After leaving the orchard, Aldeheid went straight back to his room at the Bastion. It was already midday, and the sun shined brightly though his chamber window, illuminating the mess that was his quarters.

He turned away from it and went down the hall to Berard's room. The door was ajar, but he knocked anyway, and Anha answered. She was dressed in leather and chainmail, a stark contrast to her usual, dressy attire.

"We were at your room a moment ago," she said, stepping aside to let him in. "Where'd you run off to?"

Their chamber was much nicer than his. Spacious, with larger windows, a vaulted ceiling and a garderobe. A shelf of books sat atop a cabinet that Aldeheid knew held bottles upon bottles of liquor from their home Nation. They deserved it since they actually contributed to the Bastion, unlike him. Berard was on their behemoth of a bed, running a file along the edge of a dagger.

Aldeheid leaned against the wall next to the door. "The Phantom Orchard."

"You didn't update us on how that went yesterday," Berard said, holding the blade up to the light to inspect it. "I'm guessing well since you went back a second time."

"I met Kitaya."

The dagger fell to the floor, its clamor occupying the silence. "Kitaya... the one who used to be a part of this Bastion? That Kitaya?"

"Indeed. You two were here during that time. What was she like?" Aldeheid looked at both of them expectantly.

"She was nice enough unless you got on her bad side," Anha said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why?"

"I'm going to be. . . travelling with her." Another wave of silence crashed through the room, and he threw his hands up. "Is there something you two aren't telling me?"

"It's not that," Berard said, scooping up the dagger.  "You just met her two days ago, she threatened to pluck your eyes out, and now you're telling us you're going to be travelling with her to...?"

"The desert. To the Aiisha Bastion. And it's not as though I have any other options. I suppose you can consider this an act of desperation." Aldeheid shrugged. "And who knows, if I stick with her for a little while, maybe I'll run into Mellidius."

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to trust your judgment," Anha said. "Gallitel is sending us off to the north for a bit, so we won't be able to see you off. But you have our blessing." She reached into a nearby cabinet to pull out some alcohol. "Take this as a parting gift. It's the best brew from Abydon." She offered him the bottle of amber liquid.

"Come back to visit when you've settled down, alright?" Berard got up to give him a hug. "May the gods favour you."

"Thanks. For everything." Aldeheid wasn't sure what else he could say to them to make up for they many years of loyal friendship. For sticking by him through his many failures. He only hoped this wouldn't be the last he'd see of them.

After another round of goodbyes, Aldeheid returned to his room to tackle the daunting task of packing. He also needed to clean up the place and organize his belongings. Doing both at once would save some time.

As the day wore on, his room became less of the cluttered dungeon of knowledge he'd come to know, and more of a clean habitable space. His bed was used for the things he planned to carry with him while everything else was packed into his trunk or placed on top of it.

Aldeheid chose his strongest enchanted wear for the journey. Kitaya had mentioned nothing of the dangers they'd face – if any – but he wasn't taking any chances.

With his room in order and his bag packed, he gathered up his clothing, and went down to the underground spring for the last time. As he looked around the cavernous room, he remembered the days he'd drag himself down there, broken and bloody after brutal training sessions. He remembered the pristine water of the sunken pool running red with his blood and filth.

The water didn't turn red this time. It hadn't since Mellidius left.

When his body was clean, he donned his gear and made sure his left cheek was smooth. Then he went back up to his chamber for the last time. It didn't look like his room anymore, and so when he gathered his bags and shut the door, there was no sadness or regret tugging at his heart.

Aldeheid had one last stop to make before leaving to meet Kitaya. All was quiet when he stepped into the south gardens. Afternoon sun made the shadows stretch long, creating a mosaic on the main pathway. It meandered through the trees flowers and benches to the edge of the garden, where the Pillars of Magika stood.

Each one was etched with names of every magician and cape that called the Etheria Bastion home. Aldeheid stood before his own, as he had the day he first joined the Bastion. He remembered his chest swelling with pride as his name was etched in the intricate letters of the ancient tongue. No such feeling was there now, only emptiness. He placed his hand over his name.

And pushed with every fiber of strength he possessed. It toppled and hit the ground with a glorious crash that sent a cloud of dust and debris into the air.

Good. Riddance. 

From there, he strolled beyond the pillars, to the Bastion's memorial, only stopping to pluck a white flower from a nearby bush. The small cemetery had neat rows of tombstones in the shape of swords. There were only ten in total, as death wasn't a common thing at their Bastion.

Aldeheid stopped in front of the freshly dug earth of Gwen's grave. A wreath of flowers was draped over the sword, obscuring the epithet etched on its blade. His offering seemed insulting in comparison.

He fisted his hands, his chest burning as he looked down at all that was left of Gwen. He had no right to be here. She was in the ground because of him. 

"I don't know what to say." His voice were hoarse and thin. "I'm sorry would be insulting at this point. I can only promise you that from this day, no capes will die by my hands, that I will do better and be better. Whatever it takes. My word is all I have left, and. . . it's all I can offer you."

Aldeheid took a single ether stone from his pouch and placed it atop the flower before uttering a short spell. A spell he hadn't used in a long time, one that brought back memories of his childhood. The ether stone melted into a puddle of light that tinged the edge of the flower's petals a rich, emerald green. The same colour her eyes were.

He placed the flower on the grave and laid his marked hand briefly on the sword to pay his final respects.

Aldeheid walked away from the gardens and the Bastion without a backward glance. Instead, he looked towards his destination, the Phantom Orchard, and determination made his heart swell. He took out the remaining ether stones Kitaya had given him and teleported.

"You made it," Kitaya said upon his arrival. She was perched atop the massive trunk he'd seen in her home earlier, clad in black and silver gear. A lion's head pauldron graced her left shoulder, and a sword and dagger were strapped to her back. Her hair was no longer in wild coils, but braided and adorned with jeweled clips.

When she quirked a brow at him, he realized he'd been staring at her for longer than what was deemed appropriate. He looked away quickly and spotted the horses waiting nearby.

"There are a few things we need to go over before we leave." She hopped off the trunk and pat its lid. "Firstly the box. It will be your job to summon and desummon it when necessary."

Aldeheid stepped up to the object in question, studying the symbols on its surface whilst rubbing his chin. Summon and desummon... "How does this work?"

"I util–"

"Wait." He dropped his bag and pulled a blank journal from one of the side pockets along with a stick of graphite. With his book at the ready, he nodded at her to continue.

"It utilizes a burrow dimension. Think of it as a small space in the fabric of our world that can't be seen, but can be accessed with magic. To use a burrow dimension you need runes." She gestured to the symbols on the trunk. "A key." She pulled a gold chain with an amulet on the end from her pocket. "And a spell, which you'll find inside the amulet."

"But why is it called a burrow dimension?"

"Because the people who discovered this kind of magic used to hide their keys in abandoned burrows. That concludes today's magic lesson." She tossed the amulet his way and he caught it with one hand. "Moving on. You can put your tent in the box. The rest can be strapped to the horse." She put her fingers between her teeth and blew out an ear-splitting whistle.

The horses came trotting over.

Kitaya took the reins of the black stallion. "You'll be riding Alvere, my pride and joy. Hurt him and I will hurt you ten times over."

He swallowed thickly and nodded.

"I also have some ether stones for you. I wouldn't want to leave you defenseless in case we run into trouble." She dug into her bag and pulled out a pouch full of them. "I packed many so don't be afraid to ask for more if you need them."

"Where did you get these?" he asked, his brows knitting together.

"I work with a group of magicians that help me regularly. Not to worry. I have been serviced, so I won't die on you." She limped up the cottage steps and checked the door.

"Are you sure you're healed enough to travel?" He drew his brows together as she limped by him and grabbed the reins of the mare.

"No, but I can't delay this trip another day. Desummon the box, we need to head out." She mounted her horse with a grunt, and he followed suit before reciting the spell to send the box away. It was sucked into an inky void that materialized in the sky.

"How long will it take us to get to the desert?" Aldeheid asked as they rode through the Orchard.

"About two weeks give or take. I don't expect... much trouble." She gave him a sidelong stare. "We're going to leave the horses halfway through and take the second leg of our journey by boat."

Two weeks... That would give him ample time to figure out his next move. Find a place to stay and something to do down there. Or would they shun a capeless magician like him? It wasn't the same in earthrealm as it was in Magika, Bastions needed productive members to function. 

"Here we are," Kitaya announced.

When Aldeheid looked up, they were at the center of the Orchard. The place with the pillars. Again he felt the strange hum in the air that told him there was magic at work. "Is this what turns the Orchard invisible?"

Kitaya eyed him for a moment as though choosing her words with care. "No, here lies a thin space." When he only stared blankly, she continued. "It's a tear in the veil that keeps earthrealm and Magika separate. Look." She stuck a hand out, and it gradually disappeared as she stretched it beyond the line of rocks.

"We'll be using it as a shortcut," she continued. "There's another one far south of here, beyond the southern range. If we go through Magika, it will cut down our travel time significantly."

Aldeheid reached into his bag and pulled out his notebook. A thin space? A veil? He'd never heard of such things. "Has this always been here? How does it work? Where does it go? Is it some kind of portal? Does it work like the gates? Are we—"

"Aldeheid..." She gave him an exasperated look before shaking her head. "I'll tell you more about the thin spaces another time. Once we go through, we'll need to prioritize finding a place to camp." She nodded at the portal. "You go first. Just stay within the line of stones."

Aldeheid steeled himself, and sucked in a deep breath. Magika, it's been a long time.