It was inevitable, Leon supposed, that this meeting would come.  If his Kingdom were to prepare to venture into the Nexus, then he’d have to consult with the only man in his Kingdom who had personal experience with the place.

Justin Isynos.

Leon met him in a small, private sitting room joined only by Valeria.  Justin was shown into the room only a few minutes later by one of Leon’s Tempest Knights, and if he had less control over himself, Leon might’ve stared in shock at the man’s appearance.

The Justin Isynos that he remembered over the past nearly seventy years was a man recovering from catastrophic bodily damage that had reverted him from an eighth-tier mage to a fourth-tier mage.  So badly mangled was his body that Justin had told Leon that he’d expected to die before reaching the seventh-tier again.  However, to make Valeria happy, Leon had given the man a few Hesperidic Apples to accelerate his healing.

Clearly, the healing had worked out well for Justin, for he walked into the room with confidence and a straight back.  Wrinkles carved deep trenches across his face, but aside from this sign of age, Justin moved like a man in his prime.  What took Leon even more by surprise was that Justin’s aura was that of a robust and healthy eighth-tier mage.  Leon didn’t know if he’d recovered all of his power, but if he hadn’t, it made little difference.  It appeared that Justin had made a full recovery.  He’d certainly aged quite a bit, but he had years of strength left—enough, perhaps, to reach Apotheosis, if Leon were to allow him access to ambrosia…

“My little girl,” Justin exclaimed as he pulled Valeria into a tight hug.

“Father,” Valeria said in a dignified manner, though the way she sank into his embrace made her look like a kid rather than the fully grown tenth-tier mage that she was.

The sight hit Leon like a needle in the heart.  Though she was stronger than her father, Valeria could still seek comfort in him.  Leon was denied the same comfort, and Justin shared much of that blame.

But he kept quiet, schooling himself not to show anything that he was feeling.  Thankfully, Justin and Valeria didn’t take long to catch up.  They exchanged a few pleasantries, and then Valeria returned to Leon’s side.  Together, they sat on a chaise lounge while Leon glared at his father-in-law.

Justin, meanwhile, took a more diplomatic stance, remaining on his feet while he weathered the intensity of Leon’s gaze with grace and poise.  “King Leon,” he declared, “decades ago I pledged to join your cause.  Now that you’re preparing to head to the Nexus, I am ready to fulfill that pledge.”  He bowed at the waist, not quite reaching ninety degrees but still lowering himself more than far enough to show Leon the proper respect.

“Relax,” Leon growled, his tone not quite conducive to relaxation.  “Sit.  Let’s talk.”

Valeria didn’t verbally scold Leon for his demeanor, but he felt her fingers tighten around his arm, and he knew he’d displeased her.  He took a deep breath and reminded himself that he’d already put what Justin had done behind him.  Justin had given him no reason in the years since Leon pulled him from Nestor’s lab to doubt his commitment to their cause.

So, Leon followed his own order and relaxed.  In a tone that was a touch friendlier, he observed while Justin sat in the lounge across from him and Valeria, “You look much better than I expected.”

“Ah, thank you,” Justin replied as he fingered his blue tunic.  He was dressed quite simply, hardly looking like he was going to meet with a figure that possessed effectively divine power.  “I was a bit worried I wasn’t dressing well enough to meet with a King.  But I wondered how much you might appreciate gold and jewels, and decided to refrain from anything ostentatious.”

Valeria snickered.  “Translation: you couldn’t afford anything better.”

With mock outrage, Justin glared at his daughter.  “How dare you!  That is certainly not the case!  I am very wealthy!  Indeed, yes!”

Leon chuckled, half in appreciation for their banter and half to interrupt it before he could get more depressed about what Justin had taken from him than he already was.  “You pull off the humble look well, Justin.  But I was talking about your health, too; how has your healing gone?”

A more genuine look crossed Justin’s face as he gave Leon a grateful smile, then flexed his aura.  “The healers in Stormhollow are exceptionally competent.  They are some of the best I have ever known.  Those in Heaven’s Eye were brilliant as well, but the care I have received here blew away all of my expectations.  I have recovered all of my power, to the point that I am stronger now than I was before my foolish attempt to raid Nestor’s tomb.  And I have you to thank for that, Leon—you, and the quality care of the healers that you have so graciously given me access to.”

Leon had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from saying that he did so to make Valeria happy, judging that that might not sound as good as he thought it would.  So, he simply gave Valeria a warm smile, then said to Justin, “You’re very welcome.  Shall we get down to business?”

“Please,” Justin agreed.

Over the next quarter hour, Leon summarized his plans.  He would lead the expedition to the Nexus in one year’s time.  He’d take with him all of the Void-capable arks that his Kingdom possessed and attempt to establish a colony in the Nexus.  Those arks would then facilitate a transfer of materials to and from the Nexus, ensuring that he could still take advantage of the industry on Aeterna even while he was elsewhere.

During that time, Leon projected his chosen site for where he wanted to establish his colony and explained the general geographic situation there.  He ended his explanation with the speculation that the seas to the south were the domain of the Ocean King.

“You wouldn’t be mistaken in that assumption,” Justin whispered as he leaned forward to examine Leon’s projection in more detail.  “All the oceans of the Nexus technically fall under the Ocean King’s jurisdiction, but in practice, many are separated from each other by long straits and rivers.  If you’re particularly unlucky, then this will be the Ocean King’s own home ocean, but if you’re a little more fortunate, then this ocean will be ruled by anywhere from one to three Anakes.  If you know more about the surroundings, I could make a better guess.”

“This is all I was given by the Grave Warden,” Leon said apologetically.

Justin pursed his lips slightly, then shrugged and stated, “I’ll do my best to make a risk assessment, then.  The Ocean King is one of the most powerful mages in the universe.  By Khosrow’s Law, he rules over the magical element of water.  All water mages, if they follow Khosrow’s Law, owe the Ocean King their allegiance.  Despite this, the Ocean King can only exert his influence over those he can reach, whether personally or through proxies.  Many water mages fall outside his reach, aligning with various Anakes, Basileis, or even other Elemental Kings who might reward them for forsaking the Ocean King in their favor.  It’s all hard to gauge right now as I’ve been absent from the Nexus for nearly a century.

“The Ocean King is hardly bullied in this regard, however, as he entices mages of other elements to swear themselves to him, too.  Still, he seems to feel that it’s in his best interest to not simply rest on his laurels, content in simply being one of the universe’s rulers.  He believes that the best way to gain power is to use power.  So, he frequently enforces buffer zones between his territory and those of other Anakes or Elemental Kings.”

Leon nodded along, though his impatience must’ve been more visible than he thought because when Justin looked up at him, he straightened up a bit and finished his short political explanation.

“What I’m trying to say, Leon, is that if we’re unlucky, then this region could be one of those buffer zones.  Especially if these are the chaotic Storm Lands, then the Ocean King—or whatever Anax may rule these waters—might take umbrage if you decide to settle here.”

One of Leon’s hands went to his chin as he stared at the map, losing himself in thought.  An Anax was one of the most powerful titles in the Nexus, so often associated with fourteenth and fifteenth-tier mages that he figured the vast majority of Anakes would be at least fourteenth-tier.  Even if they weren’t, just to reach that rank would require power of a different sort that he didn’t have.  He was only a freshly ascended eleventh-tier mage; he couldn’t stand against an irate Anax, no matter who they were.  His best option was to slowly build and consolidate his power, but if more powerful mages took notice of him simply due to where he’d decided to settle…

He sighed.  “Even with those concerns, this remains the best option for us.  The other locations are too dangerous or don’t have the same abundance of resources.  Not to say any of those other sites are barren, but…  We’ll take this risk.  Perhaps someone will notice us here, perhaps they won’t.  We’ll see when we arrive, and if we’ve bitten off more than we can chew, then we’ll leave.  Simple as that.”

“Things are rarely so clean in the Nexus,” Justin warned.  “They’ll certainly not be so simple when you go after Lord Kamran.”

Leon’s expression turned even more serious than it already was, a feat that he didn’t think he was capable of.  “Right.  Lord Kamran.”

“Mother’s captor…” Valeria whispered.

“And the man who orchestrated the fall of my Clan,” Leon finished.  His eyes darted to Justin.  “According to you, anyway.”

“He’s the one who sent me here to track you and your father down,” Justin clarified.  “A suicide mission as far as he was concerned, I’m sure.  Or at least, one that would keep me away from my wife.”  His expression went dark.  Leon remembered that Valeria’s mother was Kamran’s ward, a woman that Kamran treated as his own daughter.  Justin had overstepped in starting a relationship with her, and his mission to Aeterna was essentially banishment.

Without relaxing his expression, Justin addressed Leon, “Though Kamran was responsible for many of the purges of your Clan after the death of Jason Keraunos, he sent me here not to continue purging the Thunderbird Clan but to strike against the Dragon Federation.  He was responsible for the attack on your home that separated you and your father from your mother.  Still, he’s your enemy no matter how you look at it.  He desires the title of Storm King, so even if he weren’t prejudiced against you for your blood, you and he would still wind up in conflict.”

Justin paused a moment and grimaced.

“This conflict will be inevitable…  Those of Inherited Bloodlines are not treated well in his land, regardless of Clan…”

Leon understood that.  He dimly remembered Justin expressing such views before Leon had formally taken him captive during the expedition to Nestor’s lab.

“Do you remember the primary allies he had before I left?” Justin asked.

Leon nodded.  “Aeschylus, ranked as a Despot.  A former vassal of my Clan, and the man who took possession of the Clan vault after its fall.  There’s also Antipatra, a fire mage, ranked as a Basilissa.  Triton, too—a water mage also ranked as a Basileus.”

“Good,” Justin whispered.  “Who knows what’s happened in the past century, but I would hazard a guess and say that those three remain your biggest challenges to overcome if you wish to challenge Kamran.  Despite their relatively low ranks, none are to be underestimated.  A Despot will invariably be stronger than you even if they’re technically required to be a twelfth-tier mage.  Same with the Basileis.”

“I’m taking that into consideration,” Leon stated.  “My priority is to establish the colony, then gather information.  I’m not going to be hunting down Kamran as soon as I touch ground in the Nexus.”

“Good, because if he realizes that you’ve arrived, then he’ll go out of his way to crush you underfoot.”

“Ha!” Valeria sarcastically cried out.  “I’d like to see him try!  Woe to him if he does!  My glaive will taste his blood as it has so many of our other enemies!”

Leon grinned at his wife’s enthusiasm, even if it was only playful, but Justin looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

“Please, dear girl… don’t,” he muttered.  “I would die if anything were to happen to you.  Please don’t.”

Valeria shot her father a spirited grin and shrugged.  “I think we all know that if Kamran were to encounter Leon, he’d die in only a moment.”

“Let’s… not set our expectations that high,” Leon cautioned, though his face was in danger of splitting in half by the width of his grin.

In a transparent attempt to get them to move on, Justin said, “When we reach the Nexus, I can reach out to some old friends.  With your permission, I can get the lay of the land fairly quickly once we arrive in the Nexus.”

“An eighth-tier mage has such connections?” Leon asked.

“I was one of Kamran’s personal agents,” Justin replied.  “I thought you were wiser than to think that power equaled ability, Leon.  Due to my position, I interacted with quite a few people who wanted access to Kamran, one of the most influential Anakes in the Nexus.  Much can change in a century, but I’d hazard a guess and say that most of my contacts both in Kamran’s court and outside of it remain as they were before I left.  If you trust me enough with this, I can gather information when we arrive.”

Leon frowned for a long moment, his thoughts interrupted when Valeria gripped his arm.  He turned to her, his golden eyes meeting her sapphire eyes.  She wore a serious expression, but there was a subtle difference from her usual stoicism—there was an unspoken request there, a plea for him to make an indulgence for her sake.

Their eye contact lasted almost long enough to turn into a staring contest.  Leon didn’t want to trust Justin with this task even if he thought it was a good idea.  Valeria wanted to trust Justin even if wasn’t a good idea.

In the end, Valeria won.  Leon sighed and turned back to Justin.  Through clenched teeth, he stated, “I will take you up on that offer, Justin.”

Justin smiled.  “I understand what I ask of you, Leon.  You won’t be disappointed.”

“Prove it with actions, not words,” Leon dismissively responded.

There wasn’t much of a way for Justin to respond to that, so he simply nodded.  “Are there any questions you might have for me?” he asked.

Leon took a moment to mull over what he thought Justin might be able to elucidate, leaving Valeria to jump in with a question she had.

“The ocean in the south,” she whispered, “a plain to the east…  The Nexus is on the inside surface of a hollow sphere, so why does it have directions like we’re on a plane?”

“For the same reason that planes have directions, kiddo,” Justin replied a little exasperatedly.  “I thought we’d covered this in your lessons, but it seems you need a reminder…”

Valeria smirked and leaned back, looking unchastised.  “Please, Father, remind your Queen of what she’s forgotten, if you don’t mind.”

Justin groaned but complied.  “The answer, as I’m sure will also be the answer for most things you may ask about, is Khosrow’s Law.  When the Great Lord Khosrow sought to impose order upon the chaotic civilization of the Nexus, one of those ways was to give it direction—literally.  He forged from Adamant made of his own blood two great pillars, each more than ten thousand feet long.  He planted these pillars at two opposing points in the Nexus, decreeing one to be ‘north’ and the other to be ‘south’.”

“That’s a lot of Adamant,” Leon said.  Adamant required blood to make, and he could hardly fathom how much Khosrow would’ve had to bleed to make what were just a pair of sturdy pillars.

Justin shrugged.  “The pillars are nothing more than navigation markers, so I doubt they had to be particularly powerful, meaning he wouldn’t have had to bleed as much as you might think.  In fact, I rather think that they weren’t given much power partly as a way to discourage potential looting of the metal.  That’s what I would do, anyway—give the pillars enough power to survive Reconstitution, but not enough for others to want to tear them down for materials.”

“Makes sense,” Leon replied.  “And those pillars remain where Khosrow planted them?”

“Yes and no,” Justin replied.  “They’ve been flung out into the universe before—this actually happens rather frequently given the violence of the Reconstitution process.  They’ve always been hunted down and brought back, however, and placed at the new northern and southern poles of a Reconstituted Nexus.  It’s a rather prestigious thing to do despite how it sounds, as the mage who returns the pillars effectively recreates that symbolic giving of order onto a chaotic Nexus.  Elemental Kings are usually the ones who do it, but Anakes and Basileis have killed each other for the privilege in cycles past.”

“Interesting,” Leon whispered.  “How easy is it to see from one end of the Nexus to the other?  The universe’s Origin Spark is there in the center of the Nexus, but other than that, a mage should be able to see the other side of the hollow sphere, right?”

“No,” Justin immediately answered.  “There’s a kind of false sky in the Nexus.  If you’re high enough and strong enough, you can see the land start to curve upward in the distance, but there’s a sky in the Nexus that looks almost identical to the one over Aeterna, save for the Origin Spark remaining there, always hovering in the exact center.”

Leon grimaced.  “Does that mean that there’s no nighttime in the Nexus?”

“I do not know how it works,” Justin confessed, “but I do know that the sky darkens and the Origin Spark dims at night.  It resembles a night sky with a moon hanging in the exact center instead of a sun.  I’d almost say it looks like an eclipse.  There is night in the Nexus, with the length of a day roughly matching a day’s length here on Aeterna.”

“That’s comforting,” Leon whispered.

Together with Valeria, he questioned Justin more thoroughly about small matters of the Nexus, growing increasingly relieved at just how normal the place sounded.  He imagined that the place where the strongest mages gathered, the place with the greatest concentration of magic in the universe, might operate under different rules.  And for sure, he was right, the Nexus did operate differently than a plane, but on a human scale, he doubted he would notice the difference.  Different methods for achieving the same thing, he supposed.

Ultimately, he was relieved that it sounded like adapting to the Nexus wasn’t going to be that difficult.

Justin didn’t linger when he ran out of questions.  Instead, Justin claimed that he’d need to start seriously training again if Leon was going to show such trust in him, and Leon held his tongue on that front.  Justin had left him with some matters to ponder, but he didn’t take too long to think.  A year wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things, and he had quite a lot of preparation to do.

And above all else, he wanted to take as much time as he needed to say goodbye to Aeterna.  It wouldn’t be forever, but the plane had been his home for his entire life.  Most of the adventures he’d gone on had been on Aeterna.  On a more serious note, even if Aeterna didn’t go anywhere, if he returned in one or two thousand years, there would be precious few people, if any, who remained that he knew personally.

He may not be saying goodbye to Aeterna itself, but for some people and places that he wanted to visit before leaving, such as the Bull Kingdom, things were different.  He needed to say goodbye.  For most of those people, this would be the last time he’d ever see them.  That realization hit him like a sack of bricks, the wave of melancholy forcing him to sit down for the remainder of the day.

When he got back up, he began making his preparations.  There was some business he had to handle on Kataigida, but after that, he would make one last tour of Aeterna, and say his farewells.

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