The sun was out, the air was warm, and a gentle breeze blew through Leon’s hair.  By most standards, it was perfect weather, and being outside should’ve brought a smile to anyone’s lips.

Leon, however, wasn’t smiling; he was more annoyed than anything else.  The expedition to the Nexus would launch in a little over a month, and he had a lot of work to do to ensure that it kept to schedule.  But here he was, quietly sitting in a large pavilion in a lightly forested part of Stormhollow’s hinterland, accompanied by a force of Tempest Knights, his wives, Anastasios, the Grand Druid, numerous secretaries, and his ladies’ followers.  Cassandra’s guards, in particular, were out in force, though other casual friends made among the Tribes were a part of all of his wives’ entourage.

From the pavilion, they had an enviable view of the Ontarii Sea, and the sparse forest was delightfully inviting, just begging for hikes.  Leon himself had gone on a few small hunts in these woods over the years.

They hadn’t assembled in the pavilion for recreation, however.  Instead, they were there for something altogether more serious.  And, when a relatively small transport ark landed nearby, the reason for their assembly came walking down the ramp.

First out of the ark was a man that Leon had quietly hoped to never see again: the Keeper of Memory, looking much as he’d always had—bald, pale from lack of sun, and dressed in shapeless brown robes that looked spectacularly cheap.  The Keeper had arrived in the skies above Kataigida unencumbered by followers, though he’d at least seen fit to call ahead and arrange transport across the misty veil and then to Stormhollow afterward.

The second person who came walking off the ramp was Andromache, Cassandra’s older sister.  She was followed by only two guards.  While Keeper had arrived on his own, Andromache had come with an ark of her own, which remained at Leon’s palace.  Fortunately, she hadn’t complained too loudly when asked to come to the pavilion with so few guards.

“My little girl,” the Grand Druid immediately cried out as Andromache stepped off the boarding ramp.  The old former Empress sprang up from her seat with incredible energy and moved to Andromache’s side so quickly she’d practically teleported.  Andromache had hardly a moment to realize what was happening before her grandmother had all but tackled her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Achieving Apotheosis has certainly put a spring in her step,” Cassandra murmured from beside Leon.  With a wink and brush of her recently-colored purple hair, Cassandra strode toward her family, a determined look settling over her face.  She completely ignored the Keeper as she passed him, and the Keeper ignored her in turn.

Instead, Keeper came striding directly toward Leon, his tenth-tier aura subtly pulsing with every step.  Not a shred of killing intent could be sensed in his aura, but Leon remained on guard, anyway.  Though he’d achieved Apotheosis, he didn’t discount the possibility that Keeper could still do severe, and possibly fatal, damage to him if push came to shove.

“I am here, King Leon,” Keeper brusquely intoned.

“I noticed,” Leon flatly responded.

Their auras mingled together, and Leon’s subtly pushed against Keeper’s.  A slightly less than subtle response was made by Keeper, kicking up a small amount of dust and dirt around them and pushing Leon’s aura back a bit, but with a little more force behind it.  Leon scoffed and easily pushed Keeper’s aura back once more.

Before their little pushing match could go much further, Elise stepped forward and said, “Why don’t you come and sit down, Keeper?  It must have been a long journey…”

“Though I did not find it tiring, I will accept your offer, Queen Elise,” Keeper politely replied, retracting his aura as he spoke.

Leon smirked and did likewise, escorting Keeper, Anastasios, and his ladies over to several seats by the edge of the pavilion’s roof where they could look out over the treetops spread before them like a vast green carpet and enjoy the view of the distant sea while they spoke.

“I’m glad you’re here, Keeper,” Anastasios said as they walked.  “I wasn’t sure you would come.”

“When two of my contemporaries achieve something as momentous as Apotheosis in as many months, of course I would take it seriously.”  Keeper’s eyes turned then to Leon as they took their seats—Keeper notably sitting in the seat rather than conjuring his boulder, even if only on the edge of the cushion with his back perfectly straight and not touching the backrest.  “The reason why they ascended shouldn’t be overlooked, either, for he achieved Apotheosis before either of them.”

“I’m generous with my friends,” Leon replied.

“Ha!” Anastasios cried out, his laugh booming over the trees between them and the sea.  “‘Generous’, he calls it!  If you call what you’ve done for my Empire mere ‘generosity’, then I’d be very interested to know what you might part with in more serious negotiations!”  He gave Leon a look that indicated he was only partially joking, but Leon ignored the part that wasn’t.

“Indeed,” Keeper observed, “not only aiding two tenth-tier mages to achieve Apotheosis but providing what their successors need to reach the tenth-tier, as well…”

Anastasios boasted, “My grandson could’ve made it himself, of course!  Leon only sped the process up some.  And the Sacred Golden Empress, too, is talented and strong!  It was only a matter of time for her.”

“Keeper,” Leon began, “are you looking for assistance, too?”  He kept his tone light and joking, not treating what he asked that seriously.

Sure enough, Keeper replied with a definitive, “No.”  He went silent for a second as his eyes swept northward, in Stormhollow’s direction.  “Your departure looms, Leon.  All I hear in Memoria these days is speculation about when you leave this plane and the power you’re bestowing upon those in your favor before you launch your next venture.  I’ll be glad of your absence if only for the silence it will bring to Memoria.”

“We love you too, Keeper,” Leon sarcastically quipped.  “Not going to miss us at all?”

Keeper’s white eyes swiveled toward Anastasios.  “You, perhaps.  Though we’ve had our disagreements in the past, I’ve always seen you as a man of honor who keeps the wellbeing of his Empire at the forefront of his mind.”

Anastasios frowned a moment in thought before grinning and saying with sarcasm equal to Leon’s, “I know I’m a good and virtuous man, but it’s always nice to hear it aloud.”

Elise and Valeria remained silent, but Maia surprised Leon when she leaned forward and mentally demanded, [Why have you come, old human?]

Keeper stared back at her, their tenth-tier auras starting to clash, though unlike when he clashed with Leon’s aura, this one was more even-sided.

“It’s a fair question, Keeper,” Anastasios pointed out, not paying the wrestling auras any mind.  “You came here without much warning.  I find that interesting, though I hope you’ll answer my questions without me needing to ask…”

“You expect me to read your mind, then?” Keeper asked, his gaze moving from Maia to Anastasios.  He scoffed, but answered as he again retracted his aura and turned his eyes back to Leon, “I allowed you to claim what you wished from the old palaces.  This was no mere whim of mine; it was given all due consideration.  That unpleasantness with the Indra Raj nearly convinced me that you were too unruly to trust, but in the decades since, you have proven to be otherwise.  I relish the peace between us and hope it may continue, even in your absence.  This is why I have come.”

“I want peace to continue between my Kingdom and your Empire, too,” Leon declared without reservation.

A look that rather resembled frustration passed over Keeper’s face.  A hand went up to cup his chin for a moment, and he said, “… I do not regret my distrust of you, or your Clan, or your people.  Given the threats posed, it was warranted.  I do regret… judging you too quickly.  I question whether or not a peace between us might’ve been possible sooner had I been more open-minded.  Alas, we cannot travel back in time and what’s done is done.  So, Leon, I will say this: I do not apologize, but I wish I’d conducted affairs between us better.”

A thin-lipped smile spread across Leon’s face, though whether it was more from Keeper’s words or Anastasios immediately losing himself in a fit of laughter, he didn’t know.

“You’ve… got to be… fucking with us…” Anastasios gasped.

“I thought similarly when I learned you’d moved to this island,” Keeper smoothly replied, his face not even twitching in jest.  “But when considered with the rapid ascension of your grandson to tenth-tier, I understood.”  His tone softened for just a moment.  “You will be missed, Anastasios.”

The Lord Protector—Leon understood he would only formally hold that title until they departed for the Nexus—grinned.  Earnestly, he replied, “For all our incompatibilities, Keeper, I’ll miss you too.”

Anastasios’ eyes briefly drifted toward the Evergolden group, who had found seats not too far away to discuss their own business.  Though he was sure Anastasios’ eyes were locked on the Grand Druid—who would also only relinquish her title upon leaving the plane—Leon’s eyes were drawn more toward Cassandra and Andromache, who appeared to be getting along much better than they had decades ago.

“Greater things call,” Anastasios whispered.  “A new start in a new place, away from familiar places filled with unfamiliar people, where we have a chance to create something new.  A place where we can be more ourselves, without consideration for the propriety of our station or the politics of our Empires.”  He turned his pink nebulous eyes back to Keeper.  “I would recommend you follow us, Keeper, however long it may take you to ascend.  See the universe for yourself.  Perhaps gain a new perspective on life.”

“I will not be following you,” Keeper stated.  “My life will end before achieving Apotheosis, of that I have no doubt.  I will not belabor my people with my life for longer than necessary.”

A sneer graced Maia’s face as she sat back in her chair, dismissively staring at Keeper.  Leon laid a hand on her knee, silently asking her not to feed this fire, and she sighed and turned away from the meeting to stare at the sea.

Turning his attention back to the Keeper, Leon asked, “Why did you come all this way, Keeper?  It obviously wasn’t to apologize for anything, and you should know that prying an apology out of me will be impossible.”

“I labor not under the delusion of prying any sort of apology from you, Leon.  No, I merely wished to come and express my parting thoughts.  I greatly appreciate the peace that you’ve brought during your reign, and to promise to continue it in the future.  I wish to part on good terms, peaceful terms.”  He paused and fixed Leon in his eerie stare.  “And… to wish you well, Leon.  Peace bringers are in short supply compared to warmongers.  May you keep that attitude as you journey to greater places and accomplish greater things.  May you never forget the mistakes of your Ancestors, for their victims never will.”

“Turning well wishes into a lecture, are you?” Anastasios asked with a grin.  “Careful, Keeper, or the young’uns will dismiss what you say.  You have to dress it up a bit if you want them to take a lecture to heart.”

Keeper scoffed.  “I’ve said what I intended to say.  There is no point in stretching this exchange to breaking.  I will now depart.”

He rose from his seat, and Leon sprang to his feet before Keeper could take a single step.

“I will return your well-wishes, Keeper,” Leon quickly stated.  “I hope your people find peace and prosperity.  I hope they find peace from the violence of the past, too.”  He took a few steps forward and held out his arm.

Keeper stared at him for several long seconds, but he then took a few steps forward and clasped Leon’s wrist.  “To better days, Leon.  May we never meet again.”

“Back at you, Keeper.”

Without further ado, Keeper released Leon’s arm and strode back to the landed ark.  Though Leon’s Evergolden visitors were still present, Leon waved for the ark to take Keeper back beyond the misty veil.  Other transport back to his palace could be arranged.

Then, with a sigh, Leon sat back down.  “Didn’t think he’d say all that,” he admitted.  “Figured he’d be popping expensive wine bottles or something once we left.  Or whatever the Sentinels do.”

“Ha!” Anastasios again cried out.  “The Sentinels are dour folk, hardly the sort who know how to have fun!  But I share in your surprise: I figured he would’ve just watched us leave from Memoria.”

“It’s smart not to,” Elise pointed out.  “Better to part on good terms and ensure peace continues even without the other around to keep it.”

“Wise words, Elise,” Anastasios responded.  “I’d hardly argue for the wisdom of the Sentinels, for all their time spent in meditation and for all their shunning of physical comforts, though.  They hold grudges for longer than anyone can fathom.”

“That’s been made apparent,” Valeria murmured as the ark carrying Keeper sped into the distance.

“I’m glad he came here,” Leon wistfully stated, his eyes tracking the same target.  “I might’ve reached out to him in the next few weeks if he hadn’t done so on his initiative.  Wrap up that last bit of business, right?”

“Leave no regrets behind,” Anastasios stated in agreement.

“How about you, Lord Protector?” Elise inquired.  “Are you ready to leave?  No lingering regrets you’re leaving behind?”

Anastasios gave her a grandfatherly smile and leaned a little closer.  “My dear, I’m old.  Old.  I have spent the past century wrapping up my affairs, ensuring that when my end came, I could greet the gods with as light of a heart as possible.  I was not expecting to achieve Apotheosis and leave this plane, but I was expecting to depart in a more… permanent manner within the next century or two, whether by my own hand or by the will of the gods.  I have long prepared to leave my Empire in good hands and with few left to mourn me as a person rather than as a symbol.  I’m just now leaving under different circumstances than I’d originally planned for.  But those preparations have not been for nothing; all of my business has long been taken care of.”

Elise gave him a polite nod.  “That’s wonderful to hear.  I suppose that makes you retired now, doesn’t it?”

Anastasios stroked his white beard, now grown out a little compared to how short he usually kept it.  “I suppose I am, aren’t I?  Fully and completely…”  His eyes turned upward for a moment, and he whispered something in the native tongue of his Empire.  Leon’s mastery over that language was conversational at best, but Elise helpfully provided a translation.

[He asks his son to have patience, and for his sister’s forgiveness, for he’ll be a little later than expected in joining them…]

Anastasios smiled, and Leon had to fight not to let his own heartbreak show on his face.  He thought once more of all those he’d lost and those he was leaving behind, whose statues now stood in his Mind Palace.  Anastasios was quicker than he to recover and his next words pulled Leon out of his spiraling mindset.

“We journey to a new land with new people, Leon.  I, personally, can’t wait.”

Leon nodded, but any response from him was preempted when the Grand Druid suddenly draped herself over Anastasios’ armrest and practically fell into his lap.  Giggling fiercely, she grabbed his face and pressed her lips against his.

When they separated, she said, “A new start for all of us!”

Leon looked up and saw Cassandra and Andromache releasing each other from a tight hug, both shedding tears.  They whispered something he did his best to politely not listen to, and then Cassandra looked his way and smiled.

“New starts indeed,” he murmured as Elise gasped at the sight of the Grand Druid kissing Anastasios, then immediately began grinning like a madwoman.

“By the by, Leon,” the Grand Druid exclaimed as she pulled her face away from Anastasios’, “Since I’m retired too, you should be using my name!”

Leon smiled and nodded briefly.  “As you say, Eva.”

The Grand Druid sprung up and strode over to Leon, hugging his head and rustling his hair.  It took Leon some effort to extricate himself and even more to ignore how many of his Tempest Knights and secretaries were able to see that.

“We’re all family now,” the Grand Druid firmly stated.  “And we’re setting off on this adventure together!  Nothing could make me happier!”

Leon nodded again as Elise ran her fingers through his hair, helping him to smooth it all out.  Barely more than a month, now, and he would be leaving Aeterna behind.  All he had left to do aside from the monumental task of working out the logistics for the expedition, was to contact Ambrose.

And then, hopefully, it was time to leave Aeterna.

The Nexus was calling, and for all that their leaving was bittersweet, Leon was excited for his next adventure.

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