Leon was halfway through another bite when a familiar pulse brushed against his senses.
"Oh. Speak of the Aeterium."
A translucent interface bloomed in the air beside him. Vastarael's presence snapped into place as a voice call.
"Leon. Are you alive?"
"Wow, real comforting. Yeah, I'm fine."
There was a pause. Leon knew that pause. It meant his brother was scanning him through whatever layered perception he was using, checking his vitals through Phaenora's system.
"Good," Vastarael said at last. "You went silent for a while."
"Yeah, kinda hard to keep in touch when you're stuck in a murder forest. But I'm not alone anymore. I found her."
Throenia lifted her head slightly. "Found me? With whom are you communicating?"
Leon tilted the hologram slightly so she could see it. "My brother. Vastarael."
Vastarael's voice shifted subtly as his attention expanded. "Triarch Throenia Andelaris. It is good to see you unharmed."
"Vastarael Richinaria," she replied, inclining her head. "The sentiment is mutual."
Leon glanced between her and the hologram. "Okay, wow. You two sound like you're about to start a diplomatic summit. Can we rewind a bit?"
Vastarael ignored the comment with professional ease. "Leon, explain your current situation."
Leon sighed, then gestured vaguely around them.
"Alright. We're out of the Living Forest. Ran into a convoy, royal escort, I think. They were surrounded by Scavenger Rank Krepsunas. Throenia wiped the floor with them. I cleaned up the rest. They're mortals."
"I see. Are they nearby?"
"Yeah," Leon said, glancing toward the campfire. "Right there. Why?"
"I would like to speak with them directly."
"Uh… they don't speak anything I recognize."
"Believe me, that will not be an issue."
Leon waved the group over anyway, motioning gently. The guards stiffened at first with their hands hovering near weapons out of habit but the princess said something softly, and they approached as a group.
The words coming out of his brother's mouth was familiar to theirs. They flowed smoothly, carrying inflections Leon had never heard before yet the reaction was instant. The guards froze. The princess gasped softly. One of them actually stepped back in shock.
They answered him in the same language. Leon stared at the hologram, then at Throenia.
"The hell?"
Throenia was equally stunned, though she hid it better.
"That is… unexpected."
The conversation continued for several minutes. Vastarael spoke calmly. The mortals responded with visible relief. They kept glancing at Leon and Throenia, whispering among themselves between responses, clearly reassessing everything they thought they understood. Finally, Vastarael finished. The princess bowed deeply toward the hologram—then toward Leon and Throenia—and guided her people back to the fire, their fear noticeably dulled. Once they were out of earshot, Leon crossed his arms.
"Alright. Explanation. Now."
Vastarael sounded faintly amused. "She is the youngest princess of this realm."
Leon's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
"No. You just saved a royal heir and her escort. They wish to take you both to the capital under their protection."
Leon let out a long breath and rubbed his face. "I swear, I trip into royalty more often than I trip over rocks."
Throenia turned toward the hologram fully now.
"You spoke their language fluently. How is this possible?"
"It's a language called English," Vastarael replied evenly.
"En... lish? What is that?"
"That is not important right now."
Leon muttered, "That's absolutely important, but sure, let's ignore it."
"For now, you will accompany them to the capital. Stay close. Protect them. In doing so, you will gain access to local information regarding the Second Epoch Cycle."
Leon nodded slowly. "Yeah. That makes sense. Wait, Throenia."
She turned to him.
"Ask him about your sisters."
Throenia inhaled sharply, then addressed the hologram.
"Monarch Vastarael… Natalis. Denisia. Are they safe?"
"They are," Vastarael answered without hesitation. "They are together. A contingent of angels remains with them. They are not in immediate danger for now."
The relief that washed over Throenia was immediate and profound. Her shoulders relaxed as though a weight she had carried silently had finally been lifted.
"Thank you. Truly."
Leon smiled faintly at the sight. Then he remembered something else. "What about Richinaria?"
"They are stable. Occupied but stable. Adelasta is… managing without me."
Leon chuckled. "That sounds about right."
"For now, focus on yourselves. Follow the convoy. Observe. You're Divine Beings and make sure no one knows you are. I didn't tell them who we are and it's safe not to say. Especially you Leon. The Aeterium in the Hidden Citadel are... treated as supreme beings."
"Got it."
"I will remain in contact. Don't die on me. The last thing I want is Leones getting angry at me for not saving you. After all, you're the weakest among us."
"No promises but I have Throenia. I'll be fine."
The call ended. Silence settled in again, broken only by the crackle of the fire and the low murmur of the mortals nearby. Leon exhaled and leaned back.
"Well. Guess we're escorting a princess now."
Throenia regarded the camp thoughtfully.
"It appears fate has decided our path," she said.
"Yeah. Fate's got a real sense of humor."