Nykka had become much more content with waiting for Spring. The two had found many opportunities to pass the time during the lengthy snow-in. In no time at all, the snow had melted away revealing the emerald grass that had been waiting dormant underneath. As she had promised, they prepared to leave as the flowers surrounding the cottage experienced their first bloom of the year. Nykka told Narinder that they would be gone for at least two weeks, that is assuming she is right in believing his crown would appear in the same location hers had been stowed away. They packed a large hiking bag with everything they'd need to make it to wherever it was they were going. Nykka refused to disclose the information ahead of time, claiming it to be a surprise. When they were packed and ready to go, Narinder grabbed his scythe and left the small cottage with Nykka at his side.
"Do you have a weapon?" He asked curiously, noting that he had never seen one around the tiny cottage.
"Goodness, no." Nykka shook her head, "I do not use weapons." Narinder shot her an incredulous look.
"You have survived six thousand years without ever using a weapon?"
"Yes. My crown provides its own form of defenses. Beyond that, I have been careful not to be discovered."
"That cannot be all there is to it..."
"It is, truly. I do not harm others, Nari."
"But you hunt? You have meat and fish."
"I do not. I trade with a group of hunters that pass by my cottage. They have been known to offer their protection too. For the right price." Nykka shrugged.
"Ah, I see." He chuckled, "That is clever..."
"You do not survive as long as I have without being clever." She smiled. "My cottage is rarely discovered. You are the first visitor I've had other than the hunters in nearly two years. It is a work of fate that you managed to find me."
"Indeed, I nearly froze to death."
"That you did." Nykka giggled, "It was silly of you to leave without winter gear."
"Yes, well, I left in a bit of a rush." He grumbled, his mood darkening a bit.
"Nari, when will you tell me about this cult and the other woman?"
"I thought you would leave it alone."
"At your request, I will. But it saddens me that you will not share these feelings with me." She pouted. Narinder considered her a moment before finally giving in.
"Ah, very well." He sighed. "What do you wish to know?"
"How did you meet this other woman and how did she get your crown?"
"You know I was imprisoned by my siblings, yes?"
"I do." Nykka nodded.
"This 'other woman', a Lamb by the name of Mir̃alai, was the last Lamb in the Land of Old Faith. She was sacrificed by my siblings in a hopeless attempt to prevent my freedom. When she appeared in my Domain, I offered her a deal. I would give her life, and in return she would begin a cult in my name. Use that cult to gain power and kill my siblings thus freeing me. She agreed, and played her role well. After defeating my siblings, I called upon her to come to my Domain a final time. When I told her to kneel for sacrifice so I may have my crown once again, she refused. I hadn't counted on such a betrayal. We battled, and she defeated me. She then indoctrinated me into her cult as one of her Followers."
"I see... it was foolish of you to give up your crown for such a selfish reason. The fates were surely working against you from that moment forward."
"Thank you..." He grumbled.
"I am only being honest, darling." She chuckled, "I assume you grew feelings for Mir̃alai over time?"
"Yes..." Narinder confirmed with some difficulty. He had never admitted his feelings for the Lamb aloud.
"If you had feelings for her, why did you leave? Did she not feel the same?"
"No, I never expressed my feelings, she did not know how I felt."
"Explain." Nykka insisted.
"Very well. Dissenters among the cult staged a coup, and nearly succeeded. Most of the cult had been slaughtered, and Mir̃alai had almost lost her life in the battle. I tended to her wounds, and spent every waking hour at her side. My servant, Baal, had accused me of having feelings for her. Not wanting to appear weak, I lied. I made a foolish excuse about not wanting to listen to her cry anymore, and that was the only reason I was being so kind to her. Mir̃alai overheard me say this."
"Oh, Nari, that was a terrible thing to say." Nykka frowned.
"I know, and I tried to explain, but she would not listen to me. Instead, she went to stay in her temple while she healed. She had a grudge against me after that, and forced my servants and me to work much harder than any other Follower. I tried speaking to her Faith Enforcer about it, he would not even speak to her on my behalf. So, I spoke to her myself. She would not see reason, and we had an argument. I am not proud of how I behaved, but I was furious... That is when I packed what I could and left. My servants refused to come with me, they wanted to continue to help the cult. I allowed them to stay."
"It sounds to me like you had trouble communicating your feelings with her."
"Of course I did, she betrayed me twice before. I did not trust her."
"You did not trust her, or you did not want to love her?" Nykka asked wisely. Narinder looked off.
"It does not matter now. I am happy with you."
"I am glad, Nari. But, you should go back and speak to her. She deserves an apology and an explanation."
"I do not want to go back..."
"It is the right thing to do." Nykka said softly and took Narinder's hand, holding it as they walked. "You are better than this."
"I will think on it." Narinder glanced at her. "Will that appease you for now?"
"Only if you mean it." She smirked.
"I mean it." He assured her with a slight chuckle.
As Nykka promised, it took a week of travel for them to arrive at this mysterious location. They had come to a massive plateau in the far north. A glorious waterfall poured down from the peak, filling a wide river that Narinder knew to span the entirety of the Land of Old Faith and deposit into the ocean. The land surrounding the waterfall was breathtaking. Lush foliage and tall, green trees benefited from the crystal clear, fresh water. Narinder looked up at the plateau and then towards Nykka.
"Do we have to climb?" He asked warily.
"No, no..." She laughed and took him by the hand, leading him along the river towards the cliff face. They reached the waterfall's large basin and she slipped off the hiking bag, dropping it to the ground. Without a word of explanation she dove into the water. Narinder groaned at this, he was not fond of swimming, let alone swimming against such a strong current. Nykka popped up by a large rock, looking back at him. "Come on, love!" Her voice just barely carried over the roar of the waterfall. Narinder sighed heavily and set his scythe aside. He grumbled as he removed his robes. With hesitation, Narinder jumped in after her. The current was just as powerful as he imagined. It took every ounce of his energy to make pathetically sluggish progress forward. For a moment, he worried he'd be swept downstream. Just as he was about to fall back, Nykka grabbed his hand and yanked him over to grab the rock she was clutching.
"This is ridiculous, Nykka! Where did you put it?!" He yelled over the falls.
"Behind!" She yelled back, pointing at the waterfall. Narinder stared at her, dumbstruck. There was no way. Nykka held up a finger to have him wait before diving down again. When she popped up, she had a chain in her hand. She placed it in his hands before pulling herself along it towards the waterfall.
"Damn it all..." He groaned and followed her lead, yanking himself bit by bit up the chain. The closer they got to the falls, the more impossible the task seemed. Nykka soon disappeared ahead of him, hidden somewhere underneath the falls. Narinder took a deep breath and dove under, continuing to pull himself along the chain. He could not see an inch in front of his face beneath the water's turbulent surface. His hand found the end of the chain, fastened to what he assumed to be another large rock. He felt around, and felt the wall of the plateau. Narinder began to panic slightly. If he released the chain, he'd be swept backwards, at the same time, he couldn't find anything else to hold. In addition to this, he was quickly running low on air. He was about to release the chain when a hand seized his wrist, pulling him upward. Narinder breached the surface of the water, panting. Nykka was on her knees at the mouth a small cave.
"Come on now, love, I cannot hold you forever!" She huffed. Narinder hoisted himself up onto the rock and laid on his stomach, panting.
"You- You could have warned me." He rolled onto his back, looking up at her. Nykka laughed.
"I thought you could handle it..."
"Do not mock me." He pouted as he sat up. The two stood and Narinder peered into the pitch black cave. "It is in here?"
"Mhm!" Nykka grinned, grabbing his wrist and pulling him into the cave with her. Narinder followed her warily. He wasn't exactly eager for what may be in store given what he had just endured. Nykka did not hesitate to lead him along the different passageways, she had taken four different paths when he spoke up.
"And you are sure you know where you are going, Nykka? It seems rather easy to get lost here."
"That is the point, Narinder. It is hidden. I know where I am going, trust me."
"Very well..." He sighed. Though it had been four thousand years since she hid the White Crown, she did seem to remember exactly how to get there. For they soon came upon a large, open cavern. It was illuminated by glowing crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling. The cavern was overgrown with shrubbery and vines. Surprisingly, the vines were blooming in multicolored flowers. Nykka shifted through the oddly abundant foliage until they came across a thick curtain of vines. "Hold very still." She said softly to him.
"Why...?"
"Just do as I ask, trust me." She slowly pulled back the curtain of vines, the amount of caution she used caused him to grow extremely nervous. Narinder had the sudden urge to run as his eyes fell upon a monstrously sized venus flytrap. The way it swayed was unnatural, as if it were sentient, unlike its much smaller relatives. Its were jaws opened wide, ready to strike. The plant looked big enough to trap creatures bigger than both of them combined.
"Nykka...?"
"Shh, love." She muttered and stepped towards the carnivorous plant. Narinder glanced around, he realized in horror that they were surrounded. There had to be ten or more of these beasts strategically placed in the shadows beyond the curtain.
"Nykka." Narinder said more urgently.
"Sh. Trust me." She whispered sharply. Venus flytraps were not sound sensitive, the fact that she was concerned over noise made Narinder wonder if something else was here as well. She reached out to the large plant before them. A soft hiss issued from the beast, the sound made Narinder's skin crawl. These were far from normal plants, they behaved more like animals. He watched helplessly as Nykka stopped just a foot away from the beasts' jaws. She ran a hand down its stem, the hisses intensified. The other plants had joined in the haunting chorus. "Hush now, you've done your duty well..." Nykka purred. Slowly, the jaws of the plant closed. As did the jaws of the traps surrounding them. She smiled and looked back at Narinder as she stoked the plant's jaws tenderly. "It is safe now, come along."
"Wh- Can they hear?"
"Yes." Nykka nodded and walked on while Narinder followed her. "I put them here to guard the crown." As they walked, Narinder watched the traps they passed warily. There were dozens of them around the dimly lit chamber. All had their jaws closed, hissing contently. Nykka motioned for Narinder to follow her through a very claustrophobic crack between two boulders. The other side opened to another cavern. This one was covered in very slimy looking vines. Narinder was careful to step over them, no longer trusting that these plants were non-sentient. Even as he stepped over them, he could do nothing to stop the vine that suddenly snapped out, wrapping itself around his ankle. It yanked him, causing him to fall to the ground with a grunt.
"What is this?!" He yelled in fear as he tried to pull his leg through. Nykka quickly knelt beside him. She seized his leg.
"No, no, don't! Hold still, love." Narinder winced a bit as the vine constricted on his ankle, he did his best to hold still despite it. Nykka slowly stood up and nodded, "Good, stay still. I'll take care of it." She ran her hand along the wall until she felt a very large fine. She gave it a squeeze and a thirteen foot pitcher plant lowered from the ceiling. The light from the crystals behind it illuminated its basin. Narinder could see the silhouette of bones floating inside. Nykka touched the plant and it released Narinder's leg. He stood up with a huff.
"Is everything in this cave going to make an attempt on my life?" He asked in mild irritation.
"Yes." Nykka nodded and took his hand, having him follow. "But, we are nearly there now. This pitcher plant was my last, and most deadly defense." She led him to the back of the cavern, another vine curtain hung thickly over a hole in the wall. Nykka pushed it aside to reveal a room glistening with crystals. Flowers were in full bloom surrounding a large, stone pedestal. Sitting atop the pedestal were two crowns. One crown black with two asymmetrical points and a glowing white eye. The other, a white crown with matching points, but reversed. It had a black eye with a glowing, white pupil. Nykka gasped softly and squeezed Narinder's hand tightly. "I knew it...! The Black Crown has manifested." Narinder stared at the crown in disbelief, and it was to be staring back at him. She pulled him into the room with a big smile. "See? Trust me, darling. I know what I'm talking about."
"I- I suppose so." He grinned. The two crowns began glowing as they raised off the pedestal. The White Crown floated over to Nykka, levitating just above her head. In the same moment, the Black Crown floated over Narinder's head. In unison, the two crowns fell upon the head of their bearers. Narinder felt a surge of intense power course through his body. He floated off his feet and his dingy clothes changed as if by magic. In an instant, he found himself wearing a set of black ropes. A white belt sat loosely over his hips, black crosses embroidered into the white leather. A long necklace bearing a white cross had appeared around his neck. When Narinder landed on his feet, he looked at Nykka. She was wearing a nearly identical outfit. Though her robes were white with black details and had slits running up the length of her legs, stitched loosely at her hips. She looked at Narinder with a big grin.
"Finally...!" She practically jumped on Narinder, hugging him tightly. He braced himself against the pedestal and laughed a bit, wrapping his arms around her in return. "Oh, we must go to our Domains." She clapped her hands together excitedly. "I haven't been in so long, I wonder if it looks the same..." Nykka wondered aloud. Narinder paused.
"We will have separate Domains?"
"Yes, of course." She chuckled, "You know how this works, Narinder. I am sure you will return to the Domain you once inhabited."
"Of course..." He nodded, deflating a bit.
"What is wrong?" Nykka frowned, "You do not wish to go back?"
"I suppose I am still a bit bitter after my imprisonment."
"You will not be imprisoned again, my love. You will be able to come and go as you please, just as before." She assured him with a smile. Narinder nodded.
"Very well. But, what about our things?"
"Eh." She waved a hand, "We did not bring anything of importance. Let a passing traveler keep it." Narinder nodded.
"Shall we go then?"
"Yes!" Nykka giggled. She took a breath and began to levitate, crossing her legs as she focused. With a flash, she disappeared. Narinder did the same, using omnipresence to teleport back to the summoning circle just outside Mir̃alai's cult grounds. When he appeared, he saw Nykka was waiting for him. She was looking around with a bright smile. "Oh, Narinder look." She had tears of happiness in her eyes as she pointed towards the Doorways. His was no longer at the center on its own, now another stood beside it. Identical in size and shape, but with an image of her Crown engraved in the stone above it. His Doorway was illuminated in pure white light as it always had been, though it now had a stone carving of the Black Crown above it. Nykka's Doorway was densely packed with trees and wild foliage. Golden rays of light peaked through the leaves. Nykka grabbed his arm in excitement, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "This is exactly as I pictured it, I had nearly lost hope."
"Master?" Two voices spoke up from behind them. Narinder turned to see Aym and Baal standing at the gateway of Mir̃alai's cult, their staves in their hands. Their eyes fixed upon Narinder's new crown, and they looked shocked.
"Ah, Aym, Baal..." He smiled at them, genuinely pleased to see them. Though he'd be lying to say he wasn't also pleased to see that he had surpassed their height once more. He hadn't realized his growth until then as Nykka matched it both before and after the transformation.
"What happened?" Aym asked, his voice hardly audible.
"It is a long story, I will fill you in later. All that matters now is I am once again the Bishop of Death, and this'', he motioned to Nykka, "Is the Bishop of Life, Nykka."
"I- I see..." He looked at Baal who seemed to be, for once, at a loss for words.
"I was about to re-enter my Domain. Come along." He grinned at the two. The twins hesitated, looking at each other. Narinder's smile faltered and he raised a brow. "What? You two serve me, yes?"
"Yes! Yes, of course." Aym insisted quickly. "It is only... We should tell Mir̃alai we are leaving." Nykka looked at Narinder.
"Darling... Now would be the perfect time to speak with her." She said softly to him. Narinder sighed.
"Oh, very well." He gave in. She smiled warmly and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you." She released his arm. "Would you like me to come with you?"
"Ah... I feel that may make things more awkward."
"I agree, it would be awkward. But, I worry that you may struggle to speak the full truth on your own."
"I suppose... Let us go then." Narinder led the trio through the gates of the Cult. He was greeted by nearly thirty Followers working in the grounds. They stopped to stare at him, some in fear, others in shocked recognition.
"Damn, Narinder?!" Attiscesus called out from the Lumber mill. Caxton had been patrolling the grounds and halted when he heard Atti yell. He looked in Narinder's direction and stared with a wide-eyed expression. The Rabbit froze for only a moment before bolting off towards the temple. Before they could reach the temple, Mir̃alai came rushing out with Caxton following behind fearfully. She looked up at Narinder, narrowing her eyes.
"You have no business here, Narinder."
"I have only come to speak with you, Mir̃alai..."
"What?! You expect me to believe that after the way you left?"
"That is what I would like to discuss."
"You are too bold, Narinder." She growled, "Parading into my territory, with a crown upon your head. Who is that?" Mir̃alai gestured irritably to Nykka.
"I can explain everything if you would only listen, Mir̃alai." The Lamb huffed, crossing her arms.
"Very well, whatever it takes for you to leave me alone." She walked back into the temple. "Get everyone back to work, Caxton." She said to the rabbit who nodded and rushed off past the group. Narinder turned to Nykka and the twins.
"I would prefer to have this conversation in private. I will call upon you if I need you, Nykka." She nodded with a soft smile.
"Of course, love." Narinder turned and walked into the temple, closing the large doors behind himself. Mir̃alai stood by her lectern, her eyes cast off in agitation.
"I need to apologize, I should not have treated you that way, Mir̃alai." Narinder said as he approached her. She shook her head, looking away from him determinedly. "I should have been honest with you, the fault is my own." He said softly, "What you heard me say to Baal was a lie. I comforted you because I cared for you. I wanted to make you happy, and I could not bear to see how sorrowful you had become. Baal was right, I have feelings for you." Mir̃alai shook her head again.
"You are lying. You could not have treated me so terribly if that were true."
"I regretted it the moment I left, Mir̃alai. There is no excuse. But, I was scared, I did not want to have feelings for you. I was too stubborn to admit it to myself, let alone you. I was frustrated, and my anger got the better of me yet again."
"I was hurting so badly, Narinder. I had lost everything and you rubbed my nose in it." She muttered, tears welling in her eyes. "I am not even upset over the book anymore. What you said, I-... I've thought about it every day since you left. It cut me so deeply."
"I am sorry, Mir̃alai. I wish I could take it back..." She shook her head, wiping her tears away.
"I was fond of you too. That is why it hurt me so badly... I had so much trust in you, especially after the coup. I needed you, and you abandoned me."
"I-"
"I hoped, hoped beyond hope that you would come back to me. That we could put it behind us and move on. You never came back. I had to heal on my own, fix everything on my own. I had thought you died out there. Everyone did. Yet here you stand." She looked at him finally. "You have a crown, you have your servants, you have... her." She gestured vaguely. "You seem better than ever. I should be happy for you... This is what I wanted, to see you happy. Yet, I feel as if a part of me has died." She hugged herself, looking off again. "Do you love her?" Mir̃alai asked, her voice breaking.
"Yes... But, it is extremely complicated. We were destined to be together. She is the Bishop of Life, we have this spiritual connection." Mir̃alai rolled her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. "We are two halves of the same whole... It is strange, but it feels as if I've known her my entire life, I-"
"Stop, please..." Mir̃alai whimpered, slipping down to sit on the floor beside the lectern. She crossed her arms over her knees, burying her face into them as she cried. Narinder sighed and sat down beside her.
"I do not want to hurt you..."
"I- I just wanted to be with you." Mir̃alai sobbed.
"I know..." Narinder said softly, "I am sorry."
"It isn't fair... I want to be happy." Narinder frowned, he put his arms around her and pulled her close.
"I am sorry, Mir̃alai..." The Lamb hugged him, sobbing into his chest. She shook hard, gripping his robes tightly as if she was scared to let go.
"D- Don't leave... Please, I need you..." She whimpered. "I can't do this without you anymore..."
"I have to leave... I have to go back to my Domain. You're doing wonderfully without me, the Cult is nearly back to what it once was.."
"That is not what I mean." Mir̃alai rested her cheek against his chest. "I can't go on living without you." Narinder sighed softly, hugging her closer.
"You are strong, Mir̃alai... You will be alright."
"I am tired of being strong. I have been fighting for my life every day since you left. It feels as if there is a hole in my chest. I cannot live with this pain anymore. It hurts too much."
"I cannot stay, you must move on... Your Followers need you." Mir̃alai shook her head and pulled away from him. "Mir̃alai..."
"Just leave..." She muttered.
"I do not want to leave you this way..."
"It is fine, I... I will be fine." Mir̃alai shrugged a little. "I am not angry with you, I do not have the energy to be." Narinder hesitantly stood up.
"Very well. I will return to you soon. You know my Domain is close by, you may visit whenever you please." He left the temple and closed the doors behind himself. Nykka was standing with the twins just outside. She had tears welled in her eyes, Narinder looked from her to his servants. Aym shrugged a little.
"She is so heartbroken..." Nykka explained, wiping her tears away. Narinder had nearly forgotten her empathic abilities. It seemed Mir̃alai was hurting badly enough she could feel it even beyond the temple walls.
"Ah... yes. I have said all I can, she needs time alone."
"Are you sure? I could try to speak with her."
"I do not think now is the time. You are surely the last thing she wishes to see."
"Alright, love..." Nykka frowned.
"Does she know we are leaving with you?" Baal asked.
"Yes, she has gathered as much." Narinder turned to leave, leading the group towards the gates of the cult grounds. The Followers continued to watch them warily.
"Why are they so frightened?" Nykka asked softly as she looked at the Followers.
"I imagine it is due to my crown. They fear that I will return to my old ways."
"I see..." Nykka frowned, "Hopefully they will relax once they've seen you have changed."
"Ah, I wouldn't hold my breath." He chuckled, passing the gates with them. When they approached the Doorways, Nykka placed a soft kiss against Narinder's cheek.
"I need to go now, Nari. I will meet you at sunset." Narinder nodded and watched as she walked through her Doorway. She seemed to disappear into the mass of foliage that filled it. Aym spoke up.
"Master, how did this come to be? Of course we are happy to see you have claimed a crown, but..."
"But you thought I had died?" He asked, glancing back at them. They fell into an uncomfortable silence.
"We wanted to look for you..." Baal began awkwardly.
"It does not matter." He waved a hand, "Come, I will explain everything when we are home." Narinder walked forward to his Domain, he hesitated for a moment, the thought of being trapped there again sent a twinge of panic though him. Narinder shook off the concerns and stepped through the doorway into the blinding light beyond. His Domain seemed just as it had been with only a few notable differences. He was pleased to see that there were no longer chains hanging from the void above. Three jet black thrones sat in the very spot he had been chained. A short set of steps led to the thrones, the center throne was higher than its neighbors due to two additional steps beneath it. It was also the largest and most grand of the three. Intricate carvings covered the ebony surface, and it had a seat made of comfortable, white leather. The neighboring thrones each had a beautifully designed carving on the back. One bearing the image of the sun; the other, an image of the moon. Narinder approached his throne and sat purposefully upon it. A great sense of satisfaction washing over him. It had been far too long. "Sit." He gestured his servants forward. Aym and Baal took their seats, Aym to Narinder's left, and Baal to his right. They looked up at their Master, and Narinder couldn't disguise the smirk that appeared on his face as he saw the reignited faith in their eyes.
"I will not waste time on every detail of my... excursion." He said as he sat back comfortably, crossing one leg over the other. "I survived in the woods for the first few weeks of my time away. When the first blizzard of the season was upon me, I focused my energy on finding a more permanent shelter. I stumbled upon a cottage in the middle of nowhere, and it happened to be where Nykka lived. Nykka is the Bishop of Life, she is far older than I. Her reign had come to an end long before I, or my siblings, existed. Nykka told me this, she also told me that she and I are connected. I felt the connection she spoke of, and we had quickly grown close. She told me of a Black Crown, a crown destined to be mine so I may rule Death once more. She believes it manifested upon our meeting. When spring came, we left in pursuit of our Crowns." He shrugged a little, "And we found them earlier today." He glanced at Baal, the cat seemed to be torn on whether he should speak or not. Narinder grinned in satisfaction, he had been so frustrated with Baal's sudden, constant interruptions and outbursts. It seemed they were respecting him to the degree they once had. "You have a comment, Baal?"
"Yes, Master." He nodded, "Just clarification, if I may?"
"You may..."
"Are we correct to assume that you and Nykka are partners?"
"Yes, we are." He confirmed, "As I said, we had become very close rather quickly. This is due, of course, to the connection I mentioned. In the most literal sense, our souls are intertwined. As if we are one person, split in two. This is why we have similar forms, it is why she and I have opposing personalities, and why we have opposing Domains. In any other case, with any other woman I may have just as easily met, my fondness would have never taken so quickly. If it took at all. She truly does complete me. I no longer feel the frustration that burdened my heart for well over a millennia. That unbearable itch I felt, the desire for more, it was my desire for Nykka. I simply did not know it at the time. Nothing else could have satisfied me. She had similar frustrations during her reign, which is why she gave up her crown."
"It is pleasing to see that you are happy, Master." Baal smiled. "And what of Mir̃alai?" Narinder sighed and rested his chin on his hand.
"I do not know. Nothing I say can console her. It seems to me that the only way to appease her pain is to choose her over Nykka. I cannot do that. We can only hope she has the strength to move on."
"Master?" Aym asked carefully. Narinder looked at him.
"Yes?"
"Might we be permitted to visit Mir̃alai on occasion? Will we be allowed to assist her if she asks it of us?"
"I see no reason why not." Narinder shrugged, "As long as it does not interfere with my Domain, or my need for you."
"Thank you, Master. That is kind of you."
"We have grown fond of Mir̃alai, we view her as a friend." Baal explained.
"That is understandable. You two spent a great deal of time with her. Yes, you may visit her, of course. I have also extended an invitation for her to visit us whenever the mood may strike her. Though, I somehow doubt that will happen..." Just as he finished saying this, a flash of black light signaled someone entering Narinder's Domain. He sat up in his throne curiously, he supposed it was never too soon for his duties to resume. It was bound to happen sooner rather than later. To his surprise, however, it was Mir̃alai who approached him. Walking along the path towards him with a somber expression just as she had upon their first meeting. For a moment, he assumed she had accepted his invitation to visit. But he felt as if something was off. No, he knew something was off. She was dead...
