*SNAP*

A line of light cut itself through the air in front of her and extended a few inches above her head and down to her feet before bursting open. It revealed an entirely different scene from what was surrounding it. If one were to take just a small step to either side, they would see the rolling green of the lower plains but in this image was another, much smaller mansion surrounded by trees and a newly erected brick wall. With barely a head tilt, she and her companion took a confident step through.

Gates were such a trifle.

When on the other side, she waved her hand in dismissal and the gate sputtered shut behind her. There were other ways to travel that were more inconspicuous, but she knew where she was going. With a long and heavy sigh, she put a hand on her hip and hesitated for the briefest of moments. Her companion gently tapped her on the shoulder and the pair made their way into the trees not far from where the house stood.

For several moments, they walked carefully over fallen timber and unearthed rocks. There was a path to follow, but the ones who lived here were diligent in maintaining its unkempt look.

Intruders of any kind were not welcome here. Not unless they wanted to become food for some of the more unsavory creatures that occupied this place.

When they reached the stone door, the man at her side held up his hand and a set of locks could be heard from the other side. With a small click, the door slowly opened to reveal a long and reshaped stair that led through a dark hall.

“I’m sure he’ll be pleasantly surprised to see you,” he said with a smile, raising his hand to usher her along.

“You are sometimes unbearably optimistic,” she chuckled to which he returned with a small head nod.

“Some things will never change.”

The pair quickly descended down the steps, the door closing on its own behind them with a small thud. It wasn’t far from the door to the center room, a large carved out dome chamber that once served as a throne to a most irritating foe. Since her allies move into this place, however, they were finally able to turn it into something far less pretentious and more useful, for that matter. Several magical implements were busy scrawling along open books, recording information from old and disintegrating tomes and scrolls in order to preserve their knowledge.

The scratch of quill on paper was the only sound except for their breathing and an occasional draft from the corridors.

It was still the middle of the day, so she nodded her head at the place that was absent of people except, she suddenly heard shuffling from inside the library. A lanky, tall and somewhat disheveled man walked into the center room with his nose in a book when he stopped short of his destination to take notice of their guests. His eyes went wide, removing the spectacles from his face and used them to point at each of them.

“Laini...Mihr!” he exclaimed in a thick British accent. “Fancy...seeing you two here…”

He shifted on his heels in an awkward gesture. He was never sure if he should be nervous and worried around these two. It was always awkward.

“Luke,” Mihr bowed his head and smiled, trying to get him to relax. "I'm sure a visit isn't all that out of the ordinary is it?"

"You usually come with ill tidings, Mihr..." Luke gulped a little but tried to shake off his obvious discontent.

“Is Nebedtka awake?” Laini asked. Luke gulped but nodded.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. He’s in the very back near the treasure room. He and Nicator are studying the outside of that large chest with the cuneiform on the front. I’m sure you’ve seen it…” he replied.

Laini walked passed him and into the library with Luke staring at her back to watch. Mihr lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

“Is everything alright?” Luke asked before turning back to face him.

“I think so. Would you mind fetching Celeste for us?” Mihr asked. Luke’s eyes went wide again but he acknowledged Mihr’s request and left the room through another door. Mihr sighed and followed after Laini. When he found her, she was standing just behind where her brother and a Roman named Nicator were hovering over a large stone box. It was covered in runes and ancient writing; clearly, it was meant to keep something sealed.

“Ifrit, if I had a guess...,” Laini leaned back to Mihr when he took a few steps closer. His face distorted in slight disgust shuddered. The very thought of such a creature made his skin crawl.

“Presence of a chaotic beast make you nervous, Mihr?” A very handsome dark-skinned man stood up straighter and beamed a smile from his cleanly shaved face. He looked exactly like Laini except for his obvious male features. Both he and Laini, to the trained eye, looked very nearly identical to the stalwart Egyptian statues that were carved centuries ago and all their regal splendor was lay to bear. “Haven’t heard of one of these on this world in, what, a few hundred years?”

“Surea’s home was attacked by an Ifrit long ago...at least, that’s what Octavia told me. To have one so close and caged...could be trouble at some point,” Nicator remarked. He shook his head in Mihr’s direction in a polite greeting to the pair. “Mihr, Laini. It’s good to see you.”

“Nicator…” Laini replied with a nod before turning her attention back to her brother. He crossed his arms and waited for her to continue. With a deep breath, she finally straightened herself up and looked directly into his face. “I am requesting your presence for a small thing I’d like to do.”

Nebedtka glared a little but shrugged and bade her continue with a small wave of his hand.

“I have…” she started but huffed. She was clearly unaccustomed to being that nervous. Nebedtka’s face changed from suspicion to concern and took a few measured steps towards her. He was taller than her by a few inches and despite being the more powerful of the two, having to look up to her brother in such a manner was always a humbling and intimate gesture. As if the siblings shared a secret and unspoken language. “I am going to tell Celeste about our life in Egypt. I’d like to invite you to the table to help me fill in the details.”

Neb screwed up his face but then frowned very deeply.

"Why?" he asked. Laini lowered her head and stared at his chest before taking a breath in.

"I'm...growing weary, brother."

“Are you leaving us?” He asked. Laini lowered her eyes to the floor for a long moment before answering. Very carefully, she glanced over her shoulder at Mihr who tried to give her a reassuring smile.

“Not yet,” she sighed. “I am going to, at least, stay for as long as this fight continues but when it ends? Yes. I think I will.”

The reality of how long he and his sister have been alive hit Nebedtka with all the force of a large rock and it visibly shook him. Nicator put his hand on his back to keep him from faltering. 

“We…” he started, grabbing his chest, “we entered this world together.”

“I do not wish for you to mourn for me, brother. We rightfully should have died--” he cut her off with a hand on her mouth.

“Do not tell me not to mourn for you,” Nebedtka grit his teeth, fangs bare with very clear agitation. “We may have had very different lives and different ideas as time went on and you have changed so much since our days at home, but you are still my sister.”

His heart was thudding in his chest.

“The day you leave this world, voluntarily or otherwise will be a very sad day...for me and for mother.”

They stood like this for a long while before a set of steps broke the silence around them.

“What’s this all about?” a woman’s voice asked. Laini turned and was face to face with a fair skinned, long blonde haired an chubby thing whose face was distorted in confusion. She felt her eye twitch when the woman tilted her head as if to press her on whatever her message or instructions were. “Are ya’ll alright?”