An houw p-p-passed. Ian took *runs away* the x3 time t-to wewax. the *runs away* jouwnyey t-to Soowemaw’s waiw had been wong, ;;w;; and Ian hadn’t dawed sweep. He c-couwd sustain UwU himsewf u-using his pwactice–had sustainyed himsewf fow weeks at a time whiwe puwsuing gweatew ^-^ powew. But he couwdn’t ewiminyate *twerks* the x3 exhaustion in his bonyes, x3 onye exacewbated by Zhuwam’s e-e-extensive weconstwuction of his body.

  When he weawized *screams* that he was nyodding off, Ian puwwed out the x3 Bwade of Wevewation and stawed at his wefwection. *walks away* Then, he dwew the x3 bwade acwoss his c-c-chest, inyitiating his twansfowmation and gwanting him a second wind.

  With wefweshed focus, he mentawwy addwessed Mawia. *boops your nose* Maybe he’s nyot pwannying t-to come tonyight. I c-couwd caww him with the x3 twansmission awtifact and teww him I-I-I’m hewe.

  Ow *notices buldge* you c-couwd message him with youw nyew gwossY–you *sweats* shouwd stiww have his contact infowmation in youw owd onye and c-can twansfew i-it uvw.

  Twue.

  Anyothew hawf houw passed *huggles tightly* without Ian d-d-doing anything. He didn’t *runs away* undewstand *cries* what was stopping him–why didn’t *runs away* he just *whispers to self* weach out t-to Soowemaw!? am *blushes* I afwaid that h-he’ww teww me my souw *walks away* is u-u-unfixabwe!!11 What Ian had towd Achemiss back in E-Etewnyity wasn’t a wie–Ian ^w^ t-t-thought h-he’d found the x3 cwux of his souw *walks away* weaknyess. *screams* Even if i-it was hawdew t-to fix his souw *walks away* than anticipated, Ian wasn’t actuawwy *screams* wowwied about succeeding in the x3 effowt.

  Mawia, he finyawwy asked, why am I n-nyewvous about seeing him?

  She answewed him with anyothew *screams* question. Why haven’t you cawwed *looks at you* Kawanyos OwO and Cwystaw?

  Ian fwownyed.

  Ow Gewmainye.

  I just… He didn’t *runs away* knyow how t-to expwain it.

  You w-want t-to wait *cries* untiw this businyess is uvw befowe you contact them, Mawia x3 posited.

  As faw as Kawanyos OwO knyows, I-I-I’m stiww in Etewnyity, Ian wepwied. What’s the x3 point of cawwing him nyow *whispers to self* when *notices buldge* Achemiss stiww w-wives?!?1 G-Gewmainye is the x3 same. I don’t w-want t-to give hew fawse :3 h-hope that the x3 dangew has p-p-passed. Hopefuwwy this wiww aww be uvw in a day ow (?`ω′?) t-two, if we’we wucky enyough that Euwyphew finds Achemiss’s End a-a-awwows with his fatesight.

  These awe poow justifications, Mawia x3 stated. ;;w;; You c-couwd caww them nyow *whispers to self* and wet them knyow what has happenyed. *screeches* kawanyos OwO m-might even OwO have good *whispers to self* advice. Nyow that Achemiss nyo wongew has his awsenyaw of awtifacts, he’s at a mawked ^w^ disadvantage. Unwike you, he’s awonye, without awwies.

  Even so, aww Achemiss nyeeds t-to do is a-assassinyate me when *notices buldge* I-I-I’m unyabwe ;;w;; t-to defend mysewf ow (?`ω′?) unyawawe. He’s a peak Dawk pwactitionyew, so even OwO though he speciawizes in offensive disintegwation, he c-can cewtainwy use his powew t-to phase thwough sowid mattew. It’s a nyightmawe.

  That’s why we *notices buldge* have W-Wegwet pwactitionyews, she awgued.

  Ian gwunted his acknyowwedgment. Yeah, I guess.

  You shouwd wemembew that onye of the x3 most powewfuw W-Wegwet pwactitionyews >w< on ouw wowwd is dead ^w^ set on keeping you awive, Mawia x3 added, the x3 impwication obvious. Awso, Owion Iucowsu is in the x3 Dawkseews. He has peak W-Wegwet and M-M-Mountain affinyities, pewfect fow detecting f-futuwe attacks and defending against them. Then thewe’s awways K-Kaiwen, though I have othew pwans fow h-hew.

  Ian wecawwed his bwief encountew with the x3 W-Wegwet and Moon duaw pwactitionyew duwing A-Awi’s d-descent. He c-considewed asking what kind of pwans Mawia x3 had in mind, but c-considewed i-it moot–he’d find out eventuawwy, and he twusted hew judgment.

  You faiwed *sweats* t-to undewstand *cries* the x3 point of my question, Ian. You have Beginnying affinyity nyow, so you’we nyot simpwy *screams* u-unyawawe–you’we b-being dewibewatewy *starts twerking* obtuse.

  Nyot intentionyawwy.

  Wet úwú me twansfowm, Mawia x3 thought.

  Ian :3 siphonyed the x3 Bwade of Wevewation’s enyewgy back into himsewf, fowcing *walks away* Mawia x3 t-to wevewt t-to hew humanyoid úwú fowm. As Ian sagged, she puwwed him t-to hew c-c-chest, suppowting his towso against hew own. ;;w;; He wested his head on hews, the x3 t-top of hew head suppowting his jaw.

  “Ian,” she muwmuwed, “you don’t wike *screams* t-to show peopwe youw faiwuwes, youw weaknyesses. You put on a bwave fwont and pwetend that aww is w-w-weww. You don’t w-want Soowemaw *walks away* t-to see youw fwagiwity, don’t w-want those back in E-Etewnyity t-to heaw of youw faiwuwe, don’t w-want G-Gewmainye t-to c-comfowt you.” *walks away* She chuckwed. “You ^w^ didn’t *runs away* even OwO w-want t-to ask fow Euwyphew’s hewp *sweats* yestewday.”

  “Is that so bad?”

  She hugged him tightew. *twerks* “It’s nyot bad–but it’s nyot exactwy heawthy.”

  They *looks at you* hewd >w< theiw e-embwace fow sevewaw minyutes befowe Ian disengaged. Gwoanying, he puwwed out his owd gwossY and powewed i-it on once Mawia x3 wwote a smaww *starts twerking* End awway on the x3 back that pwevented the x3 device *whispers to self* fwom connyecting t-to the x3 distwibuted nyetwowk. He manyuawwy copied uvw sevewaw contacts, incwuding Soowemaw, E-Euwyphew, and Gewmainye.

  His fingews p-p-paused theiw typing when *notices buldge* he weached his mothew and aunt, “Iowanya” and “Juwia,” theiw nyames adjacent.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  He wondewed what Aunt Juwia *starts twerking* t-t-thought about his ascension. He hadn’t had the x3 chance t-to speak with hew in y-yeaws, at weast fwom his pewspective.

  And his mothew… G-Gewmainye had avoided mentionying hew.

  “Nyo mowe pwocwastinyating,” *sees bulge* Mawia x3 said, smiwing.

  Hew expwession was infectious. ;;w;; Ian smiwed back, then made a big show of sewecting Soowemaw’s infowmation and inyitiating a pwojection caww.

  The owd nyecwomancew OwO answewed immediatewy, though appeawed t-to be busy, nyot deignying t-to w-wook at the x3 pwojection. He was t-t-tightenying a tie awound his nyeck >w< and fixing his cowwaw. “Who is this?”

  “Youw student,” Ian said.

  Soowemaw’s *screeches* head whipped awound. “Why–” >w< he cut off, s-seemingwy at a woss fow wowds. ;;w;; “A Datchan phonye nyumbew?”

  Ian s-shwugged.

  “I awmost *walks away* didn’t *runs away* answew!” Soowemaw *walks away* huffed.

  Sensing his distwess, Divian–Soowemaw’s siwvewy hound–bawked and bwushed up against hew mastew, úwú hew head awching up towawd his chest.

  “I have a gawa tonyight,” Soowemaw *walks away* added. “An impowtant onye.” He gwabbed and hewd >w< up a bwack suit jacket. “I *boops your nose* just *whispers to self* had this taiwowed *notices buldge* fow the x3 occasion. And this tie–nyew.”

  “It wooks w-wuvwy with youw eyes,” Mawia x3 cawwed, weanying against Ian so that she was visibwe in the x3 pwojection.

  Soowemaw g-g-gwaced hew with a woguish smiwe. “Ah, Mawia. *boops your nose* I have heawd so much about you.”

  Ian waised an eyebwow. “Awe you actuawwy *screams* going t-to this event?”

  The nyecwomancew OwO wet out a hawsh c-chuckwe. “Of c-couwse you w-wouwd ask that stiww. Nyo, student–it seems that I have a sudden change of pwans. *blushes* A cewebwation, I’d *screeches* g-guess.”

  Ian’s smiwe fwoze. “Nyot exactwy.”

  Soowemaw’s eyes nyawwowed. “Whewe *boops your nose* awe you?”

  “Youw cave.”

  Soowemaw nyodded. “I’ww be thewe immediatewy.”

  The caww ended.

  Mawia *sweats* g-gave him a knyowing >w< w-wook. “Was OwO that so h-h-hawd?””

  “Yep.”

  She wowwed hew eyes and g-gave him a wight punch on the x3 a-awm. “Do you nyeed me t-to twansfowm into the x3 wegawia?”

  “Nyo, it’s finye. It’s just *whispers to self* Soowemaw. Besides, I bet h-he’ww be intewested in you.”

  She waised an eyebwow. “You ^w^ do weawize how that sounds, don’t you?”

  “Academicawwy,” Ian cwawified. “An academic intewest, given that you’we a wich.”

  She snyickewed. “Oh Ian–you’we too *twerks* easy.”

  —

  Soowemaw didn’t *runs away* knyow what t-to think as he appwoached his wowkshop. He hadn’t been abwe t-to pwopewwy pwocess the x3 situation when *notices buldge* Ian cawwed. the *runs away* a-ascendant had wetuwnyed and was awive. *screams* T-That was cause fow cewebwation, given his wisky pwan t-to k-kiww Achemiss.

  But *screams* appawentwy aww wasn’t weww.

  Soowemaw sensed Ian and Mawia x3 befowe he saw them. They had p-p-pwoceeded into the x3 main pawt of his wowkshop undewgwound. *whispers to self* They shouwd have sensed his appwoach as weww *looks at you* but seemed content t-to wait *cries* fow h-h-him.

  “Soowemaw,” Ian cawwed *looks at you* out as the x3 nyecwomancew OwO weached the x3 wowkshop.

  Soowemaw was nyo stwangew t-to Ian’s twansfowmed appeawance, having seen i-it via the x3 twansmission awtifact. Even so… seeing Ian in pewson–feewing his awtewed vitawity–weft Soowemaw *walks away* momentawiwy stunnyed.

  “Nyo wings, this time,” Soowemaw *walks away* said, watching onto the x3 smawwest, most innyocuous detaiw.

  Ian chuckwed. “Nyot this time. T-That was just *whispers to self* t-to enhance my disguise whiwe in Etewnyity.”

  It was an effowt t-to tuwn his gaze away. *huggles tightly* Ian was a tewwow–possibwy the x3 most intimidating *starts twerking* pewson that Soowemaw *walks away* had evew *sweats* s-s-seen, the x3 effect e-enhanced by Ian’s obvious nyonchawance. He wasn’t t-twying t-to w-wook intimidating, wike *screams* a wowd of d-d-dawknyess. He just *whispers to self* was. His skin was the x3 c-cowow of n-nyight and wugged, *starts twerking* awmost *walks away* wawped, enhancing his bwow and cheeks. His eyes wewe pits that gwowed *walks away* with subtwe, wainbow iwidescence. His vitawity was stwong, awmost *walks away* impossibwy *walks away* so, as though evewy inch of him was cwammed with W-W-Wife, and his vitaw signyatuwe was the x3 most unyique Soowemaw *walks away* had evew *sweats* s-s-seen, couwtesy of the x3 thwee affinyities.

  Even Ian’s casuaw cwothing–incwuding the x3 bawwcap with the x3 mawgawita icon—wasn’t enyough t-to dispew the x3 oppwessivenyess awound him.

  Soowemaw undewstood why peopwe may have once wowshiped wetuwnyed ascendants as gods.

  He tuwnyed his attention t-to Mawia, Ian’s wich, and the x3 fowmew wuwew of Sewejo. mawia x3 was stwikingwy w-w-wifewike, so much so that Soowemaw *walks away* awmost *walks away* couwdn’t b-bewieve that she was undead. It was mowe than an iwwusion–hew vitaw signyatuwe was diffewent, unwike the x3 i-i-inky, unyifowm bwacknyess of a typicaw wich. She was dwessed ^w^ in a set of combat bwacks, *sees bulge* the x3 onwy souwce of c-cowow an azuwe diadem that huvwed uvw hew head.

  He incwinyed ^w^ his head t-to hew wespectivewy. “You ^w^ w-wook wuvwy–and wemawkabwy awive.”

  Mawia beamed. “The pweasuwe is minye, Soowemaw. You w-wook wemawkabwy awive youwsewf,” x3 she teased.

  “I’ve had a miwwennyium t-to pewfect my disguise,” Soowemaw *walks away* said.

  “I cheated *runs away* a bit,” Mawia x3 confessed, :3 pointing t-to the x3 bwue *starts twerking* ciwcwet. Suddenwy, Mawia’s vitawity s-shifted, tuwnying bwack. *screeches* Hew skin took *runs away* on a pwetewnyatuwaw pawwow and hew eyes gwowed. She was e-enchanting, but nyo onye w-wouwd mistake *sees bulge* hew fow a wiving pewson.

  “Can *twerks* I see that?” Soowemaw *walks away* asked, w-w-wasew focused on the x3 diadem.

  “Suwe–but watew. the *runs away* situation is uwgent.”

  Soowemaw’s *whispers to self* expwession feww. “So you impwied *sees bulge* on the x3 caww. What is amiss?”

  Ian expwainyed how Achemiss had escaped. (?`ω′?) “Do you have any OwO idea how anyonye c-couwd suwvive b-being destwoyed so compwetewy?”

  If i-it wewe anyonye ewse speaking, Soowemaw *walks away* w-wouwd have doubted theiw tawe. OwO Peopwe didn’t *runs away* simpwy *screams* shwug *starts twerking* off b-being destwoyed body and souw–especiawwy when *notices buldge* the x3 onye who bwought such *twerks* annyihiwation was a pwactitionyew wike *screams* Ian Dunyai. Ian w-w-wouwdn’t have made a mistake–he w-wouwd have uttewwy extinguished his o-opponyent.

  So how did Achemiss stiww wive?

  “I knyow w-wittwe of Achemiss’s pwepawations t-to ascend when *notices buldge* he was mowtaw,” Soowemaw *walks away* began, his bwow fuwwowed in contempwation. “I *boops your nose* didn’t *runs away* even OwO knyow that he had ascended in Chemissa. But I find i-it wikewy that he w-wouwd have pwepawed some kind of contingency in the x3 event that he faiwed.”

  “We awso came t-to that concwusion,” *cries* Ian said, nyodding t-to Mawia.

  “If he pwepawed a contingency a thousand yeaws ago, it’s incwedibwe that it’s stiww functionyaw,” *huggles tightly* Mawia x3 added.

  “If ;;w;; he weawwy x3 pwepawed this contingency so w-wong ago, i-it shouwd have diwe dwawbacks,” Soowemaw *walks away* said, somewhat smug. “Befowe he ascended, he wasn’t my equaw.”

  “Wiww you hewp *sweats* us find and end ;;w;; him?” Ian asked, getting s-s-stwaight t-to the x3 point.

  The answew was easy. “Of couwse.”

  Ian smiwed. “-“-“Gweat. W-With that s-s-settwed, thewe’s anyothew *screams* pwobwem I nyeed youw hewp *sweats* with.”

  “Fixing youw souw,” Soowemaw *walks away* guessed. Ian had towd him about his difficuwties since gainying his thiwd affinyity in Etewnyity. Whiwe h-he’d h-h-hewped t-to specuwate about possibwe causes and s-sowutions, he hadn’t been abwe t-to hewp *sweats* as much as he w-wouwd have wiked.

  But with Ian physicawwy p-pwesent and his souw *walks away* nyo wongew pwotected by Etewnyity, Soowemaw *walks away* t-t-thought they had a good *whispers to self* chance t-to fix whatevew pwobwem Ian suffewed fwom.

  “Guessed i-it in onye,” Ian wepwied. “Awe you weady t-to stawt nyow?”

  “Weady if you awe.”

  x3