Okay, this chapter is becoming too long, so I had to split it - this part is at 2800 words atm. I will write again on Saturday, even though I have a 7-hour road trip planned. In the comments, please add any interactions I missed or that you would like to see. Characters or interactions that you haven't seen in a while. Book 11 is going to be one long bloody grind so it might be the last time you get to see them - just saying.596 should be the last chapter, with 597 being the epilogue. Going to try and knock out 3 World Sphere chapter edits after dinner.

Chapter 595:

The growl of the werebear held an odd magic. As I felt the challenge vibrate through my bones, my mind fortress brushed off the fear-inducing sound, allowing me to smile unencumbered. “Good to see you again! You are Morvayn? We were not properly introduced the last time we met. I am Eryk.” I wasn’t trying to be cheeky, just trying to break the tension. A tiny head popped out of his beard, and buzzing humming came from the pixie. Could that be the same pixie I let go?

The pixie’s appearance startled a number of people, even the queen. Indicating they must not have been aware of her presence. Pixies were highly magical in nature, and under my aether sight, I could see an outline of another smaller pixie hiding deeper in the beard nest, clearly fearful. The other pixie did not retreat, communicating with the large man-bear.

“I apologize,” Morvayn rumbled out. “I have been made aware you are not as foul a human as I assumed.” The massive man looked away abashedly. 

“Well…thank you, I guess,” I replied, conciliatory.

“You cannot go off like that in the war council,” Queen Adelin scolded the massive man-bear. He flinched at the admonishment, realizing what he had done. “Is that the mysterious source of your information?” the queen indicated the pixie poking out of his beard.

Morvayn nodded, and the queen suddenly looked uncertain. Even though pixies looked like miniature elves with wings, they were considered little better than annoying insects by most races. I was having a staring contest with the small pixie as we both took each other in.

“What is the news?” Maveith asked as things had stalled. I thought it would be quite the spectacle to see Maveith and the were-bear wrestle. While Maveith was taller, the werebear was wider, but both had muscles on their muscles.

The queen gestured for Morvayn to talk, but I could tell she was having reservations now. “The Veil is breaking,” Morvayn said in his gravelly voice.

“What is the Veil?” I asked, still focused on the pixie.

“I will try to explain it as best I can,” the werebear said, regaining composure. He was clearly uncomfortable in the social setting under the scrutiny of so many eyes. The pixie buzzed for a few seconds before the werebear nodded. “It is just called the Veil by the fairies. Others might call it something else. The Veil is what connects everything everywhere. You can enter the Veil, take two steps, and come out on Neptune’s Tear if you know the way. The World Gates bastardize the Veil to travel to other worlds. Something is destroying the fabric of the Veil on Desia.”

The man was certainly succinct as I had a thousand questions. “So to enter the Veil, you need the worlds affinity?” I asked. The pixie started buzzing in her language, and it was high-pitched as I suspected she was talking rapidly by the intense focus of Morvayn.

“Did you know pixies could talk?” Maveith said as softly as he could, leaning close to me.

“Not to people. I figured they talked to their own kind,” I said. I knew dungeon pixies were generally food for other creatures in the dungeon, and most books I read generally thought of pixies as ingredients for alchemy. Maybe if they knew they could communicate, they would be less inclined to use them as such.

Morvayn had finished listening and relayed the information. “The worlds affinity, as you call it, is exceptionally rare. The pixies can only pierce the Veil if many of them work together.”

“Then how do the dungeons bring otherworlders here if the world gates have all been destroyed?” I asked skeptically.

There was a long back-and-forth between the large man and the pixie before he answered again. “Naivara thinks the otherworlders it brings to Desia must have a strong worlds affinity, but she is not certain. Her knowledge is limited.”

It all clicked into place for me. Generally, otherworlders arrived in groups, and maybe that was because there needed to be some threshold reached for the worlds affinity within the group. I was pulled to Desia by myself, perhaps because my worlds affinity was already 88.

There was silence as I went into my contemplation. “What happens if the Veil breaks,” Maveith’s deep baritone asked, breaking the silence.

“If it breaks, Desia will be cut off from the Veil, and the ley lines will slowly be depleted of aether. Magic will eventually cease to exist on Desia. Creatures that rely on magic will eventually starve if they cannot evolve,” Morvayn said gravely. The pixie was bobbing her head energetically in agreement.

The pixie buzzed again, and Morvayn relayed her words. “There are also demons trapped inside the Veil in the bridge from Desia to the demon homeworld. When the Veil breaks, tens of thousands of demons will be ejected.”

“How did the demons get into the Veil?” I asked. More so to confirm if what I knew was accurate.

The werebear did not need to ask for clarification on this as he answered immediately. “When the Titans destroyed the World Gate to the demon world, they were trapped there. The humans in red armor opened a World Gate to their home world, and let out a small number of the demons trapped in the Veil,” Morvayn explained, and the pixie nodded in affirmation. “That small number of demons, almost ravaged the lands,” he warned.

“What is causing the Veil to break? Is it the Belt of Storms?” one of the men in robes asked. I think he was a Mage Lord, but I didn’t recognize him. Since each of the Mage Lords ruled their territories individually, there were dozens of crests, and I didn’t recognize the one on his robes.

Morvayn answered, shaking his head. “While the Belt of Storms is chaotic, the pixies think the disturbance is further south. They think the Belt of Storms is the symptom and not the cause. It is perhaps why you cannot locate spell anchors as you did for the ones blocking message sendings.”

“Is it the World Gate the Nashasari are building?” Maveith asked.

“Perhaps, but we need to get closer for her to confirm,” the werebear indicated the pixie. “It is why we are here—to seek passage through the Belt of Storms.”

“Solving this mystery is as important as preventing the completion of the World Gate. If it is not the World Gate that is causing this, then the root of the problem must be found quickly,” Queen Adelin declared aloud. She glanced at the beard pixie again. Most people concurred, and a serious tone filled the hall. Because the queen was highly respected, everyone perceived it as a significant threat.

The queen came to stand next to Maveith and me. “The alliance is fragile, and I do not think many supporters would be willing to listen to the werebear. I hope you will stand with him. Your name and face are recognizable by many. Morvayn didn’t do a great job relaying the severity of the situation. Talk to him.” The queen motioned for Kyrenic to follow her and I hoped he was scheduled for a bath.

The werebear looked lost in the throng of people now that he was standing alone. Maveith and I pulled him to a table of food. After Maveith and the werebear loaded a plate, we ended up in a quieter corner of the hall and made introductions.

“This is Naivara,” the werebear gestured at the pixie now on his shoulder with a piece of honey cornbread between her hands. “She would like to thank you for not eating her.”

“I heard pixies tasted gamey anyway,” I joked, causing the pixies to go off again in a tirade of buzzing humming, crumbs spilling on Morvayn’s shoulder. Her words reminded me of buzzing bees, but high-pitched.

Morvayn listened, and they relayed her words while the tiny pixie folded her arms in defiance. “Naivara said she would taste just fine and you be so lucky to have the opportunity to eat her.” Maveith chuckled. That kind of how I had imagined pixie humor.

“Well, if you are taking the pixie to the war council, you should be aware there will be orcs from the Caliphate there,” I said, directing my comment at the pixie.

She buzzed a reply. “Naivara says she can control her emotions. It is groundwalkers that take things too seriously.” The pixie had finished her cornbread and folded her arms across her chest in a defiant pose. Maybe not that defiant due to her stature.

“What about the other pixie in your beard?” I said.

Naivara narrowed her eyes at me, and Morvayn seemed a little shocked I was aware of it. “That is Luneth. She is a little bit shy, and fearful of big folk.” The tiny pixie poked her head out at her name and quickly retreated to safety. I couldn’t help but smile at the innocent demeanor. While Naivara appeared like a defiant teenager, Luneth was a genuine child.

“I see you don’t have your axe from our first encounter,” I said to make conversation. I figured it was in another room.

The werebear looked saddened. “I lost it at the bottom of a lake when I was dragged in by a water serpent. I made the choice to save the pixies over the axe. You see, once their wings are saturated with water, they need to dry before they can fly again.” From there, the ice broke, and we listened to his tales of leaving the Caliphate and traveling further and farther south until they reached the Heptarchy four days ago. Queen Adelin heard his tale two days ago, and here they were.

The pixie added a little bit here and there to the story, and maybe in the dreamscape I could start to decipher their language. I think the buzzing was musical, as when Naivara wasn’t excited, it sounded more pleasant and expressive with longer notes.

Queen Adelin joined us after making her rounds. “We are about to head to the war council in King Torvane’s palace. Are we in agreement?”

“I believe them,” I said simply. “Do you know what happened to Atlantium and Caelora when the Titans arrived?” I asked.

“I heard from someone in the Esenhem delegation that the Titan lords buried the excavation site at Atlantium. The swamp has reclaimed it. Four years of work buried under two hundred feet of mud that was then turned to stone,” the queen said with a sigh. She looked more amused than concerned as she had no love for the Telhian Empire. “I have not heard anything in regards to Caelora, but Kyrenic told me of the imminent titan battle.”

“Sovereigns are only allowed three attendants. I will be taking my general, Princess Elenara and Prince Kyrenic. It will be good to see you again at the council, Honorable Maveith. If you could take Morvayn as your attendant, I will second his petition to speak,” she directed at me.

“I will be allowed entry by myself? I am not a sovereign or a general,” I replied.

“Just wear your Death Sentinel Purgator badge. You will be allowed entry,” she said and gathered her children and general. Kyrenic was bathed and groomed, in court clothes, but was also displaying the symbol of his order. Twelve of the queen’s guards escorted our delegation through the streets. I was surprised the queen had chosen not to take a carriage, but her villa was not far from the palace. The people seemed numb to such processions now, barely giving us a glance. Once inside the gates, the queen’s guards moved to join numerous other escorts in the courtyard to wait for their sovereign.

Morvayn stepped between Maveith and me as we got in line. I could tell he was very uncomfortable and maybe self-conscious about being underdressed. The line moved very quickly, with two mages quickly scanning everyone who entered. The pronouncements of titles were expedited to expedite entry.

My medallion displayed, I announced myself. “Eryk Marko, Death Sentinel Purgator with one attendant. Morvayn Bearington,” I indicated my companion. The werebear stiffened at his added surname, but the guards waved us through. I felt the invasive magic of the mages pass through me, but they didn’t stop me, and whatever they were looking for, it wasn’t werebears, as Morvayn passed inspection as well.

It wasn’t far to reach the main hall. The king’s reception hall was a grand court with thick granite walls, high ceilings, and glowstone lights to counter the setting sun. Stadium seating was erected on either side of the hall to accommodate hundreds of people. Dozens of people had apparently arrived early, crowding the buffet tables along all the walls for a good meal they couldn’t find in their camps. Humans mostly dominated the hall, but I counted four clusters of elves, one of orcs, and one of dwarves. It was shocking to recognize so many faces among those gathered.

Supreme Mynasha was talking to a gray-haired human, while Glasha and two warlords hovered nearby. Glasha had noticed me and was already crossing the length of the hall to intercept me. King Roderin Brightmantle of the Heptarchy was here with his son and daughter. He acknowledged me with a respectful nod before returning to his conversation with an elf woman. Other kings from the Heptarchy were here as well that I recognized from their conclave.

The mage lords, recognized by their robes of station, had one or two groups as well as members mingling among the crowds. I guessed half the room were generals and the other half were sovereign rulers. I doubted so much political and military power had ever been assembled in one place before. But I was late to the party, and this event took place every evening.

A crack of thunder caused the room to go quiet. Up on the dais at the end of the room, a teleport had occurred. Standing there regally in red and gold robes was Empress Renna. She took in the room, but conversation quickly started again as this was a normal entrance for the Telhian Emperess. She had not come alone either. Centurian Ona was all in black, standing slightly behind her. Her thin, angular face gave her the look of a villain, or maybe I just assumed that having been exposed to her mind magic. Two Imperial legionnaires stood behind the Empress and ten others who had arrived with them from other factions. The passengers on the teleport left the dais and quickly blended in the crowd, leaving the Empress and her retinue alone.

Renna’s green eyes fell on me, and her lip curled into a half-smile before it faded. I could tell she was planning something and it had to do with me. I sighed, trying to decide where to hide when Guildmaster Icarus and General Clalyn reached me before Glasha. “Maveith! Good to see you back at the council, the Guildmaster clapped him on the shoulder.”

“My voice is but a mosquito in a swamp among these people. I thought my time better spent preparing my people for war,” Maveith replied.

“I think we all feel drowned out,” Clalyn said sympathetically. “The Bartiradians will make sure your people are not used recklessly, Honorable Maveith.”

“I told you, it is just Maveith among friends,” my large friend replied irritably.

The general turned his attention to me. “We got word of your remarkable deeds and intelligence two days ago. The news has helped formulate a course of action. I assume you have already seen my sister and she has warned you?”

“No, I haven't had time since we arrived in Nausis. I bring more ill news for the war council that needs to hear and plan for. Wait? What did Raelia need to warn me about?” I asked.

General Clalyn winced. “He isn’t here, but our father is in Nausis. He is anxious to make your acquaintance.” Strangely, I was not worried about facing Raelia’s father. I was looking forward to it.

Just then Glasha reached me. “Come, Eryk, the Supreme is eager to reacquaint herself with her First.”

“Of course she is…” I muttered.

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