UE Rewrite: B4 — 26. Sisters in Soul

PoV:

1. Elinor (Our Lich Empress!)

Undying Empire Index

Previous Chapter

Inline Edits

--------------

The moment they crossed into their shared Soul Sanctum, a vast transformation rippled outward from where they stood. What had once been separate chambers divided by a barrier now expanded into something grander—a colossal palace hovering in an endless sky, split perfectly down the middle.

It was clear as day the moment Elinor gazed upon their new, expanded soul.

We’re no longer separated… We can move into each other’s halves. What does that mean? Does it mean we’re closer? Or…does it mean we’re closer to conflict and this is the stage for it? Ultimately, this would be the foundational battlefield for us, after all.

Elinor blinked, taking in the dramatic contrast. To her right stretched her domain—gothic architecture with soaring black spires, obsidian walkways, and emerald flames flickering in wrought-iron sconces. Shadows pooled in elegant corners, and the occasional raven perched on balustrades, observing with intelligent eyes that could report back to her any invasion. Sentries.

To her left, Butter’s realm blazed with radiance—alabaster columns supporting golden domes, ivory lattices, and walls inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Fountains of light cascaded through crystal channels, and everything gleamed as if perpetually kissed by dawn. Lions guarded her half, majestic and noble.

Where the two halves met, neither side yielded. The division ran precise and clean—black marble meeting white exactly at the midpoint of every hall, staircase, and chamber.

“Well,” Butter said, twirling to take in the view, her golden hair flowing like liquid sunlight. “Isn’t this just delightfully symbolic?” Her aquamarine eyes sparkled with mischief as she gestured to the stark division. “Though I must say, your side could use a bit more…”

“Life?” Elinor offered with a slight smirk.

“I was going to say ‘joy,’ but that works too.” Butter winked, her flowing white dress seeming to capture and amplify the light around her. “Your half looks like someone died.”

“Someone did die,” Elinor reminded her, tapping her staff against the black marble floor. “Me.”

They shared a glance, and unexpectedly, both laughed—a brief moment of genuine connection that seemed to ripple through the Nexus itself.

It felt strange to Elinor, expressing this much emotion. Yet, when Butter was around, it felt like something in her soul resonated with her twins that drew out something suppressed. Her sister had a way of turning very serious conversations into something more casual…even delightful. It was subtle, and a natural tactic that was quite lethal.

Butter’s laughter faded as she moved toward a balcony that had formed at the edge of their palace. “Oh, now this…this is perfect.”

Elinor joined her, and together they gazed out at the spectacle below. Their palace floated high above a perfect replica of their empire—the jungle valley spread out beneath them, with the massive Black Fortress of Kel’mal’tha dominating the northern horizon. Rivers of emerald and gold—Death and Life Energy instead of water—flowed through the landscape, sustaining it like veins and arteries.

“If this isn’t godhood, it’s certainly the view of it,” Butter murmured, leaning against the balustrade, which was half gold on her side and half black iron on Elinor’s.

Elinor studied her sister—truly studied her—for the first time since her return. Butter had changed. Beyond just gaining a physical form, there was a solidity to her presence now, a weight and substance that hadn’t been there before. She’d grown stronger, more confident—more like the goddess Ashrit must have been.

The thought sent a chill down Elinor's spine.

I can feel it in the air… Something’s coming. Butter’s emotions. As if she’s fighting herself… Her own emotional turmoil. I can’t blame her.

“You’re watching me with that look,” Butter noted without turning. A small smile touched her lips as she pulled her liquid-like golden locks behind her pointed ears, looking up at the sky as it darkened. “…You can feel it too, huh? The storm is coming. Ah, there it is… The sound of your heart.”

A low rumble rippled through the heavens, lightning flashing across the sky as the wind picked up. On the opposite side, golden clouds, mirroring the call of their unified emotional rise.

“The consequences are building… We’re playing with fire, or is that how we’ve always lived, playing too close to the sun? Well, that didn’t take long. The thunder is breaking upon us,” she mumbled, her expression turning melancholy as she turned to face her. “Wondering if I’ve come to challenge you, perhaps?”

“The thought crossed my mind,” Elinor admitted, fighting back the hand gripping her heart. “I won’t lie. I can feel the static and the sparks between us, despite the reservations we both seem to hold. And you did arrive in a military helicopter with armed soldiers. That’s quite the show of force, Sister.”

Butter turned her gaze heavenward, her expression momentarily serious. “Now that is a little dramatic, coming from you, Sister… You aren’t afraid of military helicopters or humans. No, our fears are held closer to the soul.”

“You don’t want to play second fiddle…or is it more that you can’t?”

Her twin took a second to respond, her fingers curling into a fist, a reserved tilt coming to her lips. “What I don’t want? Mmm. I see we’re tabling everything else for this? Well, I can understand why… What don’t I want, hmm?”

Bright eyes dropping to the valley below while leaning against the railing, true vulnerability leaking out as she responded. “I do feel a little scared, big sister… I don’t fully understand, but I feel the danger. What do I fear?”

She locked eyes with her, and Elinor couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her soul at the uncertainty in her twin’s gaze. “After everything I’ve experienced in the Crystal, I realized that I don’t want to be a sinking ember, Elinor. Someone who is remembered as a warning. What have we done to set us down this path? Is it so hard…for us to unite rather than be in strife? I don’t know.”

Disharmony rippled through the Nexus—a subtle current of tension that both sisters could feel. Not from their subjects, but from their own unaligned purposes.

Elinor broke eye contact to look up at the swirling storm of contrasting forces, still apart, but building with the tension within their chests. Could she have opened up like that? Whatever the case, she had ignited this confrontation.

“…I’ve asked that same question recently. What have we done to end up in this cycle? I don’t know either, Sister, and I do realize requiring you to remain beneath me is…something I would not accept. So, how could I accept it for my sister?”

A sad smile lifted her lips as her eyes shifted to view her radiant twin. “For all your impulsive and brash behavior, you’re shockingly composed and honest, Butter. So, can we get this question out of the way?”

She paused for a split second as they met each other’s eyes.

“Butter, are you here to attempt to take my throne?”

Her twin almost immediately broke into her familiar grin. “Oh, Sister, if I wanted your throne, I wouldn’t announce it with a helicopter. I’m not stupid. I’d simply arrive and proclaim my right to take it.” She spread her arms wide. “But here we are instead, in our shared soul, talking like civilized beings. Doesn’t that tell us something?”

The pressure building in Elinor’s breast slightly dissipated with the innocent, transparent face Butter gave her. Unlike Ashrit, her current sister didn’t quite have the ego of her goddess counterpart. And, it seemed she had also changed since her time as Irkalla.

“Good. Perhaps we should walk,” Elinor suggested, gesturing toward the large, open doors to the grand hallway that led deeper into the palace. “Let’s ease into this rather than let the storm break all at once… I was worried about you, Butter. Tell me a little about your adventures while we explore this…interesting merger of our inner worlds.”

“Adventures!” Butter latched onto the word with enthusiasm, falling into step beside her with a twirl. “Oh, where to begin? I’ve led armies, conquered nations, bargained with the Supreme Chief of the Dead, if you’d believe it. And here we thought the ri’bot didn’t have a death deity, but it turns out they just forgot him. Not the Susime, though!”

“You also brought White and Adoncia back from death—my own subjects I resurrected.”

“Well, resurrected is a general term,” the blonde chortled, tilting her head left and right while holding her hands behind her back; her twin’s heels clicked against the polished white stone she walked along. “You have a sort of half-death resurrection, which I believe is tied to this rather intriguing place Nungal took me to before the Crystal business. My version is true resurrection!”

Her excitement was infectious, even as Elinor maintained her reserved demeanor. They passed through corridors where black and white stone met in perfect division, where emerald flames flickered on one side and golden light poured from the other.

Of course Nungal was contacting Butter, as well. Is her goal to bridge us…or divide us?

“You know,” Butter continued, trailing her fingers along a gilded column, “of all the ways I imagined we died in our past lives, with your apparent unbroken record in surviving my attempts to kill you—that is painful to say, by the way, but the fact you were killed by a Seed of all things before I managed it is perhaps the least dignified thing I have felt. It stings! A Seed beat me to the punch. It’s somewhat insulting, really,” she huffed, brushing back her hair with agitation. “Say something about that! Do you think I’m pathetic?”

Elinor’s lips quirked upward. “Butter, that’s silly. Truly. Technically, it was my own power that killed me—the body you now occupy. So don’t take it too personally. We’re twins. If you are pathetic, then I’d be associated with weakness…and that I refuse.”

“Aww! You’re so sweet, big sis!” Butter cooed, immediately latching onto her with a tight hug before spinning away again with a wink. “So I still have a shot, is what you’re saying?”

She paused, her emerald eyes meeting Butter’s dancing aquamarine ones. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, you fatty blonde. As far as I’m aware, only Nungal has ever killed me. So you still have a chance for second place.”

“Humph. It takes a fatty butterfly to know one. Why are you dissing yourself, twin?” Butter’s eyes narrowed, though her smile remained. “But I’ll take that as a glowing endorsement of my capabilities. Thank you, Sister.” The sarcasm dripped like honey from her lips.

They shared another moment of unexpected connection—the kind that only sisters who had fought and died across lifetimes could understand, or so Elinor assumed.

“But seriously,” Elinor continued as they walked, “a helicopter? American soldiers? What exactly happened after you entered that Crystal?”

Butter's expression turned thoughtful as she gazed out a window at the empire below. “I went to war with Earth, in a manner of speaking. Or rather, I conquered the Crystal that tied both our worlds, and a few others, together in this battle royale style contest.” Her smile returned, bright and sharp. “I won, of course. And with victory came the spoils of war.

“Not only do we have quite the equipment, courtesy of General Dallas of the US Army, but I was also able to deliver a rather amazing speech to the whole of Earth from the oval office itself, meeting the president. In it, I expressed the plight of what became of the Colombian town that was captured into this world and those who lived there, offering those who wished to join us to come to Montana.”

Elinor’s gut twisted as her gaze darted to her smug twin, chest puffed up with pride. “You brought more humans from Earth? They came…willingly?”

“Of course they did willingly. I’m quite charming and charismatic, after all,” she huffed. “I don’t need to beg. Plus, this kind of adventure, with the promise of powers from my dear older sister, contingent on belief in the empire, and I had a shocking number of people join.”

Her gaze drifted to the side while mumbling, “Of course, a Second Oscillation and a world in turmoil, with refugees across many countries may have had a contributing effect, causing a stir a while before my arrival.”

“A second Oscillation?” Elinor questioned, not following as they paused by a high, arched window overlooking the giant black fortress below. “Is that what they called the event where these Seeds entered the population? So it wasn’t just us. The Scarlet Hand just removed key players before the event happened, and now you’re saying a second one occurred? How many refugees are we talking about?”

Butter perked up. “Now, you’re following! Yes, according to Rachel and White, they speculated at least one out of every twenty-five humans were affected by the Second Oscillation, including some of the wildlife. So, you can see why there might be many disillusioned, non-powered humans who were continuing to feel marginalized with Earth. Plus, that large of a shift in population caused even more strife throughout the world.”

Elinor’s fingers locked around her wrist at her back as she gave her grinning twin a pointed stare. “How many do we need to support now, Butter?! You’re laying out a rather drastic change. Almost certainly there will be Scarlet Hand operatives in those numbers and potentially other risks!”

Her sister folded her hands at her front and twiddled her thumbs, glancing away with a strained smile. “I mean, you were wondering why I left Quin, Conquest, and Adoncia back there. And with so much potential, of course there are risks. It is that reason why I gave them three week’s time to come…since Nungal said it could remain open for that long.”

“Butter!”

“What?!” she balked, returning the glare. “More arrived than I first thought, okay? What do you want me to do? They were so cute and desperate. You should be thankful I talked you up so much. So…are we going to take over this giant city, because…that would be good considering we have…fifty thousand humans slowly making their way here,” she mumbled almost under her breath.

She couldn’t even repeat the number, feeling as if she’d been punched in the gut. “Fifty… Butter, that’s probably the amount of ri’bot in the valley—period! How are we supposed to feed all of them?”

“Exactly! And we have witches and…magic and stuff. There were many relatives of our people who came, as well. We’ll figure it out! Your [Rising Empire] Achievement Feat is about to go off the charts! Plus, I have my own little bonuses that I’m becoming more accustomed to, but…as you might understand, I’ve been a tad, eh…busy. Praise me a little, Priss! I’ve been working hard for our empire.”

Elinor rubbed between her eyes, glancing down at the black fortress, realizing she had a lot to accomplish. Then, after the initial shock, her mind started to connect dots and expand.

We really are an empire now… And if we can make contact with Earth again, we have relations with the president of the United States. That…actually is massive.

A small smile lifted her lips that caught her twin’s agitated gaze. “No, you exceeded all my expectations, Butter, and I have high expectations from you.”

“Finally! A little gratitude,” she sniffed, bunching her lips to the side in a pout but it didn’t last long until there was another grin on her face. “It will take a while to move that many people safely through the jungle, and I thought an escort of undead would be appropriate. There were also, uh…other complications.”

“Mika’s death?” Elinor pressed, feeling the weight of loss through their connection. “The moment you returned, you used your [Soul Expansion]. What happened?”

A shadow passed over Butter’s face as she gripped her elbow, regret passing over her features. “A miscalculation on my part. I took over the Susime Clan, gaining the blessing of the Supreme Chief of the Dead, Seg’tharis, and utilizing the powers over life of Utelira, his sister, to advance my cause…but that did not come without resistance.”

Her brow set, a fire igniting in her gaze. “We were ambushed when we returned. I can recount the details later, but they had a weapon that somehow rivaled my powers over life… Mika took the blast for me before I could activate my [Soul Expansion] and counter it. That is something for another time, though. I handled it.

“However, after that battle, I was visited by the Prume’s spokesperson. Have you met him?”

“I have… He delivered a warning about how you handle the Susime. At least, Nungal said the warning was for you, which meant they were putting pressure on me to respond to you in case you went against their desire. So…what did he want?”

They entered a vast chamber that seemed to serve as a war room. A massive table stretched across the center, half obsidian and half white marble, with a detailed map of their empire etched into its surface. Tiny figures—some glowing emerald, others golden—represented their forces, connected through the Nexus and their shared knowledge. The cluster of humans to the northwest of the valley were already on it, with a detailed picture of what the Susime valley looked like.

Butter placed a finger on the new piece that appeared on the map of the mysterious ri’bot figure. “Enough to know they’re a threat to us if we don’t heed their warning to stay clear of the northern mountains… At least until they make contact with us again. Clearly, they don’t want us to awaken something within.”

A curious twist came to her lips while spinning the piece around. “As for their connection with the Susime, according to the former High Priestess of Utelira, they were an offshoot of the Prume main branch. They’re likely the most potent remnant of the old Supreme Chief empire. My guess, they have a complicated relationship with Shade but that’s something for another time… We can hold a proper funeral for Mika, for her family.” 

Elinor listened to that, knowing that her twin wasn’t aware of the current state of the Roxim, with their kidnapped chief and weakened forces. “We can discuss that later, and Mika served her purpose… At least, I believe she would have seen it that way. Hmm. You’ve changed, Sister,” Elinor observed, circling the table to get a better look at the new landscape she’d never set eyes on before, which now opened up before her through her twin’s experiences. “You’re stronger now. More…substantial. I can feel you’ve closed the gap between us.”

“Oh? Unexpected praise from my big sister!” Butter teased, yet the pride was evident in her voice. “I’m no longer that dying little ember of a soul I was when we first met, hmm?”

She stretched her arms wide, as if embracing her new power. “I’m whole, Sister. Complete. A far cry from the parasite you once called me. I’ve really bulked up, you could say,” she snickered. “However…I would say you haven’t become complete yet.”

Elinor’s gaze lifted to hers. There was slight concern and apprehension in those words. Yet, no malice, but a clear message lingered beneath them. Butter was no longer content to exist in her shadow and she didn’t know how else to proceed without conflict.

She nodded slowly and straightened to face her glorious twin. “…Meaning, we’ve faced Ashrit from our past…but not Irkalla. You’re afraid of what I might become. Even Ashrit was terrified of my past, night elf life. That being said, what does the High Queen intend to do with her newfound strength?”

The question hung in the air between them, heavy with implication. Butter’s smile faltered slightly as she met her steady gaze. “That,” she said softly, “is what we need to determine before we exit this meeting, isn’t it?”

After a few moments of silent emotions passing between them, they reconciled to continue their walk in silence, moving through galleries. The walls were lined with paintings of her dark, brooding scenes from her visit to Kaspir, victory in uniting the clans, and war against the Xaltan. Opposite it, Butter’s vibrant, triumphant ones from her conquest of the Susime and Crystal battle royale shone with demanding attention.

The disharmony in the Nexus grew more pronounced—not hostile, but questioning, uncertain. Everyone connected to it would feel the tension between them.

Finally, they reached what could only be described as a throne room. Two massive chairs dominated the far end, one carved from black obsidian veined with emerald, the other crafted from white marble inlaid with gold. Behind them, an enormous window revealed the entirety of their empire, including Valdar’s Crossing stretching across the jungle canopy.

“…A nation cannot have two heads, Sister,” Elinor said at last, breaking the silence.

“And that,” Butter replied, “is quite a large disagreement, wouldn’t you say?” she giggled, the sound echoing through the chamber. “One is free, and one is caged. That isn’t sisterly, is it?”

Elinor arched an eyebrow. “Is a true ruler not more caged by the chains of her throne and responsibility?”

Butter’s laughter faded into a thoughtful hum. “A fair point, Sister.” She moved to the window, gazing at Valdar’s Bridge, which seemed to interest her. Yet, she remained on the sobering topic. “Once again, I ask the question, why have we been fighting for so many  lives? I don’t know…but if the answer is my subjugation… I can understand it.”

She turned back to Elinor, her expression unusually serious. “We both walk under the same sun. We were born from the same womb and split from the same soul. To rule is what we are at our core—it’s woven into the fabric of our very being. We both sense that.”

“In another time, perhaps we’d be as one,” Elinor mused, joining her at the window.

“Conflict is almost baked into our souls,” Butter agreed, “and yet, we can’t live without each other. I think we can both agree to that at this point.” Her fingers brushed against the glass, tracing the outline of the valley. “Like strings in a cosmic symphony, resonating against each other to create something greater… We are something phenomenal on our own. So…how would that look if we were united for once? Is that even possible without this…unbearable grip of defiance squeezing our hearts, big sister?”

Elinor’s gaze lingered on Valdar’s Bridge, her thoughts turning to the old Delthax Elder Chief who had sacrificed everything to break the cycle of blood feuds among his people.

“…There are some who are born distinguished. There are some who are raised in praise… Ashrit was the golden sun of her world. Irkalla was a blot in her father’s gaze. In contrast, I was born in love and protected with a vengeance by an adoring father. Meanwhile, you were forgotten, left to die without so much as a whimper until you clawed your way back within my soul…”

Butter drew in her lips for a moment, a complex mix of emotions stretching long across her face. “A cruel twist of Fate…or by Nungal? That is another topic we could get into but, as I see it, the price of transformation is never small… Just as my own rebirth required your death.”

Elinor turned to face her sister directly. “Perhaps there’s another way.” The words came slowly, deliberately. “We could rule as co-equals, as sisters.”

Butter’s eyes widened slightly. “Co-equals? As simple as that sounds, we both know we can’t keep that promise at the end of the day. We’re both too proud and controlling. High Heavens, Sister, my very power is mostly tied to conquest, and not life.”

“You haven’t let me finish, Little Sister,” Elinor chided with a light tap against her forehead that made her return a cute pout and rub the spot. “There will be one provision.” 

“I’m listening.”

“If there is a disagreement—a true impasse—we settle it in combat.”

A slow smile spread across Butter’s face. “Now there is a simple and acceptable compromise! Not to the death this time, I assume?”

“No. With significant terms,” Elinor confirmed. “We’ve come too far to destroy each other now. I want to see you thrive, sister.”

“And I you! So, you are suggesting we could create constructs for our battle,” Butter expanded on with growing excitement, her eyes gleaming with sudden inspiration. “The death of a construct rather than our true selves. My body would simply be vacant and in need of care. Heavens, this is wonderful! I could be like, rats! I’ll get you next time, Priss! Or, or, I finally won! Woooh! What does that mean? Who cares! I won!”

Elinor chuckled as her twin hopped up and down, spinning with boisterous cheer at the unlikely event that she won one of their contests, but the possibility was all that mattered. And hey, maybe Butter would surprise her. After all, she already had.

“I love the fat energy you bring, Butter, but why would you choose a living body with such limitations in the first place? I wasn’t sure about my artificial body at first, but after the Kaspir ceremony, I’ve grown rather fond of it.”

Butter's smile turned mischievous, her cheeks a tad rosy. “Oh, Sister, can you really not see why I’d want a real body?” She stretched languidly, delicate fingers tracing her figure to rest against her belly. “It certainly has advantages artificial bodies lack. Certain…true sensations, for one. Were you aware that Ashrit was also a fertility goddess, among…other things? Won’t that be important for our future empire?”

Elinor puffed out a sigh and chuckled. “You certainly are something. But…you aren’t wrong. Best not let Dad hear you talking like that. He still sees us as his little girls, and he desperately wants to get to know you better, but…there are boundaries.”

“I’m not stupid! Plus, it isn’t like I’m the one propagating, though the option is open if the opportunity arises,” she whispered with a seductive glance to the side. “As I understand it, pleasure felt between the unliving and living is different and both have their perks, but children certainly are a colossal benefit.”

“And we’re changing the subject… Discuss it with the maids since I’ve heard some rather…colorful conversations between them.”

“Oh, I know. I inspired it!”

“…Of course you did,” she mumbled dryly. “Anyways, we’ll need more of these pearls crafted for new phylacteries then.”

“Fortunately,” Butter chimed, her smile widening, “you’ve already set up a base of operations within the very kingdom we need to launch an investigation from. Quite resourceful of you, I’d say. Well done, Big Sis!” she praised, leaning in to hug her.

A new form of heat rose within Elinor’s chest at the words, a tingle that spread through every essence of  her soul, as if she’d been waiting to hear those words forever.

“Yeah…”

Butter spun away, her dress twirling around her as she took them to stand beside a window, gazing down at their empire—their shared domain.

“The Empress and the High Queen,” Butter mused. “I’m fine with the same title. Both born of the same soul.”

“Both destined to rule,” Elinor added, feeling all the angst she’d had melt away after those true words of encouragement from her little sister. “May we forever reign.”

Their reflections in the glass overlapped—gold and emerald, light and shadow—neither dominating the other, but existing in balance.

They were united, at least for now, and hopefully throughout the rest of eternity, but maybe that was asking a little too much. Maybe this was what they needed to do to defeat Nungal. Maybe this was the very point in their conflict.

Both of their gazes lifted heavenward, where the stars, gold and emerald, fused in a cycling harmony. A unity that reflected their embracing bond.

Whatever the case, for now, the future looked bright for them…and grim for their enemies.

“Mmm. Priss?”

Eyebrow lifting, Elinor glanced at her twin, bright and sparkling with playful mischief while summoning a paper fan to her hands to tap against her chin. “Yes?”

“With all of this settled, what would you say to a first dance between us before our first meal as sisters? Surely, you haven’t had a thing touch those lips since our promise together?”

Elinor’s smile lifted as she flexed her fingers. “Just a playful dance?”

“Oh, I promise I won’t spin you around too much, Sister,” the blonde purred, eyes narrowing. “After all, I can sense you aren’t at your peak. Missing a Feat still from your recent war?”

She returned the laugh, a new thought picking at her brain that intrigued her while in this space. It also gave her an idea to work toward for her Level 40 Path Advancement. Butter was sharp and only honing those senses of hers.

She was right. [Warlord: Soldier’s Spirit] still had two days before it was off cooldown. 

“You are too perceptive, Sister, but no need to hold back. Instead of our grand show we put on for the empire to show our bond, this first waltz can be within our new home to…break it in. We’ll create body doubles in our Soul Sanctum?”

“You read my mind.”

Turning, they both watched as doll-like doubles of them materialized on their desires. One more, and they were staring at one another, projecting their wills through them.

Butter no longer wore her fancy Earth gown, no doubt tailored to her every wish, and now wore more of a pantsuit she must have gotten from Earth, as well. Elinor chose a gothic gown option that had her twin’s head tilt with inquiry.

A cane appeared in her sister’s free hand that she tapped against the floor. “Really? I respect the show of confidence, but… No, doesn’t this feel just right, Priss? It is so…you in a way. You are a minion-type summoner, after all. What will you do?”

“What will I do?” she chimed in return, showing a tempting gleam in her eye as she mysteriously opened her status menu and began to make some kind of adjustments. “Test out a few intriguing ideas I had after reaching Level 30. I’m sure you did the same but I’ve been quite busy running our empire while you’ve been playing on Earth.”

“I was playing! Earth is surprisingly a lot more fun than what I heard. We’ll have to find a way to vacation there. Did you choose anything special for your Level 20 Path? No, don’t tell me! I want to be surprised. I’m still floating from my dance with a special little hare.”

Illuminated emerald irises glowing, Elinor found her hands behind her back. “I’m sure you are on cloud nine. For a gift, how about I give you the first move?”

“Oh, I have such a cheeky big sister… Don’t mind if I do!”

Wind gathered around them as she unfurled her fan, water pooling out from the cane’s point to swirl in a slow coil around the blonde’s heels.

This confrontation wasn’t personal or agitated.

It was a welcome home.

--------------

Next Chapter