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((Yet another time jump))

It seemed that they had been riding for far longer than a day and night’s time when Issildia and Sin entered a most familiar landscape some miles still from the border between the kingdoms.
Issildia continued onward through the forested area, blatantly ignoring the chill that was carried upon the northern wind…for she knew all to well that they had reached the ruins of Anier...

Intending on avoiding the ashen city all together Issildia had led them some distance to the southeast, but even so they came upon a place that held just as much memory as that of Anier.
As they entered a clearing that was surrounded by snow laden pines, Issildia silently brought her horse to a halt as she dismounted. Snow had begun to fall the day before in this region of Larovia and a light blanket of white covered the ground as well as the trees. But even so she suspected she knew exactly where they were.

Without uttering a word to Sin she dropped to a knee and reached into the snow and immediately withdrew the blackened shaft of an arrow that had long since shed its fletching and lost its tip. Issildia then stood with the shaft in her hand and then looked at the surrounding trees, she approached them and brushed away the icy and snow that now covered them to reveal the grim scars of gashes left behind the stray blows of a sword.

This was the place where they had been attacked by the larovian scouts all that time ago…as they had attempted to evacuate Lady Matier from the city.
"Namarie'...Nai hiruvalye’ Valimar. Nai elye hiruva" she whispered as she dropped to a knee as both an act of respect and of mourning.


(Translations~Farewell, may you find your way to the halls of your ancestors...and may we meet again when my time should come.)

Quickly Issildia came to her feet as Sin fell, her memory of this place was wrenched back to the present as she approached Sin. “What’s wrong?” she exclaimed, concerned that she had pushed him to far in terms of endurance. They had gone far with little reprieve from travel, and they still have much farther to go…

~Reinsen had stopped in his tracks as Greivous made his next statement. The look on his face suggested that he was becoming quite irritated with so many questions. He turned to Greivous and made his statement, loud, clear and absolute.~

Listen to me carefully boy. Your brother's actions are his own. Less he decided to turn his attack upon my castle, your people will not be harms. You are becoming quite bothersome with your questions. When I give you an order I expect it to be followed, without question nor hesitation. You WILL accompany the Northern forces to Trenius Sekia and set up camp. Those are your orders. Any further hesitation may prove hazardous to your health. Now move. I have other business to tend to.

Issildia knew well enough that they could not remain out in the open with the larovian forces on the move, they had but little choice to seek out what shelter there was.
"Come on." She uttered with resolve as she helped him up by the arm and turned to the north where only a short distance through the trees lay the ruins of Anier…

~The horses followed obediently behind them as Issildia aided Sin down the steep slope that led to Lake Veldan, which was now completely frozen over.

The ice that graced the surface of the lake held a black hue…stained with blood and with ash. Charred remnants of weaponry and other metal items that had survived the fire were all that remained on the iced over lake. And in the center…rose the haunting amassment of stone structures that remained of the once white city.

Issildia paused at the edge of the lake while helping Sin stand, she seemed almost fearful of setting foot on the ice that led to the city…and in fact she was, though not afraid of what was there but afraid of what had once been. But she pushed this to the back of her mind as she grimly stepped onto the ice.

As soon as she managed to get herself and Sin across the ice Issildia helped him to sit down behind a fallen slab of white stone that was all that remained of a roof, for now it would keep them hidden should the larovians advance upon Trenius Sekia earlier than expected. Then they would be forced to leave the outskirts of the ruins and venture closer to the center in seek of safety.~

~Within the confines of Trenia Sekia, Akurei had found himself in his audience hall, debreifing his generals to their current situation. His bodyguards, all standing to his left and his right, as he sat on his throne. He had dispatched a team to monitor Beldon Sukiyo and they had returned with information of the sort he would not find pleasing.~

Do mean to tell me that Azure has begun to awaken?

Yes, highness. The presence of Lord Azrielle has begun to reanimate his body. We believe his shadow is searching for Lady Akilah as we speak.

Has he shown any progress?

No, sire. She has done well in hiding herself.

Should we aid them in the inestigation my lord?

No, Yige. You will remain here. The four of you are my last line of defense should Reinsen's forces reach my Kingdom.

We are going to intercept them, yes?

The undead within the forest will deliver a devastating blow to his army. I would not be surprised if they did not make it through the forest with even a quarter of their troops still in tact. Though I have seen that Ryera boy visiting the Tomb of the Acolytes lately.

The Ryeras are condemned. They toy with a power that they cannot hope to control and the Lord of the Dead will see to it that they meet a most unpleasing end.

I hope you're right brother.

Either way, how far gone is Azure's awakenning?

At his current rate, he will awaken within a matter of days...maybe less. Either way, he wil not be at full strength until...

Yes. We cannot allow him to compromise our objectives. Atrista, I want you to go to Baledon Sukiyo, and keep an eye on Azure. Be sure that no one discovers his body....and lives to tell about it.

Yes, my lord.

The time is growing near. Our target is Reinsen Nevar. Should he appear in he battlefield, concentrate all your movements to his position. Show him no mercy.

"If... I can vent my power there then... it will have to do..."

The sweat had dissipired from Sin as he was now just steaming as the water inside his body was evaperating before he could even sweat it out.

Issildia merely nodded as she set her left hand on his shoulder and her right on the hilt of her sword as she dropped to kneel. Suddenly the breath seemed to still in her lungs as frost spread over both their forms rendering them as immobile as statues of stone.
As this happened their spirits crossed over onto the astral plane parallel to that of Life.
Spread out before them was a flat landscape that colored in a grayscale. The only feature that interrupted the landscape was a dark river that traveled off towards a curtain of mist in the distance that marked the first gate that led into the deeper regions of the realm.
With the bright presence of Life at their backs Issildia looked at Sin.
"Do what needs to be done..." she then seemed to disappear back into the light at their backs as her spirit returned to her body in Life so that she could guard his body and avoid any harm from what ever measures he had to take to return himself to normal.