Trillia sat in their room, staring at the fire in the fireplace.

  It was entirely decorative, as best Trillia could tell. The room stayed at the exact same temperature regardless of the fire. Still, it gave her something to stare at as she contemplated whether or not she was even going to tell her friends.

  Her two canine companions were back to lying on the balcony. Simon and Taz had already been awake and gone by the time she returned to the room. Now, it was just a waiting game for the others.

  A few more hours passed, and a soft knock came at the door. Trillia quietly shuffled over and opened it to find Thea.

  "Good morning, Avatar Fairtrade. I've brought breakfast. Is it ok if I enter?"

  Trillia nodded and stepped to the side while holding the door open. Thea saw everyone in various disheveled heaps around the room, snoring away. She giggled softly as she moved over to the table and began pulling out platters of food from whatever storage item she had. The smell of freshly baked bread and crispy meat hit everyone's noses.

  It didn't take long for the group to start waking up and looking for the source of the smell. "Good morning, everyone. I hope the food is to your liking." Thea offered them a smile as she curtsied. A low caw from outside the balcony was heard, and a thump shortly after.

  Taz's head peaked over the roof of the balcony and peered inside. "Yes, yes, you can have some food. Let me make you a plate. I swear you're as bad as a slime monster some days." An angry caw and wobbling head was the response that Simon got before he unhooked himself from the saddle and climbed down onto the balcony.

  "So. What are our orders?"

  Trillia glanced over at Simon with a puzzled look. "Well, I assume you were given orders last night. You were gone before even Taz and I woke up, and we rise before the morning sun."

  Trillia frowned at that as she grabbed a plate. Thea quietly closed the door behind herself as she left. "Fate is...being fate again."

  Simon was the one who now wore a puzzled look as he piled up food for Taz and absent-mindedly brought it to the Gryphon. Dire and Ialu were fed shortly after, and the rest of the group was mindlessly munching and trying to wake up.

  "There's a set of ruins in the Beast Scar that require someone who can slip into the Aether to enter them."

  Amelia paused with a mug of some hot brown liquid halfway to her lips. "Don't you fucking dare think about running off alone."

  Trillia just looked away from her friend. "You all heard how dangerous that place is. Simon is going to be ordered to join me. Mom and the other Generals are going to be acting as bait to attract the most dangerous creatures. There's no reason to risk all of our lives."

  Her friends all wore frowns. Simon had a pretty good feeling of understanding. "Trillia. You do realize that even if we somehow fight whatever entities you are warning us about and win. With no injuries." Simon paused every few words, really wanting to hammer home his point. "All of the [Primordials] are awake and are pumping out creatures. Even if they are meant to help us with this new threat, they are still attacking us in the here and now."

  Simon stood and shuffled off to his saddle bags, rummaging around in them for a moment before he returned with an old leather-bound book. "Here. I want you to read a short passage."

  Flipping through the pages, he set it in front of Trillia, who hadn't been able to get a good look at the cover. She wasn't surprised to see that it was written in the goblin tongue. But the writing was old enough that she had a hard time believing it was Simon's journal.

  "Twenty years post-primordial. I have done my rounds of the still-standing civilizations of Alirast so that I may report to General... I mean Queen Alliyah. It seems our estimates were correct. One in every three people died during the fighting, and a further one in every four has been listed as dead after the wars. Largely due to famine and the still rampant spread of monsters and new dungeons." As Trillia finished reading the last word of that sentence out loud, Simon pulled the book away.

  "It is my father's journal. He was in charge of many of the projects of helping to rebuild so many of the cities and towns that had been destroyed. I want all of you to take a look around this table, especially you, Trillia. Trillia, Amelia, Malor, Frederick, Layla, and myself. If it goes as well as the previous Beast Wars did. Three of us will be dead."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Layla leaned back and let her fork hit the plate. So much for a tasty breakfast. Simon didn't relent. "Now, Trillia, I want you to choose. Do you want them to die hiding away and starving? Do you want them to die fighting?"

  Trillia seemed on the verge of tears as she looked around at each of her friends. Simon grabbed her shoulder gently and forced her to look back at him. "Or do you want them to grow strong enough that you might not lose them?"

  She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "I don't want to lose anyone."

  Simon nodded. "Then let them come with us. If half of us are slated to die anyway, I'd much rather spend what time I have with friends trying to grow stronger. Who knows, maybe in a century, we will all look back on this moment with a laugh."

  "And if we die?" Layla spoke softly. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.

  Simon pulled back from Trillia with a wide smile on his face. "I dunno about any of you. But after everything the gods have put my family and I through, those bastards are going to have to work double-time to take me down."

  Fred snorted and shook his head. "Crazy little bastard. I'm of the same mind. I have no interest in hiding at home with my parents and praying that the heroes come and save the day. I'd rather become a hero, so there are that many more of us to try and save something. I'd like to come along."

  The others shared similar sentiments. Trillia fought back tears as she buried her head in her arms, remembering Blossom. Remembering all the echos she saw for her Mother and uncles in the ledger. Thinking of all the other people who were lost. "You're all so stupid." Not that she thought any differently from them. It still didn't make her feel any better about their situation.

  -=====-

  A couple more hours came and went before a guard stopped at the door and asked them to head to the throne room. The group checked their gear and with a few nods to one another. They stepped out of the room and marched to the throne room.

  It wasn't as quiet as it had been in the early hours of the morning. Dozens of people were coming and going. Simon had warned everyone to turn off any scanning abilities they had.

  Thankfully, the group listened.

  Trillia saw a few drakken-forms milling about. Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Humans, and a few dozen other races that didn't quite fit into any of those narrow categories were also walking around. The doors to the throne room were left open.

  A guard on either side stood at the ready with long crystalline spears held close to their chests. Their faces were covered, but Trillia could feel an intense mana radiate from them.

  As their group walked through the doors, her friends shuffled off to the side of the main walkway to take in the splendor of the place. When the sun was out, it had an entirely different feel as multi-colored light filtered from the stained glass and into the room. There was a sense of grandeur that had been absent the light. It felt fitting to Trillia.

  They were finally escorted to their place by a maid. A few merchant lords were grumbling and complaining about that. Right before the throne, the Generals stood off to one side, and Trillia's party had been placed directly opposite of them.

  A small chime sounded. Trillia watched as the generals all took a knee. Amara motioned for them to do the same.

  Trillia did so, as did the others in her group. Most of the occupants of the throne room took a knee. It was only a few young nobles and merchant lords who didn't see the point in doing so.

  At least, until Queen Alliyah stepped into the room and her presence forced them to one knee. Those who were already kneeling felt no additional pressure. Trillia had spent time with the Queen last night. She knew the woman was capable of being as quiet as a mouse. Instead, each footfall sounded with a soft tapping sound. As the Queen walked up towards her throne, she paused in front of Trillia's group.

  No one said a word as the seconds dragged on.

  The Queen turned and stepped in front of Amelia, reaching her hands up to take either side of the young minotaur's face. "Maeve was one of the kindest, most humble people I have ever had the great honor and privilege of knowing. I am truly sorry that I failed to be there in her time of need. Not only to save her but to help save more people of the mighty labyrinth that you called home. I hope that you can forgive me. Maeve was truly a dear friend, and Alirast feels so much more empty without her presence to bolster us all."

  Amelia's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the Queen. Tears began to form in her eyes.

  "If you ever want to talk about her, about the woman that I knew as a young calf and the promising brilliance I saw in her eyes during her first performance in front of me. I will always make the time for you. I also want you to know that wherever she is in the hereafter. Her chest is puffed out, and a wide smile is on her face, looking down at the beautiful woman you have grown into. I know she's proud of you." The Queen leaned forward and placed a kiss on the top of Amelia's head.

  The Minstrel could barely stop herself from bawling. Despite how many years it had been, sometimes it still felt like she could wake up and reach out to hold her mother's hand. In a way, the Queen's soft hands and gentle kiss reminded Amelia of her mother.

  The Queen let go and took a step back, turning and finishing the walk up to her throne. As she turned to face those gathered, she took a deep breath. "You may all rise. I have much to speak about today."

  The pressure in everyone lessened, and they stood. Malor helped Amelia to her feet and squeezed her hand. Trillia noticed that Cordaos had a bit of wetness in his eyes as well.

  "As you all know, the [Primordials] are an ever-growing threat. Without many of the more powerful deities backing us, there has been a lot of struggle to push them back. We still aren't sure how to seal them. Today's talk is going to focus on that."

  She took her seat, and as she did, a swarm of maids and butlers poured out of side doors and brought chairs over to the rest of the people gathered. Trillia took a deep breath and readied herself for the conversations to come.