Act 2, Part 2: Sore Loser

It was a new moon tonight. Only the light of the distant stars illuminated the trees and the woman silently jumping from branch to branch. Under the cover of shadows, Yin made her way through the depths of Windsleep Forest. Growing up in Kerning City, she used to leap atop construction cranes and steel beams. This was her natural element.

The Abrup Basin was the hidden gem of El Nath, the last frontier of the First People. Right beyond the El Nath mountain range, it was nestled between the snowfield and the land of Mu Lung. Its existence was a secret, even to most of El Nath itself. The people of Abrup kept to themselves in small, fortified villages peppered across the basin, and so they were cut off from the rest of the country.

Yin was the one who had stumbled across it during her scouting missions. It was unusual for the Dark Lord to leave Kerning City, but that just spoke to the severity of the situation. She could have left it to someone else – she'd trained the best thieves in the world, after all – but she had decided against it. There had been too much at stake for her to feel comfortable letting anyone else take the risk.

The risk wasn't just her life alone. It was also the lives of thousands of refugees that desperately needed food and shelter. With so many scurrying to join the Tarheeds, hoping that it would give them protection, the Huntsman King's influence across El Nath was growing deeper. There was no chance of looking to Ariant for aid. Abdullah had little interest in the lives of anyone beyond the Nihal Desert.

Mu Lung alone had offered asylum, and so Yin had gone in search of a way to taxi the refugees there. Her discovery of Abrup had been serendipitous for them all. Secluded and remote, it was the perfect place to house citizens and soldiers alike. And thus, Skuas Fortress had been built a little over a few months ago, and it was right in sight.

Yin leapt out from the treetops and landed gently on the snowy ground. Skuas was a bastion of stone and fortified wood, large enough to house hundreds comfortably, and thousands if needed. It was built to survive a siege for months, should the need arise. Its construction had been immensely difficult to accomplish in secret, but it was their one ace in the hole against Riche and his army.

The guard tower was in view. Bright flames illuminated the area as Yin stepped into the light. She looked up at the guards who had noticed her and gave a hand signal. Slowly, the gate creaked open, allowing her entry. As she crossed the drawbridge, a man with a long, feathered headdress approached.

"Dances with Balrog," Yin greeted.

"I'm pleased that you were able to arrive safely, Yin," Dances with Balrog replied. "Were you followed?"

"No chance. Wreathed in the shadows, I was hidden even from my own eyes."

"Good. Come, I'm sure you have much to report."

The two headed through the enormous courtyard, where Yin spotted many soldiers constructing weapons, fortifications, and the like.

"Windsleep Forest remains bountiful as ever, I see," Yin said.

"Yes, these woods have been largely untouched since the time of the First People. The natives of this place regard it as the soul of the Abrup Basin. They say that the breath of the forest carries the spirits of their ancestors. It surprised me when I first heard it. I hadn't expected to find the beliefs of my people shared so far from home. Certainly not halfway across the world."

"Perhaps Perion and Abrup share its roots in the First People. Victoria Island was once part of Ossyria, after all. Do your people have records of that time?"

"Stories, mostly. We are not native to Perion, you see. Our people were refugees of the last great war, scattered from Ossyria as we were. We started anew and settled in the wastelands. After so many centuries, we have forgotten our roots. Instead, we've adopted the history of our new motherland. Whether we came from Abrup or elsewhere, I cannot say."

"Do you ever wish that you knew where you came from?" Yin asked.

"No," Dances with Balrog shook his head. "Knowing where we came from matters less than knowing where we are now. I do not know where my ancestors were buried, but I can visit the graves of my kin. That is enough for me."

Yin nodded silently. For a long time, she had felt differently. Growing up as an orphan in Kerning City wasn't like what one would initially think. The community banded together to take care of their own. The Dark Lord at the time, the fourth to hold the title, had personally sponsored many, including Yin herself.

Still, Yin had spent many years wondering about her family. Where they were, why she'd been left behind, and whether they'd ever come back. She'd spent years using her skills to track down traces of them, but after a series of dead ends, she'd finally given up.

Slowly, she made her peace with never having the closure she wanted. In a way, though, even knowing that she'd never get closure was a form of closure in itself. And over time, she came to love where she was, to accept that her tight-knit community was enough. They were the reason why she'd chosen to become the fifth Dark Lord, and why she was committed to securing the futures of those who had lost their past.

They arrived at the conference room, where a panda looked up from a stack of papers.

"It's an honor to see you again, Dark Lord," Tianbao smiled.

"Greetings, Commander Tianbao," Yin replied. "Is Ser Idalia here?"

"You just missed her," Tianbao explained. "She's off on a scouting mission. She probably won't be back for a few days. Did you have something for her?"

"No, I was just curious. If she's off scouting, she'll probably find out herself anyways."

"Find out what?" Tianbao asked.

"My spies in the Tarheeds have told me that the Huntsman King is moving beyond the mountain range. Towards Abrup."

"Does he know that we're here?" Tianbao asked in shock.

"He seems to be unaware that Abrup even exists. From what I've been told, he's been hoping to expand to Mu Lung."

"Mu Lung? What does he want there?" Tianbao asked. That the Tarheeds were marching towards his homeland was unsettling news.

"Mercenaries, I'd wager. It's been over a year now. I'm sure he's realized that a war can't be won by a gang of thugs, whatever else he calls them. At any rate, we should be prepared for the chance that he stumbles across Skuas Fortress. And if they do…"

"This place will become a battleground," Dances with Balrog finished.

"Precisely. I – and Athena shares the sentiment – am concerned about the refugees here. I know that we built Skuas to hold them in the event of a battle, but I think it might be wise to accelerate their evacuation."

"We are currently at maximum capacity," Dances with Balrog said. "Evacuation is going as fast as it can, but we just don't have the resources to go any faster. And we are running out of places to keep them."

"Victoria Island is currently full," Tianbao said. "But we could start sending boats to Leafre. We're not permitted to cross Ludus Lake, so we'd need to take the long way north and refuel at Lith Harbor before circling back down to Leafre."

"It's frustrating that Ludus remains so committed to neutrality. The direct route across Ludus Lake would have saved us both time and fuel. Can we accelerate evacuation to Mu Lung?" Yin asked.

"A stretch of mountains blocks the basin from Mu Lung. The journey is quite treacherous. Monsters and natural obstacles alike. If we move more refugees that way, we'll need more soldiers to escort them," Dances with Balrog explained.

"Which places us in a difficult position," Tianbao said. "If Riche really is about to collide into us, this place could become a warzone at any moment. We'll need as many troops here to defend whoever's left."

"A risk that we'll need to take," Yin replied. "Our first priority is the refugees. We can't compromise their safety. In the worst case, we'll need to give up our position and put all our focus into getting everyone to Mu Lung. But I don't think it'll come to that."

"What do you mean?"

"For one, I have people on the inside. We know about the Tarheeds' movements and their plans. Some of my spies hold officer positions. If we play our cards right, we can misdirect them for as long as possible. Send them to other parts of Abrup, far enough that they won't discover us for quite some time."

"Guerilla tactics will help us here," Dances with Balrog said. "To grab their attention and keep it away from this place."

"We'll need more Mimios for that," Tianbao noted. "I'll write a letter to the Senate about it. We're running thin, but Shinsoo may be able to provide more. I don't like to ask more of her when she's already so weak, but she'll understand if it's necessary."

"I'll also talk to Athena about speaking with Ludus once again," Yin said. "I doubt it'll help, but we're running low on options and I don't like the feeling. A good thief always has three backup plans. I'm sure that Dances with Balrog feels the same way."

Dances with Balrog nodded sagely. "A warrior must be always prepared to have their back pressed against the wall. But they must also have the insight to break through their disadvantage. Strategy is everything. Ours must be a strong one."

. . .

"Hello there. You're Bianca, right?" Heinrich asked, extending a hand in greeting.

Bianca took his hand and shook it. "That's right."

"My name is Heinrich. I'm sure that you've surmised, but Master Grendel sent me to take a look at the tome that's been puzzling your scholars."

Bianca hadn't been sure what to expect when Idalia had written to her saying that she'd requested Grendel the Really Old to help decode the Book of Ancient. Idalia was off somewhere in El Nath, but she still made time to respond promptly to Bianca's letters. When Bianca had made the offhand mention that the Piyo scholars were stumped by the tome, Idalia had immediately offered to get an expert opinion.

Grendel was a celebrated scholar, so much that even Bianca, novice as she was, had come across some of his research on magical theory during her studies. But Idalia had written a week later that Grendel was unavailable, as he was currently in Magatia on urgent business. Idalia hadn't explained much, but she'd mentioned that the political climate in Magatia was quite volatile in the midst of its tug of war between Ariant and El Nath.

Instead, Grendel had offered to send one of his colleagues in his stead. Grendel had lauded him as one of the greatest mages of their generation, and Bianca had been curious to know just what sort of promising young talent could have the full confidence of Grendel himself.

Looking at Heinrich's pointed ears, she had immediately understood precisely why he'd been sent. Fairies had their own brand of magic, and Heinrich – who seemed to be part-fairy at first glance – was likely privy to their secrets.

Heinrich noticed her staring at his ears and grinned. "In case you were wondering, I wasn't born with these."

Bianca immediately flushed. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to it," Heinrich laughed. "I used to cover them, but lately, I've been taking pride in them. They're a blessing from the Goddess, after all."

"Really?" Bianca asked in interest.

"To cut a long story short, I was blessed by the Goddess as a child. I grew up with the Nymphs, who taught me their magic. I met Grendel soon after, and we've been colleagues ever since."

"That's amazing. I've only just started studying magic, and I don't know much, but I do know that it takes a lot of hard work to be as good at it as you, especially at such a young age."

Heinrich rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "That's kind of you to say. And I'm always pleased to meet a fellow magician. To me, magic is a gift from the Goddess. We're all connected to her by it, and to each other, no matter how much or how little we can use it."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it," Bianca said. "I haven't thought about it like that."

"How do you feel about magic?" Heinrich asked in interest.

"Er… to be honest, my experiences with magic haven't been good. I've seen it used in terrible ways before, and I'm afraid to say it's shaped my perception of it. But," she added. "I like how you described it. Having something that connects us, even when we're far apart."

"Tiny little lights," she thought to herself.

"I'm sorry to hear you've had bad experiences with it. It saddens me to hear when magic is misused. To see a blessing warped into a curse inflicted upon others… it feels wrong. Still, I'm impressed that you're choosing to learn, even in spite of that. It takes a great deal of resilience to face the things that have hurt us before. Is that why you chose to take up magic? To understand it better?"

"Sort of. I came across a… tome. The same one that you came here to take a look at. I don't know much about it, but I do know that it has something to do with me."

Bianca took out the Book of Ancient from her pocket and showed it to Heinrich, who accepted it from her. He attempted to open the book, but found that it was magically sealed.

"You'll need this," she said, holding out the old ring. Heinrich gingerly slipped it onto his finger and touched the Book of Ancient, which immediately flipped open to reveal its arcane writings.

"Fascinating…" he said.

He slowly flipped through the book, making small mental observations about the runic writing. Bianca watched him pore through the text deeply. Watching an academic in their element was just like how she felt watching Idalia training. There was a certain level of awe in seeing someone being passionate about something that they were good at.

"These letters… they almost seem fairy-like to me," Heinrich observed. "I've definitely seen some of them in Nymphic."

"Are fairy languages very different from human ones?"

"I can't speak for Elvish, but Nymphic and Sylphic are distinct from most human languages. The glyphs that they use for letters are more concentric in shape, which you might notice just looking through this text. They're actually the basis for spell circles, and the tie between spoken and written fairy language is why fairies can cast spells by speaking, which is something that humans can't do through their language alone."

Heinrich looked back at the text and quickly took out a notepad from his pocket, upon which he began furiously scribbling notes. Bianca watched him for a few minutes until he looked up.

"I may need some time to study this, is that alright?" he asked.

"That's no problem," Bianca said readily. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

Two weeks later, Heinrich had started charting a reverse trace-through of Nymphic with the older language in the Book of Ancient. Though Heinrich believed that there was a relationship between them, he also noted that the old script wasn't a direct ancestor of modern-day fairy language. He explained that there some glyphs that simply didn't seem to be fairy-like, as they had no concentric shapes to them.

"I only say this tentatively, but it almost feels like this language is the basis for not only fairy languages, but also some predecessors to well-established human ones too. I've spoken to some of the Piyos and they've been trying to establish a lineage between how these glyphs have evolved. They've done a remarkable job with what they had to work with, but the missing piece for them is the fairy glyphs. Fairies keep to themselves, and there likely wouldn't be any records of their language accessible to outsiders, even in Ereve."

"But you're familiar with Nymphic, right?"

"I'm an exception, and a rare one at that. As far as I know, Grendel is the only other human who speaks fairy. I have some part-fairy colleagues in Leafre, but none of them knew their fairy parents, so they don't know the language. Or at least, they didn't before I taught them."

"If you know the language, maybe you could teach humans. Or even write about it. It might be helpful to other scholars."

Heinrich laughed. "I would certainly like to. But I'm just a human, even if I don't look like it. I wouldn't feel comfortable betraying fairy secrets like that. I'm always mindful that I've been given a privilege to know their culture. And even though it's my dream to improve fairy-human relations, it doesn't feel right for me to force change without their consent. The best I can do is to help them choose to share their culture themselves."

"Do you think that it's possible? For different cultures to get along after being enemies for so long?"

"I do. There have been terrible things done by both sides. Trauma that has carried down over generations. I've seen the way that fairies discriminate against humans. But I've also seen how humans mistreat fairies."

"You mean before the great war?"

"Fairy poaching used to be a pastime for humans. And even after the war, Queen Ephenia attempted to wipe out every human on Victoria Island. So many lives lost and disrespected… it's no wonder that neither side is ready to trust the other."

"I've heard that Ellinia is a place where fairies and humans can live in harmony. That counts for progress, right?"

"The situation there isn't great either. Fairies have driven out almost every human in the town with their policies, though Master Grendel is trying to change that. Still, most fairies have had their ancestral homes overtaken by humans. Orbis is really the only true fairy city left in Maple World. They would only tolerate human presence in their airport, and with the war, they won't have any humans enter their borders at all. I can't help but find it all saddening to see us close our hearts like this."

"I agree," Bianca said. "Kindness goes a long way. It can give hope to those who have little. I'm actually a refugee of the war myself. My son and I were brought here by Ser Idalia."

"Ser Idalia, the Knight of Light?" Heinrich asked.

"The very same. She's actually the one who requested Master Grendel's assistance with this."

"I was surprised to get his request. He'd mentioned a development in Ereve a year ago, but I hadn't thought that it would be something like this. I was actually in Leafre doing some work for him, but it seems that this was well worth the visit. Aside from the intellectual exercise and the academic fruits, it seems that this may finally give you some of the answers that you've been seeking."

"I hope so too. I didn't like to press Idalia about it when she's been busy with the war, but I just can't stop thinking that there's something I need to read in this, and I can't shake the feeling that it's quite important."

"You two must be close. Her letter was very earnest. On first read, it felt like I was being asked to go on a mission that would end the war itself," Heinrich joked. "But that's good. Things come and go, but the bonds we share with others are what last us until the very end."

"She's a wonderful person, truly." Bianca said. "She's kind, sincere… she keeps her promises, and she gives her full dedication to everything that's important to her."

"I would love to meet her one day," Heinrich said. "Maybe our paths will cross sooner than we think. Or perhaps once the war is over."

"Do you think it'll be over soon?"

"Who can say? War is a tradition of life. This world was born into chaos, and I fear we may never disentangle ourselves from that design. We try to look for meaning in the conflict, but I find that there is as much meaning in battle as there are in raindrops in a storm. What purpose does each drop have but to herald the next?"

"But you still believe that we can one day move past it?"

"I do. We may never overcome our instincts, for as long as there are differences, there is disagreement. But I believe that the time will come when we may reconcile those differences through honest dialogue. When people see that carnage cheapens our worth, I hope that they will remember what they have discarded in their haste to dominate. Love, honor, truth… all the things with which the Goddess sculpted this world."

There was something in Heinrich's words that touched Bianca. His conviction was pure, but it was more than that. It was like the passion and innocence of childhood – not naïve, but something long forgotten. Faith, perhaps. The certainty in hope, that speaking was more than a gesture. That the truth which steeled his words was something that could be felt through the distance between them.

"I think that's a very noble thought," Bianca said. "I'm sure you've seen more of the world than I have, and if you still think that there's hope for the future yet, then that's enough for me to believe in it too."

Heinrich smiled. "I'm glad to know that I've touched one heart, at least. The work ahead is long, and to be honest, I'm still quite young. Master Grendel knows this too, and so he's been helping me gain more experience through meeting new people, from all walks of life. I hope to understand more about this world through helping it… and perhaps, to even make some lasting friendships."

His words were happy enough, but there was something wistful in the way he said them. Bianca frowned to herself, wondering whether it was her place to ask him. She decided that she would try to be tactful about it.

"Is that something you've wanted for a long time?" she asked.

"Since I was a child. I had some friends when I lived in El Nath, but after my village was attacked, I fled to Orbis. The Nymphs took me in because they recognized that I had been touched by the Goddess' power, but my life there was… quite unlike how I grew up. I don't mean to sound ungrateful," he added. "After all, they sheltered and raised me like one of their own. But I spent most of my time there learning and studying. I had a few acquaintances there, some whom I still keep in touch with. But sometimes, I can't help but feel like I parts of my childhood were missed. Parts that are too late for me to get back."

"I know what you mean," Bianca said. "I lost my parents when I was young too. I fled to another village and found a new family there. I was luckier than most, I know. But growing up there, I couldn't help but feel like a stranger. I was part of their family, but it felt like I wasn't one of them, no matter how much kindness they showed me. I felt terrible about it, but sometimes I wished that I got to grow up with my first family, just so that I could have memories that weren't colored by those feelings of not belonging."

"I feel the same way," Heinrich replied. "I have people that I consider close friends – Master Grendel, some half-Nymphs whom I'm working with in Leafre, even some Nymphs in Orbis. But I know them all from my studies. That's not to say that those relationships feel disingenuous, of course, I'm quite glad to know them. But I wish that I knew people outside of academia. People that I just meet who have nothing to do with magic or research, like friendships that I had when I was growing up in El Nath. It keeps nagging at me, the feeling that something is missing in my life. Does it feel the same way for you?"

"For a long time, it did. Growing up with my new family, I only started feeling like I belonged when I fell in love with my late fiancé. Being engaged to him… it was almost like a justification to me, that I did have some concrete ties to his family beyond just being the orphan girl that they took in. And our son is everything that I could ever ask for… everything that I'd ever need. But then… I met Idalia."

"Ser Idalia?"

"I thought that my life was complete… but knowing her made me feel like there was something missing in my life all this time. Something that I didn't even know was absent. There's just something about her that feels… like all I want to do is be around her. Like I can't get enough of it. When she's away, I can feel the lack of her. I've only ever felt it once before. With Jaecar."

"Your fiancé?"

Bianca nodded. "Even before we were engaged, we used to be best friends for years. Being with Idalia feels like that… but also different. It's hard to explain."

"This might be overstepping, but… do you have feelings for her?"

Bianca opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly stopped. It was a fair question, after all.

"Idalia… it feels different from knowing Jaecar. With him, it felt comfortable. Like a warm blanket, or a meal shared by a fireplace. If it were a sound, it would be a light breeze. But with Idalia… it feels sharper. It's comfortable, but in a different way. Like an updraft of warm air. I don't know what that means, but… I just know that I like being around her."

"You don't have to decide at this very moment," Heinrich said. "Your relationship with her seems very important to you. It might be worth spending time to consider it more deeply."

"That's probably a good idea," Bianca replied. "I just hope that whatever I feel, it won't change things between us. She's been everything to me… I don't want to push her away."

"No other feeling can propagate like love," Heinrich noted. "It's a feeling that terrifies, attracts, beguiles, repulses, and addicts all at once. We grapple with it, bargain with it, turn away from it, and still we need it. I've always been fascinated by how something that ought to elicit nothing but joy creates such a maelstrom of other feelings."

"Have you ever been in love?" Bianca asked, though she quickly realized that she was overstepping. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that."

"It's no problem," Heinrich smiled reassuringly. "I can't say that I've ever been in love before. But I've had feelings for a few people. There was a Nymph from Orbis named Edel. Her family owned a general store. I would make sure to go every weekend afternoon, even if I didn't have any business there, because that's when she'd be at the counter. I didn't even think about what she must've thought, but I'm sure that she picked up on something."

"I'm sure she appreciated it," Bianca grinned. "Did you ever go anywhere together?"

"Sadly not. I had my studies, and there was no chance of anything coming out of it. I might've been accepted by the Nymphs, but I was still a human. Fairy-human relationships are almost unheard of. Getting involved with her would mean that she would be shunned by her family and her community. I just couldn't ask that of her."

"What about people outside of Orbis?"

"Nothing more than a second glance on the street. I've been so busy with my work that I just haven't found the time for romance. But I'd like to settle down one day. I'd like to have a family of my own."

"I hope you find the happiness you're looking for," Bianca said sincerely. "And I hope that by then, you'll have helped create a world where you can ask Edel for her hand in marriage, and her family would see it as a reason to celebrate."

"If that happy day comes, I'd be glad to have you there," Heinrich grinned. "We'll look back to this conversation and smile about it."

"I'm looking forward to it," Bianca said. "There's nothing as lovely as wishing a friend well at their wedding."

Heinrich beamed at the affirmation of friendship. This was what he had been missing. Just two people sitting across from each other, talking casually about life. There was no little voice urging him to seem smarter, to prove his reputation as a prodigy. It was simple and honest. Two souls colliding in their paths and coming out better for it. It made him grateful to feel alive. He let out a silent prayer of gratitude to the Goddess for giving him what he had always wanted. It felt nice to have a friend.

. . .

"Ah, King Ludus!" Tigun greeted in surprise. "It is an honor to be in your presence, Your Majesty. How may I help you?"

"Tigun-man, where are the soldiers?" Ludus demanded, his painted face contorting into a pout. "You said that they'd be ready four months ago!"

Ludus had lost weight since the last time that Tigun had seen him – and quite literally. Several layers of his nested body had been stripped away, leaving him much smaller in stature. Tigun had no idea what Ludus had been doing locked away in his throne room, and he knew better than to ask. Still, it was rather unnerving to see the king so diminished.

"Production has, regrettably, been slowed down. In-house materials have been depleted and the war has made it difficult to outsource more. Unfortunately, the ramifications of our neutrality means that-"

"You're being boring again," Ludus interrupted. "I want my soldiers now! The Sultan wants to play with them. You promised that they'd be done. Where are they?"

"Like I said, Your Majesty, production has been halted because we don't have the materials. I can write to Mu Lung or perhaps even Ere-"

"No!" Ludus snapped. "This is supposed to be a secret, Tigun-man. You're gonna spoil the surprise if you do that."

"My apologies," Tigun said, bowing deeply. "I will write to the Sultan. Perhaps he may be able to provide materials from Magatia in clandestine."

"Good."

Tigun jumped at the word. Though it had come from Ludus' mouth, the delivery had been quite unlike him. It sounded almost insidious, as thought it had been something else that was speaking. Something much older and dangerous. But that seemed impossible.

"What's wrong, Tigun-man?" Ludus asked innocently.

His voice had gone back to normal. Tigun wondered whether he had misheard it the first time. After all, the king, despite his appearance, was a child, and his voice matched his age. There was no way that a child could have spoken in such a way. At least, not any child that he had ever met.

"N-nothing, sire. Will that be all?"

"Yep. I'm gonna go back to my room now, bye!"

Tigun watched Ludus enter the elevator and disappear. He let out a small sigh of relief. Dealing with Ludus was challenging on the best of days, and the boy had been quite irate lately. Normally, one would think that the boy was reaching adolescence, but Tigun knew better. There was no chance of anyone growing up, not in this kingdom.

He often wondered about their life before Ludibrium. When Abdullah had visited a year ago, he hadn't been trying to be obtuse about the Sultan's questions. The truth was that he simply had no idea about the early days of the kingdom. He didn't know if he had always been a toy, or if he had been transfigured from a human through some enchantment, or even something else entirely.

The memories of that time were fuzzy – tangible, but tantalizingly out of reach. If he tried hard, he could remember sitting at a table with a woman and a child, though their features were distorted beyond recognition in his mind. He remembered strolling through the shape of what appeared to be a village market, standing at an ocean, and laughing by a fireplace.

Immediately, a wave of blackness roiled through his mind, washing away whatever it was that he had accidentally remembered. He shook his head to clear it. Though he himself would forget, this inevitably happened when he tried recalling his past. Just then, for a moment, he unconsciously had a realization. He wondered whether his memories had been sealed, perhaps by magic. But before his train of thought could go any further, the unnatural blackness stole that thought too. And with his mind blank once more, his thoughts turned back to work.

. . .

"What… what happened?" Ludus asked groggily.

It was as though he had been in a dreamless sleep, dark and twisting and shapeless. His confusion was the only indication that time had passed, as the starry night sky around him looked the same as always.

"Do you never tire of being predictable?"

Ludus looked behind him to find that the spirit boy was back.

"It's you. Who are you? You have to tell me this time," he demanded.

"There it goes again," the boy said, shaking his head. "Don't you realize by now that if I wanted to tell you anything, I would have? How many times do you insist on reimpressing your stupidity upon me?"

"That's not fair," Ludus pouted. "I'm the king. You have to do what I say."

"You're a pretender. A child playing make-believe with brainwashed trinkets. I'd die first before I become like your plastic and scrap metal puppets."

"But you're a ghost," Ludus frowned. "Aren't you already dead?"

"I'm a spirit, you dense creature. I'm not like the rest of you sad weaklings."

"A spirit?"

"That's right. Spirits like me have existed since the beginning of this world itself. And we'll exist long after."

"I thought the spirits all went away after the great war."

"Is that right?" the boy asked, faintly interested. "I wouldn't know. My mind only woke up a few years ago, even if my body is still asleep."

"Woke up?"

"None of your business. Still, that explains why she didn't go to Guwaru about me first. I wonder what happened to him."

"Who's Guwaru?"

"You're really starting to irritate me today," the boy said, gritting his teeth. "Keep your mouth shut, or I'll shut it for you."

"I'm a master magician, you dummy-"

"Shut up!" he roared. "Don't say that word, like you're her." The boy paused. "You know what? I think it's time for an overdue reminder."

Ludus could barely react before the spirit swooped towards him. Absolute darkness overtook him. For how long, he couldn't say. It was like being in a haze, punctuated with intermittent pain that gradually built up. And before he knew it, he awoke on the floor, his body throbbing in hurt.

"What… what did you do to me?" he moaned, slowly picking himself up. "Ugh… everything hurts."

"You don't remember?" the spirit asked mockingly. "Then again, what else did you expect? Power means nothing before me. As long as your mind is vulnerable, you're just a pawn to me. I can make you do anything. Bang your head against the wall, throw yourself off your floating throne… manufacture an army to destroy my enemies. You should be grateful. That I allow you to retain your senses within your chambers is more than generous. You can bask in the knowledge that you'll be the deciding factor in our little game of war."

"It's not fair," Ludus protested. "You didn't tell me the rules. You're cheating. I don't want to play anymore."

"Don't be such a sore loser. How is it that you can be so much like her and still manage to annoy me?"

"Who's her? I don't know what you're talking about, you… you… meanie!"

"Oh, very well. You've gotten more out of me today than in this past year. I suppose I'll humor you… if only to stop your incessant whining. She is my sister, my twin sister. She loves playing games. Even before we were given these forms, she would always get me to help her play tricks on people. I didn't care for it at all, but I did it because it made her happy."

The spirit's face grew thoughtful. "I did lots of things to make her happy. I debased myself into a human for her, because she wanted it more than anything else. I played her little game of war, pledged myself to Him… because she asked me to. I let her take me by the hand and lead me across this miserable world, all because she wanted to play with humans. I wanted nothing to do with those weak, pitiful creatures. I knew it was a mistake from the moment He approached us."

"If you didn't want to play anymore, why didn't you tell her?"

"Because she's the only thing in this world that I give a damn about. Someone as dull as you can't imagine how I feel. You can't fathom what it feels like to be alone, surrounded by insects and worthless filth. I was content living apart from it all. I wanted simplicity. I lived in a forest with no daylight. I existed in absolute silence. I wasn't cursed with emotions back then. I only knew what felt correct and what felt wrong. And living in isolation, with only my sister by my side… it felt right."

The spirit paused and floated around wordlessly for a moment. Ludus watched him, terrified and intrigued. Finally, the spirit turned back to face him and continued.

"Everything changed when He came. I was given this human shell of a body. The simplicity that I had… it was taken away and replaced by noises and light. I stopped feeling correct and wrong. What I felt instead was disdain, at least that's what He told me. For everything and everyone. It was an oversaturation. And what I felt for my sister… that's what put me in this sorry state."

"What you felt… you mean love? Why?" Ludus asked in confusion. "Love is good, that's what Mama used to say when she'd read to me."

"Love is a sickness. It cripples you, diminishes you into something less than you were before you were touched by it. You'll do anything for the person you love. You'll carve yourself into pieces for them. You'll compromise everything that you are, just to see them smile. You grow addicted to their happiness at the cost of your own. You'll sacrifice your reason, your peace of mind, your comfort. And you'll do it gladly, even while knowing that you'll be damned for it. I let her change me when I shouldn't have. And that stupid thief… he let that woman change him too."

"Who?"

"An urchin who liked to play hero. I killed the woman he loved. And really, she meant nothing to me. I only did it because I was following my sister. I was just playing the game. But he couldn't let it go, even when he was freed of her. Love dragged him by the throat towards the battlefield, just as it dragged me by the wrist. He wanted to play the game, but he couldn't stand when the tides turned against him. He was a sore loser, just like you. And so, he threw a tantrum and broke the board. Because of him, I'm in this pathetic state... forced to inhabit the bodies of lesser beings just to make this world tangible to me. Because of him, my sister can't see me anymore. She's suffering alone, and I can't be there to comfort her."

"But… I can see you."

"Yes… and I don't understand it. I've called to her for years. I've tried entering her mind, just to make my presence known… but she resists me, even when my body is so close to her, when my powers are strongest. Perhaps it's because she's a spirit too. I can't say for sure. But she's trying to bring me back. Every day, she's working hard to find a way. Guwaru is gone, and so is He. But she'll succeed, I know it. And until she does, I'm playing a game of my own to pass the time."

"What game?" Ludus asked, to which the spirit smiled menacingly.

"This one. The one we're playing right now. War… revenge… call it whatever you like. But I'm playing to win this time. And you – you're my favorite piece. And because of that, you're not going anywhere. So get comfortable, Your Majesty. The best is yet to come."