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  Eight minutes left.

  "Alfred, can you find us somewhere to hide?" Jill asks, starting to feel despair.

  An anguishing cry pierces the night from behind them, then a beam of red light shoots up into the sky.

  "There is a cave that..." Jill's gauntlet begins to say.

  "Just lead us there!" Jill says through her teeth.

  Seven minutes left.

  Arrows appear in Jill's vision, and she takes off leading everyone. The ground shakes and there is another howl, closer this time. Thunder flattens his ears and whimpers, Aurelia hugs him tighter and makes soothing noises, urging forward. After what seems like an eternity they arrive a small bluff with boulders. "Where is the cave?" Jill asks in a panic.

  "There appears to have been a recent landslide that blocked the cave entrance, ma'am." Alfred informs Jill.

  Four minutes left.

  Jill looks around in circles, desperately looking for a place to hide. She begins to cry, and then picks up Aurelia, "Sweetie, we are both special. We can't truly die. I promise to find you." Turning to Nessa, "Go. You are small and can fly, lead Thunder out of here to safety. I hope to find you both when I return."

  Three minutes left.

  Nessa and Thunder don't move.

  "Dammit! Go. You are not like us, you will not return from death." Jill pleads with them. Aurelia grips Jill tighter, her small body trembling.

  "The Silver Mother will welcome me if I shall fall, I fear not death." Nessa eyes glow.

  Thunder wines and rubs his head against Jill's side.

  Placing Aurelia down Jill faces towards the dark night, "Then let’s take out as many of these assholes as we can." Jill wipes her face, and then gently wipes Aurelia's tears and kisses her on the cheek. "I love you."

  "I love you, Jill." The child whispers back.

  Two minutes left.

  "Nessa, of the Silver Moon Fairies, why do you travel with these Old Ones?" A voice asks out of nowhere. Then a fairy appears, she is about twice as large as Nessa, and appears to have bark for skin. Her eyes glow green and her red hair flows as if wind is blowing, yet no wind blows.

  "Dear sister of the Great Wood Father, please take us to your home. Evil pursues us and we will die without your help." Nessa pleads.

  The Wood Fairy purses her lips, "You ask too much. The Old Ones are the evil, and you ask me to bring them into the sacred home?"

  One minute left.

  Shapes move in the dark, and the sound of many feet approach.

  "I...I will give you my tears..." Nessa says.

  The other fairy gasps, "You would do such a thing?" Her eyes dart to the approaching army. Then she whistles like a songbird, many other fairies appear. "Bring these...Old Ones, to the Black Tree, I will take this Silver with me."

  "Wait, wh..." Jill begins to say, but the Wood Fairies throw a glittering dust over Jill, Aurelia and Thunder and they all fall to the ground in a deep sleep.

  Chapter Twelve: Tola'Val

  ~

  Lush gardens surround Kala, Vua, and Max. Kala stares at a fountain in the center of the courtyard that she sits in. There is a sculpture of a woman in a flowing gown, her arms upraised. The woman looks like Kala.

  Max chuckles, "Your husband had that made for you."

  "I...it is so strange. I had this whole other life I know nothing about. Was that really even me? She had different memories than I, even her face is slightly different." Kala's gaze wanders over to another sculpture, off to the side of the wall, surrounded by overgrowth. It is a man, but his face has been destroyed.

  "I did that in a fit of anger." Gesturing towards the smashed face. "I forbade the staff to tend the gardens around that statue." Max says, noticing where Kala is looking.

  "Jax?" Kala asks.

  Max nods grimly. "So... where were we? Ah yes, I had questions about your amazing story. You say the people of the village that was destroyed had strange accents? I believe I know which village you are describing. I have never been there, it is on the far side of the continent, near the border. That area is under the rule of Cilan Grutha, he controls a small kingdom. We hold no ill will toward them." Max balls his fists until his knuckles are white. "But The Caste...how dare they enter Ala-Vis. And why now? We have held a truce with them for many years. There have been a few incursions, but what you described sounds like an army." Max gets up and paces, all the while drinking a deep purple wine from a goblet. "It must be this Watcher you told me about. He put something into motion." Max rubs his face. "And, now there is another Stone? His sister? I don't like this. What are this Watcher's true goals? Do you trust him? He hands out immense power to children..." Max looks at Kala and winces, "No offense, Grandma."

  Kala shrugs, "I have also thought about this as well. Why would the Watcher withhold Jax's sister for almost a thousand years before letting her out of stasis? I'm surprised Jax didn't ask. But, that is what he is like. Jax doesn't think first, he analyzes and thinks later, after he has absorbed information." Kala notices Max grimace every time she says Jax's name. He must have deep pain and anger at his grandfather.

  "I do not know." Max's face darkens, "You say that you have entered Progenitor Ruins?"

  Kala nods.

  "Nothing good has ever come from those cursed places... and you say there is one so close to Tola'Val? You were able to travel thousands of miles instantly? Wait... how were you sent through this Fast Travel port if Jax was in a rage blackout and he is the only one able to activate Progenitor tech?" Max stiffens, taking a step back from Kala. "Have you been truthful with me?" Max asks as he makes a shimmering globe appear around him.

  "Max... are you really afraid of your grandma? I'm only level ten, and I'm assuming you are much higher? You killed a level 25 boss creature in one strike. And yes, I have been truthful with you. I just want to see everyone safe." Kala says, remaining seated and not moving her hands.

  Max stands there, body tensed, his eyes searching Kala's. He sighs and disperses the skill he had activated. "Sorry. I'm on edge. Seeing you after all of these years... is not easy."

  "I can't begin to understand. I'm sorry, Max. I truly wish to make things right. Please, tell me what I can do?" Kala asks her grandson.

  Max clenches his jaw, "Bring my parents back."

  Kala puts her hand to her mouth, her eyes glisten, "Max..." She chokes back both tears and anger. She had nothing to do with their death. How can he be angry at her?

  "I'm sorry. I know it was not your fault." Max sighs and glances at Vua, he had forgotten she (or is it he?) was there. "If you want to help then come with me to Land's Wound."

  "I don't understand. Where is that and why would I go there? I need to find everyone. I can't just abandon them." Kala feels her chest tighten with the pain of memories.

  Max sets his drink down and walks over to stand in front of Kala, he takes her hand and pulls her up to stand in front of her. Still holding her hand, he looks her in the eyes with a fierce intensity. "Kala...I understand. But, this is bigger than a few people. There are half a million people living in this city and many more spread out in the surrounding lands. If there is in fact an army of The Caste invading then it is our duty to protect them."

  "But, I can't..." Kala begins to say.

  "Stop. I know you and Jax have a love story that spans the known history of humans on this planet. I sat on Jax's knee when I was a boy and heard the stories. I know every fiber of your being is screaming at you to leave this place and find your loved ones." Max stops and squeezes Kala's hand. "But, do you know how large the continent of Ala-Vis is? You could spend years looking for them. You say Jax's sister... uh, Bill?"

  "Jill." Kala Corrects him. "Do you know a lot of girls named Bill?"

  Max ignores her comment. "You say Jax's sister Jill died? And she is a Progenitor? From the stories I've heard that means she could be anywhere, with no memories of what has happened. Who knows if Jax survived, he could also be anywhere and have no memories of you. The best thing that you... th
at we, can do is make sure the people of this land are safe. You have mentioned a few times now that all you want to do is protect everyone." Max looks around, a nervous look in his eyes. "Kala, you used to be Queen of Tola'Val. Many living here still remember you. You were loved." He says in a hushed tone. Max releases her hand and gestures to the city surrounding them. "These are your people and they need you."

  Kala pulls her hand away. "I don't know anyone here. You are asking me to give up my friends."

  "No, I'm asking you to stand with your family. You are the only family I have left." Max tells her.

  "You have Jax too." Kala knew as soon as she said the words it was the wrong thing to say.

  Max balls up his fists. "No. He can never be allowed to enter Tola'Val again. As far as I'm concerned, my grandfather died with my parents. I don't know what the thing is that you think you are in love with." Max looks to the door leading to city. "Come with me, I want to show you something."

  "Okay." Kala says a little confused, but also curious.

  "Vua, I will have lunch delivered to you. I believe the Alvinius diplomat will be here by nightfall." Max says to the lavender skinned elf-like person.

  Vua stands, her third eye glows slightly, "The warmth of home, grown cold, fires rekindled, the old meet the new." Vua sings and then bows to Max.

  Max chuckles, "Uh, yeah. This will definitely be an interesting meeting with the diplomat." Then he returns the bow to Vua.

  Kala waves to Vua, "I'll see you in a bit." Vua beams a warm smile at her.

  Kala follows Max back inside the castle. He leads to a room with men and women working with bolts of cloth.

  "The Royal Seamstress works here. She is a level 203 Master Seamstress, she is a sight to behold when at work." Max tells Kala. He then grabs a black cloak with a hood. "Here, put this on. There are still many who would recognize you. We are not quite ready to announce that you have... returned."

  Kala puts on the cloak, it is a lush ultra-soft material. She runs her hands over it, she has never felt something like this before.

  Max laughs "Should I give you two a room?" He grins looking at how she is touching the cloth.

  "Gross. I am your grandma, you shouldn't say such things." Kala scowls.

  "Is that so? I remember the stories mom would tell me about you when you were in your will-o-wisp form. She said you couldn't say a sentence without dropping a curse word." Max smiles.

  "It's not a will-o-wisp form... wait, my daughter saw me in my unbonded form?" Kala asks, her heart hurting again that she would never know her child.

  "Yeah, she had some grand adventures in her youth, including finding you after the assassination..." Max trails off. He looks up at Kala's face, both of their smiles falter. "I know, you have so many questions. There will be time." Max holds the door open for Kala, "Shall we visit the city? There is something I wish to show you."

  Once Kala steps beyond the boundary of the castle she gets a new quest.

  New Quest Alert:

  The Hidden Queen

  Follow Max to through the city without being recognized.

  Quest Type: Normal

  Difficulty: Moderate

  Rewards: 500 Experience

  Do you accept this quest? Y/N

  Max laughs, "Oh boy, 500 experience?" Max had insisted they form a party before going out into the city. "As kids we used to generate these types of quests to gain easy experience, like hide and seek, or capture the flag."

  Kala raises her eyebrow, she had no idea that quests could generate by playing games. Then she fixes the hood of her cloak to cover her face in shadow. People walking by are glancing at her.

  "Yeah, this might actually might be harder than I thought. Everyone is going to be wondering who is with me." Max shrugs and walks down the cobblestone road.

  Kala runs to catch up with him, "Well, do you really need to wear that massive armor and war hammer? Kind of hard to miss you, you stick out like a sore thumb in this crowd." Kala says to him, looking at the people walking by. Most are dressed in simple, colorful cotton shirts and pants. There are also some other races of people. Kala almost uses Analyze to learn what race they are, but thinks it may be unwise to do so. "Hey, what is that short man with blue fur?"

  Max makes an annoyed face, "Don't point. That is a Qua'as, they are extremely prideful and are easily offended. They are a native race to Crucible."

  "Qua'as? Why does that sound familiar?" Kala scrunches her face as she tries to place how she knows of that race. "Oh!" Kala exclaims, a little too loud, startling a child walking with her mom. "Sorry." Kala says at the scowling mother. Leaning in to whisper to Max, "Remember the Progenitor ruins I told you about? We saw that guy’s ancestor, it was only a holographic version, but it was cute."

  "Holographic? That's like an illusion, right? Jax always like to talk about science. No one ever understood what he was talking about. But, yeah, probably best if we don't talk about this stuff out in the open." Max whispers back.

  They pass a man next to a pile of rubble and a half-finished building. The man is kneeling in front of the rubble with his hands raised. Kala stops to watch him. The man is staring intently, and then his hands glow and the rubble swirls up into the air and forms into a brick. The process takes only a few seconds. He takes the brick in his hands and focuses on the rest of the rubble. The pile flashes with light and then transforms into a pile of neatly stacked bricks.

  "Wow. That is amazing." Kala whispers to Max.

  "You interested in becoming a Mason?" Max asks with a smirk.

  "What? No. It's just I have all this Earth history stuck in my brain. They would call what this man just did 'magic'." Kala states.

  "Ah yes, the fabled Earth. I remember the stories." Max says, walking on.

  Most of the buildings are made of a bluish crystalline material that twinkles in the morning light. "What is this material that everything is made of?" Kala asks.

  "Xorite. It is the fossilized remains of pure Xoria. Probably one of the most valuable materials in the world. This kingdom sits on the largest known deposit."

  Kala raises her eyebrows, "Really? And you are just building with it? There was a pile just sitting in the road back there, shouldn't it be locked up and kept safe? What makes it so valuable?" Kala asks incredulously.

  Max chuckles, "Look, Grandma, you are family, but trust needs to be rebuilt. I can't go are spill all of our secrets."

  "Okay, I wasn't asking you to tell me state secrets. I was just curious." Kala says, a little irritated. It is still really strange that this man is her grandson. For the longest time Kala thought she was put on this world to serve Jax. She loved being with Jax, but her world keeps expanding. She has family. This changes everything. She glances at Max, she can see Jax in him, and herself. A scary thought occurs to her. What if she has other family out there? Other sons, daughters, that both her and Jax no longer remember. What if this Max is only one of many in a long line of Stones?

  "...it is just around this corner..." Max stops and Kala walks right into him. "Are you okay? Where did you go?"

  "Sorry, just a lot to think about. This is a little overwhelming." Kala tries to compose herself.

  Max turns around, "I can't pretend to understand what it is like to be reborn over and over like you and Jax. But, I promise to keep you safe. Never again will my family be harmed." Max says in a fierce whisper.

  Kala clenches her teeth and holds back tears. Not trusting herself to speak her squeezes Max's arm and nods to him.

  Max's eyes glisten, he nods back. "Come. Up these stairs." He leads Kala up the side of a large building.

  Kala can hear laughter and giggling. Max gestures for Kala to look down at a courtyard. Looking down Kala sees about a hundred children playing. "What is this? Why did you want to show me this?"

  "This." Max points down at the kids. "This is why I became a Guardian. Do you think The Caste or The Dark Terror will spare them? No. Most people living in this city are not fighters. You see t
hat girl with the white dress and flowers in her hair?" Max points to an adorable girl of maybe 7-years-old. "Her father is a friend of mine. He is a level 61 Sulakt Chef. He may have some knife skills, but he would die if confronted with the monsters of this world. And I know for a fact that he would gladly fight for his daughter’s life." Max turns to Kala. "We are what stands between the horrors of this world and these children." Max sighs and rubs his face. "Look, I know this was a dirty trick. I'm not trying to manipulate you. I just need you to understand the stakes. These are your people, whether or not you remember doesn't change that fact. I won't stop you if you wish to go look for Jax and your friends."

  Kala looks back down at the playing children. The little girl in the white dress is looking up at Kala. She waves and then plucks a flower out of her hair. She closes her eyes and her hand glows, the flower sprouts green wings and then flutters out of her hand and flies up to Kala. The little girl grins and then returns to playing. Kala looks down at the beautiful flower in her hands.

  "Fuck." Kala says with an exhale of breath. The decision to stay was already made, she just hadn't realized it until this moment.

  Max laughs, "You won't regret this."

  Kala doesn't share his mirth, "Can you take me back please. I need to be alone and think." Kala asks, unable to hold back the tears.

  Max's smile fades, "Of course. I know this hard." Max looks uncomfortable and not sure what to do. He then pulls Kala into a hug. Kala leans limply against his armor.

  "I'm fine." Kala says through a sob of tears. She pulls away and wipes her face.

  "Okay. Just know that we are family. I'm not going anywhere." Max then turns and leads her back down the building.

  They head through the large city and take a turn into a dark alley.

  Quest Alert: The Hidden Queen has failed!