Everywhere and Nowhere

A dense fog hung over the lush plane of grass, gravel, and flora. Distant calls of birds and critters echoed from a distance. The soft blue hue highlighted the lavishing greenery, gently waving off each branch of the looming trees. Lumintaing orbs of light slowly waltz around the enchanted forest, aimlessly wandering towards the stone formations hidden deep inside the woods. Moss grew over the rough surface, hiding the runic etches carved in the rocks.

The wind howled through a set of chimes dangling over thin branches, their melodic sound emanating from the forest as runic symbols began to glow from the trees. Enchanted cyan aura swirled around the stone junction, sacred runes lighting up as if to welcome the travellers. And as light poured out from the whirling mist, Beatrix Belladonna was the first to emerge from the dissolving haze. The gale current nearly threw her hat off her head, had the witch not clunge to it tightly. But once the wind died down, her eyes widened over the sheer size of the towering forest, only hints of sunlight shimmering through the leaves.

“Wow…” She marvelled in an airy tone. The rest of her crew were also dazed by the splendorous forest. Midnight and Cerise scanned the canopy, pointing to a few strange avians flying out or squirrel-like critters gliding through the trees. The dancer even spotted a salamander, blue and pink in color, with transparent scales before it disappeared in plain sight.

The sheep siblings took in the familiar fresh air, sighing deeply while fawning over their friends' awe at their first visit into the Lost World. For a moment, all stood mesmerized.

“I-I can’t believe you live in such an enchanting place!” Beatrix exclaimed, twirling around while venturing through the forgotten path. “I don’t think the paradise planet boasted flowers or animals this exotic!” She crouched down to beckon one pale creature over, who had been hiding behind a bark. It looked like the offspring of a lemur and a cat, with big yellow eyes and glowing rings around its tail. Its nose sniffed the unicorn’s scent, head tilting to the side as it inched closer before deciding to back off, scurrying up the tree. Beatrix grumbled in disappointment while her mentor hid a giggle behind her sleeve.

“Th' Fáilte Darachlain is one ov many forests that enrich our world's history,” Oona reminded, a gentle smile on her snout. “Ahh…thair are sae many wondrous places Ah wish tae shaw ye here.”

“We’ll make time once I have Abby with me. I’m sure she’d love to explore the Lost World too,” Beatrix replied hopefully, her violet eyes reflecting the glimmering light pouring through the forest trees. Both mentor and student gazed longly at each other before pulling in for a brief, tender kiss.

“Damn…really wish we could have brought Moonlight,” Midnight lamented to his wife, picking on flowers with long anthers protruding out from the velvety petals.

“Yeah! I’m sure we could bring some souvenirs back with us, right?” The charcoal mare asked Dion, who shook his head.

“A’d advise against that, lassie,” the burly ram warned. “Many faeries 'n' critters bide 'ere, an' thay dinnae take kindly tae strangers tarnishin' thair home.”

“Faeries?” The soldier asked with half attention, sniffing the floral fragrance until something shuffled inside the flower. Out fluttered a sprite, translucent wings shimmering over a long mane of flowy hair. Her curvy naked body was decorated in tiny leaves and scales, forming a skirt around her hips. Large black eyes stared curiously over the startled pegasus.

“O-oh! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know this flower was occupied!” He apologized, setting the flower down. A tiny giggle emanated from the creature, who flew around Midnight. Soon, a dozen more sprites, each with different glowing colors, emerged from their flower houses to greet the couple.

“Awwww, they’re so cute!!” Cerise beamed, feeling tiny hands stroke through the curls of her neon hot pink pigtails until a harsh yank pulled her out of the spectacle. “Oww! H-hey! That wasn’t nice!”

The pixie-sized critters snickered mischievously, continuing to pull at the earth mare’s mane while she tried swatting them away. This led to Cerise’s heel hitting a root, causing her to trip onto her backside. She glared at the laughing faeries that swayed around her head, tauntingly.

“Last time I read, faeries weren’t so…mean!” She complained, standing back up to dust her booty shorts and elbows.

“I dunno, they seem pretty friendly to me!” Midnight shrugged, watching as a few sprites gathered, making cooing noises while stroking his bare, muscular arms and cheeks.

“Yeah, a little too friendly,” Cerise growled, swatting away the thirsty faeries from her husband, earning a few hisses before they scattered into the woods. Midnight chuckled sheepishly while Cerise held her snout in the air, hooking her arm into his with a ‘hmph!’.

“Told ye sae,” Dion snickered, nudging Midnight as the group continued to follow the winding forest path.

Midnight said, “Uhm...so hey, uh, Beatrix! You know, back on that paradise island, we met different versions of the twins, right?”

She distractedly answered, “Uh-huh?”

“You think this place has its own variations?”

“Unlikely,” Lady Ewe answered. “A’ve encountered various ponies wit identical names 'n' faces. But none that look nor act like Wet Nurse 'n' Foal-Bearer.”

“Ahh, I see. Still, that was a pretty fun time! Y’know...besides the whole ‘no clothes allowed’ rule.” His face colored.

Beatrix giggled mischievously. “Yeah, we should definitely head back there again~!”

“M-maybe I can come on that adventure too,” Cerise added quickly, sporting a troubled frown. “It sounds like a lot of fun!”

Yet her request fell of deaf ears as the two openly recalled their previous adventure to this ‘paradise’ planet. Insecurity rose within Cerise’s chest, remembering how Beatrix wanted Midnight for herself back in the manor. And had the revelation of the two being partially related not come, would they have gotten married instead? These intrusive thoughts caused Cerise to squeeze her husband’s arm tightly, tracing a digit over the rune-lined ring adorning her finger.

As Beatrix and friends journeyed further, more sunlight shined through the canopy, highlighting the overgrown grass in a clearing ahead. What looked to be a large boulder stood in the center, moss and plant life sprouting over it. Beatrix scanned the overview of trees, not finding any exit. “We’re not lost, are we, Oona?” She asked her woolly mentor. “I can’t see a way out of here…”

“Relax, Ceann Oga,” the dream faun assured. “We're far from lost. In fact, we're about to meet wit our guide.”

“Guide?”

Suddenly, the ground rumbled and shocked before them, causing the mare to turn back towards the large rock as it slowly stood up. To her surprise, the boulder was, in fact, another creature of the woods; vines and stone merged magically together to form a humanoid shape. Large antler protruded from its head, two carved holes illuminated with bright light, acting as eyes.

“W-whoa!!” The witch gasped, the giant golem almost peaking over the entire forest, turning around to face the astonished group of travellers. A curious hum resounded as the creature knelt to get a closer look.

While Beatrix, Cerise, and Midnight took a couple of steps back, Lady Ewe walked forward, placing her hand to stroke the rocks that formed its fingers. “Hello, Seann charaid,” the sheep sage greeted. “Hope we didn’t wake ye from yer nap.”

A low hum emanated from the first golem before it slowly shook its head.

“Ohh, Ah see! An' how have th' treants bin? Hopefully, th' youngin’ have heeded thair warnings nae tae trespass intae their territory.”

Another vibration sounded lighter than before. The three ponies turned to one another in bewilderment, unsure what to make of Oona’s ‘conversation.’

“That's splendid! Well, be sure tae tell them Ah hope thay have a bountiful harvest this fall, ” she giggled quietly. “Now, could ye dae me a favor an' point us towards Cuimhnich? Mah friends an' Ah are headin' thair fur a most important journey.”

The forest golem turned between the dream faun to the ponies, who waved at it awkwardly. Slowly, it rose back up to scan the horizon before pointing westward.

“O, Tapadh leat! C’mon, this way,” Lady Ewe encouraged, leading Beatrix and company towards their new direction as the witch looked behind her shoulder to the towering mossy creature. It stared at her before slowly waving its arm, wishing them farewell.

Not long after their friendly meeting, the forestry began to widen as the team grew closer towards an open field. Once the five companions left the trees, they looked to the skies, hints of the sun peeking from the silver clouds. And before them was the town of Cuimhnich, as stated by the old sign hanging from two poles. Many buildings looked abandoned, with time and nature catching up to cover each establishment in moss, plantlife, and age. Specks of light flickered through the air, the unicorn mare trailing her hand over the worn stone and wood.

“What happened?” Beatrix wondered aloud. “It’s like nothing has lived here for centuries!”

Her question was answered as soft light caught her eye, and the transparent shape of a pony stepped out from the building. He tilted his head from side to side as if looking for something before muttering, “T-The post office…where is Carol’s birthday present?!”

As he trotted off, Beatrix followed him with her gaze until spotting other ghastly apparitions wandering about the center of town. “G-ghosts!?”

“Shhhh,” Oona hushed her, pulling the startled mare back behind the wall. Each mare and stallion lifted their heads towards the sound, pausing momentarily before continuing their business. With a wry sigh, the azure sheep addressed to her love, “They’re lost souls, Beatrix. Carried over after death, only able tae remember a few pieces ov who they were. Ye must take caution not tae interact wit them, or ye'll risk damagin' what’s left ov their memories."

“O-oh.… Kinda reminds of what Zeloph did with the whole nation,” Beatrix nodded, shuddering. Cerise and Midnight stared somberly at the filly souls, who cried for their parents, forever separated from them.

“Yeah…very glad we banished that jerk…” The charcoal dancer agreed, clutching her husband tighter and laying her head on him.

“Oona,” Dion said, patting his sister’s shoulder firmly. “Thair’s a lot ov them this time ‘round. Ye're gonna have tae put them tae rest if we wantae get by safely.”

“Aye, ye’re richt,” the female sheep nodded before turning to the trio of equines. “Please remain here. This should only be a wee bit.”

“What are you going to do?” Midnight asked, tilting his head.

Lady Ewe flashed a proud smile as she summoned her staff into her hand, rowan wood carved into a dreamcatcher, sown together with beads and woven string. Embedded in the center shown a Lapis Lazuli crystal. “Put these sleepy spirits tae bed~!”

Treading carefully, the two fauns walked towards the stone fountain, drops of water leaking down into the well. Oona climbed onto the top while Dion sat along the edge, arms folded to his chest. Beatrix watched with interest, has always been curious about how her mentor worked her magic.

Taking a deep breath, Oona began to sing a song, swaying gently on her spot without fear of falling off. As the melody carried through the town, the troubled souls paused their mantras to look towards the source, slowly trotting towards the singing. Dion would hum along, tapping his hoof in rhythm as their audience gathered.

Once all the attention was on the fauns, Beatrix, Midnight, and Cerise stepped a little closer to observe. Underneath, the land responded to Oona’s hymn, orbs, and bubbles rising towards the skies. The witch’s eyes shimmered at her lover’s elegant display, how the once ghastly ponies began to sway along with Oona. As their forms began to settle, the blue aura of their spectre-like forms grew warmer in color until they dazzled brightly in a golden aura.

“Wow…she’s so beautiful,” Midnight whispered in awe. And Cerise, despite her innate jealousy, did not let his comment affect her. If anything, she agreed with a nod, watching with wide pink eyes. But none probably knew this more than Beatrix, who smiled dreamily at the azure sheep.

“She truly is~.”

As the lullaby continued, the equine souls slowly succumbed to sleep’s lure, giving up their once physical shapes before transcending into more spiritual ones. Animals merged into creatures that could only exist within dreams, representing each mare, colt, and filly. Beaming, Oona waved her staff around as the dreamorphs danced before they finally vanished into the air. Once the performance was over, not a single lost soul lingered in Cuimhnich.

Dion helped his sister off the fountains their equestrian comrades approached, Midnight and Cerise clapping.

“That was amazing!” Midnight exclaimed.

“You should take up singing more often, Oona,” Cerise suggested with a wink. “You’re really good at it~!”

Their compliments caused the faun to blush before releasing a surprised squeak as Beatrix hugged her mentor, the mare’s face equally as hot as her lover’s.

“I…. I-I love you so much,” she stammered, unable to think up any other appropriate response. Lady Ewe giggled, stroking her cheeks with motherly tenderness before lightly pressing her head against hers, minding Beatrix’s horn.

“An' a love you, Mo ghràdhi~” She whispered back, capturing her lips once more. The couple held each other longingly, all of Beatrix’s anxieties and worries washing into the sheep woman's warm wool. Midnight and Cerise similarly hugged each other, while Dion shook his head with a proud smile.

Pulling away reluctantly, Oona cleared her throat. “We best keep movin'. There’s a meadow just north from here whair we can train wit'out worry ov damagin’ anythin’. If we are tae come across Zeloph, we must be at our best!"

Beatrix nodded, keeping in mind that her old flame had likely recovered from their last bout. And if Moxxi was to be believed, the Fallen One’s prowess had greatly increased despite his severe state of mind. If she and the Demiurge could fully unify, wielding Erebus wouldn’t be so challenging. And with both her mentor, Dion, and friends to stand by her side, how could Beatrix not feel so confident?

“No time like the present then. The closer we get to finding Enock’s library and Abby, the better. I’ll be damned if I let Zeloph stand between my family and me!”

“Aye! That's th' spirit, lassie,” Dion encouraged before turning to Midnight. “Ye better be ready, Midnight. A’m a harsh teacher when it comes tae combat, sae don’t expect me tae hold back.”

“Wouldn’t want you to,” the blue pegasus agreed, pounding his breastplate with a grin and flapping his wings. “I’ve never sparred with a faun before, so this is exciting!”

His wife sighed, shaking her head. “Boys and their brawls,” Cerise tsked, yet couldn’t fight the warm smile on her face. “Damn, with so much might and magic in our corner, Zeloph’s not gonna know what hit him!”

With nothing left to explore in the lost town of remembrance, the group of adventures followed the dream faun towards the meadows outside town, shared fervor and optimism building up like energy.

Waves crashed into the underside of the large cliff. Storm clouds stretched over the horizon, fog so thick, it was impossible to see the rest of the ocean below.

Behind Shadow Scythe stood the base of a mountain, a narrow pathway leading upward towards the clouds. To her right were the highlands, where an old castle stood untouched by civilization. Thunder rolled through the sky, threatening to rain.

“So this is the Lost World, huh...” She commented quietly to herself, a knee to her chest while her arm held it close. The reaper and her accomplice had successfully travelled to the fabled universe. Had she not been bound by flesh to the Burning King, she would have found this place to be comforting. Something about the grey and green hue and the absence of others was somewhat cathartic to Shadow Scythe.

Her ears perked at the low whimpering coming from Zeloph, who was not taking things well. Her cold blue eyes watched the nephilim nearly scratch himself to death, feathers and tiny scales layering around him. His condition had worsened, his long mane a mess. And the more he muttered and insisted he was fine, the more his vessel defied him, growing more scales.

He tried in vain to conjure his magic, but every attempt only harmed his dwindling state of mind until he relented with a frustrated groan. "It's gone... My Onoma is completely gone! How am I to save Abadonna like... l-like t̸̢̢h̴ì̧s̛͡!̢̕?̴͟ Damn it! D̶̜͎͉a̺͇̭̹̞̥m̷͝͏̯̦͓͎̙͎͇̝͈n͝͠͏͍͈̻i͖̳̰̞͉̣ṱ̨͉ ̩̠͎̠͍̗ͅa̪̟̦͠ḷ͉̥̘̜̼̭l̵̛͈͙̭͞!̴̙͈̮͍̳̙͝" he yelled, slamming his fist into the damp ground.

Growing impatient with Zeloph’s mewling, Shadow Scythe got back up and knocked him upside the head. “Get a grip, would you? How are we supposed to find that library when you’re bawling like a dropped baby!?”

The false idol rubbed his head before glaring back at the pale mare. “A-aah... You struck me!?”

“Yes! And I’ll gladly do it again if it means getting you off your ass!” Shadow Scythe barked. “Fuck.… If I knew this was what I’d be getting into, I would have never agreed to help you. And now I’m a prisoner to an apocalyptic monster thanks to you!” She pulled back her sleeve to look over the scar seared into her forearm, hissing upon touching it.

“Yes…you’re right. I brought this upon you… upon us! This is all my fault...” Zeloph admitted, standing up to look over his own brand. His eyes watered, the weight of his actions dawning upon him. In hatred, he lashed out to those he thought trusted him, never realizing the fallen one forced them into worship.

A mare he thought could love him instead despised him, clipping his wings and endangering their child’s existence. And now, here he was, promising powers he no longer could access while throwing their souls away to the Burning King and his lackeys.

Zeloph collapsed to his knees, fingers digging into the wet dirt, unable to hold in the sadness weighing down his heart. The angel wept before Shadow Scythe’s knees, and despite her animosity towards this behavior, a ting of pity tugged at her. Most likely, the empathy awakened within her by that damned Sunny. Clenching her teeth, she knelt and pulled his face towards him.

“That’s enough!” She insisted, disgust clear on her face at this weak display. “I have no time for this ‘woe is me’ bullshit! I refuse to feel sorry for you, Zeloph. You got me into this, and now you need to get back up and get me out! You owe me!”

“It’s hopeless,” Zeloph sobbed. “My glory days are behind me. I’m a sickening display of flesh and feathers. I couldn’t save my daughter.… I couldn’t save the ones I love.… I can’t even save myself!”

“So what!?” The unicorn smacked him harder. “Who cares what other people want from you? So what if you’re not some ‘righteous beacon of hope’ or whatever! Maybe you were never meant to be one. Look how far you’ve fallen. You’re a fucking mess! Wake up and face reality, Zeloph! You have no one left but Abadonna. Do you plan to abandon her?”

The rugged winged immortal deeply inhaled, emotions unfamiliar to him burning raw. Zeloph’s eyes lowered to the ground. How long had he’d been avoiding the truth? What did he think would happen for getting involved with the Burning King?

That everything would be fixed, and he would feel justified for all he's done? His winged ears drooped as he went silent, much to Shadow Scythe’s dismay. With a snarl, she threw the battered demi-human away.

“All those eyes and yet every single one of them is blind. Ironic,” she scoffed. “Fine. Just lay there and die if you want. I’m moving forward…” The pale mare proceeded to walk away, feeling nothing but regret for this endeavor. Had she’d not so foolishly given in to the preacher’s talk of power, maybe Shadow Scythe wouldn’t be here. But if this library truly held such unlimited knowledge, perhaps she’d find a way to escape her fate.

Overwhelming thoughts and feelings raced through Zeloph’s head as he laid there, the rain heavily pouring down on them. Tiredly, he gripped the ground to rise back up, looking over his ruined robes, once white and pristine. Looking over each hand, the scally growths spreading along his wrists. Damp clumps of midnight hair draped around his shoulders. All this time, he had kept this look for his father’s nonexistent approval. And even after smiting the bastard, he continued to walk amongst the mortals, pretending he could live among them.

But…how could he? Zeloph had proven himself far stronger than any human, pony, or spirit. Why did he have to lower himself to their standards? For love? Kindness? Those things brought him into the Burning King’s clutches. So why continue to play in their shape?

“No... I’ve had enough..!”

Standing tall, Zeloph took in his surroundings while Shadow Scythe continued to walk further away. The raindrops that drenched him were soothing, and if he stood still and silent enough, he could feel the waves crashing into the shore below—the wind howling along with the cry of thunder.

Yes, the world was cruel. But it was also beautiful. And in his arrogance, he tried to change it when it was against nature. Gripping his palms tightly, Zeloph tore away at his robes, leaving him naked.

“I’m done trying to live to your expectations,” he told himself, imagining the Divine Father’s 'visage' that had haunted his dreams. “I will not kneel before a destroyer...” An image of the Burning King and Doppia flashed as Zeloph backed himself towards the cliff’s edge. “This body, my curse. This is a reflection of my own sins and atrocities. This is all my doing... I see it now. I was never meant to be a guiding light. None were worthy to bask in my glow! But they needeth not perish... with the exception of one...”

Beatrix's charming expression came up to mind as Zeloph came to the very edge of the cliff, his arms spreading out as a glimmering aura wisped off his form. "Yes... This is my redemption. I am the seducer, the beckoning light. I am nephilim! I am... F̛̙̳̀a̞̭̜̭̫l̸̲͉̱̫̕l̴̩͙e͔͕̤ͅn̠̙̰͠ͅ!̢̡͈̭̘" Briefly, he imagined the faces of his sister and daughter before closing his eyes.

“A̬͔̰n҉͎̦̝̭̲͇̞̯d̼̖̟̭͜ͅ ̴̠͕̻͕̩͟I̭̤̹͈̜̣͍̲͘͡ ̴̮̺͠w҉̭̳͎̠̯̣i̸̞̩͍ĺ̴̠̥̲̼̯͈̝͉͟ḻ̻́ͅ ̨̧̢͇͈̜̳s͏̨̦̯̫̘ţ͙̠͖̯̻̯̯̦̞͘o҉̧̻͚̖̰̫̤͇͔͠p͚͇͓͚̰͕̞̘͞ ̶͍͕̗̖a̦̪̪̖̯̕͞͠t̸̲̜̣̜͞ ̜̗̰̫͘ͅn̸̙̟͚̯̺͓͜͜o҉̡̭̣̪̮̫̳͇̱ͅt̶̩̩̜̗̙͢͝h̕͢͏̺̗͍̜̯i̢̧͚̪̮͚͎̘͓ͅn̠͎͢͝͞g̝͔̫̳̫̭̩̮͠ ͍̳͢t̖̯̻͘͞ó̶͇̦̤͕ ̨̤̭̖͙͘ͅr̶̤̻̰̻͉͝è̲͍̟͖̹̪͞c̨̀҉͖̺̜̬͇͖̣ͅl̶̤̖̝̺͍͖̥̀a̷͕̮̠̫̞̪̞̱͢͞i̛҉̬͔m̴̠͕͈͎̭̠̣ ̶̢̙̤̻̞͎̪ẁ̶̬̗̹̝͟h̭͖̙̺à̸̼̰̤̞̰ͅt̛̙͖̘̯̯̤͜ ̨͇̲̠́i̴̤͚̞̟͙ͅs̢̢̜̪̝̙ ̜̖͔̗͟m̴̢̱̬͉̤̳̲̝i̵̧̧̺̠n̛̟͓̘̦e̴̤̮̖͇̦̙̠̱̗!̧̠̟̭̤ͅ"

Tilting back with one last step, Zeloph allowed gravity to carry him off the cliff, plummeting down into the watery depths below, a loud splash alerting Shadow Scythe from her path. Conflicted, she rushed back to where the fallen one once stood, eyes wide in astonishment.

“Suicidal bastard! Did you actually... Huh!?”

A pillar of blinding light rose from the surging typhoon, splitting the stormy skies above. The force pushed the reaper back a bit while shielding her face. Slowly, Zeloph emerged from the raging waves, ascending back to the cliffside. Luminous swan wings extended from his back, waist, and feet, a dazzling golden glow highlighting the dark violet underside feathers. The nephilim’s body glimmered with symbols, most prominently over his hands and chest. His grey skin was clean from any scally disease, crosses marking his cheeks, giving him more resemblance to his other half.

And while his face remained equine, his snout was more narrow. Once Zeloph’s feet touched the ground, his archaic light dimmed, Shadow Scythe staring in bewilderment at the winged immortal’s drastic change. “Z-Zeloph..?!”

His eyes opened, magenta orbs reflecting in her icy blues before he glanced over his arms and legs once more. The golden aura disappeared, leaving him with one pair of wings to furl up. Taking in a deep breath, the renewed nephilim sighed, a slight curl to his lip while gingerly stroking his healed cheeks. “Oh yes... That leap of faith was just what I needed. It's been so long since I last felt like myself!”

“W-what do you mean!? Y-you were trembling, crying like a pathetic weakling!! But now, you're aura is... h-how did you-”

“It's as I said before,” he answered, his haughty tone having returned. “The key to your Onoma is accepting everything you are, flaws and all. Even in slumber, I refused to let go of my past aggressions and truly look at myself. But if I am to lead us towards Enock and rescue Abadonna, getting over myself and embracing who I am were essential. And with it...”

Golden light shimmered within his palm, a ringing sound emanating as Zeloph formed his heavenly zweihänder sword, its hilt, and design now a different shape as well. Each swing made the blade sing louder, much to his glee.

“...my magic restored! Marvelous~! I may no longer wield Aether, but Apollo shines brilliantly!” The blade dissolved from Zeloph's hand as he turned to his sour accomplice. “You did help motivate me while I was down, so you have my appreciation. Thank you, Shadow Scythe," Zeloph bowed his head in gratitude. "As promised, I will help awaken the power hidden inside you. The power that will defeat Beatrix... and, perhaps, the Burning King as well~!"

Before she could reply, her eyes slowly scanned the lean physique of his nude body, cheeks flushing once more. Breath heavy, Shadow Scythe turned away, folding her arms while spatting. “I-It was nothing! I refuse to accept a weakling in my fold. Now that you’ve gotten a grip, you can resume teaching me how to achieve my Onoma. That’s all you’re good for!”

With an irritable huff, the reaper continued on her way while her angelic companion simply chuckled, following behind her. Zeloph could sense Shadow Scythe was glad she didn’t have to face this trial alone, if only for her own benefit, at least.

Just then, a strong breeze brushed through the winged immortal, causing him to shiver once his bareness dawned on him.

“Brrrr! Now if only I knew that clothing spell Beatrix uses...”