The Emperor's thoughts and meditation was interrupted by an intruder.

Said intruder climbed onto the peak, panting, dropped a bucket of dirt in front of him, and collapsed on his hands and knees. Jyesthra stepped between him and the Aeterna, protectively, but didn't approach. Adam raised an eyebrow, but otherwise contented himself to observe.

The intruder gave them a glance, nodded respectfully in greeting, and continued. He stood to his feet, took up his bucket once more, and dumped it into the dormant volcano. He then entered the cabin and, a few moments later, Adam heard hammering.

Adam approached. He circled the house to find the door was open and the intruder was sitting on a chair fixing the ladder up to the second bed.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked.

The man jumped in fright, dropping the hammer and nails fell from his lips. "Are you trying to kill me!? I could have swallowed that!" The man turned on Adam angrily, but just as quickly stopped and turned pale. His eyes fell on the gauntlet of the Aeterna Emperor. He fell on his face and bowed to the ground. "Oh, holy Ancestors, I-I am so sorry! Please don't have mercy for my angry words!"

The begging was already getting old. He couldn't care less if someone snapped or acted insolent, but wasting his time with unproductive nonsense was annoying. More so being ignored when asking a question.

Third reminded him that there was a certain irony in an immortal having his time wasted.

"Stop groveling." Adam ordered. "I asked you to explain what you are doing, not to give me mouth vomit."

"I-I-Yes! I was just here, sitting in this chair you see, and um- I was taking this hammer and these nails -ow!-" He clumsily, hastily reached for the nails on the floor and just as quickly stuck a freshly pricked finger in his mouth. "And I was taking this ladder and I was trying to fix a squeaky hold on it! That is what I was doing, my lord Eternal Emperor, highness!"

Adam breathed. Jyesthra said, with a clearly heard smug grin, "Are you getting used to the publicity, yet?"

"Just fine. I might kill someone before the night is over." Adam replied. Then to the intruder, he said, "So you are fixing a ladder. Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes."

"Why, why?"

Adam hesitated, unbelieving what he was hearing, "Pardon?"

"I mean!" The other man stopped and corrected himself, "What is it about me fixing a ladder here that concerns you, my lord? Surely the Emperor of the world has more important things than being here, at Death's Gate, wondering why a lonesome stranger is doing housework?"

He had a point.

"Because this is not your house. This is the home of the Warden."

"Is there a new warden?" The man asked, his eyes lit fearfully like he was intruding suddenly. He looked around Adam to Jyesthra. "Are you it?"

"No, there is no new Warden. The Warden is..." Adam stopped. The Warden was dead. His wife was dead. What was he doing arguing over the legal ownership rights of a place that had no owner? He had left this place long ago and taken ownership of the rest of the world, save this place. Ref was a land without much in the way of legalities anyway, so if he wanted to move in and make a claim, that was the way of things.

Adam felt an uncomfortable clench in his chest. He had not been in the house before. Not since he left everything behind to be Emperor. He saw the hammock hanging between the ceiling and a post on the second bed. He saw a hole in the ceiling just above the second bed, seemingly purposeful in design.

Did his son enjoy sun gazing?

The first bed, the one on the floor, had its linens and mattress removed. All around the house were odds and ends, rusted tools and unraveling whicker baskets, rotten food and dusty surfaces with cobwebs weaving a tale of ghastly isolation and abandonment. The fireplace was filled with ash and filth, and the handle from which a pot might hang over it swayed from a loose hinge.

"My lord?" The stranger asked.

Snapping his attention back to the present, Adam said, "The Warden is dead. I am sure she would appreciate you taking care of the grounds, such as they are. I will see to it you are fairly compensated. How much work are you going to do? How long shall the work take?"

"Well, my lord, it is actually my intent to stay."

"Stay." Adam repeated.

"Yes, Warden and her son did a lot for me. She made me think things through and her son actually saved my life. I owe them. It was a damn shame when we heard she died and her son was nowhere to be found, and I think it would be a damner shame if theyre legacy ended like that. This place was founded to help the lost and watch over the dead. So if there is no Warden for the dead, how will the dead know where to go? There should always be a Warden at the Gate."

"And you would carry on that role?"

"As well as I can be allowed to be, your Emperor."

Adam observed him and saw how his composure strengthened with his declaration. He was serious.

Adam could respect that.

The Emperor sized him up and asked, "Who are you?"

"I think 'what I am', and what role I will play, is more important."

Adam nodded. "Very well, Warden of Ref. I will send a notice to the lords that a Warden has returned to the Gate. I'm sure they will wish to meet and discuss who will represent the Islands."

Adam nodded again, as if to confirm his own thoughts, and snapped his fingers of his gauntlet'd hand. The sun burst to life and light and warmth came over them. "Jyesthra, go to your brothers and sisters and give them my command." He ordered. "I have decided. We will have a funeral. Then we may welcome the dawn of a new age with a clear mind."

----

The sun burst to life, and within the light was silence.

Caius looked up at the arrows of light pouring down through the cracks in the rafters, and Fereren sat against the wall in the shadows, leaning back with a leg looped up over the other. In the darkness I could not make out his expression, but now with the scant light turning to shadow, there was the hint of a deep frown over his stony face.

My words spent, I returned to my seat and put my head in my hands. I ran my fingers back through my hair and sighed. It was now the third day since I descended from the tower with Slavian in tow, and the third day since Fereren had joined us.

Already, it felt like a lifetime ago.

It didn't occur to me until now, but I had changed. It took laying it all out up front and open to realize it, but I was not the same man that charged Fereren with the task to follow me to war. It had only been three days, but this was the first time I could remember act without being a hostage to father or country, and rather than seek war I sought healing for my enemy. Instead of conflict I desired legal change, not from the outside, but from the inside.

I didn't recognize myself, and the new day scared me. The overhead lantern swung with the change of tide following the morning, and in the moving light I saw shadows over my friend's eyes. I didn't know how Fereren would react, I didn't know what today would bring, and worse yet, I didn't know what lied ahead at my journey, if I even recognized what my journey was. I was still trying to figure that part out.

But there was one thing I knew.

"We cannot fight him, Fereren." I pleaded. "If we strike him, he will heal. If we kill him, he will return. Perhaps not in our lifetime, but he will. His emergence completely changed the rules."

"Words spoken by one who doesn't have a son, and so doesn't have to muster up the will to act." Fereren whispered. "Nor one with imagination. Caius, off the top, what solution do you have in mind?"

"Oh, fun! Lets see." Caius leaned back and smirked. "How about spiking his joints in an iron maiden, chaining him, and dropping it in the ocean far from the shipping lanes?"

Fereren nodded, but added, "I was thinking a volcano. Much denser."

"Oooh, I like it."

I stared at them , open mouthed, aghast. As bad as it would be to do to a normal person, to do to an immortal would test the limits of the immortality, and in such circumstances as if the Aeterna's immortality is truly limitless it would bring untold torment for the fulness of eternity. A fate worse than death I wouldn't bring on my worst enemy. Who am I to declare such a fate?

And what would we create if, truly as an immortal under such torment, some innocent soul digs him up in a thousand years or in the case of an eruption unleashed a broken god of pain and hate? We would unknowingly doom our descendants.

"We can't do that!"

"We can." Fereren says slowly. "It is no longer a matter of 'can we fight' or 'can we not', but that we 'can' and we 'must'! But it seems, you won't. Now is not the time to be gentle and compliant or make excuses for him. He is not your father, Valspear. My son is on the line, and every day we are in this place at the source of his nightmares is a day too many." He accuses me. "Unless you have forgotten."

"I have forgotten nothing!" I exclaim. "I have the last year watched our people abused and enslaved with chains about their neck! I went into hell and saw children used for hedonistic pleasure and the youth of their blood! I smelled the stink my sun-child had on him and washed him while he begged in whispers!"

Fereren jumped to his feet and thundered all the restrained emotion of the night, and perhaps several days, or even the full year, outpouring all at once. "Then why would you bring that monster's spawn around him!"

"Because I would not bring the faults of the father on his child! We are not barbarians, we still have laws even without a country!"

"Damn him! Damn his child! And damn anyone that would foster his seed!" Fereren took the now-empty bottle of wine and threw it against the other side of the ship. It shattered into pieces. Already Koj'Ineh came down the stairs and looked in on us concerned, but Caius waved him off.

Fereren then turned on me and pointed a finger at my face. "Even you!"

Appalled, I stood my ground. "I am no woman who has bedded him! The Aeterna is my enemy!"

"But you foster his child all the same! You encourage him, advise him, offer food and your home! All these little blessings! You have the gall to bring good things to our enemy that belongs to my son!" He beat his chest, emphasizing his words.

We stare into each other's eyes for a long moment. In his eyes I see the same fury I held in my heart towards the man who destroyed our home. The same fury Slavian held. It was not right for Slavian to have it towards his own family, and but be righteous for Fereren.

"Fereren," I start. "Even assuming there is a remote chance to defeat an immortal should we get to him, there is the rest of the Empire to worry about. The fanaticism of the Ne will not disappear if their god falls just after he has brought them to the peak of their power, not to mention the metal men are still an unknown quantity. Assume we can overcome even these obstacles. Would not the price be great?"

"Sacrifices will be necessary to earn our freedom. Even you said so!"

"Too right. But living or dead ones? Fereren, there is another way! I am the only one in Dyson who can speak for us and have the Emperor's audience, and that puts me in a unique position to fight in my own way rather than be on the side lines cheering you on like this is a jousting tournament! Do you really think I am trying to get on Slavian's good side just to be nice? By improving the relationship between him and his father, I gain both of their favor. By gaining their favor I can bring our case before them! That's my world! That's how politics works! That's how I can fight!"

"Scheming and compromise!" He seethed. Fereren turned and stomped up the stairs.

I let out a deep breath and felt my chest ache. He wasn't taking this as well as I hoped.

"That went better than I expected." Caius smirked. "I thought he was about to break your face. Well, what are you waiting for? We need him."

"Yeah, we do." I agreed.

Even if I succeeded in my goals, we would need Fereren to help organize the returning exiles and to protect them from raiders.

I followed my friend up and found him on the deck looking out at the city. He paced furiously, his hands reaching out and grabbing everything around him as if searching for a lifeline.

I spoke up, "Which would you rather we keep: My dignity or our people's lives?"

"I'd rather hold both." His tone was soft, hurt. He lost his immediate anger and bite, but in its absence was the pain I brought him.

"Brother. The whole conflict of our people's slavery is contingent on a single law. If the law is no longer there, then our enemy will lose that power over us. We will have our freedom."

Fereren's eyes turned towards the tower of the Aeterna. Its white stone reached to the sky all the way to the sun. In the far distance two other twos could be seen reaching to the sun, but those towers did not symbolize anything like this one did. This was the Aeterna's home, and it towered over all of us.

"But not from him. From this Empire." Fereren said.

"One battle at a time."

"What makes you think you can convince him?"

"I convinced you didn't I?"

"Not at all. If he is what you say, he is many times more experienced than you. Not to mention smarter."

"Well, then it's a good thing his son likes me."

"How I shall never know." With his jest some of his old energy and humor returned. It was good to see, if only a shadow of it. The weight of what we had to do was evident on both of us. It was no small thing to challenge the world.

----------

Caius heard laughing and determined things had gone well.

Good. It was imperative that Fereren stayed onboard, and his brother was necessary to keep him there. Fereren may have some immediate favor for reuniting him with his son and friend, but Caius was of no illusion it would last. Once everything was complete he had no idea how it would go, but he looked forward to seeing it. It should prove entertaining.

Caius climbed up the stairs and observed his brother and Fereren leaving. Koj'Ineh dropped down from the sail banister and approached Caius.

"A patrol saw the ship, but didn't come close before continuing on and meeting up with some others. They seemed mildly alarmed."

"To be expected." Caius replied. "The recent events will have most traders spooked and distancing themselves. We are probably the only Non-Imperial ship with no sign of leaving. I'm going to move everything again. Go and tell everyone to continue to lay low until they receive the signal, then continue working for Fereren."

Koj'Ineh nodded and left.

As soon as everyone was gone, a man appeared beside Caius from the shadows. While Koj'Ineh wore armor over his skin, Caius' hidden companion wore a veiled cloak over his Mirrad skin. Wearing no boots over his webbed toes, his steps were soft.

"Status?" Caius asked.

"Everything is ready." The Mirrad-Blood said. His voice was weak but sharp like crackling fire.

"And the boy?"

"Fairing well. He has protection and is under constant supervision."

Caius tsk'd and said, "People avoid the edge so long as they can see it. But if you bring them to it, and nudge them just a little bit, they always fall of their own gravity and will." As he spoke, Caius pulled out of his pocket a glass vial of blood with a sharp needle at the end. Immediately the Mirrad-Blood tried to reach for it, but Caius moved his hand away.

Caius stepped away from him, holding it just out of reach. The Mirrad-Blood kept his arm out for it, silently asking for it. The sun's light came down over them onto the man's naked sickly-green splotched arm, and smoke billowed out of it. Despite what was undoubtely excruciating pain, the man did not flinch nor make a sound. His eyes were only on Caius. Slowly Caius held it out to him just over his open palm. Obediently, the Mirrad-Blood did not move, even as his arm shriveled and small fires burst out on patches of skin he did not snap out and take it.

Satisfied, Caius said, "Take your gift, my friend." He dropped it into his hand. "Be grateful, I'm fresh out of youths." Immediately the Mirrad-Blood stabbed the vial into his chest and pressed a gage to force the liquid into his flesh.

A moment passed in silence, then, the Mirrad-Blood threw off his cloak and stood two heads taller than Caius, exposed to the sunlight. The sun did not burn him, smoke did not bellow from his skin. The arm that was damaged did not heal, but nor did it sustain further damage.

"Just have to give them what they want," Caius smirked.

----

The first to wake early was Kusatta'Chizu'Kes. The slave awoke with the dawn and slowly crept down and entered the kitchen. She grabbed a basket and a couple coin. She opened the window and the smell of freshly baked bread swept through into the house. She frowned. Despite the pleasure of fresh bread, there was also a hint of smoke. The fire had dimmed, but its ashes and embers would remain for some time.

She turned back to the main room, went around the stair column, and gasped, dropping the basket. Sitting on the couch was Slavian and Aelius. Aelius was sleeping soundly in the older boy's arms, while Slavian had his arms and legs wrapped around him tightly. Slavian looked back at her.

"Slavian! You scared me!" She whispered.

"My bad," He smirked, but grimaced. "Can I get some help here?"

"What?"

"I can't feel my arms or legs."

"Well, it's not like you needed to hold him so tightly!" She chastised him, taking care not to wake Aelius.

She took Slavian's legs and pulled them apart, prying them off Aelius. Slavian groaned painfully, but also in full relief. Then again, she pulled Slavian's arms away. Aelius fell back against the couch. Slavian took a moment to get the feeling back in his ligaments, then, jumping up onto the back of the couch, he went off from the back, while holding out his hand to keep Aelius from falling back too quickly.

Kusatta noted they were both covered in bruises and cuts, and there was a hint of blood caked around their noses. "By the Ancestors! What happened to you two? How do you think they will react if they see this!" She took Slavian's face, took her skirt, and wiped him off a bit. He blushed furiously under the attention.

"Nothing!" He whispered.

She gave him a skeptical look.

"Okay, so we fell down the stairs."

"How many times?"

"Enough. Please, don't press it."

He looked earnest. Clearly, they had been in a scuffle, but they had also made up. "Alright, but in return you have to help me. I'm getting bread and could use a hand."

"So, I'm a mule."

"A very handsome one!" She took the basket and dropped it in his arms.

"Oh, yes, a handsome donkey, how endearing!" He whispered sarcastically.

She hurried to the pantry for more things, meanwhile Senec not-so-subtly stomped his groggy head down the stairs into the living room, and hearing the noise Aelius took a deep breath, slowly coming to.

"Here. You take it!" Slavian practically threw the basket at Senec, who managed to catch it with his eyes half-closed.

Senec yawned and muttered, "What am I taking?"

"You already have it."

Senec opened one eye. "Oh. So I do. Why do I have it?"

"Because!" Kusatta whispered, "You have volunteered to join us in retrieving breakfast."

"I don't recall that." Senec whispered groggily. "Though, now that you mention it, breakfast does sound nice."

"Can I come?" Aelius asked. He stretched and popped his back on the couch before slowly standing. He put his hand out and found a wooden house pillar to steady himself. "Some air would be nice."

At the same time, Nel'Andra swung down the stairs and clung to Slavian. Slavian said, "You're right, Nel, I shouldn't go leaving you behind again. Father would be angry!"

"Ok, fine! You can all come! Just hurry before the rest of the house ends up joining us! Go! Go! Go!" She nudged them out the door and closed it behind them.

"But I still need to go!" Senec complained on his way out the door.