A bustling crowd had gathered at the shore by the time both the ferry and Doug’s raft had both docked. Lola had bolted from the raft as soon as the beach was in sight. The Buhund took a great deal of comfort in feeling solid earth under her paws as she trotted along the coast, her toy rabbit hanging from her mouth. "Lola! Don’t go wandering off!" Carter called after her.

She shot a glance in the direction of his voice. Still draped in an old blanket, he had jumped off of the raft and was in clear pursuit of her. He tripped over the blanket as he approached her, falling face-first into the sand. "Awr you awight?" the dog inquired.

Carter looked up at her, his face caked by grains of sand and gravel. "Toy," he grumbled. "Spit out the toy before you talk. Otherwise, I can’t understand you."

The dog released the stuffed animal from her jaws. "Sorry," she responded apologetically.

With a groan, the ex-captain scrambled to his feet. "I was trying to tell you that you shouldn’t wander off," he explained. "After all, the ferry hasn’t finished disembarking. Aurora, Venice, and Rook won’t be able to find us if I’m chasing you through a crowd."

Doug quietly crept up behind them, a large bundle of supplies slung over his shoulder and Sam in tow. Wesley followed, still wrapped in a blanket and shivering quite noticeably. "Get a move on, son," the Sage advised. "I need to set up my stand before it gets too crowded around here."

The former soldier let out a resoundingly loud sneeze.

"Gesundheit," Lola comforted.

"Stand? You’re here to sell something?" Carter inquired.

Reaching into his pocket, the Sage retrieved a handkerchief. He proceeded to hand it to the trembling man. "A man has to eat," Doug replied. "People seem to be quite fond of my refined sea salt for both purification and culinary purposes, so I figured I may as well make a profit off of it."

"Are Sages even allowed to do something like that?" the Buhund asked.

Wesley blew his nose loudly into the handkerchief.

"No one’s stopped me before," Doug defended with a shrug.

A pair of boots could be heard shuffling rapidly through the sand not far off in the distance. Lola let out a yelp as she was swept off the ground by a pair of human arms. "You bad dog!" Venice proclaimed. "You scared me senseless. Thank the Fates that you’re all right!"

The dog struggled against the young man’s embrace. "Put me down, please! You’re hurting my spine," she cried.

Carter trotted up to the carpenter and slugged him in the arm, causing him to drop Lola. "Next time we’re on a sea-craft, ask nicely before you do something so brazen and asinine!" he scolded. "Neither of us know how to swim! We could’ve drowned!"

"The next time we’re in close quarters for weeks at a time, bother to try bathing daily," Venice replied angrily as he rubbed his arm. "The stench in our cabin was unbearable!"

"The next time he’s holding a dog with delicate bone structure, don’t cause him to drop her!" Lola interjected as she lay splayed on her back across the ground in front of Venice.

Aurora approached them, carrying Rook in her arms. "Can you boys at least try to be civil now that we’re in public?"

The Buhund flipped herself onto her feet and brushed grains of sand from her face with one of her front paws. "You may as well ask a pig to sprout wings and fly south for the winter," she commented.

"I don’t suppose you’d want to help me set up my stand while this lot has it out? Would you, Aurora dear?" Doug inquired.

The young woman looked to Venice and Carter, then to Doug. "It’d be a welcome break from all the bickering," she wearied.

The tension between the group was broken by Wesley letting out another tremendously loud sneeze.

"Good grief, man. Are you going to be all right?" Doug inquired, concerned.

The former soldier sniffled loudly. "I think I caught a cold," he offered weakly.

As he said those words, a group of lights in the distance crashed down from the sky above. An overwhelming flash went off in the center of the festival, temporarily blinding everyone present. When the light had subsided a large crowd of people had formed around the commotion, all of them proceeding to fall to their knees and bow to whatever it was they had seen.

"What’s going on? Why are they bowing?" Aurora questioned, confused by the display.

Doug set down his supplies. "They’re showing respect to the honored hosts of the festival," he said, and fell to his knees.

As the crowd collectively bowed, what they were bowing to became visible. Several figures stood at the center of the crowd, all of them emitting a familiar glow. Amongst them was a feminine figure with golden skin and silken black hair who anyone would recognize as Amah, the High Spirit of the Sun. In her company stood a man with silver skin, her brother and High Spirit of the Moon, Tsu; a man with seafoam colored skin, her other brother and High Spirit of the Sea and Storms, Suhs. Lola also recognized Amah’s niece and nephew, Ho and Shi, the High Spirits of the Stars among their numbers; as well as the wizened Earth High Spirit, Sarhu.

The remaining figures, however, were unfamiliar to her. One was a chubby woman with skin the color of porcelain, her hair tied tightly into a bun above her head and her cheeks painted a rosy pink. The second was a man of a slender build with orange skin that glowed like the innards of a hearth, his hair flowing like flames. A muscular and broad-chested man stood as the third she did not recognize—his head clean-shaven, his skin the color and texture of galvanized steel. The very last was a tall woman whose skin was the color and texture of oak wood, her hair green and leafy like ivy vines.

Lola’s entire group fell to their knees in surprise. "You humble us with your formality," Amah spoke firm and loudly. "However, this is a time for celebration for all of us. There is no need to bow to us. Please rise."

People in the crowd began to rise from their feet at her words. "It is the time of the Summer Solstice … as such we should all celebrate without need for such worries," the sun spirit continued. "As it is also our first Solstice since the end of the Empty Sky, there is further need to celebrate. We have great heroes in our midst for this year’s festival."

Amah turned her glance across the crowd, her eyes meeting Lola’s. Numerous festival goers followed the High Spirit’s gaze, setting their sights on the young Buhund and her friends. "The Spirit Order welcomes you and your friends to the Chikyuuese Summer Solstice Festival, Hikaru Lola," the spirit said with a grin.

Several of the present attendees cheered and whistled in the direction of the Buhund’s group as the High Spirits proceeded toward them. Amah knelt down to Lola’s height as she neared, gently scratching behind the dog’s ears. "I am pleased to see that you are well," the spirit confided.

Lola’s tail wagged. "It’s good to see you, too!" the dog answered.

Amah directed her attention at the rest of the group. "It looks as if two of you joined Lola for a swim," she said as she raised an eyebrow in the direction of Wesley and Carter.

The porcelain-skinned spirit rushed in front of Amah. "Oh my! We should probably get them a bath before they catch a cold," she remarked. "You know how frail material bodies can be."

In a blur, the chubby, doll-like spirit turned to the surrounding crowd. A long, silk scarf that was draped over her shoulders flowed gracefully as she moved. "Would any of you villagers care to show these fine gentlemen to the hot spring just over the hill?" she implored them. "They’re both accomplished soldiers that joined with our Buhund heroine to give us back the world’s light. I’m sure assisting them would be quite an honor."

Sarhu shook his head at the display, obviously vexed by the doll-like spirit’s behavior. "Uzhu, I hardly think it’s appropriate to—"

"I’ll take them!" called the voice of an incredibly old woman from inside the crowd.

The elderly woman made her way to the forefront of the crowd. It appeared that two young women—presumably her granddaughters—were pursuing her. "Grandma!" one of them called as she reached for the collar of the old woman’s sundress. "Have you no shame?"

Despite their pursuit, the old woman had already made her way to the two former soldiers, grabbing each of them by the hand. "Oh, come off it, girls!" the old lady scolded. "There’s nothing wrong with a little hospitality."

Her granddaughters grimaced as she led Carter and Wesley away from the crowd. "That and I may find you girls husbands yet," the old woman cackled.

"I’m old enough to be their father," Carter grumbled.

Wesley let out another loud sneeze. "I’m a widower," he added weakly.

"No one’s perfect," the grandmother commented.

What appeared to be the elder of the two granddaughters bit her lip in frustration as the old woman led off the two men before letting out a long, weary sigh. "Come on, Tsukimi," she remarked to her sister. "We’d better follow her and make sure she stays out of trouble."

"Again?" the other granddaughter remarked.

The elder granddaughter shrugged, before motioning for her sister to follow her. With little hesitation, the two disappeared into the crowd after the old woman. "Wow, that was … what was that?" Venice uttered as they disappeared.

"Weird," Lola remarked. "Weird is the word you’re looking for."

The porcelain spirit took the Buhund by surprise as she appeared directly in front of the dog’s face. "A pleasure to meet you, by the way," the festive being commented.

She jumped back from Lola, twirling in place after landing on her feet and offering a curtsy to the canine. "I am Uzhu, the High Spirit of Arts, Festivals, and Mirth," she elaborated. "I am Sarhu’s wife, and an old friend of Amah."

"Of Festivals?" Venice asked. "Is that why you’re present here?"

Stepping forward, Sarhu placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder. "Even though we are not capable of attending every festival on Lumea, Uzhu quite enthusiastically attempts to attend as many as possible," the earth spirit commented. "Since she is the embodiment of festivity, she feels her presence at them is important. It requires a good deal of time … so I’m not usually in her company when she attends."

"Yes, but this is an extra special occasion," the festival spirit interjected. "So my dear Sarhu and several of the other High Spirits are here to join me."

The glowing, flame-haired spirit bowed to them. "I am Agni, the High Spirit of Fire," he explained.

The spirit made of galvanized metal locked a glance with Lola. "And I am Ogoun, the High Spirit of Metal and Technology."

"My name is Medeina, and I am the High Spirit of Wood and Forests," the female spirit with wooden skin added.

"With Sarhu and I included, the entire circle of High Spirits of the earthly elements are here," Suhs stated. "We’re all looking forward to this year’s festival."

Ho and Shi tugged at Suhs’ robes. "Although not as much as the youngest among our ranks," the sea spirit remarked. "Patience is a virtue, children."

"May we show Lola, Venice, Rook, and Aurora around the festival while you continue greeting everyone, Father?" Ho asked, his eyes adorably wide.

"Please, Father?" Shi insisted.

"You’re the High Spirits of the Stars," Suhs dictated. "You may take the form of children, but you still have the same responsibilities and obligations as the rest of us."

"Lighten up, brother," Amah implored. "Let them have fun just this once."

Suhs let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine," he huffed. "You two be on your best behavior until we return from the Southern Shrine."

The twin star spirits smiled widely before running up to Lola’s group and grabbing both Venice and Aurora by the hand. They giggled loudly as they dragged the two off, Lola and Rook pursuing them through the crowd.

#

"What did you call this stuff again?" Aurora asked.

"This is called vindaloo, young lady," the aging stall vendor replied as he spooned a dark red stew into a bowl and handed it to her.

The girl tasted a spoonful of the food and fell into coughing fits. "Horrid! It’s like eating hot coals!" she exclaimed.

Venice stood behind her, unshaken by the girl’s reaction, contently eating a bowl of the dish. "It tastes fine to me."

Lola and Rook lay flailing on the ground behind him. "Water! Get me water!" the Buhund screamed.

"I can see through time," the rooster shrieked.

The vendor produced a glass and two small bowls, all of them containing cow’s milk. "This might help," he commented as he pushed them across the stall’s outer counter.

Venice calmly distributed the milk to the group, the others drinking it eagerly in a desperate measure to put out the heat in their mouths. "I’ve never had anything that spicy before in my life!" Aurora gasped in between mouthfuls of her beverage.

The vendor seemed bewildered. "You’re from Prithvi, aren’t you?" he inquired. "Vindaloo is a staple of West Prithvian cuisine!"

"The spice crops died out during the days of the Empty Sky," Venice explained. "She was a toddler when it started, so she never got used to actual Prithvian cooking. We’ve been living on roots and rodents for years."

"Times like this make me very grateful we Spirits don’t need to eat," Ho commented.

"Thank goodness for that," Shi agreed.

A passing young woman locked glances with Venice as he continued calmly eating his curry while the others recovered from the dish’s spices. The woman’s black hair barely fell past her neck, its ringlets weaving tightly together. Her skin was dark, the shade of mahogany wood, while her carnelian eyes showed a light of both curiosity and concern. She clutched a basket full of bread close as she paused to examine the situation. "Excuse me, but are youactually feeding your dog vindaloo?" the woman inquired.

She knelt down next to Lola, who was desperately lapping up a bowl of milk. "You poor thing! Here, sweetie, have some red bean bread," the woman implored as she retrieved a pastry from her basket. "They’re sweet and it’ll put out the fire."

The Buhund wrapped her jaws around the bread without saying a word and chewed it vigorously. With a glare, the woman looked up at Venice. "You know the onions and garlic in vindaloo are incredibly toxic to dogs," she scolded. "And all those spices will upset her stomach. What kind of pet owner are you?"

Venice stuttered at the woman’s comment. "I-I’m sorry, I w-wasn’t thinking" He grimaced. "I haven’t had vindaloo in well over fifteen years. I guess I got a little caught up in the moment and wanted everyone to try it."

"It’s all right. The bread put out the fire," Lola deferred. "I don’t suppose you’ve got any more of it? That red bean paste in the middle was pretty good."

The woman’s jaw dropped. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "It’s you! Hikaru Lola, the Buhund who freed the Light!"

Lola turned back to Venice. "You made that name up for me and it’s stuck!" she miffed. "Are you happy with yourself?"

"I didn’t make it up," the carpenter defended. "Your mother’s name was Hikaru Sandara—that is your full name! Just like Rook was sold to me by the Corvido farmstead."

The woman interrupted their argument by grabbing Lola’s paw and shaking it profusely, before giving out a boisterous laugh. "I can’t believe it!" she bellowed. "I should’ve realized … a white Buhund walking around the festival. This is such an honor! You’re even more gorgeous than I imagined."

The dog lowered her ears, feeling a great deal of unease at the young woman’s reaction. "Um … thank you?"

"Where are my manners?" the woman continued. "My name is Jakea. I’m a fledgling Sage, and I came here from New Terre in the Far East with my mentor to attend the festival."

"Jakea! We’re in serious need of some baked goods here!" the voice of an older woman called across the row of stalls. "Get yer rear moving, s’il vous plaît!"

Jakea got to her feet, brushing sand from her skirt in an annoyed huff. "Coming, Miss Betty!" she called back.

"I told you to drop the ’Miss’, cher," the voice replied. "Yer skating on thin ice!"

The young woman marched off in the direction of the voice, Lola feeling compelled to follow her. A few steps away from where they were standing, they came across a wooden caravan. Initially concealed from the Buhund’s line of sight by the surrounding stalls and shops, the small carriage was painted with festive shades of green and gold, with occasional patches of blue. In front of it sat a stocky, older woman in a rocking chair and a large dog by her side. Several patrons appeared to be waiting in front of the caravan—each of them expressing a great deal of impatience at Jakea’s delay. "Was yelling at me in old Terresian really necessary?" she sighed to the older woman.

"Je ne sais pas?" her elder responded with a shrug. "Okay, cher, I’ll give it a rest."

Lola could piece together from their interaction that the woman was the mentor Jakea had previously mentioned. The woman appeared wizened by many years of life, yet her rosy-peach skin showed little sign of wrinkles. Her hair, likewise, showed no signs of greying and grew a vibrant rust red. She fiddled anxiously with a tiny pair of spectacles that sat atop her nose as she glanced at the line of customers. "Let’s just get back to business," she instructed. "This young man at the front of the line needs an antique for his grandmother. You know what to do."

"Mmhmm," Jakea muttered. "One moment."

The young woman climbed up the caravan’s tiny staircase and quickly disappeared inside. As she vanished, the larger dog lunged forward at Lola and began sniffing her eagerly. "Emma!" the elder scolded. "Mind your manners!"

"She’s fine," Lola reassured her. "This is a standard greeting between ladies."

The larger dog turned and retook her seat beside the older woman. Her floppy ears swayed side to side as she moved. She stared quietly at Lola, her brown eyes framed by black facial markings that made her appear almost as if she were wearing a mask. Her long, speckled white and black tail continued wagging even as she sat passively by her mistress. "I’mma wager a guess that you’re Lola, the Buhund from Prithvi that everyone’s up in a buzz about?" Jakea’s elder asked.

"That’d be me," Lola replied.

"My full monicker is Betty Ann Souci, but I prefer to just be called Betty," the older woman divulged. "I’m the Southern Sage of New Terre, and this big lummox of a mutt here is my familiar, Emma Lou Sugarbean. It’s a pleasure to make yer acquaintance."

Lola could feel footsteps behind her. "And this must be Venice, Aurora, and Rook!" Betty continued. "Nice to meet you as well. Ho and Shi, always a pleasure to see you again."

"Hello, Miss Betty!" the twins greeted in unison.

The Buhund turned to look up at her comrades.

"Who is this?" Venice asked.

"Betty Ann Souci, Southern Sage of New Terre … prefer to be called Betty," she repeated. "Try to keep up, kid."

The caravan began to shake as the sound of someone noisily eating echoed from inside, punctuated by a loud and hideous belch. Jakea exited the caravan with a tiny, brass oil lamp in her hands—her hair appearing to have been blown back by a gust of tremendous force. She approached the young man at the front of the line and handed him the lamp. "The djinn in here can’t grant wishes to save his life, but he’ll keep your grandmother company," she explained.

With a sigh of relief, the young man relinquished two gold coins to the young woman. "Thank you, ma’am!" he exclaimed before departing.

Jakea handed the coins to Betty, then proceeded to retrieve a large hairbrush from her pocket. "How old is he again?" she asked her mentor as she attempted to fix her hair.

Betty pondered for a moment. "I think Balrog turned eight hundred this year," the Sage answered.

"Would it kill him to learn some manners?" Jakea fumed.

Lola and her friends stood watching the conversation with utter confusion. "Who or what is Balrog?" Aurora inquired.

"He’s a demon chest," Ho informed. "The Sages of Terre, then New Terre, have been taking care of his upkeep for several centuries."

"As an enchanted storage case, he has the ability to conjure or locate items from all over the world," Shi added.

"Although he’ll only do it in exchange for some sort of baked good," Betty interjected. "Lazy chest has gotta keep his non-stomach filled, apparently."

Jakea retreated back inside of the caravan. The same display of noisy eating and a vulgar belch followed. The Sage’s apprentice returned, her hair now in a further state of disarray, with a locket and chain hanging from her hand. She approached a middle-aged woman in the line of customers and handed her the item. "This locket will allow you to maintain control during your nightmares, but it won’t prevent them," she explained. "In order to stop them altogether, you’re going to have to use the locket’s abilities to face them."

"Oh, thank you!" the woman proclaimed, as she handed over two gold coins to Jakea and hurried off.

"So, you’re using the demon chest’s abilities to sell enchanted items to festival-goers?" Rook queried. "Is that ethical?"

"The items are always limited in what they can do. Those are the terms we’re on with Balrog," Betty explained. "We wouldn’t want anyone walking around with powerful artifacts they had no business in using."

Jakea attempted again, in vain, to fix her hair. "Imagine if an average person got their hands on a time-bending wand or an explosive power rock … that’s not something we’d want to be the cause of," she added. "Under contract, he will only produce enchanted items that can fix a person’s problems in small ways. He can’t conjure anything more powerful than that."

A large, orange cat descended from the roof a neighboring stall, landing atop Jakea’s head. "What on Lumea?" she exclaimed.

Betty adjusted her glasses. "Sants?" she pondered. "Does that mean that horse’s patoot Douglas Rose is nearby?"

The cat looked to her, the sunlight refracting off the clouded pupil in his right eye. "Mao," he responded.

The feline stood up on Jakea’s head and began flexing his claws on her scalp. "Ow!" she cried. "What is wrong with you, cat?"

Sants ceased kneading the top her head with his claws. It appeared that he’d fixed her hair in doing so. "Mao," he replied again.

Jakea felt around her hair. "Well, I’ll be."

"Rose and his whacky familiars," Betty commented. "It’s been years since we’ve crossed paths."

"You and Doug know each other?" Lola asked.

"Most of the regional Sages do," the aging Sage responded.

An older man at the front of the line of customers loudly cleared his throat. Betty looked over at the man and took notice of the large number of patrons behind him. "I hate to cut this short, but it looks like we’d best get back to work," she professed apologetically.

Jakea grumbled. "Right, I do the work … you sit there and rock away," she miffed as turned back toward the caravan, Sants still affixed to the top of her head. "Hope I’ll see you all at the Eventide Ceremony later!"

The young woman waved good-bye to Lola as she vanished inside the caravan once again. "Eventide Ceremony?" the Buhund uttered.

"It’s the ceremony in which Amah and Tsu change the Sun and Moon. All of the stalls close half an hour before it," Ho explained.

"The ceremony marks the end of the festival," Shi added.

"Sunset, right?" Venice inquired in between mouthfuls of vindaloo.

"Basically," the star spirits replied in unison.

#

Lola had long since rolled onto her back, her legs splayed in the air in front of her. A soft linen blanket sat between her and the coarse beach sand below as she watched the clouds pass by above. The cacophony of other festival-goers could be heard from all around her as people lounged on the surrounding coast. On occasion, the laughter of Ho and Shi broke through the sound of the crowd as the two young spirits played in the water not far from them.

"Are you going to be all right?" Aurora beseeched her. "You’ve had a lot to eat."

The Buhund huffed at the girl. "And yet I’m still hungry."

"She’s eaten well over her weight in roast fish, and at least half her weight in red bean sweets," Venice commented. "I just can’t understand how this is possible."

She could hear a pair of footsteps approaching. "I see she hasn’t missed out on the festivities," Carter’s voice snickered.

"Leave it to a dog to put their stomach first when it comes to celebrations," Wesley added.

Lola turned her head to see the two soldiers had rejoined their group. Both of them had been fitted with a clean change of clothes and appeared much less sickly than they had previously. "How was the hot spring?" the dog asked.

"Rejuvenating and obnoxious at the same time," Carter replied as he took a seat next to her. "That old woman wouldn’t stop trying to betroth us to her granddaughters."

Wesley sat down in the sand next to his former platoon-mate. "Thankfully, her granddaughters weren’t interested in cooperating with her intentions. It’s just nice to finally be able to relax."

"Hey!" Jakea’s voice called across the beach.

The Buhund turned herself onto her feet and looked in the direction of the call to see the fledgling Sage approaching, Sants the Cat in her arms. Lola could see Betty and Doug following behind her, a company of dogs—Emma the mutt, along with Sam and Danny—also in tow. "We meet again," the young woman greeted.

"I see you’ve all become acquainted with my eastern counterpart and her apprentice," Doug commented. "Miss Souci was kind enough to make me aware when we had a moment to catch up."

"Mister Rose, you needn’t keep up such formalities ’round the children," Betty mocked.

"And with that comment, suddenly I’m treasuring the fifteen years that contact between us was cut off," he growled in response.

The eastern Sage grinned deviously at the damage she’d caused, as she shot Doug a sideways glance.

"I digress … have you lot enjoyed the festival?" he inquired.

"So far, yes," Venice replied.

Lola let out an obnoxiously loud belch. "’Scuse me."

Aurora furrowed her brow at the dog. "Some of us in excess," she added.

"Well, all good things must end," Betty advised. "The Eventide Ceremony will begin shortly."

Jakea took a seat right next to Lola, facing out toward the sea. "What luck!" she exclaimed. "You guys saved us some pretty great seats."

"So what exactly does this ceremony entail?" the Buhund asked.

Jakea put her finger over her mouth, letting out a quiet shush as she pointed to the coast. The surrounding festival-goers had fallen silent. Lola’s ears perked with curiosity as she turned to watch what had begun.

Both Amah and Tsu were standing at the very edge of the coast, where the very last scrap of sand met the water. Their backs turned to the beach, they began walking out to sea—yet as they strode, their bodies did not submerge. The two High Spirits proceeded gracefully along the surface of the calm waters, making their way toward the low-hanging sun in the horizon. Partway out both of them stopped and turned to face one another.

Their eyes closed as they both raised their arms to the sky and began glowing vibrantly against the amber twilight. Gold and silver light erupted from them, flowing in thread-like streams across the sky. The sun in the distance began lowering itself past the horizon, while the moon had begun to emerge from behind it. The ceremony came to a halt when the beach began to quake violently.

Both spirits stopped what they were doing and turned their gaze to the coast as festival-goers screamed in terror, the earth beneath the coastal village visibly fissuring. As the gap widened enough to swallow several homes, the ground ceased shaking. From the maw emerged several inky masses of yellow eyes and teeth. "Bogba’el!" Aurora exclaimed, horrified.

"How can they tolerate the light?" Rook pondered out loud.

The creatures slithered in place as they emerged, reshaping themselves. Oozing, black nothingness that made up their bodies solidified into robed figures, the same nightmarish sea of yellow eyes visible from underneath their hoods. The fabric at the end of their sleeves took the shape of razor-sharp claws.

One of the beings set its numerous eyes on Lola from across the crowd and lunged from the maw. It let out an ear-bending shriek as it flew across the air, its claws poised to shred its target.

Jakea jumped to her feet, dropping Sants as she moved. As quickly as she could, the fledgling Sage relinquished a small pouch from her pocket and poured its contents into her hand. She blew a large cloud of pale yellow powder into the creature’s face before it came within a foot of the group.

As it came in contact with the being, it visibly burned whatever inch of the monster it touched. It echoed a loud squeal as the substance seared its body. "What was that?" Lola questioned.

"Cornmeal," Jakea replied. "Sanctified cornmeal. It fends off negative energies."

The being floated in front of the group, still squealing in pain. Come back to daddy, dear child. We’ll make it all better, a voice echoed from inside the fissure.

Without hesitation, the creature flew back to the fissure where its brethren patiently stood waiting. As it landed, the ground gave one more overwhelming quake and a stream of wind erupted from the opening in the earth. The tremor knocked the entire group from their feet, scattering Venice’s bag of supplies across the beach in front of them and flinging Aurora’s lute a short distance ahead.

While the flow of air continued to spill forth from the maw, two figures rose from inside it, carried by the gale. The wind began to slow as the two touched down to the ground around the fissure. The first figure stood tall, its skin a powdery white. Its long, black hair stood high and poised in several directions like the points of a star, while sections of it fell freely toward the ground. As the figure’s ruby-red lips and pointed teeth formed a grin, it glanced at the chaos along the beach—the scleras of its eyes black like obsidian glass, and its irises red like flickering flames. Adorned in a long, dark blue coat and a pair of high-heeled boots, the figure casually walked down from the gape in the earth.

The other figure, a woman with long, blonde hair worked into three long braids that fell behind her head, walked two steps behind the first. Dressed in a cotton tunic and maroon leather armor, she appeared human but her eyes were the same unnatural black and red as the other figure.

In a flash of light, Amah and Tsu appeared in front of Lola’s group. "You do not belong here," the Sun Spirit commanded.

Now, is that any way to welcome back the high spirit of the stars, dearie? the white-skinned figure beseeched. You and we have such a history, Amah. We’d hate to throw such a thing away.

"That title is no longer yours," Tsu protested. "Do you forget your cruelty to the Spirits and Arch Spirits of the Stars? Or your failed creations, the Bogba’el?"

The remaining High Spirits attending the Festival materialized behind Amah and Tsu. "You are not welcome in this world or the Spirit World, Mikaboh," Amah warned. "Return to whence you came before we are forced to do so for you!"

The being howled with laughter. We’re afraid that times are changing, dearie. Our ’imperfect creations’ are no longer quite so imperfect, it explained. You see, when the ward that held us weakened, we found many lost wanderers down in the depths below. It was through them that we found we could perfect the Bogba’el by binding them to the very soul of these otherwise useless corporeal beings.

Amah winced in disgust.

Either way, it allows them to withstand light in any form, Mikaboh continued. Most of the time, the Bogba’el inside will consume the soul and take over the empty shell creating–

It waved its hand across the group of monsters in front of the fissure in a presenting manner, Bogwraiths. Not much more cunning than your average Bogba’el, but much stronger and immune to light, the being spoke. Yet, occasionally the Bogba’el is successfully bonded to a corporeal being’s soul. the result, a Boglord, is the strongest of all our creations. one of our more outstanding successes, isn’t it, Reanja?

The woman behind Mikaboh stepped forward, nodding with a wide grin in response to his question. "Reanja delle Catene di Ferro?" Lola cried, astonished.

"Master Mikaboh found me after you wretched spirits and your little dog cast me from my throne and into the depths of the underground," the woman elaborated. "With my magic taken from me, there was a nice little space in my spiritual makeup for a Bogba’el to reside. He has given me a chance to exact my vengeance against all of you, and I’m taking it."

"And what of your son, the Young Earl?" Venice argued. "Did you just abandon him in the caverns below Prithvi?"

Reanja shook her head with a grin as she strode toward the injured Bogwraith, resting her hand atop its forehead. "A mother never leaves her child behind," she snickered. "What kind of monster do you take me for?"

The group gapped in horror and disgust. "You are a monster!" Lola exclaimed.

"This ends now, Mikaboh. You’re going back where you belong," Tsu commanded.

The Sun and Moon Spirits extended their arms forward, casting forth simultaneous streams of sun flames and moonlight in the being’s direction. With a sweep of his hand, Mikaboh deflected the assault, the resulting shockwave knocking Amah and Tsu off their feet.

We told you, dearie, times are changing. This world may be healing, but it is still weak from the Days of the Empty Sky. Likewise, so are you, the malevolent spirit taunted. We will complete our dearest mission, and return this flawed reality to the one true existence. This time, we will succeed … There is no other possible outcome.

Mikaboh let out another fit of howling laughter as he lifted his hands skyward. A barrage of transparent spheres erupted from his palms and began raining down on the surrounding beach.

The group of High Spirits scrambled at the sight of the projectiles, erecting a shield of blue light with their combined magic around the Buhund and her friends. As they fell the translucent spheres exploded, destroying whatever they landed upon. Lola watched in horror as a mass of fabric, buttons, wood, and lute strings rained down from the impacts around them. "My bunny!" she bellowed.

"My lute!" Aurora lamented.

As the Spirits’ shield faded the coast was still visibly in shambles, but Mikaboh and his minions had completely vanished. "Oh, bother," Amah grumbled.

Next Chapter: (Book 2) Chapter 03 - Crime and Punishment in the Spirit World