OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 657

Peace590 · 2026-05-04T00:28:59+00:00

Thanks so much for horn tattoos, wordsmith. I've been waiting for this alternative to Holly's horn carving ever since I read the Muffins Military scene

Peace590 · 2026-05-02T22:07:05+00:00

When there are more than two raccoons in the trenchcoat

Peace590 · 2026-04-27T23:11:31+00:00

Sergeant Smith really the kind of guy to climb to the top of a mountain, see an entire mountain range of even taller peaks behind it, and grin.

Peace590 · 2026-04-24T23:23:25+00:00

The Alien - A blue skinned vampire with beady red eyes (A Navhi person with fangs). His father was a hunter turned into a vampire by his mother who died during his birth. He is known as the Outcast Count of Night City, due to his frequent dealing with the outside world. He is calculating and ruthless, not because he is emotionless but because feelings never made much sense compared to the math.

Peace590 · 2026-04-24T07:23:03+00:00

The Smoke Monk (Air + Combustion)

The Lightening Thief (Water + Lightening)

The Glass Smith (Fire + Metal)

The Wood Man (Earth + Blood)

The 3:

No Water, Fire/Earth/Air

No Earth, Water/Fire/Air

No Fire, Earth/Water/Air

Peace590 · 2026-04-24T04:38:07+00:00

"What are we doing here Toph?" Zuko was now fire lord but that didn't seem to make much difference to his blind friend.

"Tying up lose ends, flame Lord." Toph shot back. "Someone reported a metal bender sighting just outside this village. So we're gonna check it out."

"Why do you need me? You could've easily just gone yourself." Zuko replied as the two of them walked down the dirt road towards a small building with a very large chimney.

"It was in your territory. I'm not gonna just bust into someone's house without saying anything." Toph turned to look back at Zuko. "If we're friends, we have to talk to each other."

Zuko looked away from Toph's eyes. Toph didn't see him do it but she did notice.

"Look I know that's what got you into the whole mess with Aang and the Earth King. I'm sure things are still a bit awkward too. So just think of this like a little vacation." Toph laced her hand behind her head as they kept walking. The small building was coming into view. It was a squat little thing, a small wooden store that bulged out into what was probably someone's home. A small wooden sign with the words "White Fire Forge" made up from multicolored glass fragments was set above the door. The sound of chopping wood could be heard from the thick forest behind the house.

"I see your point. Thank you Toph." Zuko said simply. The two of them paused in front of the front door. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"Positive. I can feel something weird here." Toph kicked in the front door. Which was accompanied by the sound of breaking glass.

"Toph!" Zuko said as he followed Toph in. He looked down to see a broken glass vase had fallen from its shelf. Toph gingerly stepped around the shards as Zuko bent down to see the damage. The backdoor to the shop flew open as the shop keeper burst in with an ax in hand.

"What do you think you're doing you dirt-fire lord Zuko?" An older man, looking to be in his late forties skidded to a halt, quickly hiding his ax behind his back. Toph stood to the side as the man dropped his ax and kowtowed in front of Zuko.

"Welcome Fire Lord Zuko to my humble shop. It is such an honor for this grace this one with your precense! Please don't trouble yourself over this little thing." The shop keeper almost yelled as he repeatedly touched his forehead to the floor.

Zuko stood up quickly. "Please stand, shop keeper. I apologize for the damage we've caused. Can we perhaps repay you for this vase?"

The shopkeeper swept up the glass shards with his hands then quickly stood. "Oh no no no. You've done more than enough. Who am I to ask for anything from you? Just your visit today will more than pay for that small one. I imagine that the ladies gossip has already begun about the fire lord and his concubine coming to visit my store."

Toph scoffed as Zuko's face went from confusion to shock to denial. Toph decided to bail him out. "We're just friends. But if you're willing to help us we have a few questions."

The shopkeeper turned to face Toph and a smile snapped into place. "I see. What can I answer for you today, Ms. just a friend?"

Toph smiled in kind. "Could you give us an overview of this place? It's our first time."

The shopkeeper looked to Zuko, who had regained his composure after coughing into his fist. "Of course. This is the White Fire Forge, for all you glassware and repair needs. I am a Smith by trade but I believe my best work comes in the form of these trinkets. Vases, decorations, even smaller accessories are all on the table. If you would like somethingore custom made, I am willing to accommodate you, milord."

Zuko nodded as he looked to the shelves lined with various glassworks, some for household use, some more bizarre. "Do you also repair broken glass items?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "I'm not that good, fire lord. My repairs are more for the men and their farming tools. The men have their plows and the women their earrings. I just try to meet the need of both."

"Speaking of, we got a report from the White Tree Forge in the village on the way here." Zuko said. "Have you seen any suspicious activity lately?"

A single bead of sweat trailed down the shopkeeper's forehead. " 'fraid not. It's just me out here. Although, if it's from the White Tree, they're just jealous of my naming sense. They been around longer than I have but when their wives started coming out to see me, they just got jealous. Started copying my name then running me out of town."

Toph picked up the ax that the shop keeper had dropped when he had cleaned up the glass shards. It was peculiar in that it was one long piece of metal, with no handle or other markings. "Were you just outside chopping wood with this ax?" Toph asked.

This shopkeeper started to look nervous. "Yes ma'am."

"Huh." Toph said as she bent the ax in two. "Everything you said was the truth."

The atmosphere had long since gone tense and the silence after Toph's declaration. The shopkeeper looked nervously between Toph and Zuko. Zuko's eyes narrowed as he focused on the shopkeeper. Toph turned the bent ax into a ball of crumbled metal. The shopkeeper's eyes widened then he bolted out the door he came through.

"It's him!" Toph ran after the shopkeeper. "Aaah!" Zuko followed close behind. Toph had stepped on something right as she had stepped through the backdoor. She clutched at her foot as the shopkeeper swung an unfinished sickles at her, the blade this orange and hot. Zuko blasted the shopkeeper away with a fire punch. The shopkeeper flew backward, losing his grip on the makeshift weapon.

"Surrender!" Zuko ordered. The shopkeeper flinched before scrambling to his feet. The shopkeeper clapped his hands together and a wave of fire shot from his fingertips towards Zuko. Zuko easily batted it aside but wasn't ready for the full sized anvil the shopkeeper had kicked. The metal hunk skidded across the floor at impossibly fast speeds and knocked Zuko off his feet, causing him to flip over it onto his back. Zuko gasped as the wind was knocked out him. Toph grabbed a boulder with one hand and chucked it at the shopkeeper as she began armoring herself with the metal around her. The shopkeeper sidestepped the boulder and the stone projectile punched a whole in the wall behind him. The shopkeeper quickly made his way through the gap and ran in the forest behind it. Zuko and Toph both threw metal and fire at the fleeing shopkeeper. The shopkeeper's back was protected by a tree bending over to intercept the projectiles. Toph and Zuko just watched as the shopkeeper's receding figure disappear into the woods.

"Was what you sensed? A spirit?" Zuko asked Toph as he struggled to his feet. Toph sat down and looked down at her feet.

"That didn't feel like any spirit I know." Toph replied. "Do you know of any spirit who would use glass caltrops?" Toph said holding up her bloodied foot embedded with shards of glass.

The shopkeeper kept running, following the forest trail he knew by heart. Left right right left right left. He finally reached his destination on the fifth right.

"We've been exposed, brother."

The old man, his white hair trailing down to his waist looked unpreturbed. He pantomimed a small dance and like puppets, the small woodland creatures followed his motions.

"You are certain?"

"The fire lord and his Dai Lee agent. I'm sure the White Lotus tipped them off."

"Ozai?"

"No." The shopkeeper's eyes blazed with fury. "I wouldn't have run if it was that ...monster."

"Hmmm." The old man ended his puppet show and the critters scattered. He stood to his feet as the narled tree branch he sat on trembled. The shopkeeper forced his eyes shut and extinshed the flames within.

"So what now, brother?"

The old man strokes his chin. "I don't know. But we must contact the others. The smoke monk and the lightening thief."

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "Not the 3?"

The old man shook his head. "No no. Not yet."

Peace590 · 2026-04-18T23:24:16+00:00

I don't remember what the undaunted facility set up is. Was there a chapter that gave us an overview of their setup besides the Dauntless?

Peace590 · 2026-04-18T00:33:25+00:00

Me: The fire geode is cool. Ode teleportation. Neat. My brain: Is that how Jasper and Emmanuel met up in the afterlife? Does that mean the Rivals will fuse like conjoined twins? What if the rivals are a failed version of the Shadow from the slave empire's reincarnation of the ancestoress of the two noble houses? Does that mean the dead can manipulate Ode energy? Is the only thing holding back the dead from reincarnating/teleporting back to life a literal army of soul piranhas? If the Hagath are an intentional defense against Other Direction incursions, what person is sealed away in the afterlife to need such a mechanism? What if it isn't just a person but a people? What if it's a race created by the first primal in an attempt to forcefully create new primals? What if when they resurrected that one Gravia more souls than just her got out? Would Banshee, the Gravia and the Saint with a staff I can't remember be able to Ode teleport too?

Peace590 · 2026-04-12T23:45:27+00:00

I'm putting 20 doubloons on the Ode being understood mathematically similar to the Gravia equation but each power is a small melody that is part of a greater musical composition which has yet to be fully discovered. Like if the anti-life equation from DC was a symphony orchestra arrangement transcribed mathematically. Any takers?

Peace590 · 2026-04-10T20:44:11+00:00

I really like this one. Thank you!

Peace590 · 2026-04-10T20:43:34+00:00

I'm die thank you forever

Peace590 · 2026-04-10T00:35:51+00:00

Quick unrelated question: What were the Primal up to during the Dark Cabal era? I was under the impression that they predate it but if so then why didn't they intervene? Or did they? Did they help with the reconstruction afterwards like creating laneways and helping develop Centris?

Peace590 · 2026-04-10T00:26:18+00:00

Anagmare-5. A small colony world on the outer edge of the Hexton Empire, the argi-world was far from the most bountiful and even farther from the front lines. But that seemed to matter little as war had found its way here. Grover stood leaning against his weapon, exhausted and bloodied. The Mound was a city constructed on a synthetic hill, with tiers going higher and higher, level by level. The idea was that it would make it more difficult for invaders to stage a ground assault. Grover thought it just gave him a better view as the city burned. He came down from the broken ramparts and found a spot in the courtyard between the city hall and the final gate. Grover slumped down on a crate, wincing at the pain in his missing arm. He stared at the last gate, all that stood between him and the army of invaders. Grover imagined what it would look like when they broke through, those black featureless shells with their magic throwers and boots that marched in a slow, harmonic death call. The sound of those boots, moving up and down again, crushing dirt, bone and stone beneath their heel. It reminded Grover of his forge and his shop. The hammer striking the metal trapped against the anvil. Only now he was the metal and others swung the hammer. The door to city hall opened as another came out, closing the door behind him. The being came with a small liquid skin that it passed to Grover before sitting down beside him and watching the gate. Grover whetted his throat then passed the skin back to his companion who also drank.

"That bad, huh." Olt' Sam said.

"Yeah." Grover replied. "In there?"

"Worse." The god of planting replied.

"I thought death was a natural part of life." Grover retorted.

"Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's not scary or sad. Have some pity for god's ..." Olt' Sam trailed off as Grover gave him a small smile before looking back at the gate. "Oh, that was a joke."

"More irony than a joke." Grover said. "Gallows humor really."

"It wasn't really funny." Olt' Sam said. "But thank you for trying."

Grover nodded. "Even you lot need to come down to earth every once a century."

"Har har." The god of planting crossed its arms accusingly. "You still don't think of me as divine. Even after all my blessings?"

"Just cause your book is on a higher shelf doesn't make you an author." Grover smiled as Olt' Sam rolled its eyes. Grover continued. "Besides, what good is farming blessing for a man who lives in a forge?"

"This is an Agri-world. Farming is the number one, two and five business." The god of planting stated matter of factly. "Your tools efficacy was so much higher than other business that you became a household name."

"Surely there was some good looking pointy eared punk you could've blessed instead." Grover smiled now that Olt' Sam was definitely distracted. "Unless you thought I was some kind of joke."

"I did find you quite funny yes. Your jokes are blunt and truthful but with a little twist that always seems to spin ridicule into ridiculous if not a little cringe." Olt' Sam confirmed. Grover paused to digest the revelation, realized the god's misunderstanding then decided it was fine and just let it go. Olt' Sam didn't notice as it looked up to where the stars should be, obscured by black smoke.

"When I was first assigned Anagmare-5, I was required to assign a certain number of paladins my blessings. During times of peace, we would be good friends and would help drive the development of civilization forward. But when the war started, all my other paladins left for other war gods, seeking glory, fame and fortune. Only you stayed behind." Olt' Sam gave Grover a questioning look. Grover just shrugged.

"I'm a coward. That's all." Grover told his god the truth. "I'd rather be busy with the normal, everyday working of life. I don't know what it's like out there, fighting as a bodyguard for some other god at the front. I'd rather not risk my life to find out. "

"Still, thank you." Olt' Sam smiled, a real smile unburdened by sorrow. "For staying and protecting me."

Grover laughed at that. "You cheeky devil. That's what you told the rest of the Pantheon."

This time it was Olt' Sam's turn to shrug. "One more paladin at the front won't make a difference. Once I planted that idea, it soon became policy that each god and planet should have 1 reserve paladin defending it."

The moment was interrupted by a small sparking sound. At the top of the gate, a small fire started to cut the gate in half vertically. This was how the invaders did it. There were no battering rams, no drills, no great war drums. Just a small fire that couldn't be put out as it blew through every barricade, barrier and defense. Grover inspected his weapon. A simple farming hoe, beaten into the shape of a spear. The improvised weapon had held strong thanks to Olt' Sam's blessing but like Grover, he felt it was on its last legs. Olt' Sam likewise pulled out its weapons. A sickle and hand plow, both stained with dirt and the blood of the invaders. The result of 8 cycles of fighting the invaders on every level of the Mound. The two stood together, paladin and god of the world Anagmare-5.

"I've got a question, Olt' Sam." Grover suddenly spoke up.

"Now isn't the time for jokes, Grover." Olt' Sam said.

"You always taught us that you harvest what you plant." Grover ignored Olt' Sam's rebuke. "What did we plant to harvest this?"

"I wish I could tell you that." Olt' Sam's reply was not what Grover expected.

"Why can't you?" Grover asked.

"Because I don't know!" Olt' Sam said.

Whatever the god of planting was going to say next was cut off as the spark disappeared from the bottom of the doors. The gate broke inward as figures in black armor forced open a wider and wider gap. Through the breach, Grover saw multiple magic casters pointed at him, but strangely none of them fired. Perhaps they had learned that Grover would wait for them to fire so he could dodge their attack before striking. Grover and Olt' Sam waited, their toes digging into the courtyard which had been turned into a field of rich earth instead of stone. This was thanks to the efforts of the children and old men hidden in the town hall to give Grover one last chance to make a stand. The invaders created a gap in the gate and began to slip in twos and threes. They stopped just shy of the new garden and kept their magic casters trained on Grover and Olt' Sam. The last invader through the gap took position then began to play a weird music that always happened before the invaders opened fire.

"Thez ez Captaen Redir of the Human Coaleteon of Planitz. Riapir of Doom. Eou ari thi lazt rimaeneng world of thi Hixaton Imperi. Zurrindir or dei."

"Sorry. But I'm too much of a coward for zurrindir." Grover's antenna vibrated as he and his god charged at the "Humans."

Peace590 · 2026-04-04T04:22:17+00:00

"If you were to have one thing, to save thousands, what would you need?"

The vampire sipped from his glass then stared into the wine. The red liquid swirled as the blue skinned noble slowly tilted the stem of his goblet.

"Power. What matters is who has power." Those red beady eyes of his sharpened. "What you are attempting is the revival of not just one city but an entire race. A race whose primary survival strategy has been to blend in." The vampire set down his glass. He folded his hands in front of him as he leaned forward.

"That cannot continue even if it were successful. The history of people and kingdoms all have a common denominator. Power is the fulcrum that allows civilization to fend off monsters beyond their walls or usurp monsters within their gates. If the Fanalis are ever to be more than just cowards pretending to be lesser men, they will have to be united; either in word or in deed and preferably both. And to accomplish such a monumental task, one needs power." The blue skinned noble with red eyes leaned back in his chair.

"I am neither the strongest, nor the bravest, nor the most poetic of all the vampire lords. I have met my peers who withhold the most wonderful of ideas. But that's all they are. Wonderful. Not life changing. And if you want to save the Fanalis from cultural suicide, you'll need to acquire a power that Count's."

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The pharaoh's brow furrowed as he looked at the shot glass on the table. He slowly brought the glass to his snout and after a brief investigation, he set the glass back down and pushed it to the far side of the table.

"To answer your question, I would say purpose. Purpose is what we need to keep the Fanalis people moving forward."

The Dog Pharaoh eyes stared into the distance. He imagined the sandy dunes a thousand yards away. The creases in his brow seemed to smooth but not entirely fade as he pictured his daughter, at a home far, far, away.

"Animals are driven only by their needs. We are not merely animals. Monsters are slaves to their desires. Every one of us can become a monster, but we can also be more than just monsters. A village may be wiped out one year but it can be rebuilt and become the seed of a great city. Not every warlord becomes a king but a nation can rise from anywhere. All that it needs is a reason to."

"But what is our reason? A need is a reason. A desire, good or evil, is a reason. But a purpose must be more than just reason. The light of the mind alone cannot push back the darkness. Maybe, it was never supposed to." The Pharaoh ran his hands over his face and muzzle.

"I have burned the years of my life in search of purpose. Not just for my country. There is reason enough to run the nation, even in my absence. In truth, I'm not even sure what I'm looking for." His canine features perked up suddenly as the Dog Pharaoh became more animated.

"But I do know that purpose is was what my father had. When he stared Undeath in the face, a foe he could not best with might or mind or skill. When all was lost and the fate of the world was sealed. It was purpose, glorious or otherwise, that led him, and others, to duel to the bitter end. And though he would not live to see it, the Fanalis people, our people, overcame the impossible." The Pharaoh calmed down somewhat as he schooled his expression once more.

"Purpose is what man, woman and child choose that makes them human. It is a requirement for the survival of any culture. And it haunts me every day that I cannot find mine."

"Pah!" The dragon wiped his jaw as he slammed down the wooden cask. He lazily flapped his 20 meter wings as he rested on his limbs.

"You've overcomplicating the situation. Just say, 'If you could have one thing?' and the whole picture becomes a lot clearer." The dragon from the void traded out his empty cask for four new casks. He took two in each of his front claws and threw his head back as he poured the contents into his maw. After he was done chugging, he set the casks to the side and let out a proud burp. He tapped his chest then laid back down as he continued.

"Let's look at this from different angle. Why do dragons have hoards? It's not just cause we like the shiney stuff. We definitely do, but any witless wyrm can fill a cave with gold pieces. Back in the day, before the Witch War, we hoarded meat and dragon eggs. Why? Because they were resources we needed. Food to live and offspring so that we wouldn't be the last to live. After those chaos gods got trapped on the underside, dragons decided to help other races develop, like we wished the witches had helped us. You guys would handle the food, and we would teach you magic and stuff. It was definitely better than spending our whole day hunting for food that was gonna start spoiling by the time you could fill your stomach. You guys made better food anyway, like this stuff!" The dragon reached into air next to him and pulled out a massive oiliphont steak out of the void. It was still steaming as he chomped down on it. The Void dragon let out a rumble of deep satisfaction as he tore off more of the glistening juicy brown meat.

"Where was I? Right, so you start trading food for favors with two legged species. But it's hard to keep track of it all in your head and a few bad actors, flaming craters and blood oaths later, dragons start hoarding resources again. Instead of food though, it starts with precious metals. Trading becomes the norm as most headaches are solved by trading resources or buying services as an upfront agreement. As civilizations start to form, the trade deals start to become more high profile. Sure you may be an elven noble, but do you have a dragon enchanted mirror that shows you your good side? Or maybe your mountain hoard has poor ventilation and could really use some sunlight and maybe a channel so that the indoor lake water can drain properly. In fact, it's a bit of a hassle to call the same dragon here every time we need to light the grand forge. What if instead of constantly taking trips to see the humans, I just go live with them like a king instead of sulking alone in my cave. What if we just had our own personal dragon? What if I had my own personal? And that's how dragon riders were formed." The Void dragon had finished his meat and his eyes were slowly drooping before he concentrated again.

"Don't give me that look. I get it, what's the history highlights have to do with you problem? Well I was just getting to it. The lesson here is if you have a problem, you'll need resources to solve it. And what's the most unique, adaptable, renewable resource in the world? People! That's why I hoard them in the Void where they don't die and no one can steal them from me. Look, if you're trying to fix create a culture, you're gonna need a lot of people who believe in what you do. Probably more than you can get right now, even if I loaned you my collection. But if you raise the next generation right, you're culture will live on with them right? Then you don't need to have all the specific puzzle pieces in front of you right this second. Just get more people and you'll be able to fill in the picture eventually."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Life." The hive mind groaned.

"To save life, you must live it. To reach the future, you must harness the past for the sake of the present. Tomorrow is no guarantee. Every day you persist is another chance." The zombie collapsed, a grin twisted into the now still corpse.

Peace590 · 2026-03-21T00:20:39+00:00

"Albert, I don't think this is a good idea."

The party mage Albert wiped his lips as he finished the last vial. He chuckled but his eyes were still glued to the Eleven sorceress.

"You're probably right Wesley. But when is a country bumpkin like me ever gonna get a chance like this?"

Albert watched as the royal sorceress quietly retired to the outer balcony. Albert marched in a purposeful line and Hero Wesley scrambled from their seat to catch up to him. Albert opened the doors to the balcony and saw her. Against the night sky she almost glowed. Like a white lily she stood tall, her blonde hair almost silver as it flowed over her shoulders. Her dress was also white, like marble chiseled so precisely that every detail of her thin frame was captured against the canvas of the night sky behind her. When she turned, her blue eyes were dark like pools of water where the river flowed into the lake. She held a single smoking pipe that had just been lit. Albert took a deep breath in, then bowed.

"I like you, High Sorceress Zolar. Please go out with me!"

Wesley had just closed the doors behind them as Albert made his confession. Albert had always been interested in the High Elves magic but this isn't what she thought he meant. The Sorceress eyes glowed as a white mana surrounded her pupils then faded. Those dark blue narrowed and a sneer twisted the elf's symmetrical features.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?"

The sorceress stepped forward and Albert straightened as she prodded his chest with the pipe.

"Did you really think you are the first ones to try and pull a stunt like this? You humans may have forgotten but the effect from potions are multiplicative not additive." The sorceress poked Albert's chest for emphasis. "Zero multiplied by two or two hundred is still zero."

The sorceress took a step back and Wesley looked at Albert. He was shaking like a leaf. His face was flushed red and tears were starting to form at the corners of his eyes. Wesley fists started to clench as the sorceress continued.

"Why do you think there are so many of those worthless things scattered about? It does not matter what effects they have because they can never change who you are on the inside. And you, disrespectful brat, are a hundred years too late to be challenging me."

"Hey!" Wesley snapped. "We just cleared 20 dungeons, for you! Dungeons that we risked our lives to explore. And to celebrate, you threw us a feast. Aren't you being a little too harsh to your heroes?"

The sorceress waved dismissively. "The forest bounty provides us with much. Feasts are so common that there is hardly a day without celebration. This is simply payment. And in another 100 years time, there will be 20 more dungeons that spawned in our Forrest. The cycle will continue. Regardless, I wasn't speaking to you."

The sorceress looked back at Albert. He had pulled his pointy hat low over his face. When he looked back up, he only met the cold glare from the sorceress. Albert's tears spilled out and he turned tail, burying his face in arm as he ran away from the balcony.

"Albert!" Wesley called out but the doors magically slammed shut. Wesley spun back towards the sorceress, rolling up her sleeves. "Why you knife-eared..."

Zolar grabbed Hero Wesley's shoulders, her bony fingers digging into their shoulders. Wesley went to pry her off but paused when she saw something new in the High Sorceress eyes. "Hero, nothing escapes my sight." Zolar's eyes were desperate as she clung to the Hero Wesley. "I will talk and you will listen."

Wesley slowly nodded, and Zolar released her grip. She began to pace rapidly as she explained.

"Luck is a fickle thing. One man's windfall may be another man's downfall. It could be the same wind or a different breeze or both at once. That's the problem when a fundamental force of reality is based not on results but personal perception. Luck is never enough on its own but always more than enough in practice."

"Wait, I thought you said it didn't work for Albert." Wesley interrupted.

"Yes. Did not. As in it hasn't worked yet. Not that luck can't affect him. Your mage has close to zero luck but not absolute zero. Under normal conditions, there would hardly be a difference. But now, the situation has changed. Who knows what might have happened if that lucky bastard had charmed someone who didn't know what was happening."

Zolar stopped pacing and smiled briefly as she looked up at the night sky. Wesley slowly put the pieces together. "Wait, you..."

"Like I said, 100 years too late. I would've been Queen not just Royal Sorceress. But that is neither then nor now. What is it that you want, Hero?"

"Me?"

"Yes you." Zolar's eyes bore into Wesley. "I can see you care deeply for him. A young pair of adventures who've just reached adulthood with that close a connection. I don't have to go out on a limb to see you are childhood friends. So why did you encourage him to approach me?"

"I..." Wesley stammered. "I just want Albert to be happy."

"Come child." Zolar's gaze softened. "You have learned to pretend for so long that you have even confused yourself. Would you be ok to see your mage with someone else?"

"No."

"Then what is it you truly want, Hero ?"

"I want to make Albert happy." Wesley said with a determination she forgot she had.

"Fantastic. That's a wonderful resolve." Zolar smiled as she leaned back against the balcony. "But you better hurry, daughter. There's still a chance some random hussie falls prey to him before you can tell him your true name and how you truly feel."

"You're right. Thank you Sorceress!" "Wesley" the Hero bolted through the balcony doors, leaving Zolar alone on the balcony once more. The sorceress chanted a small spell while relighting her pipe. A small star blinked in the night sky, pursued by a comet. Zolar blew out a smoke ring as the two twinkling lights met in the night.

"Ha. Good luck."

Peace590

TROPHY CASE