Meanwhile, back on Arcanis, in a sub-floor around the Allemandian Tower...

  "Is this the place?"

  "It is."

  The woman walked into the ancient chambers. Her silvery hair, cut into a stylish bob, bounced about her vaguely feline features as she scanned the room, not that anyone would be able to know that by tracking her eyes. She had lost normal eyesight about one year ago as a result of a desperate choice to use a forbidden teleportation spell to get out of an assassination attempt by one of the Alliance's corrupt city-states. Her companion had lost his ability to shape anima entirely, and his clothes.

  Aenora, on the other hand, had lost her sight. While her skill with magic allowed her to perceive the world's anima currents, including the crystallizations of anima that were literally all things, living and otherwise, her teacher had warned her this would come at the cost of her lifespan.

  Even so, her enforced perception of the world through magic had turned out to be a blessing in disguise over this past year. She was quickly able to ascertain her friends' true predicament, that of some mysterious sorcerer separating the Knowing Circle's members' souls from their bodies.

  And now, staring at the plinth in the center of the ancient stone room, she could clearly see a wound in the anima that, some hours later, was struggling to heal. The most important fact, though, was that it was only subtly different than the aura about her comatose friends.

  She walked around it, studying the space through the well-woven blindfold about her face. It had been a gift from a former member of the Knowing Circle, the woman who was now running the newborn Republic of Ahn Mexol, freely liberated from Imperial control. As a gift a few weeks back, after a close call that Ondun had helped stop, her friend had gifted her this beautiful veil that was also highly enchanted.

  With a slight hum, she stopped her investigation, as Kelse Skyward and his two top engineers, McCoy and Crusher, stood at his side, fiddling with animatic devices. The two engineers stood, while Kelse just watched Aenora. In one hand, he had a mask of the same kind the Knowing Circle had been using for years, except this one was augmented with Imperial animatech.

  Kelse came to stand by Aenora. "With your sight, it's probably redundant, but..." he extended the mask to her. "We've got the readings from the event recorded here."

  Aenora favored the man with a rare smile. She was normally very serious; from a young age, her master had impressed upon her the value of information and the gravity of sharing it. She was truly grateful, of course, so she gently took the device. "Let us see what you saw, then..."

  Aenora pressed a control and heard the audio playback from the event as well as a colorful projection of the disappearance. She watched Ondun clear the room, then inspect the device. She saw him stop channeling anima to the strange token he had picked up and watched as the rift built up and eventually displaced the seasoned warrior.

  She took off the mask and handed it back, and once again after hearing the report of her disappeared friend, the Knowing Circle's disappeared champion, the warrior of all warriors, a man who could slay beings others held as gods to alleviate his boredom...she felt the absence of his presence. Aenora would never say she loved anyone in the romantic sense, of course. She simply wasn't built that way, at least she didn't think so. Also, her master would relentlessly tease her if she did express interest in someone.

  No, Aenora valued Ondun as a colleague and even as a friend. While she hadn't exactly opened up to him about any feelings or invited him to tea or anything, he had helped with a number of vexing problems across the Alliance, and in the last few months, across Arcanis. He always took her seriously, his stoic nod becoming something of a meme with the other members of the Knowing Circle. Yet, the man could give snarky barbs to match anything she could say and took the same in good stride. More to the point, he always took her pronouncements as seriously as they were intended. It was he who had come to her rescue when it became known she was caught in the flows of the forbidden teleportation spell Planeshift.

  She never forgot what it was like to be lifted in his arms, to wake up for him to say to her, "Rise and shine, princess; the sun rises over the library, and the books cry for their lady to return to them."

  Aenora shook her head. No, Ondun was her friend and colleague. Kelse just shrugged at something that Aenora could only guess about.

  "Anyways...you've seen what we've seen. Anything odd around here?" he asked.

  Aenora inspected the rest of the room more carefully. The plinth was obviously an Allemandian magical focus of some kind. The token had disappeared with Ondun to...wherever he was. However, there were traces, here and there, of some kind of ritual. Pulling an excavation brush from her pack, she began to dust away centuries of detritus from the imperfectly sealed room.

  When she reached the actual stone of the floor and found an obscure but not unfamiliar glyph inscribed in the floors, she smiled the smile of a predator on the hunt, the same smile her people had borne during actual hunts since they had come into being. Only where most Felinians would hunt horse-birds or wompamanders, she hunted knowledge.

  "This glyph predates the Allemandian Empire; I recall reading about runic magic from the First Age. It seems like even the Allemandians at the height of their Empire couldn't improve on runic magic for some applications." She began scanning the room as the two engineers scratched their heads; while they were talented with animatechnology, they weren't animologists. They just abused animalogical principles to achieve certain mechanical effects.

  "The spell traces lead to a few points on the floor of this room. Were I a betting woman, I would put down good money there will be similar runes. If I get these runes, I may be able to reverse-engineer the ritual using modern principles."

  The three engineers turned to each other and cheered. "HA! We knew she would come through for us!" the big one, the Garlon, said. "So, not a betting woman, eh? How about after Ondun comes back, we go to the Silver Salon and buy a Lucky Ticket?"

  She sighed an amused sigh at the engineers. "Gambling is just a tax on people who are bad at math. Still...if this leads to all our friends waking up soon, I could be convinced to go to one of their overpriced restaurants. Especially if there's good fish."

  Kelse grinned. "Well, then, boys, let's not stall. Help the woman clear the runes, will you? Also, record what we find. I'll tell James to get an all-hands meeting going back at the workshop. I have a feeling we're going to be building something interdimensional soon."

  Aenora shook her head, deciding not to interrupt the engineer's dreams of a swift analysis. This was old magic, and it would not readily divulge the secrets of interdimensional travel. Nonetheless, as she relocated to another spot her magic sight was drawing a line to, there was a wide smile on her face.

  "Ondun...wait for me, OK? I'm coming to get you this time."

  Back on Monastria...

  Ranger Captain Andrew Li was crying. The armored man gave him a pat on the back. "Yeah, Lady Brighid started off as our foe, but as we were flying to that sky island, she embodied the Astral Siwa one last time...and the Imperials fired everything they had at her." Ondun lowered his head. "I...I miss her too."

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Guardian Alice decided to change the topic. One, there was an audience, again. Two, this man had been through so much. He had adventured for mere days before being approached by the Knowing Circle for having a rare gift—the gift that let him be an omniglot, of all things—then had to do battle with one of those terrifying Astrals, the ones that could force you to worship them, then had the junior members of their group killed while fighting a second Astral, then had to rescue the senior members, then lead an all-out assault in a continent-wide operation to unseat the Imperials from numerous bases.

  From there, the Alliance of Free City States had tried to create a volunteer force not unlike Alice's own Advanced Recon & Commando Coaches, ARC Coaches for short, only those had been bought out by some rich jerk from one of the city-states, who had turned on the Knowing Circle. Each member escaped as best they could, but Ondun had to flee the very people he'd championed. He wound up, with a few fellow survivors, sheltering with a noble from some Order-State he'd helped along the way, but wound up getting roped into a millennia-long war against dragons.

  Alice shook her head, trying again—vainly—to process this man's tale. She felt a rattle from one of the capture capsules on her hip, a short one, once. It was the signal that he was telling the truth. In light of this, Alice took another drink of the bright blue cocktail that Captain Li had bought her. He took a swig of his own drink in unison.

  Alice shook her head; just a few minutes ago she'd questioned if people were drinking when they made their report, only for everyone at this little table to be doing just that as a result of asking the man to tell them his background over some lunch. There was probably a lesson about getting what one asks for in there somewhere.

  "Ondun," the captain asked. "How have you been keeping it together?"

  Ondun thought for a moment, glad to interrupt the tale of his journeys. "I have friends who I can help. They're what I fight for. I...I want to see them again. I want them to wake up. But...here I am. Alone and seemingly in a different world. If I had Aenora's gifts of magic, I bet I could figure out some way to get home, but for now...for now I've got nothing." He sighed and took a drink of the same blue cocktail Alice had ordered.

  Ondun focused his full attention on Alice. "You seem like a good sort. I'm sorry for breaking out of that place when you wanted to talk, but I really must be on my way. I just don't know what to do." He sighed. "I could use some help." Alice was taken aback. Before their fight he had been cocky, full of confidence, but now the mask of this invincible warrior was coming off, and Alice saw Ondun for who he was: A very able man, who had turned being in over his head into an art form.

  She signaled the waiter—his own eyes were red from the tales he'd been listening in on—and paid their check, just as she'd agreed with the good Captain. She stood up. "Well, enough tales of woe. How about I put you on the path to getting some new friends, who might help you?"

  Captain Li and Ondun both stood as well. "I appreciate it, Guardian Alice." She laughed and waved a hand. "Please, call me Alice. I find I agree with you on weighty titles not being worth the trouble."

  The two men followed her out of the store. She turned to Captain Li and gave the orders she'd wanted to give all along. "Go back to base; tell them I've got everything under control. I'm going to introduce this man to Dr. Wusiji."

  Captain Li gave her a crisp salute, his hand raising up as if lifting a visor off his brow. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you for lunch, ma'am!" She nodded, and once the man was double-timing it back to the Ranger base, she giggled. "Silly guy, I would've bought it anyway."

  She turned to Ondun and pulled a capture capsule off her belt. "Mindy, come out; we need to go see Dr. Wusiji." A humanlike figure that looked vaguely like a woman in a dress, with green, jade-like armor accents, appeared in a flash of energy.

  My Queen, I am glad that you have summoned me. I shall convey you presently. As you are, warrior of warriors, slayer of gods... I greet thee.

  Having completed its telepathic greeting, Ondun did a double take. The monster gave a curtsey, then extended two pale hands to her tamer and to Ondun.

  Take a hand, then think only of the feel of my hand; that is very important. My Queen, direct my path, and we shall be there.

  The three joined hands, and Alice thought of Dr. Wusiji's lab near one of the three prominent lakes across Kongming Province, Lake Yongqi.

  "Mindy, use Teleport!" she called out.

  In a flash of violet and a sensation that reminded Ondun of his displacement and his rather frequent use of Teleptite Crystals in his homelands' major city centers, he found himself in a much more rural locale. He was in front of a shorter, two-story building that seemed more natural than the massive stone and metal megaliths that made up Guandao City. Smaller houses were dotted about the area in a loose ring. In the distance he could see children playing under the watchful gaze of an older woman, probably some kind of teacher.

  There were also more monsters, but these weren't the well-developed creatures he'd faced in battle. These were more identifiable due to their increased intelligence and the fact that some of them were using utility powers to help the humans they traveled with do things.

  Ondun turned back to Guardian Alice, who had been watching him the whole time.

  "I've got an eye for people. I feel like you'll do right by these people." She gestured to the building. "This is Dr. Wusiji's lab. He's a bit eccentric, but tell him I sent you and that you'd like to learn how to train Mons. He'll get you set up with some jobs that will help both of us."

  Ondun nodded. "This means a great deal. I thank you, Alice of Kongming."

  She gracefully flipped her hair, not because she needed to, but to let him know his compliment was received. "By the way, if you want to talk to me again, the Kongming Circuit is starting in two weeks. Basically, people from all walks of life who want to make their way as monster coaches gather teams of Mons, travel to each town, and battle each city's City Leader. The rewards are monetary, but leaders can also have special knowledge passed down in their families."

  Ondun caught on immediately. "If I can do well in the Circuit, not only can I provide for myself, but I may also find relevant knowledge to make my way home or at least communicate with someone from Arcanis."

  She nodded. "Well, since you've got it, this is where we part ways...for now. Hero Ondun? Make your friends proud." She extended a fist that he immediately bumped. "I want you to challenge me in a proper Mon battle, understand?" Ondun's limbal rings activated as his excitement peaked. "I accept your challenge, Guardian Alice." He gave her his best grin, and she giggled with excitement of her own. The Guardian of Kongming Province lowered her fist and took her human-like ally's hand. "Then...be seeing you. Mindy, take us back to the office, please."

  The two disappeared in a violet flash, and Ondun was alone again. He turned to the door of the lab and knocked before entering.

  Dr. Eugene Wusiji had made a career from strange things. For the longest time, people didn't know where Mons came from. Typically, when a Mon was ready to bring more of its brethren into the world, they would just disappear for a time before finding their way back to the humans they had bonded to.

  It was only in recent years that some no-name researcher from Yamato had learned that all mons were capable of laying eggs! From there, Wusiji had paid attention to research from all over the world and was devising his own theories about how mons could use moves.

  While it was widely accepted that monster moves had some spiritual element to them, similar to some human monks over in Gaulia called Auricists, so named due to the Aura that was their namesake...something about that description had always nagged at the researcher as being a partial truth. There was something else at play that the science simply hadn't caught up to. It was a question, and Dr. Wusiji loved to find answer to questions.

  So it was that Wusiji was typing up another grant application, co-drafting with some bodybuilding, surfing ladies man researcher over in Kahunaloa who specialized in Mon moves. It was some dry stuff, mainly focused on research methodology, which is why when he heard the knock, he immediately saved his work and turned just in time to see the strangest man—or was it a man?—enter his laboratory.

  Most visitors didn't have to crouch to not bang their lance on the mantle of the door, and they didn't typically wear a full suit of plate armor. I mean, unless you count the occasional visit from the Guardian of Yamato—of course he was well known as a weirdo who thought dragons were cute. The less said of Guardian Nagayari, the better.

  "Greetings," the dragon-like man said. He even had horns! "I seek Dr. Wusiji. Guardian Alice dropped me off here and asked me to lend my services. I understand he's working on something, and that my learning how to tame monsters...rather, 'Mons'...might help."

  As the man finished, Dr. Wusiji got an email message from the Guardian. "One moment..." he said and checked the message. Sure enough, it was about this man—Ondun—and asked him to sponsor him for a Kongming Circuit challenge, and that he would be owed a favor by the Guardian.

  Dr. Wusiji let out a cackle that would do any movie villain proud. Being owed a favor by a Guardian was not a trivial debt, and he had a few ideas on how to cash that in. However, he still needed to deal with the man in front of him, who the email confirmed was from a different world and knew nothing about Monastria's Mons, let alone how a proper Mon battle should be conducted.

  With a wide grin, he turned back to the unnerved, dragon-like man. "First, Ondun, we'll need to get you your first partner. Do you favor fire, water, or plants?"