* Umineko – Mother

* Mahou Tsukai no Yoru – That hole

Chapter CIII: Emergent Emissary

* Umineko – Mother

The one who appeared before Alexander, Loïa and the two girls was a humanoid cluster of rocks.

That was the first impression they had upon seeing it, an impression that only grew stronger as the mysterious stranger made its way toward them. With each step, a dry echo resounded throughout the hall. The movement of his body made the same sounds of friction one would get by rubbing two stones together; and it would seem this was exactly what was happening, considering the trail of crumbs and dirt in its wake.

The stone chunks making up its body were of varying size depending on what role they fulfilled. The torso and the legs held the largest pieces, whereas more finicky appendages like the hands and fingers seemed made of pebbles. Its composite appearance gave it somewhat of a ressemblance with the dolls used by fashion designers; but those were clean and smooth, unlike the golem taking one difficult step after another. In fact, its head was not shaped like that of a human. It looked like just another slab of stone glued onto that motley body.

Ironically though, that same head bore the only sophisticated detail of the entire piece: a single giant eye carved in the middle of it face. But it was only an engraving, it did not move nor did it help make the whole any less uncanny.

"Four... no, there are more of you?" The head rotated, causing the helmet to make a grinding sound. "Not all of you are humans. What a strange lineup we've got here."

It was a man's cavernous voice that seemed to be expressing its thoughts. The reason why that was uncertain was because the words didn't emanate from the golem himself. Each sentence came from a different angle, yet always from some obscure corner of the room they were all in. This made the Masters and Servants turn their heads a few time, but in the end there was no doubt that the one addressing them was the strange puppet.

At the same time, they exchanged uncertain glances among themselves – what should they do?

Flee?

There were still three gates wide open for them to escape through. But with nowhere to go, they would be wasting the result of their efforts.

Fight?

An army of wraiths was staring them down, walking a few metres behind their leader. More and more of them were stepping through the old gate with no end in sight. Even though their silhouettes were more clearly defined, the way they moved about mechanically made them more lifeless than the golem preceding them. It was as though they walked as one, a vast swarm with a single mind; and numbers that would turn any confrontation into a battle of attrition at best.

For now, they didn't show sign of attacking. Rather than waste their energy more than they had already done, it was in the Masters' best interest to wait and see what this encounter could bring them.

Knowing that, Alexander's eyes were focusing on the limping golem. It was almost pathetic, the way his dirty cape was dragging on the floor, or how the rusty helmet didn't quite fit the head-stone and swayed slightly. But the simple fact that he looked so out of place in this strange world was enough reason not to drop their guard.

"Well then, well then." The stone man came to a stop, some twenty metres away from their group. "Aren't you going to say something? You were a lot chattier when you were running. Then again, if you don't feel like talking I can make a conversation all by myself. I'm quite good at those."

"...I think you can forgive us for being a little lost for words." Silvelune said. She didn't seem to know whether she should be taken aback or unimpressed.

"Ah, so you do have a tongue. But that's not good enough! Even I can come up with that come back!"

"I'm not here for your entertainment." She grumbled.

"Heheheh." When the golem laughed, it sounded like gravel was spilling over the ground. "We'll see about that."

"All this time, we were wondering who we could be up against..." Alexander saw the object in the stone man's hand and he frowned. "...but you're just another creation of Ivan Pedilefey, aren't you? A pawn made to supervise this place. Or maybe you are the man himself, playing pretend all over again?"

Loïa could understand what he meant – there was no way the two of them wouldn't recognize the spear in the golem's hand. It was the exact same one that had been used by Ivan during his hit-and-run on Alexander's party, down to the notches left by Fūma. Right now the labyrinth's lord was using it as a cane to advance, but the way he held onto it seemed too natural.

Alexander, Loïa and Bruno hadn't encounted the Treasure Golems during their trip to the Ark's entrance. Still they had learned of the many creations spurn into life by Ivan during this battle. If that earthy puppet was part of the gallery, that would certainly help make sense of what had happened so far – but the golem threw his 'head' back and laughed thunderously.

"Ivan who? Hahahahahahah!" This time it sounded more like a rockslide. "I have no idea what you're spewing but that's a good thing. Yes, I appreciate it dearly! Heheheh..."

"Alex, I don't think he's lying." Loïa whispered next to him. Her eyes were also rived onto the newcomer but she looked conflicted. "His aura is completely different from Pedilefey's. It's not the same as a doll or a golem either. He's just..."

"Oh? Someone here has good eyes." The stony spearman took a step forward.

At once, his whole army took a step with him.

"If he's not artificial, I suppose he's something more intangible." Alexander stood in front of Loïa. "Nature Spirit? Or is he like the other wraiths?"

"No, he's completely different. He's more... normal." She shook her head. "His presence is strange but what's inside is just human. A human ghost."

"A ghost?" The 'golem' tilted his head; again, the metallic click of his helmet. "Am I, now? Am I?"

He took another step and his cohort followed. The fugitives in the centre of the hall were put closer to the edge; Berserker of Black sounded about ready to lash out at their enemies, held back only Silvelune's awareness that it should be a last resort. Against the eccentricity of their opponent though, coupled with what they'd had to fight through until now, almost everyone in their group was expecting their last resort to be the only one.

"Tell me more." The one saying that was the spearman who turned his face in Loïa's general direction. "I want to know more. Entertain me with your little explanation and let's see what you're made of."

"There's only so much we can guess from looking at a pile of rock." On his part, it wasn't Alexander's first time dealing with a lunatic. "If you love talking so much, how about you answer our questions first? For example, where you've found that spear you're carrying with you."

"This? What, you want it? I'm not giving away, it's mine!" He cackled. "Well, I just found it laying around. Someone's been littering inside the Tower, and just at the time where everything is turning strange. With that being said, I'm actually happy that I picked this up, you can't imagine how good it feels to be holding something in your hands again. Well, not like I can actually feel it, since I don't have hands! Hahahahah!"

As expected, he was spilling way more words than he had to if you only gave him the occasion. Yet all of sudden, the stone man slammed the butt of his spear against the ground. His laughter disappeared; with a dry griding noise, his head turned toward Alexander. The air inside the hall changed.

"Actually, who allowed you to ask questions, eh?" His hand clenched around his weapon, making bits of dust and grime fall off. "You didn't step through my Gate, you run amoke inside my home, you leave your mess laying around everywhere, and now you have the galls to question me? I like that. But I don't like that. "

"You can't say you've been setting a better example." Silvelune retorted. "If you want to behave like you own the place, the most basic of formalities would be to introduce yourself, don't you agree?"

"Introduce...? Why, yes... yes, yes, that's how things are done, isn't it? I remember now..." The head-stone made a 360° spin and he brandished his spear. "I am the lord of this place! ...And that's all I know, heheheheh! It's just like the little girl said, I'm a spirit; and this is my tomb. That makes me its guardian. I've been protecting it for a long time now. Actually, I think I've always been here. Then again, maybe not. In fact, I can't tell how long it's been. Maybe a year, maybe a hundred. Or maybe whatever number's bigger than that. Or maybe I was born here and there never was any other place to be! Yeah, that has to be that, hah!"

"That can be right!" Maria crossed her arms. "Since we come from outside, there's definitely a somewhere else!"

"So you say, but I don't remember anything like that." The Guardian tapped the floor with his improvised cane.

"Well I remember, and that's all the proof I need." Maria stuck out her tongue.

"But are you even real?"

"Of course I'm real!"

"Says the delusion!" He cackled some more but no one here could share his hilarity: the atmosphere about this place shifted again. Somehow it felt like something was pressing on their shoulders. "Actually, that's what I came here to find out... there was some commotion and it just wouldn't stop... so I came to take a look at my little guests and see whether you're real or if I made you up... it's not the first time you know... every so often, I see people but they're not quite here... I'm the only one here... the only one..."

"You would send out your troops and hunt us down even when you don't believe us to be real?" Alexander said.

"Reality or fantasy, it does not change who I am – my task remains. I'm the guardian of this place, after all? The reflections of my aloneness are as intrusive as proper plunderers and thieves. And it's not like I have much else to do..." The carved eye sweeped across the room, brushing over each of them until it stopped again on Alexander. "Then again, I will admit I have never heard of any Ivan Pedilefey, whatever that is! And though I understand your words, you speak a curious language. And the way you persist... could it be...?"

The Guardian stepped forward.

The wraiths behind him meant to follow his example but they froze in their tracks when their leader raised his arm to forbid them. He was approaching all alone. Alexander had to do the same and hold back the hostility of his own allies. The Guardian was coming toward him specifically, faltering and limping along the way, but with a steady determination that allowed him to walk at a normal pace.

Alexander waited for him. Honestly, he had no idea what that man even had in mind. With how convoluted his rabbling could be, perhaps none of what he had told them was the truth. Nonetheless, until he showed a clear sign of hostility Alexander considered that the negociations were still ongoing. And for now, the Guardian was only approaching and holding his hand out.

"Show me your face." A subterranean whisper.

"..."

Alexander didn't budge.

Though he was on his guard, he allowed him to get as close as he needed and to reach toward his face. A hand of gravel and dirt touched his cheek, a very cold sensation; it was completely inorganic in spite of its lifelikeness. This proximity also filled Alexander's nose with the Guardian's smell: aside from the obvious earthy scent, there was dampness, rust, mold and dust. All odors he shared with his den, smells that reminded of the cloistered and the abandoned.

"Yes..." His spear dropped to the ground; the Guardian was passing both of his hands over his face now. His thoroughness forced Alexander to close his eyes, but he could feel precisely how each finger dabbled and inquired about. "Yes, that's what a human face looks like. I remember now..."

At once, a quiet yet noticeable change operated inside the hall. It concerned the wraiths that were waiting like sentinels – their appearance was altered. Although they still looked like shades with little substance, their outlines were clearer and their features more defined. The clothes they wore, the weapons they carried and their faces were now shaped in more details, though not to the point that each wraith could stand out individually.

While this silent transformation was taking place, the stone general kept playing around with Alexander's cheeks and his ears.

"I thought you weren't able to feel through your hands?" Alexander risked eating some dirt in order to ask.

"If you want to, it's the same as being able to, right? To me who has no eyes, and to this place that has no light, knowing is the essence and knowing is what we want."

After he was done with the face, the Guardian extended his exploration to the rest of Alexander's body. He patted his arms, his chest and followed the general outline of his body. There was definitely eagerness in the way he satisfied his curiosity; but that was muddled by a more solemn feeling. Or maybe Alexander's imagination was making up for his opponent's lack of expressiveness.

That being said, Alexander stepped back when the coarse, cold hand was about to inspect a more personal area. With a click of his 'tongue', the Guardian turned away and limped toward someone else. He didn't even pay attention to Loïa, for the better since Alexander wouldn't have allowed her safety to lie in those whimsical hands.

Instead, the next target of the stone man's curiosity turned out to be Maria Argas. Naturally that didn't sit well with her friends, but the girl herself stood there fearlessly.

"Bweh!?" Her face was clasped between two hands. The Guardian's inquisitiveness was more brutal this time; he was manipulating her face like it was dough. In spite of that, Maria started asking questions. "Say, do you have like, a family of worms living inside you? Or do you like being made of a specific kind of soil? Are you also going to touch me all ove– Hey, don't put fingers in my mouth!"

"This one's feistier."

He gave up on investigating her further. His rough approach led to the worry of some near him though; Berserker of Black manifested his willingness to smash him to smithreens the usual way. This made the Guardian's head turn toward him with what could be assumed to be more curiosity. Indeed, he chose the silvery giant as his next object of study and casually walked up to him. By some miracle, he wasn't instantly destroyed by the Servant – perhaps Berserker was confounded by the lack of ill intent inside that dirt puppet.

The Guardian tapped around his abdomen a bit, before knocking against the hard skin like it was a door.

"You're a big fella, aren't you? Somehow this feels familiar."

And that was the extent of it. He turned away and made his way back toward Alexander.

"Now that you've had your fun, isn't it only fair to satisfy our curiosity a bit in return?" The leader of the Black Faction asked. "If you could tell us more about this place and our situation, we would greatly appreciate it."

"Who knows?" The Guardian shrugged. "Not me! I know nothing at all."

"I don't think you gave anything to lose by–"

"Ah, wait, there is one thing I know for sure." Now that they were next to each other again, the Guardian passed his arm around Alexander's shoulders in an overly friendly manner. "You guys are real, the real deal, a deal of good trueness. There's no doubt about it~!"

His attitude was still mischevious and unconcerned but at the very least it seemed they were starting to find a common ground to stand on. With just a bit more work and show of good faith, the Masters and Servants of Black should be able to get what they want from him. Just as Alexander was thinking that however, the arm that was hugging him affectiously coiled around his neck.

* Mahoyo – That hole

"...!" He wasn't able to scream or say anything: his throat was being squeezed tightly. the Guardian forced him to bend over. "Ghh...!"

"That won't do. That won't do at all." The air trembled inside the dust king's hall. "If you're real, I must absolutely eliminate you all."

Alexander's companions reacted quickly of course.

Fūma moved the fastest and was already upon the Guardian to destroy his arm. His blade was stopped with the sound of clashing metal; no one knew when the pseudo-golem had picked up his spear. Not only had he blocked the shinobi's attack like it was nothing, he proceeded to repel him just as easily. The others had their hands tied – even though the muzzle of her submachine gun was aimed at the Guardian, Loïa couldn't fire without the risk of hitting Alexander as well. The silvery giant likewise couldn't do a precise enough work to guarantee his safety.

"Are you... sure you're going to do... this...?" Alexander did his best to utter those words. "When you're standing... in the middle of us... and we have more... power..."

"You're under a grave misunderstanding, buddy." His face was turned at Alexander's; though it was engraved with rough skills and little depth, in this very moment his eye of stone seemed to be staring deep into his soul. "The moment I say you die, you die."

Another change had taken place inside the room: they were completely surrounded.

Originally, the wraith army had only been coming out of a single gate, yet now all four directions were crowded by crawling shadows. Their numbers were more than overwhelming; it was simply impossible to make an estimate. Aside from the relatively small circle where the Masters and Servants stood, there were only enemies. This had happened before anyone could notice it: either because they had been too focused on the dust king to pay attention, or because there had been no time to do so at all.

Actually, it had all happened a bit too fast, hadn't it – maybe the entire reason why that pile of rock had come to chat with them had been to gain time, during which he had been moving his pieces.

Fighting their way out of this would be a bloody battle, for them. There was nowhere to run to now. Even with several Servants on their side, their disadvantage was too massive. On the other hand, they did have one thing going for them: the master of the labyrinth, the one pushing their back to the wall, was standing right here. If he was the one summoning this army, they only needed to take him down.

That was something the Guardian knew as well: without letting go of Alexander's neck, he started walking back toward his troops. Either this was a hostage situation or he was simply looking after his own safety. Whatever the reason, Alexander could not allow it; being dragged into that mass meant death. Unfortunately, he was also short on tools to hold back his warder. He only had one option, and thus deployed his strings to wrap them around the Guardian. It wasn't exactly reliable, but by chance there was a stone column not too far from them and he used it as an anchor to tie them both in place.

"Whatever you're trying, it's pointless." The stone general said matter-of-factly

"I can... kill you..."

"Kill me, a ghost? And how are you planning to achieve that, really? Destroy my body? " A laugh echoed like crumbling earth. "If you don't have the resolve to bring down the whole Tower itself, you can never fell me."

The wraiths were advancing – the circle around them was shrinking.

"Wait!"

Amidst their silent approach, a shout came from Maria. She had grabbed Silvelune and lifted her up again, but while the silvery giant was already unleashing his wrath at his enemies she stepped toward the Guardian.

"You don't have to do this, we're not intruders!" She asserted. "We didn't come here to steal or destroy anything! We're not ennemies!"

"That's what a plunderer would say. You're in a place where you're not welcome, that's what we call an intruder."

"No, intentions matter!" She squeaked. "Any courtroom will take that into account, you know!?"

"She has a point." Loïa, who had been staring down the advancing shadows, chimmed in. "We don't know who you are or even where this is. Everything we've done since arriving here was in order to survive. If the only reason you'd kill us is to protect this place, there's no reason for fighting in the first place."

"That's true, that's true. If you were saying the truth." Despite his binds, the Guardian managed to swing his spear swiftly and repel Fūma for a second time. "I'll kill you just in case. The house policy around here isn't to be lenient."

"That's stupid! There's nothing to steal here anyway!" Maria growled.

"Hey now, don't you go deciding that on your own. That just shows you have no eye for the value of things! There is no place more precious than here. No matter what it costs, no matter how long it takes, I will not allow outsiders to desecrate it."

"Like I said, we're not here to do anything wrong! We don't care about your tomb or whatever! What are you even protecting!? Who gave you the mission to stand there and defend it for all eternity?!"

"...That's..." The Guardian tilted his head. "...there was... no one... never... no one... I must protect... this is our greatest treasure... I won't allow harm to come upon us... not again... not until they can come back... ... ...who...?"

"Don't go killing people over stuff you can't even remember!"

"Heheh. Hahahahahah... 'can't remember', you say. You're an hilarious one, you know? There's nothing for me to remember... not since I am in this place... nothingness... how long I've slumbered, who knows... how long have I been awake, who cares... Bahahahah, who cares! Once this is over, I'll go back to sleep. Or I guess I'll go see what all this commotion's about, even if that's outside my juridiction... ... ...juridiction...? My...?"

His words were slowing down, shriking into whisper.

"You are lost and hopeless." Standing side by side with her Master, gauging the enemies pressing down on them, Scheherazade talked in a soft voice. "And you will remain so until you care to remember. I understand now, this world is your open book – there was once a substance here, the same essence that lies at the foundation of us Heroic Spirits. It has closed its eyes but hasn't breathed its last yet."

"You seem to be well informed for an intruder. Were you perhaps my mother once? Or my sister? A daughter?" The king under the mountain laughed sourly. Fūma approached once again to free Alexander, but he quickly retreated before he had ever reached them. He had realized that the general was leaving his guard open to better strike him. "Or are you an insolent stranger desperately grasping at thoughts and fantasies, seeking the secret words to beg for my forgiveness?"

"I am but a simple storyteller, one who gathers the legends of heroes and grant them eternity. Though the day has been robbed from your eyes and your kingdom kissed by night, you must remember the light you once saw."

"...How silly. My delusions weren't as stubborn and blabbermouth. And since I have no ears, I can't block out your words either."

The Guardian shook his head.

However, the thoughts inside his heart rippled over their surroundings: the wraith army, once a cluttered and undistinguishable mass, quietly gained in colours. Whether it was the complexion of their skin, the vivacious hues of their clothing or hot tint of their blood, it didn't feel right to call them shadows anymore. It was far from a perfect job but they were now another step away from the oblivion they had climbed out of. Thanks to that, their once veiled expressions were now overflowing with life. The way they moved about was less unified, their assault split up by their individual approaches.

"And though those words have the knack of tickling my nerves... it's been so long that I still enjoy them. I wished I had ears on top of that, heheheheh."

"A feeling any storyteller would be happy to receive." The Caster nodded graciously.

"We'll give you peace, if only you'd let us." Mimicking her Servant, Loïa addressed him not with enmity but compassion. "We were thrown into this place against our will, we'd like nothing more than to leave. You're the one in control of this maze, aren't you? In that case you should be able to lead us out."

"Outside...? Who knows... I don't... I've forgotten the way..." He muttered to himself.

For a moment, the Guardian remained inert and didn't pipe a word. Almost all looks were fixated on him, whereas his only eye was turned earthward. Alexander was still in his clutches, including all this time the stone man had been chatting. Due to his precarious position, he was already using all of his strength into preventing his warden from running away. A task he was slowly growing too tired to uphold, to the point his fingers were bleeding and he couldn't speak up. Eventually though, Alexander no longer had to exhaust himself – the Guardian stopped struggling within the woven threads. That being said, his neck was still under a chokehold, he wasn't free yet.

More time passed until the battles inside the room came to a sudden stop. The wraiths relented their assault, although that didn't stop Berserker from sweeping through them still. That being said, the umbral army wasn't retreating: they had only frozen in their attacks, waiting only for an order to finish what they had started. Eventually, Silvelune got her Servant to calm down and do the same, allowing the room to fall back into silence.

"Hmmmm." The eye scrutinized Alexander. "You were talking about a return of service, right? Equivalent exchange or trading, there are no such things here."

At long last the rocky lock around Alexander's neck loosened and the Guardian let him fall to the floor. Then, he effortlessly freed himself of his bounds and he dashed back to his initial position, in front of his troops. The speed and agility with which he moved was a stark contrast with his faltering steps from earlier. Most likely, he had been making a fool of them from the very start.

Alexander took in deep breaths, savouring the air he had been lacking in even though it was still dusty. Loïa and Assassin rushed to his side, but aside from the soreness in his neck he wasn't badly harmed. It could easily have been otherwise though, if not for the enigmatic inner workings of that man's head.

"I won't let you through so easily. If you wish to be spared and led onward, you must first pass a trial." The dust king let go of his spear and raised his arms in front of him. "One of you, step forth and place your head between my hands. Can't promise what'll happen to you if you fail though, heheh."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

No one volunteered. That went without saying – Alexander had already let him toy around with his face before, so it wouldn't be that much of a difference; but considering what the Guardian had been about to do to him, there was indeed no guarantee of safety. Moreover, even though he was the one presenting them with a trial, only he knew the rules. If it were a simple test of trust, the good will Alexander had shown before should be more than enough.

"What a bother; let's get this over with already." Silvelune sighed loudly. "Maria, can you take me over there please?"

"Eh? But Silvy, it might be..." Maria, who was carrying her on her back, was eyeing the dust king with uncertainty. "What if he makes your head go splotch like a tomato...?"

"We'll know once I try. At any rate, I for one believe we've spent enough time here. For someone with my health, it's already dangerous to stay in a place so unsanitary." The sickly girl gave some weak kicks to her friends to spur her. "I need your help to move anyway, so you'll be with me. Okay?"

"...Okaaaayyyy..." The raven haired girl replied unenthusiastically.

In accordance with her friend's wish, Maria walked up to the Guardian. While Alexander watched them go, for a second he thought of taking their place. But he wasn't ready to risk his or Loïa's lives at this point, not after what he had promised her. Thus, it was the most vulnerable person of their group who met the Guardian and put her head between his open palms.

...

Nothing happened.

The Guardian stood still and didn't try anything funny. A handful of a second went by like this, without a word or a move from anyone. Despite the slight tension in the air and the anticipation of everyone watching, the verdict came soon enough:

"...This is sanctuary that attracts the dreams of humans." The king's voice rumbled. "I can sense it within you, a strong desire and the aspiration for more. Your wish shines without blemish; you have a place here."

He undid the stony lock around Silvelune's face.

The next moment though, he moved his hand to the top of her head and began patting it affectiously.

"That's a tad too intimate. Maria, take me back." The sickly girl didn't seem amused.

"Hahahahahah! There's no need to feel shy, I'll give you as much care and attention as you want. Or as much as you don't want, that's just as entertaining!" The atmosphere around the room was alleviated with the dust king's cackle. "Very well then, I'll revise my evaluation of you lot. Feels good to know humans are still dreaming. Maybe that's why I had to wake up this morning. Or maybe it was the morning a thousand years ago. Anyway, since you're not completely out of place here, you people shall be as my brothers and sisters. And I will be your guide."

"If that's all you needed to verify, you could have started there." Alexander rubbed his neck.

"No, I could have started by squashing you under my foot the moment you opened your mouth. Good thing I wasn't in that mood, eh? Eh?"

As a proof of the Guardian's approval, the wraiths that had been drowning the room vanished one by one as though they had never been there. And they were not the only one to disappear: the four walls and the gates adorning them, the roads and then the pillars – the Hall of the Mountain King was being swallowed by obscurity. It shrunk around them until they found themselves inside a corridor large enough for their group.

"I cannot lead you outside the Tower, unfortunately." The Guardian shook his head. "Honestly, I've never even tried before. I don't know how you've found your way to my territory, but don't expect me to replicate it. With that said, seeing as you people are now under my responsability, you're gonna have to tag along with me! You're not the only thing on my bucket list!"

"Where are you taking us then?" Maria asked.

"You'll see, you'll see. We have plenty of time to talk on the way~! Actually, that's a brilliant idea: I want to hear you talk, not a single moment of silence! It's been too long since real words have echoed in my halls, heheheh! You can ask all the questions you want, I know everything!"

"Oh, so now you're knowledgeable." Alexander mumbled.

"Well, not really! I know nothing, but it feels like I know everything. The Tower's the one feeding me information about what's going on. Which is yet another brand new experience, actually. I thought it was a weird thing to be feeling but it's clear now that the impossible has happened – Migdal Bavel has awakened. That would explain why I have so much work all of sudden."

While dropping those ominous words without explanation, the Guardian spun around and began leading the way.

"Ah, right. I guess I should tell you this while I'm at it." After a few steps however, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "The name's Phenech, Lord of Babel. Nice to meetcha."

Thanks for reading.

I mean, yeah, I wasn't gonna introduce a brand new character this far into the game.

~Legends Storyteller