Hammerschlag presents: A Very Merry Christmas Special 2017 Episode 8: A New Journey.

To me, IS wasted serious potential with L'Arachel, Dozla and Rennac. I figured they could have been a lot like Hector, Oswin and Serra, only with a new spin due to their positions. Here's how I think that would have played out post-war.

L'Arachel brought before her Dozla and Rennac, her two servants and fellow crusaders in the fight for justice, though the latter of whom was less than enthused.

"Why are we here? I thought with the fall of the Demon King we'd be done with this 'justice' nonsense," Rennac rubbed his eyes.

"Never is the quest for justice over! Always will there be an enemy to fight!" Dozla cheered.

"I like your spirit, Dozla, but Rennac is right: I owe you an explanation," L'Arachel said, standing proudly, "without demons or monsters to fight, I've grown rather bored."

"Why am I not surprised…" Rennac sighed.

"So, we're going on a quest!"

"To where?"

"I don't know… how about the northernmost part of the world! I can commandeer us a ship and we can travel as far north as we can go!"

"Do you even know how to operate a ship? And how will we know where the 'northernmost part of the world' is?" If we keep going, won't we eventually circle around to southern Magvel? It's not like anyone's ever charted any land outside of–"

"Then that's our mission! We shall chart a new land!"

"Oh, God, why do I always have to open my mouth…"

"Because you're smart, Rennac! We have ourselves a great quest!" Dozla slapped his companion on the back.

"I'm seriously beginning to regret returning to Rausten with you people…"

"Now's not the time for regrets, silly! We have new places to explore and bring justice to!" L'Arachel ruffled Rennac's hair.

"Let's go!" Dozla shouted and he and his lady liege led the way to the port, with Rennac lackadaisically following.

Due to L'Arachel's status and wealth, it was easy to get a ship and some folks to sail and navigate, but no one had any idea what they'd find on the other side of the world. All they were doing was heading north… for hours. Then days. Rennac, naturally, was the first to break.

"OK, seriously, we've done nothing but sail north, eat fish and talk nonsense. Is anyone else beginning to have second thoughts? And this damned cold… don't tell me it's just me who's feeling it!"

"You have to have faith, Rennac! Besides, I have a plan!" L'Arachel said and pointed to a particularly bright star, "you see that? The star directly ahead of us? That's what I'm aiming for. That's what we're aiming for!"

"Really."

"Yes!"

"And how is a ship supposed to suddenly fly into space to reach a star?"

"Oh, don't take it so literally, Rennac. I simply think if we sail in that direction, it will lead us to something great!"

"I hope you're right."

"Hey, guys, do you see that thing directly ahead of us?" Dozla said, pointing at a seemingly stationary object directly in the ship's path, "it looks like a floating mountain made of ice!"

"Well we certainly don't want to crash. Captain, move us around–"

"No! Continue going straight! We'll dock next to the mountain and explore it!" L'Arachel said excitedly. What she did not realize was the ice mountain was larger beneath the water than it was above it, and when the ship got close enough, the bottom of the hull hit the ice and broke open, forcing L'Arachel and her party to abandon ship and hop on the mountain, which was incredibly slippery.

"NICE GOING! NOW WE'RE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH NO CHANCE OF ESCAPE!" Rennac screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Don't be so gloom. See the waters beneath us? We're moving south, which means eventually we'll return to Magvel."

"Oh yeah, how long will that take?!"

"…"

"…"

"DAAAAAAAMN IIIIIIIIT!"

Ah, that was fun.

Writing tunes: unfittingly, Dvorak's requiem. Good to listen to, not necessarily appropriate for what I just wrote.