The Queen, slumped forward, waking with a start, no different than a child nodding off during a long lecture at the Academy of Leyline, and, like such a student, she jolted about attempting to confirm no one had noticed. The throne room was empty, her nobles off taking care of the mundanity that followed her decrees made earlier that morning. She took the moment of silence in the royal hall of Nyxia Island, the gem of her kingdom. She still couldn’t quite accept that she was the ruler of the Ruby islands, even after all these years. She was only a girl when she came to power, having returned home a hero, and reunified the island nation. Then all of those years staving off Bran Redhand the ‘pirate king’. All those years, bringing together her people and establishing trading with Centrium. All those years, losing track of time and her friends, each gone to their own fates. How odd it was now to look back on it all. The queen’s day dreaming came to an end as she heard a footfall behind her. Spinning and leaping over the arm of the throne, to put something between her and the intruder, she drew her rapier, its edge glowing lighting with a red flame that danced across the razor sharp blade. “Who goes there! I may not be quite as nimble as I once was but I’m more than enough to end you I promise.”
“Breath Ember, no need to skewer an old friend” the deep and slightly raspy voice announced as the taller than average figure, draped in simple, but finely made, scholar’s robes stepped around the throne to look down at the woman.
“Janis! What are you doing here? How did you get here? No, wait, how did you get into this room?”
“Ring of teleportation. Remember the one I got from Payne during the last time loop in Leyline? One and the same.” The man moved down a few steps before lowering himself onto one of them. The figure looked so out of place sitting below the throne in this empty room. He could have been a chancellor guiding any ruler in the world. Ember knew in her heart that was the truth, but also knew it wasn’t for him as she watched him place his book down next to him and beckoned her over.
“What are you researching now?”
“Oh,” Janis patted the book “just a general survey of coastal plant life. Hoping to do a comparison between the sandy beaches of Sir’dal and those of the Azure Marshes.” He looked back to Ember with a smile but was only met with a dumbfounded look.
“This is interesting to you?”
“Yes.”
“Other people too?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” Each looked at the other, skepticism in their eyes and brows furrowed before breaking out in laughter. Ember’s a giggly raucous one and Janis’s a deep full bellied howl. “Oh it really has been far too long my friend.”
Ember lowered herself to the ground, only after sheathing her flaming rapier, and turned to face her old companion. The man who’d been a linchpin our their group in solving the many mysteries they’d faced. He’d been the one to win favor with Lady Payne of Leylinia’s wealthy Art District. He’d determined through research there must be something hidden on one of the forgotten Ruby Islands. He solved the puzzle and guided their group to each of their divine tools. He’d made the plans that they implemented against a Leyla in her corrupt state having become the god of both undeath and time. He was one of her best friends. Janis the scholar, a legend who’d spent his life as just a scholar, simply researching subject after subject.
“So, how’s Poli? What about Zwert?”
“Both are well Ember. Poli is currently living in the jungles south of Riverhill and Zwert is a lord of a new area Val’aran told him about in the Misty plains. Each is getting on in years as well. Zwert gave up his sword a few years ago actually. Said it was important to return to the origins and not allow to fall into the wrong hands. Poli has some years left on her but time really has passed.”
“What about you Janis. How are you holding up after all these years.” Ember eyed her old friend, the deep wrinkles on his face each counting the years.
“I’m fine. I promise. More importantly what about you? I’ve heard you have quite the daughter? The ‘Flaming Sea Serpent’ I believe according the royal decree in the Crimson Coast to capture her. Zard, the daughter of the fire queen Ember Nyxia. It’s a lot to live up to.”
“She’s a bit of a terror” Ember bemoans putting her fingers to her temples “stole a ship and conscripted a crew by sheer charisma along and went off to attack one of Bran’s blasted pleasure cruises. It’s ridiculous!”
“But?” Janis asked leaning in and smirking at Ember.
“Blast it, I’m so proud of her! Little terror of the seas that she is. Robert is worried sick about her nearly every day, but I don’t think I could be prouder.” Unable to sit still any longer Ember rises and begins pacing the room. Without stopping to consider she starts on a tirade on her familial struggles with a wild sea storming daughter, loving but completely unprepared father for any of this, and herself a queen who always wanted it but had no idea what it would mean.
Janis watched Ember gesticulate and hyperbolize each story one after another. That glint he’d seen when they were barely adults was still there. Fate had it in store for them from the beginning but they’d made Enil’s luck their own and found their way through it all. For a moment he considered telling Ember the truth about him. Spilling the secret he’d long kept to himself but he knew he couldn’t. He trusted her but it just wasn’t meant to be known, such secrets were secrets for a reason. Aspects, after all, had responsibilities to uphold and as the aspect of hidden knowledge he couldn’t simply reveal such things. He knew none of them ever discovered that he was a wizard, nor that he had his own divine tool, a spell book imbued with Verodea’s own essence, nor that he hadn’t aged a day since he was granted this piece of divinity in his late 20s. Even today a simple disguise spell, cast masterfully, masked for Ember the truth, but Janis so wished to tell her though he wouldn’t. “Ember,” Janis interjected into a story about her having to take off into the jungles after Zard, “I think it’s time for me to leave. Though I’d love the four of us to have a meal some time.
Ember’s words fell away as her arms drooped. She smiled and nodded “that would be really nice. Soon then?”
“Soon.” Janis stood and before her could stop her Ember lunged at him and embraced him. He cringed for a moment, worrying the illusion would be broken, even though he knew that was nigh impossible, before letting go and holding his dear friend close. After a few moments the two separated and Janis stepped into the center of the room disappearing in a flash of light.
The room fell silent again. Ember, again, alone. She took a moment before nodding to herself and moving towards the exit at the end of the hall. She considered many things, the memories of her friends and all they did, her daughter and husband, her people, and a single memory of Janis clearly casting a spell.