Ayanna dropped the deer she had been carrying for what felt like an eternity onto the ground.

Jean bent down and caught his breath and for the first time, even Ayanna felt a little fatigued.

The purple flames of the lantern just next to Àlainn’s door illuminated their mud-coated bodies, but neither of them cared.

Jean plopped down on the ground alongside Ayanna.

Their loud panting filled the once quiet streets.

Jean turned his head to find a certain door opening to the left.

“I assure you, I will be fine,” Fionn said while her driver followed her as she made her way towards Jean.

“I know, but It’d be best if we weren’t separated for too long.” The driver said.

“Fine, let me make myself a little clearer. I will be asking Mr. Jean for assistance and you will return to the house. Is that clear enough?” Fionn asked while glaring at the driver.

His eyes widened for a moment before he let out a faint sigh.

“Understood.” He said before returning to the house next to Àlainn’s.

Fionn then turned to face the resting Jean.

“Umm… do you, by chance, have access to water?” She asked.

“Yep. There’s a well just up the road.” Jean said lazily.

“Thank you very much,” Fionn said as she walked up to where Jean had directed.

“Are you planning on bathing or something? Cause there’s a bathhouse up there too.” Jean said as he stood up.

“I- yes,” Fionn said, her hands tightly clasping each other.

“Ok, then allow us to accompany you,” Jean said with a wink.

Fionn’s eyes widened before narrowing understandingly.

“Ayanna, let’s move our catch to the side,” Jean said and the two crossed the deer next to the door.

Jean, Ayanna and Fionn then made their way to the bathhouse and it wasn’t long before Jean had filled the tub.

He then got undressed, along with Ayanna, but Fionn stood completely still.

Jean grabbed a bucket before sitting next to Ayanna, who washed away at the mud on her face.

“Well? Start talking.” Jean said.

“Oh… yes. As you know, my name is Fionn Callaghan and I’m the head of an order known as the Crucibles.” She said as she nervously took off her cap.

She then undid her bun before unbuttoning her robe.

“We are an order that seeks true enlightenment and oneness with the great ones.” She said as she slipped out of her red robe, revealing a slender figure that was no match for Ayanna’s.

Her skin had lost a lot of its elasticity and bits hung from here and there, but she wasn’t what someone could call ugly.

But then again, the only reference available for Jean was Ayanna and she was perfect.

“Great ones? Who or what are they exactly?” Jean asked as he washed off the dirt from his long hair.

His features were that of a rugged man and although his body wasn’t in the best of shape, he was definitely no slouch.

His muscular arms and tall-ish frame gave him a rather sturdy presence, but again, that presence meant almost nothing next to Ayanna, but he didn’t mind.

“The great ones are beings that exist on a plane higher than ours. They see more, hear more and know more than we could ever imagine as they are everlasting and almost omnipotent.” Fionn said as she sat next to Jean, she covered her breasts with one hand and tested the water with the other as she spoke.

“Almost?”

“We figured that they aren’t all-powerful, but they do possess varying degrees of control over the very fabric of our reality,” Fionn said.

Jean noticed that she kept sneaking glances at Ayanna’s perfect form from time to time.

“So, you’re part of an insane cult that worships a race of evil godlike beings, ok. How did that turn into… this?”

“You see, mankind once engaged in frequent communication with the great ones. This is what our elders taught us, at least. Anyway, the only way to communicate with a great one is by peeling away at one’s own ignorance and allowing oneself to peer into the unknown. That is what the reverie plane represents, contrary to the gardens in our minds.” Fionn said as she uselessly poured water over her hands.

“Mmm… I read somewhere that there are four doors in the mind gardens and above those doors are four runes. Any clue on what that means?” Jean asked.

“The four doors are the paths we dare not tread, for they lead to a branch of enlightenment. It is widely assumed that the garden was preprogrammed into us by our ancestors to prevent us from venturing into the reverie plane, but I’ve never seen it, so my knowledge is lacking. This brings us to the ultimate point. One of the best ways to open the doors is by studying the four runes and meditating on their meaning. The easiest and riskiest rune to learn is the Dia rune. It allows one to directly peer into the reverie plane. Unfortunately, almost everyone who peeks into the fourth and final door goes mad. They lose their minds and usually die shortly after.” Fionn said as Ayanna stood up.

She then began drying herself as Jean pondered deeply on what Fionn had said.

“And what does Dachaigh Gual have to do with all this?” Jean asked as Ayanna threw her clothes, along with Jean’s into a bucket.

She then began vigorously washing them, paying very little attention to Jean and Àlainn.

“One of our members, Bruce Sanford, found an ancient relic in the hands of some noble family. I don’t quite remember the houses name, but I think it was Hoover? Cooper? Anyway, the orb, or the Cruinne, perfectly describes how to summon a certain great one-"

“Gi' Kolarum?”

“Yes. Bruce was so obsessed with our mission that he dedicated his life to it. He swore that he’d free mankind from its fleshly tethers. Thus, ultimately unifying us with the cosmos.” Fionn said.

“I’m guessing that things didn’t go according to plan."

“Yes. My incompetence didn’t allow me to see just how serious Bruce was and to be honest, I never really believed all this talk about ancient gods and higher dimensions.” Fionn said.

“Yet you’re the leader…”

“Yes. Anyway, I can’t tell you anything conclusive as even I don’t know what happened in Dachaigh Gual. Bruce supposedly summoned Gi' Kolarum, but if we were all supposed to ascend, why haven’t we? Why are we living this dreaded night?” Fionn asked, both her arms lowered.

Jean remained silent before finally catching on to what Ayanna was doing.

“Hey! Don’t wash those! What are we gonna wear?” Jean asked as he stood up.

Ayanna shrugged as Jean eyed her accusingly.

Meanwhile, Fionn actually began bathing herself.

“Ugh, those are gonna take forever to dry,” Jean said as he paced around, but just as he took his first few steps, Ayden walked into the bathroom while carrying a pile of what looked like heavy-duty leather clothing.

“Here.” The boy said as he offered Jean the clothes.

Jean turned to Ayanna before handing her the obviously larger set.

They got dressed in what seemed like a militaristic set of clothing.

They were sturdy and rather light.

“Mmm… these are pretty good. Actually, these are really good.” Jean said before reaching out to rub Ayden’s head, but he stopped himself midway.

Ayden saw this and raised his head to where Jean’s hand was.

Jean’s fingers then unconsciously rubbed Ayden curly hair, much to both of their delight.

“I hope you didn’t force Àlainn to do this,” Jean said as he walked towards the exit.

“I didn’t. I just asked and she made them.”

“I know, but do you think she had a choice? Remember, she sees you as someone of royal blood. I suggest that you be a little more careful with your words. Especially when it comes to her, ok?” Jean asked as he, Ayden and Ayanna left the bathhouse.

“Wait!” Fionn cried as she hurriedly dried herself.

She then slipped into her robe before buttoning it in some places.

She ran towards Jean and company, but Jean pointed at the bathhouse with a flat expression.

“You forgot your cap,” Jean said, prompting Fionn to spin on her heels, return to the bathhouse, grab her cap and dash out.

Everyone then made their way back to the respective house and Jean prepared the deer they’d caught for butchering.

.

..

Jean and Ayanna had finally finished their work on the deer and they’d earned some rest.

Jean, however, went back to Randal’s house. Leaving everyone else to continue wondering what it was he was making.

.

..

An extensive amount of time had passed and Jean's routine of long absences had become the norm.

Jean entered the house, his face blackened and sweaty.

He was in his normal set of clothing as he and Ayanna decided that the clothes Àlainn designed were better suited for things like exploration and combat.

“Everyone, I'm finally done,” Jean said with a suppressed smile.

Everyone turned to face him, their expressions curious.

“Are you ready to share what you’ve been working on?” Ayden asked and Jean nodded.

Everyone got up and they followed Jean to Randall’s house.

Ayden held a lantern and although pretty much everyone had gotten used to seeing in the dark, it was comforting knowing that they could at least see a bit better.

“Alright, wait here,” Jean said before running into Randall’s house.

He then emerged with something wrapped in a dirty cloth.

He walked up to Ayanna and looked straight into her silver eyes before bowing.

“Ayanna, Ayden. I’d like to thank you for letting me come along so far. Who knows what would’ve happened had I stayed in that town. So, I offer you this, as the first part of my thanks.” Jean offered Ayanna the cloth wrapped item and Ayanna gracefully accepted it.

“You didn’t have to go this far, you know,” Ayden said with a smile.

Ayanna then undid the wrappings, revealing a large sword of almost perfect design.

It was a claymore.

Ayanna’s eyes widened as she inspected the sword.

It was big, about one and a half meters long and it was sturdily built.

She then turned her eyes to Jean, who had an awkward smile on his face

Ayanna carefully wrapped the sword before giving Jean a big hug.

“Its just- I've enjoyed every single moment with you all and-"

“Shh,” Ayanna sounded as Ayden joined the hug.

Ayanna reached out and brought Àlainn in.

Leaving Fea, who flew up and landed on Ayanna’s shoulder.

They all indulged in the warm embrace of one another before finally letting go.

“Now, the rest of you should head back. Ayanna and I will test out this hunk of steel.” Jean said.

Ayden nodded before accompanying Àlainn and Fea back home.

Jean and Ayanna, on the other hand, made their way towards a certain building.

They entered it to find a pile of corpses belonging to certain baby faced pig monsters, which they ignored before entering the cellar where they searched for unbroken wine bottles.

They found four and promptly left the house before continuing southward.

They eventually found a nest of baby faced pig monsters in an alley to their right.

Jean took all four bottles before taking a seat about ten meters away from the alley while Ayanna playfully swung her new claymore.

With each swing, she grew more and more accustomed to its weight and balance.

Ayanna turned to face Jean.

“Thank you.” She whispered, but Jean waved his hand dismissively.

“Think nothing of it. Now, get to work.” He said.

Ayanna nodded before turning to face the alley.

She slowly walked towards it and the sounds of twisted flesh and mud echoed out into the night.

Ayanna took a deep breath before gently tapping the stone road with the tip of her claymore.

The resulting sound caught the attention of three of the seven creatures, which crept towards her as she adjusted her stance.

Her feet were apart, her weight was on the tips of her toes and she held the claymore high.

The first creature lashed out to bite her and in a single, graceful motion, she swung her sword diagonally, decapitating the creature in the process.

Jean nodded to himself before removing the cork off of one of the wine bottles as he sat on the sidewalk.

He then took a big sip of the bitter liquid and a warm sensation filled his chest, contrasting perfectly with the cool breeze of the night.

.

..

Ayanna pulled out her claymore from the last of the creatures before walking towards Jean, who was halfway through his wine bottle.

“That was amazing.” He said as Ayanna sat next to him.

She carefully placed the claymore next to herself before opening her own wine bottle.

Ayanna took several sips before lowering her bottle.

“We could live like this forever, ya know,” Jean said.

“Sure, we can’t keep eating only meat and we’d need a steady supply of animals and whatnot, but I think we could do it,” Jean said before taking another sip.

“Ahh… at least we’re in control. Even as the darkness of this night hangs over us. We choose to resist and we will decide how we die.” Jean said.

Ayanna looked up in thought.

“And this time I will be there.” Jean said before taking a swig of wine.

Silence followed as the stars in the night sky twinkled away.

Their light, although feint, was very real to Jean.

He acknowledged every single one of them, even if he couldn’t count them. He found comfort in knowing that they’d always be there.

He wanted to reach our and touch them, but he curbed his curiosity before facing Ayanna.

“I lied to you, ya know,” Jean said, his head lowered.

“Mmm?” Ayanna sounded.

“I was indeed trialled and sentenced for a crime that I didn’t commit, but it wasn’t just theft,” Jean said as Ayanna looked at him curiously.

“I was once a blacksmith. I lived in Anvil with a loving wife and daughter. My wife, Tessa, was the daughter of high blood and so from the very moment I met her family, I knew they didn’t like me. However, the Kulick family did nothing to stop my engagement to Tessa and some of them even attended our wedding.” Jean said before taking a sip.

“Anyway, Tessa and I were eventually blessed with a daughter and little Karisa became the focus of our lives for many a year. But, before Karisa could even turn four, I returned home to find her unmoving body next to her mother’s. They were both covered in blood and all I could do was stand there. My shock eventually subsided and I wept over their bodies.” Jean said as tears rolled down his face.

He messily wiped them away before taking another sip of wine.

“Our neighbours must have heard my cries because they eventually came and helped me contact Tessa’s family. But, almost as soon as I reached the Kulick manner, just north of Anvil, I was arrested under suspicion of murder and theft. My case even got the imperial guard involved as I was suspected of stealing a precious artefact, but I didn’t care. I didn’t resist, nor did I plea for my innocence. I couldn’t do anything without Tessa and Karisa and so, I was eventually rolled down into Dachaigh Gual and there, I awaited my execution.” Jean said.

Silence followed as Ayanna stared at a weeping Jean.

She reached out to hug him, but he raised his hand, stopping her.

“What about you? What’s your story?” He asked, but Ayanna shot him a disarming smile.

“I am a mother. That is all.”