled. Their faces lit up with the orange flames and the pale blue moon just overhead. Sara could only stare in awe, her mouth half-open.

The dance was over before she could fully register what was happening. The dancers bowed to another round of applause. They split their numbers and knelt facing each other – making a short pathway to the boiling oasis.

Euron, the old man who had found Sara, walked forward. He stepped out over the edge, making Sara gasp, but he did not fall. He walked over the thin air and approached the boiling lake. He raised his leather bag and dipped it into the water. He turned to face the village.

“This is the water from which we draw strength,” Euron said. “Those of you who have passed your trials, this is your final test. Those of you who think they can withstand the fire, reach this island. Take the gift the gods have granted us.”

“Wish me luck,” Moira whispered. She skipped ahead before Sara could react and knelt in a runner’s starting pose. Moria took a deep breath and snapped up. She hit the edge and jumped. Sara covered her mouth to keep herself from crying out. Moira’s foot hit the edge of the island and she barely managed to push herself over. She rolled over her shoulder and bounced to her feet.

“Moira Vittlebug,” Euron said, stepping aside. Moira knelt down at the water’s edge and dipped her bare hands into the water. She winced but kept her hands steady as she cupped them and brought the water to her mouth. She drank.

Moira’s shoulders went up in flames. The fire quickly spread to the rest of her body and she collapsed by the boiling water. Sara watched in horror as the fire continued to spread and burn. But Moira began to move again. She pushed herself to her feet and looked down at herself. The flames wrapped around Moira’s body, hardening and shifting into place around her chest and waist. Fire wrapped around her head and changed to gold, giving her a crown of flame.

Euron stepped forward and took Moira’s hand, lifting it into the air. “Moira has claimed her Inheritance!” Sara was still in disbelief when the villagers broke into applause. Moira stepped to the side to join the other enflamed warriors. She caught Sara’s gaze and winked.

Someone else went to the center and knelt down. He didn’t hesitate to jump the gap. He stuck the landing with room to spare. He too, drank the boiling water and flames danced around his body. Three more boys came after him and all drank from the water to receive their “inheritance.” Sara swallowed as the last guy came to the center of their island. He was clearly nervous, and he bought time for himself fixing his positioning.

“You can do it, Thomas!” Someone shouted.

Thomas seemed to relax and he ran. His foot hit the edge and he kicked off. Sara watched him soar up, and then begin to drop. His hand scraped against the edge of the island. Sara turned away as his scream echoed and then was cut off. The villagers went quiet. Someone was crying. It was only until she heard Euron speak when Sara looked up again.

“Thomas Evergreen has failed to claim his Inheritance. He has returned to the fire, and we now stand one Inheritor short. If there are any among you who believe they can withstand the boiling water and claim your Inheritance, I ask that you step up now.” No one stepped forward. Sara looked around at the crowd, wondering who was going to fill in. She looked back to the old man and found him looking right back at her. He held up his leather bag and smiled, as if toasting her.

Is it me? Sara wondered. She shook her head to decline, but Euron never took his gaze away from her. Moira was looking at her now too and gesturing towards her. Both wanted Sara to join them on the island. Sara breathed deeply, feeling her dress shift and cling to her body, and she stepped forward.

~Clark~

Stonehart was picking dirt out of his nails as Clark ate. His expression did not change much when Clark asked what he was going to be doing to earn his keep here. Instead he laid his hand on the table. When he raised his hand, the stone table followed his hand, several small mountains peaking up where his fingers and palm had been. The mountains grew until they were like tiny replicas of the mountain they were now inside.

"This is my home," Stonehart said. "But it is not yours. The mountain will not recognize you or let you live long here. You survived Stone Bath, which is good sign. Had the stone crushed you, you would not need to have worried about life here." Stonehart laughed, as if nearly being killed by asphyxiation was something to laugh about. "Tonight you rest. Tomorrow you meet with Queen Edna again for trial. I will give my report on your behalf and if she decides you are not spy, we treat you better. After, we will see.

"But if you stay here, you must offer service to mountain. It is hard work, keeping a mountain as mighty as this stable. Each year it grows taller, and soon it will breach the skies." There was something in that grin of his that spelled trouble, but for whom would be a mystery to Clark. He wouldn't have much of a chance to ask though, as Stonehart was already standing. "I am needed outside. You stay here, else mountain may crush you."

~Julie~

Niah's whole body seemed to float a little lower as she breathed in relief. "It is good that you are so logical, little one." She whisked a wind up around Julie, powerful enough to lift her higher into the air but gentle enough not to be so overwhelming. There was an odd glow about Niah, more than previously. A light blue light came from her hands, and it seemed to be drawn in with the wind. "Brace yourself, the power of the Windbearers can be overwhelming at first touch."

The light touched Julie's chest, and an explosion of sensations nearly overwhelmed her body. It ran through her like electricity, and might have torn her apart were it not for the wind compressing the air around her. The ritual did not last long, and when it was over Julie's appearance had not changed, but she would feel a certain strength within her.

"You now bear the power of the wind within you," Niah said. "Give it a name, and call it forth. It will take the shape that you desire."

"Oh, so the mountain's alive. Okay," Clark deadpanned, putting down a piece of fruit. Looks like they're giving life to just about anyone and anything nowadays, bit the sarcasm in his mind. Clark remained still when Stonehart mentioned that the stone bath could have killed him. Well I mean, if a gun couldn't do it... Clark's fingers drummed on the table as Stonehart went on.

A trial. "Paying service" to the mountain which somehow kept growing towards the sky. It made about as much sense as anything else that happened so far. Not like Clark had a sense of direction anymore, and as much as he hated it, there wasn't anything he could do about it. That was the point. He'd have to play along in a world whose rules followed that of a fantasy novel, and maybe find a point in all this - if there even was one. Maybe it was going to be something trite like "the purpose was the journey" or some "power of friendship" bullshit. This world was starting to suck just by the sound of it.

"Sure, I'm not going anywhere," Clark complied to Stonehart. Yes, he wouldn't want the mountain to smash him into pulp, now would he? It would certainly deny the desert the glory of scorching him alive if he somehow escaped. If he even wanted to escape. Where would he even go, anyway?

Julie was lifted into the air after Niah seemed to sink down in relief. She didn't really feel that different at first when Niah's blessing took light and moved towards Julie's chest. As the light came into contact with her, though, she felt as if she were being electrocuted on the spot. Forces she couldn't begin to describe were tearing her apart from the inside out; it was very painful, but restorative. As quickly as everything had started, it all stopped, leaving her ringing and reeling. Julie looked between the remaining Windbearers, Niah, and herself. She didn't look any different, but she felt more capable than she even had before.

Niah told Julie that she now bore the power of wind, and that she should give it a name. Julie was hesitant to do anything that would make her feel the pain again, but Niah had already done so much for her by strengthening her weak heart, so the woman clearly meant no harm to her. Julie closed her eyes and tried to imagine what the "power of wind" would look like. At first, she didn't expect anything to happen, but all of a sudden, winds that were a bit calmer than she had been accustomed to thus far began to blow around her hands, coalescing into two identical shapes, one at each hand.

Julie opened her eyes and grasped at the shapes, giving them form: two hand fans, each with pointed tips at their ends. She opened the fans to beautifully inked designs on oiled fabric. The fans had weight to them, as if she could move the clouds with one swing. "Wow... For a moment, I doubted you, Mother Niah. I see now that I shouldn't have." She closed the fans with a fluid motion, calming the winds that had roared up when she had called the fans forth. "I suppose these hand fans are my Inheritance, since they are your blessing manifest. I can only hope that I will be able to save the world from its imminent fate."

~Sara~

"I'll do it." Sara stepped forward and stopped where the others had. She felt every eye, every stare, every whisper on the burning wind. She heard someone laugh, and her heart sank.

Moira looked at her curiously. Then she broke out into a smile and waved for Sara to come. The other warriors on the island, the ones who claimed their power like Moira, broke away from their rigid states to stare at her. Sara took a step back, intimidated, then saw Moira run to the center of the island.

"You can do it, Sara!" Moira shouted. "I believe in you!"

Sara knelt like the others had, not knowing whether it was ritual or how a running start was supposed to...well, start. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. Her heart pounded in her chest, another vision of falling to her death flashed in her mind. She struck out, stumbling into a run. Her feet hit the rock like heavy anchors. Her dress shifted and changed to tighten around her body until she felt as though she were suffocating. She saw the edge of her runway approach. She was slow, too slow to make any kind of jump.

She hit the edge, bent her knees, and sprung forward with her hands outstretched. She felt a wave of heat beneath her and saw the lava churning below her. The mountain was quiet. Sara's hand hit the edge of the island, the force of her landing nearly tearing her shoulder out. She swung from the edge for a second before she could swing her other hand up. Slowly she pulled herself up onto the island's edge.

Moira waited for her with bated breath, her hands close to her chest as she gestured and hopped on her feet. Sara stopped for a second, feeling some strength return to her. She pushed against the rock and heard a sound that made her stomach turn to knots. The rocks she was holding onto crumbled and gave way, and she slipped. She opened her mouth to scream but her voice and her fall was soon cut short.

"I've got you!" Moira said. She bit her lip until blood came out and pulled. Sara felt herself rise up and grabbed Moira's arm with her free hand. The two girls were soon able to pull her up and they collapsed onto the island together, breathing heavily.

"Thank you," Sara managed to blurt out between breaths. Moira flashed her teeth and went to her feet.

"I'm not losing my new friend so quickly. Consequences be damned," she said, offering her hand. Sara took it and pulled herself up.

"Consequences?" Sara looked to Guru Euron, who had a dark look about him. His eyes were downcast, and when he lifted his head it was anger Sara saw.

"Moira Vittlebug. By interfering in the trial of another, you have dishonored our traditions," gray-hair said. He pointed to the island they stood on. "The isle stands on the power of ancient magic as a test of courage. Those who fail this test fall to the fires and are consumed by the flame. To interfere in this test brings dishonor to all of us. Your Inheritance is hereby revoked." Euron held his palm out to Moira, slowly closing his fist. As he did, tiny embers came from the armor Moira wore and it faded away into Euron's fist. When a full flame rested in his hands and Moira stood naked, he cast the fire into the boiling lake, where it vanished forever.

~Clark~

Stonehart left the stone house for Clark to sit in. Alone. With nothing but the meat on his plate and the company of a thousand rocks. The least he could do was try to name a couple. After all, he was here for a reason, so until that reason showed itself he would just have to roll with the punches as they came.

Silence soon came over the stone. There was a certain level of peace that came from such tranquility. As it grew quieter, and Clark's ears finally adjusted to it, he could begin to hear the mountain. The low vibration of a living, breathing creature, at first confusing to hear until he realized it was the wind, echoing through the caves around him. There was a gentle stream of water somewhere.

Boom.

The sound caught his ear, but just barely. It was a heavy sound, like a huge, powerful drum banging from very far away, the sound carried through the ground.

Tha-thud.

There it was again, but different this time.

Boom.

It was coming from outside, and somewhere beneath him. The sounds repeated in rhythm. First came the heavy boom, then a lighter double thud. Either someone playing a drum could keep a really steady beat, or this was something supernatural happening below. Stonehart said to stay, but the banging was growing louder with each passing beat. Was it worth venturing out into one of the caves? Could he even pick the right one? Surely it couldn't be as simple as following the sound where it was strongest.

Tha-thud.

~Julie~

The wind that came with Julie's powers also helped her of its own accord. As soon as she drew her fans, Niah stopped creating the cloud that supported Julie. She could rise and fall with the wind of her own accord now. She could create a cloud beneath her as easily as she breathed. It was like the wind wanted to help her. Like it had a will of its own, and she only now was able to hear it speak to her. It did not have much to say, but the feelings rising within her told her all she needed to know.

From her perch on the skies, she should make her way down to the volcanic island known as Horus Island. There she would find one who was close to achieving a similar power. Niah seemed to sense this as well, as she turned to face the island beyond the skies.

"Horus Island is far, but with the power of the wind at your side it will take no effort to reach it." The Windbearer Matriarch gestured to her tribe and the rest of them scattered to the winds. "Remember, you must find the Architect. If you do not, there will be no hope of you ever returning to your home. My people have gone to hold up the sky. We will keep the dragons at bay for as long as we can. Your fate rests in your hands. As it always has."

Niah's body split, absorbing the light of the sun and the colors of the sky as she became the wind and shot up above her. Her light reached the sky dome and spread, making the wind dance beneath her. The tempest would hold up the sky, but there was no telling how long the Windbearers would last.

Now was the time to descend from the skies for the first time. With Inheritance at her side, there would be no place Julie could not go.

Clark was about to pick at the food on his plate when a faint thud caused it to shift slightly over. He looked around the room and then tried to reach for the plate again, only for the dish to rattle again at the sound. He leaned back and crossed his arms, waiting for the next sound. It reminded him of his neighbors back at the university, and how they would blare their horrible taste in music for the entire dorm to hear. Clark remembered that complaining about it only made them put it on full blast. Still, Stonehart advised against leaving the room, "or else the mountain may crush him." Whatever it was couldn't have possibly been of any concern to him.

He continued to sit there waiting for Stonehart to return, as boring as it sounded. "I'd kill for a book of sudoku puzzles right about now," he said aloud to himself. "Wow, I really am I nerd. I can't believe I just said that." He sighed and took off his glasses, wiping them clean from any remaining dust or sand that stuck to them.

"Maybe I really am dead, and hell is just a land of sand and rock where you do nothing but wait."

Julie noticed that the cloud was shrinking beneath her similarly to when she woke up in Atem's Sky for the first time. Panic rushed through her, but she put faith in Niah, that she wouldn't let Julie come to harm. Once the cloud fully dissipated, she was floating in thin air without any support but the wind. Her dress billowed out beneath her, leaving her glad she chose to wear some stockings. Niah beckoned in a direction behind Julie, so she turned to look. The scenery was no less beautiful, but the prominent landmark was a smoking volcano far below where they floated in the sky. Niah called that place "Horus Island". This all sounded very Egyptian to Julie, but there weren't any pyramids to be seen, taking a quick double take to make sure.

Niah bade Julie to head to Horus Island and find the Architect, and as she did, her body dispersed into turbulent winds that blew Julie away slightly. "Wait!" Julie called out to Niah in vain, her words likely unheard. "How am I supposed to know what they look like?" she asked more to herself than anyone else. She floated alone in the vast, blue sky, without any clear direction to go but Horus Island. "Welp." From what she understood, she was under a time limit. She didn't know how long Niah and the other Windbearers could keep the dragons at bay, so the only real course of action was to try and search for clues there.

Julie called her fans away... and instantly began falling as she had before. She screamed, trying her best to call them back. Fans in hand, she was suspended mid-air in an awkward position, trying not to let her heart beat out of her chest. "Bad idea..." Julie righted herself, orienting towards the smoldering volcano. "So it seems that I can only use Niah's blessing when I call forth my Inheritance. Good to know." Splaying the fans open, she wafted together a cloud like before and sat down. Pointing a fan towards the volcano, it was as if the wind cheered her on, shooting the cloud forth like a jet. Who knew if Julie could find the Architect there? At least it was a place to start.

~Sara~

"I don't understand," Sara said, looking to Euron and Moira, switching her gaze between the two of them under some hope one might explain. "Why are you doing this? She rescued me!"

"It is because she rescued you that her Inheritance is revoked," Euron said. "Do not blame me for the choices you and Moira have made. The trial must be done alone. You failed yours, and in so doing should mean your death."

"She didn't fail," Moira said. She was covering herself up with her hands, but there was little she could do to keep the eyes off her. Sara looked away, growing red from the sight. "She made the jump and would have joined us here had the island not broke."

"This is a test of courage-"

"She made the jump!" Moira insisted. "Come on, uncle, since when do we punish someone for the island breaking off? The island doesn't just break, yet look around you!" Moira gestured with her hand, thoughts of her exposed chest lost in her fury. The island, Sara saw, was starting to crumble away, though very slowly. She could see the grass on the island shy away from the edges, where bare dirt and rock lay exposed to the heat and wind. Cracks formed along the ridge and pieces fell to the lava below. It was a gradual, slow thing, but at this rate it would still only take a couple months for the island to be completely gone.

Euron could not speak, for he too saw the island breaking away. Many of the new warriors broke their position, glancing at each other and murmuring. The villagers could hear them as well and had gone quiet. From the crowd came Miriam, the village elder, who would then speak to Euron from afar.

"Allow the two girls to enter the spring together," she said. "If the gods would allow it, and Sara has passed the trial as Moira claims, they will be kindled together as sisters."

"Very well," Euron said. He moved away from the spring and looked to the two girls.

"Kindled together?" Sara asked, quietly so only Moira could hear her.

"If it works, we gain full access to Inheritance," Moira whispered back. "If not, the water kills us."

"Oh, is that all? Great." Sara was not so enthusiastic about the power as before. Should she trust Moira's judgement? If she's wrong, they both die. But then again...

Sara originally meant to die anyway.

The two girls joined hands before the spring. They synchronized their steps together, stepping down into the water. Only instead of being immersed, Sara found herself standing on the water. She and Moira gasped as the heat ran up their bodies but they kept moving together towards the center. A fire erupted around them, concealing their bodies from view. For a moment, Sara thought she heard a voice come from the fire. The next moment the fire converged on them, blazing hot and violent, burning away at their skin.

As the smoke cleared, the spring had vanished. There was no more boiling water, but in its place sat a small red orb, no larger than an eye. It glowed fiercely, as if a fire roared on inside of it. Sara looked down at herself and saw she was no longer in a dress, but the red and gold armor of the village warriors. Hard red plates lined with gold covered her chest and waist and a dark blue sleeve clung tight to her arms and legs. She could feel the crown of fire sitting upon her head. But most of all, she felt warm.

She felt alive.

~Clark~

Clark would not move from his spot. The beat of the mountain did not stop, but it grew quieter, as if realizing he would not move. At his wish for a sudoku puzzle, a part of the table suddenly sprung to live, rising up beneath his hand. It laid out six rows of five square rocks. They were evenly spaced apart and would not move no matter how they were pushed or pulled.

[ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [O]
[ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [X] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [X] [Λ] [O] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Below these rocks, symbols began to form, as if someone were carving into the table at that very moment. There were three symbols: a circle, a cross, and a triangle.

O  X  Λ

Below that, words were carved into the wood.

"Fill the rocks with the symbols. The Cross may only touch diagonal lines to another. The Circle may not touch any surrounding other. The Triangle may only bridge the gaps." Below the triangle was the number 11, supposedly the number of uses that piece had. Or had left, considering one was already on the board.

"A reward awaits the end of this game." Was carved into the table after Clark had finished reading.

~Julie~

Though Julie now controlled the wind, she would find it was not so easy to control all the time. Rogue gusts buffeted her from all sides, bullying her. Without Niah there to keep the air tamed, it seemed the whole sky was against her. She was a stranger to these lands, after all. Regardless, she would soon find it impossible to remain airborne anyway, as the volcano she was headed towards belched black smoke into the sky. It was such a sudden thing, as if it had suddenly gone through some bowel movement.

Julie could see a village below, hidden in the jungle. The sun was beginning to rise for her, but the locale seemed still tucked away in their beds. Still it would not do for her to remain in the sky, while the village below was so ripe for exploring this early in the morning.

Clark jerked his hand off the table when textures began raising itself from the rock. He read over the message that carved itself onto the table and the grid that appeared. Clark relaxed his shoulders and sighed. "The directions are even in English. Is someone fucking with me?" he vocalized skeptically. Not like he had anything better to do than to humor the little puzzle that was arranged before him anyway. He shrugged and rested the side of his face against his palm as began to contemplate.

The fingers of his free hand began moving about, as if he was typing in the air. A habit he had when being lost in thought. When he had found his answers, Clark drew the symbols into the empty spaces with his finger.

[X] [Λ] [X] [Λ] [O]
[O] [X] [O] [Λ] [X]
[X] [Λ] [Λ] [X] [O]
[O] [Λ] [X] [Λ] [X]
[Λ] [X] [Λ] [O] [Λ]
[X] [O] [X] [Λ] [Λ]

"I think I got it figured out..."

Julie approached Horus Island with a decent speed, though as she went, the sky itself began to oppose her being aloft. Winds sliced around her making it difficult to keep a steady past. To add to all the complications, the big volcano that dominated the island began belching black, acrid smoke that both smelled and tasted terrible. Descending, she took survey of the new surroundings below her. Beneath the vibrant, teeming jungle was a quaint village that seemed to not quite be awake yet. There didn't even seem to be any sort of guard around. Perhaps someone around here had heard of this "Architect" that Niah mentioned.

Julie reached the ground, but did not touch down. Keeping her guard up, she took a double take at the outskirts of the village. She didn't want to be pinned down in fear of any kind of mishaps, and she was still afraid of falling. Even if Niah had healed her of her weak heart, Julie was still pretty frail for a woman of her age. The sun was rising behind her, giving the village a pretty light. She supposed she would wait in the wings for the morning's first movements before she made her move into the village.

"Woah," Sara turned her hands over, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. Tiny sparks, little embers, floated up from a thin film covering her body, orange-red in color. Her heart beat a little faster. It was so warm, like a campfire would be on a cold night. Moira stood there with her, clad in the same armor. The spring was empty, so they walked back to Euron and the other warriors standing nearby.

"The gods have taken a liking to you two, it seems," Euron said, seemingly proud. His face told a different story, but Sara had no time to see it. The island shook, the edges crumbling further. Without the spring, was the entire thing going to collapse? Before Sara could wonder how to jump to safety, she was already there.

"Newly kindled," Miriam said, her arms spread wide. The fresh warriors, Moira and Sara ow stood in a line. Sara kept looking around, still nervous despite the success. "You have received your Inheritance. Give it a name, and call the gift to your side. It will take the shape of the spirit inside you."

"A name?" Sara looked at Moira. The taller girl grinned.

"Beetlebug!" Moira declared, holding out her hands. A flash of light and fire sparked around her arms and swirled around her. The flames focused and formed a shield in one hand and sword in the other. The shield was mainly gold with a red fire emblazoned on its center. The sword was long and broad at its base with a shining gold guard and red cloth covering the hilt. The other warriors followed her cue, calling out a name and summoning weapons to their hands. A bow. A greatsword. A staff. Sara looked down at her hands.

She took a deep breath. What would she name her Inheritance? What if she said a name out loud and nothing happened? Everyone would look at her and laugh. Sara turned red and put her hands down. She heard someone saying a name and looked over at the warrior. Nothing happened. He said it again, this time louder, but still nothing happened.

"Do not overstress yourself, child," Miriam said. She was looking at Sara, but clearly addressing the boy. "These powers you now have are fickle and dangerous. Remain calm, and they will obey. But overstimulate them, and it will run like wildfire."

Sara looked down again and held her hands out. "Phoenix," she whispered, carefully and slowly. Fire leaped before her eyes and folded into both her hands. Red blades, curved at the ends and jagged near the guards, formed before her eyes. Bits of gold lined the flat edges and the hilts. Daggers. She made daggers. And damn good looking ones, too.

~Clark~

When Clark finished, the puzzle sank until it was a normal table again. The writing also disappeared. The stone floor rumbled slightly and a chunk of rock shot up. It landed on the table right in front of Clark and sat there. Was his reward the rock, or something inside the rock? Before he could ask, a crack appeared in the rock. Then another, and another. So many cracks the damned thing should have broken open already.

The rock split in half. Inside was a treasure trove of crystals, purple and green and red and a whole myriad of other colors. Such a geode would be worth a fortune back home, surely. The crystals shone and started to gather together, collecting more and more until the inside of the rock was totally empty, and a small, clear crystal remained. It was round and no bigger than his thumb.

On the table again, were words written by the mountain.

"Eat it."

~Julie~

While she waited through the first light, Julie would still see no people rising or going outside. It was boring work, watching an empty village from so far away. But her boring little watch was about to get a little more exciting. Some of the local wildlife caught sight of her, and many took interest in the new arrival. Birds came to rest on her shoulders, nipping her ear for the possibility of treats, flying away when she had none. Little rodents tried nibbling her shoes, but were easily chased away.

Then she heard a different kind of animal. Like a monkey's cry. Several of them, actually. When she found the source above her, Julie would see many of these blue-bottomed monkeys staring down at her. The moment she saw them they all went still, and eerily quiet. Unblinking. They, unlike the birds and the bees, were clearly not happy to see her.

If she ran, they would chase her. If she stayed put, who knows how long they would.

As Julie waited at the outskirts of the village, the sun rose above her, casting a bright light on the dew sparkled along the ground. The wildlife in the jungle called and teemed, never leaving her surroundings truly quiet, but it was slightly annoying to be in such proximity to as many fauna as she was. She was more used to drawing the subjects rather than being in the middle of them. Nothing happened in the village, though, as long as she waited. She tilted her head back to yawn, and when she did, she laid her eyes on a small group of monkeys with blue bottoms.

They became silent as Julie made eye contact with them. They didn't seem very nice or amiable, and if Julie made a wrong move, they would likely attack. Oh no, what do I do? She drew her fans to her hands and opened them, not moving her eyes away from the pack of monkeys. She chose to stay unmoving and poised, waiting for whatever their first move would be. She wasn't entirely sure how she would fight back, but if she winged it, perhaps she wouldn't come out harmed.

The mountain was still writing commands to Clark, awarding him with a singular crystal. Clark could still not comprehend a single damn thing that was going on, and so many questions were being raised. "This thing gonna try and kill me like the stone bath?" Clark pondered aloud. "Why is everything so terrible at murdering me? Should I be grateful for that?" He picked up the crystal between his thumb and index finger and gave it a quick inspection.

Clark tapped the table with the crystal to test a reaction. Nothing. He brought it back up to his face and gave it another look. "This is stupid. Am I really going to eat some rock just because a mountain told me to?" Clark scoffed.

A beat.

"I am," he confirmed, as he tossed the crystal into his mouth.

~Sara~

After gaining her Inheritance, Sara, Moira, and the other warriors were sent to a place Euron called Ember Hall. It was a small structure build on the side of the volcano, made entirely out of stone. Upon entering, Sara realized it was not only enormous, but called Ember Hall for a reason. She walked into the foyer, and before her sat a huge brazier in a round enclosure. The hexagon-shaped hall held six beds, one for each of the new warriors, Sara supposed.

She slept there for the night, with Moira close by. She wasn't used to sleeping in a room with boys, back home she had a separate bedroom. Now with the joined quarters, she felt a lot of things, and couldn't make sense out of any of them. Her anxiety didn't let her sleep, and the little bit of sleep she did get wasn't going to do her much good after the rooster crowed.

Just like that she was whisked away once again, her stomach aching and her eyes unable to stay open. Moira put something to Sara's lips and suddenly every bit of tiredness Sara felt washed away like water. Her nose stung from the smell of the pepper and she tried to take it but Moira pulled it away.

"No, you don't want to eat that," she said, patting Sara's head. "We're going to have breakfast soon, alright? Just gotta go through our rounds."

"Rounds?"

"All the new Inheritors venture out into the jungle every morning. It's just a drill, so there's nothing to worry about. We'll be out and back in an hour."

"Honestly," one of the other warriors spoke up, giving Sara a disdainful look. "If you don't even know that much why did you even bother stealing the Inheritance?"

"I'm sorry," Sara said, taken aback by the harsh words. Moira stepped between them, thankfully.

"She's new but managed to pass the trial you gave up on three times. Before you start taking out your own frustrations on Sara, how about you actually grow a spine?"

"Come on, Joyce, ignore them." Another of the warriors butted in before the angry one could talk back. Joyce shoved his shoulder out of the other boy's hand and marched out. The other one shrugged and followed without bothering to look at Sara.

"That was Joyce," Moira said. "He's pretty dumb but he's a good fighter. We'll have to work hard to get you on his good side."

"I prefer to stay away from people who don't like me, Moira," Sara said, her anxiety crawling back.

"Nonsense, how else can you make friends if you can't tough it out with a guy or two? Don't worry, I'll be here to help. Okay?"

Sara hesitated, but nodded. "Okay."

~Clark~

The second Clark put the crystal on his tongue, he felt a strange warmth coming from it. The rough edges seemed to melt away against his tongue and the whole thing eased down his throat. He felt it slowly crawl down his esophagus until it reached his stomach. For a second, it looked like he had just eaten a crystal ball just because some magic rock told him to. Which is entirely the truth, but we're not judging the sanity of poor Clark here. Except for those of us who are, namely himself.

Then he felt it. The gentle thud and thump of his head, except it came from his stomach. With every thud, thump, and boom it sent a pulse through his whole body, like electricity. The pulses grew in strength. Stronger, stronger, until it was about to explode within him. The pulses stopped, and an odd, gray liquid started leaking out of his wrists and ankles. The gray liquid was heavy, and did not drip to the ground like water would. Instead it formed around his body, his limbs and his chest.

This is your Inheritance. More writing on the stone. Give it a name, and call upon it to give it shape.

~Julie~

The monkeys were not impressed by her fans. In fact, they seemed angered at them. Still they would not attack, or even move. There seemed to be even more of them now, but that couldn't have been possible. There wasn't enough room in the trees to fit more. As Julie watched them, they became increasingly agitated. Several started jumping up and down on the branches, making screeching noises at her and waving balled fists in the air.

One threw a rock at her. That was the trigger for the rest of them to start throwing things. Rocks, twigs, nuts, poop, anything they could get their hands on. The guardians of the forest were going to rain down hell upon her until she left or was dead. A few of them dove from the treetops to tackle her. Julie had to think fast to deal with all these threats.