Thank reviewers (Procne and Marshmellow Bunny) for the speedy update, because reviews are inspiration, even if they're critiques or -gasp- flames. Luckily these reviews were neither of those.

3.1415926535897932384626433832795

"I told him it was too dangerous!" Lady Layana paced back and forth, seemingly furious. "And what did you do? Nothing short of sending him on a suicide mission!"

"He was not forced to do anything. He wanted to. We couldn't have stopped him, even if we wanted to." Mia strode right up to Layana's face, exchanging angry words blow for blow with her.

Isaac, carrying the wrapped bundle of Ivan's body, stood to the side taking in everything that was said while staring intently into the grain of the stone palace walls. They were so much smoother and cleanly cut than the room where it had taken place. They'd be easy to manipulate, should the need arise.

"Dear, please calm down. They did their best. There was nothing more to be done. And you know how he was when he got an idea in his head, nothing would dissuade him." Hammet's words did nothing more than add fuel to the already raging fire.

"Calm down! You ask me to calm down when Ivan, as close to me as my own son, lies there dead in a stranger's hands! You stand here among people who can't even bring themselves to say Ivan's name, and ask me to calm down! They will leave Ivan here and depart immediately! There will be a proper funeral held one week from today, here in Kalay," Layana fumed darkly, "If they have the gall to attend it."

"No." The first word Isaac had spoken in days. Everyone whirled around to stare at him.

"What! You dare to defy me in my own home, about my own son!"

"He is not your son. There will be no funeral here. We are not leaving him."

"I don't care for your tone, boy."

"Then I will be going." Isaac turned to the exit and began to stride out of the chamber.

"Not with Ivan you won't. Guards!"

The guards were confused. No one but friends were with their lady and lord, so they hesitated a moment. It was a moment to long. By the time they reached their lady's side Isaac was almost out the door, Mia hot on his heels.

"Get them! Don't come back until you are bringing them with you!" Lady Layana nearly screeched the order, and the startled guards hastened to obey her commands. They had gotten not even halfway across the room when the stones of the wall glowed, then reached out to form a new wall across the room, blocking their path. They lost even more time just staring at it before figuring out that they should climb out the windows to continue the chase.

Alone in the central chamber of their palace Lord Hammet and Lady Layana stood, isolated from everything. He swept her up into an all-encompassing embrace. She leaned in and started softly sobbing into his shoulder. Hammet had already gotten his time to greave, as short as it was. At least he had been there for the final comforting words of his adopted son. Now he had to comfort his wife, be her rock in time of hardship, lest she wash away into her grief. He could not help the few single tears that slid down his face, though, as he listened to the near incomprehensible words of his love.

"He's gone. He's gone... really gone, and not coming back."

They held each other tightly, hoping that if they tried hard enough that they would wake up from this terrible nightmare called life.

3.1415926535897932384626433832795

"Wait up Isaac." Less of a harried statement than a command. Mia had followed Isaac out of the chamber and had to hurry to even keep pace behind him. She refused even a simple glance backwards at the sound of shifting and grinding stone to see what the briskly moving Venus adept in front of her had caused behind her.

She had been filled with so much hope when Isaac had spoken again after days of absolute silence, only to have him retreat again now. She followed Isaac out of town and north into the dark woods, where he stopped to rest for the night in the shade of a sloping pine tree. She ventured to speak.

"Isaac, what good will carrying him around do?"

"He will not be thrown into the ground to rot like some dead animal." That's right, just think one step ahead, anything more and the despair might overwhelm. There is a job to be done, no time to think, just do.

"So you'd have him rot on your shoulders?" Please don't talk like this Isaac, it sickens me. Are you given to the madness? Come back, please talk sensibly again.

"He will have a proper resting place." Don't think about it. Don't think about how it's contrary to everything you've done so far, or how wrong it might be.

"A proper resting place…?" Don't do this to me, please. Let it go, let him go.

"A proper resting place for a Jupiter adept." One track of thought, one only. Get there and do it, then you can think or regret or fade away in peace.

"Isaac, no. You can't be seriously considering… To light the Jupiter lighthouse… Just for a funeral pyre… After everything we've done to stop…" Absolute disbelief. No one could be crazed enough, especially not Isaac.

"Mars will not be lit." The world will not crumble because of you; as long as Mars remains unlit the world remains safe.

"But Isaac…"

"Leave if you want to, but Mars will not be lit. Jupiter… will."

3.1415926535897932384626433832795

So, I decided to cover what I consider important cutscenes that get altered and important plot points that need addressing.

Just to say, Ivan is one of my four favorite characters, so today's fun review game is to guess the other three.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story.

-Kit