An ear-shattering explosion rocked the tent they were in.

All smiles gone, Arjun got up. A sabre materialised in front of him. The blade shifted mesmerizingly between different colours of blue from cyan to indigo. Grabbing it he left the tent. Voices, muffled and urgent could be heard from outside. Suddenly, nothing. Eerie, agonizing silence. The tension was unbearable. His heart pounding in his chest, Aaron fought to free himself from his bindings. Struggling to catch his breath, he paused for a bit, hoping to god that nothing was wrong. It was then the screams started. Panting, he renewed his struggles to break free, desperate and animalistic.

A part of his brain remained calm. It asked him, " Didn't you want to die? Didn't you try and kill yourself", whether it was the circumstances getting to him or Aaron going completely insane, he spat " Shut up, brain, please not now. Stfu".

His struggles increase in urgency to no avail. The fabric that bound him was resolute in its integrity. It did make no sense. Someone who tried to kill himself struggling with every iota of his being to stay alive. Sounds of fighting erupted outside the tent, screams and grunts sounding out. The acrid smell of blood and burnt flesh permeated the air. Silence again. Aaron didn't even let himself breathe. Footsteps approached, Arjun entered the tent, his face set in a grim countenance, His left arm missing from the elbow and wrapped with what looked to be blue bandages. This seemingly horrendous injury did not slow him down. Putting his fingers to his lips, he stared intently at him. Aaron replied with the barest of nods. Arjun snapped his fingers, sparks flying from them. The bindings came loose and Aaron scrambled to get out of them. His body protesting, he ignored the pain to follow Arjun who was heading to the back of the tent. Tendrils of water spouted from the blue bandages he was wearing and formed an amorphous blob on the ground. It condensed into a human form and then turned into a copy of Arjun looking bloodied and very very dead. Arjun gave Aaron a wink to which he could only stare back mutely. Muttering to himself, Arjun touched the back of the tent which gave way with ripples. He held Aaron's hand and pulled him through the door of liquid disguised to be a part of the tent. It was almost as though he was expecting this attack to happen. A cautious man? alien? water wizard.

Screams and the sounds of fighting could still be heard from the distance. A pale white moon hung over the night sky. Arjun took out a stone from his pocket Aaron noticed and squeezed it until it broke. He then grabbed Aaron and led him north of where they were standing. His shifting blue sabre floating in front of him, he led Aaron funnily enough not through the cover of shadows but through the brightly lit paths. Aaron breathing heavily was barely able to keep up with the giant man. People in various states of undress and armour were rushing along with them. Heading to what seemed like a very large and very luminescent clearing in the sea of tents. Bonfires were placed every ten feet covering the entirety of the clearing with warm yellow light. A large number of people were standing behind what seemed to be a protective circle of bonfires. Armed sentinels keeping watch just inside the circle of light. Watching them approach was a nine-foot-tall slender woman wearing obsidian armour. Even in his traumatized state, Aaron had to admit the warrior looked stunning. It was then he noticed two extremely wicked daggers circling her in the air. He resolved very quickly never to make eye contact with the warioress. Alas, things did not want to seem to go his way like the rest of today.

The pretty fighting lady strode forward to meet the two of them. Arjun nodded to her and said "Zeva" as he left Aaron and darted into the circle of light. "Zeva" instead of bringing Aaron inside the circle as he presumed, tapped his shoulder. Aaron could feel his feet lifting off the ground. He was levitating!!! She then took off like a fucking car into the sea of tents they had just left, Aaron floating behind at breakneck velocity. Just as he was about to scream, out of the corner of his eye Aaron thought he saw cloaked figures darting to and fro following them from the shadows. They were heading into the darker parts of the encampment. Light getting dimmer and dimmer until all they could see were dark silhouettes in the moonlight. The silhouettes moving like piranhas underwater. Encircling the strange duo. A regal warrior with her daggers out and a scared-looking twerp who was about shit himself again.

Zeva needed to get the Voyager away from the remaining troops. She needed to concentrate on their ambushers here and draw out the larger plot. Because if there was one thing you knew about the Void ones it's that their knife takes you when you least expect it. There were many layers to the shadows stalking them. But with her mother and the Xeral taking away the bigger fish, Zeva could handle most of the bottom feeders. Besides, The Void cult weren't the only ones capable of deceit. They had a few cards to play up their sleeve as well. Timing mattered here. Zeva waited patiently for the shadow-humping freaks to make their opening move.

And they did. Three forms coalesced out of the shadows. Wisps of dark rose from their form in the moonlight. Eyes glowing red, the one in the middle spoke, unhurriedly.

"We, claim the Voyager for the Void god"

Side-stepping a dagger thrown to her blind side from the shadows, Zeva replied as though nothing had happened. " Hasn't he been missing for a few million years, what are you going to do with this runt after claiming him?"

"Mortals may not pierce through the workings of One who has conquered the zenith existence. But since you'll be dead anyway. I will let you be privy to a most joyous revelation. He who rules the Endless Expanse has spoken to our Hierophant. He makes his return after the silent age"

"Bullshit" snorted Zeva internally. A whisper of wind kissed her ear. Her Xeral was on his way.