For all of its beauty and crystal clear waters, the longer he was here, the more he couldn’t stand the upstanding sea port. Before his memories had returned from his former life, he’d found things to admire about Egjora, but now? With years upon decades upon centuries of spite against civilizations just like this one, all he saw was ugliness. They did well to hide it, but once you see the hidden message in a picture you can’t simply unsee it.

As of now he wasn’t concealing himself like usual. No, the glowing white marks on his sun darkened skin blazed angrily; even cutting through some of the darker parts of his clothing where normally they would be naturally hidden. His eyes, while still emerald in hue, were beginning to swirl: they hadn’t decided on whether or not they wanted to flash a warning of ruby. The risk was high. For now though, he continued down the clean sidewalk.

His eyes moved up the face of a gated mansion as he walked alongside it. Beyond courtyards and intricately manicured gardens he could see its white washed walls: it’s windows with the curtains drawn back as if bragging about what was inside to anyone that walked by; the silver and gold that accented the sconces with unlit lanterns. However, despite its obvious outward brilliance, there was a surrounding dullness. The mansion was putting on airs as if trying to convince anyone that saw it that it was more confident than it really felt. The building was insecure. He knew why.

Years had passed, but he recalled the night spent there with the woman he now knew to be his old friend Natsumi. They’d cracked a case here, uncovered a dangerous cult, and all but put the family’s name to ruin. Damage control had been taken of course, but if one were to actually look closer they’d see that the hedges, while well kept, were devoid of their usual flowering. Flowers were expensive to upkeep. And the whitewash kept the outside pristine, but what stains or scorch marks were hidden underneath?

This was hardly a mansion once you dug into the more intimate details: this was a disheveled man, hunched and broken while still desperately clinging to the ‘good ‘ol days’. It was sad. More than that, it was pathetic. He smiled, his eyes finally mixing into ruby as he wrapped his fingers around the wrought iron gate that kept others out.

If he listened closely he could hear the staff inside, a skeleton crew in comparison to those long begotten days of glory. He doubted any of them were paid, this was the kind of place to take advantage of the slavery chain that Egjora tried not to put on display. How easy would it be to go inside? Break them of their chains? He’d done it before, maybe it was time to do so again.

Drake was having another set of unlucky streaks. It didn't seem to help that Drake's dreams of another world were interfering with his ability to follow a basic map. Still, to find himself still on the wrong continent far after his magical mishap was disheartening. I'm I ever going to make it back to Magnus and Lord Drae at this rate? He let out a sigh, and pulled his cloak tighter around his draconic wings, which he had folded against his back the best he could to hide them. Drake had boarded a ship that was intended to head one direction, but had ended up in the ports of Egjora. Unfortunately for the young man, his money was already spent, and he was left without any silver to leave. Stranded again, he thought to himself. He had just enough silver to stay at an inn for a few days, but after that he would be left out on the streets. The good news for Drake was that it seemed there was more than enough work to go around on the docks. But what came first was securing a room. As he passed into the upper-class portion of the city, he couldn't help but be in awe at the sudden change in conditions. From what Drake could tell, everything seemed to be clean and organized, almost to the point where Drake felt guilty at his own, half disheveled look. The housing was large and elaborate, something that Drake could only ever dream of, having lived his life mostly through rooms for rent or out under the stars. "It's pretty amazing," Drake mused out loud as he passed another manor. He turned the corner, and stopped. There was a particularly large mansion ahead; a gated place with gardens and what not. But what caught him was a seemingly glowing figure. A sense of something about him was…different.Just before accidentally transporting himself across the world, he had met with Lord Drae and unleashed a well of magical potential in himself in the form of draconic blood that had been sleeping in his veins. Ever since, he had been realizing that potential, with mixed results. One of those results included the inability to control his senses when it came to magic. "Oh. That's a lot," Drake said out loud as he walked towards the glowing deity. It reminds me of Lord Drae in a way, he thought. I wonder if…"You wouldn't happen to have seen a black winged celestial, have you?" Drake asked as he walked up to the deity. It was random and abrupt, but there was a chance.

A new scent was caught on the wind, intermingling with the saltiness of the ocean. He recognized that scent, it reminded him of a former treasure hunting companion. His eyes moved over to the newcomer just as they came up to him and he managed to turn his full attention to him. Some of the tension eased from his muscles now that he was focusing on a person and not the history of this house.

However, his eyebrows furrowed at the seemingly random question he had been asked. A black winged celestial? He couldn’t recall anyone or anything like that nearby or recently, unless he was overthinking it. He smiled, showing only a brief glint of teeth with it as he did, “Quite a question to ask upon our first meeting,” he mused, looking around, “In any case, I can’t recall seeing such a person or entity recently. Would there perhaps be a name to go along with that description?”

There was something about this newcomer though, something they were hiding under their clothing. As much as he wanted to pry about it, he held back his tongue. For now. “Of course,” he started, turning and leaning his back against the wrought iron gate to keep from glaring at the mansion within, “A place like Egjora likes to hide away anything that could seem dirty, strange, different,” he waved his hand in light irritation.

“So,” he said, looking over to him with another smile, “Why are you looking for them, if I might ask?” he inquired with genuine curiosity.

Drake was quite surprised by the response, even more so when the man tried to follow up.  For the most part, he got awkward stares of brushed off when he asked.  "N-no, no name, sadly.  I'm not even sure if she exists, to be fair."  He sighed, shaking his head.  "I do appreciate it, though.  I don't think I'll have much luck finding her."  He sighed.  "I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Drake perked up when the man asked another follow up question.  "Why?  It's a stupid reason.  Or maybe it's not.  Magnus told me it's likely a problem with my soul merging with a different soul from another world…or…something like that," Drake said, looking briefly confused at his own explanation.  "Or…maybe it's that I have two souls…or…"  He shook his head, "The details really don't matter.  I keep having dreams about her, flames, and destruction.  I'm not all sure what it means, or even what to do about it.  Magnus says that Zets'ki is where I'd find celestials, so my goal is to get there…only, it really hasn't been working out for me," he said sheepishly.  

"Sorry about all of this.  You seemed to be in the midst of something yourself.  I didn't mean to be a bother."  

An eyebrow quirked up, not bothering to hide the fact that his curiosity was piqued. What he said hit a little closer to home than he wanted to admit, but nonetheless he listened to him quietly. When he did finish, however, he spoke up, “Two souls merging…” his words trailed in thought, the hue of his eyes swirling from emerald to crimson and back again, “These dreams you’re having, tell me more about them.” That was his realm after all.

“To be perfectly blunt, when I hear talk of someone concerned that they could have a split soul, or a combined soul, it gets the blood running,” he smiled to show he meant nothing ill by this revelation. If anything, it lurched him towards protectiveness much faster. He knew well what it was like to share a body with someone, for two souls to be forced into one shell, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience or one he’d wish on another. He’d also had his fair share of what he believed were nightmares only to find out that they were in fact, quite real.

“You said ‘her’,” he nodded his head to the side, inviting the young man to walk with him as he stepped away from the gates of the manor. He’d come back later for it, “Who is she?”

As with Magnus and Lord Drae, it seemed as though this person understood all to well what was occurring, which made Drake sigh with relief.  More than a few had thought him insane, or broken by magic.  He had, briefly, believed them, but since meeting Magnus, that fear had been relieved.  

The stranger asked, though, about his dreams, which Drake found odd.  Still, it wasn't as if the dreams held some magical secret about Drake, and it wasn't something harmful.  He thought for a moment how best to put them into words.  "There are quite a few different once.  Honestly, they tend to blend together a lot.  But I remember having an airship docked constantly in a place but similar to Parvpora.  There were dreams of a great kraken that threatened the coasts….Oh, and a giant Wyrm wrapping itself around a tree…something about devouring magic.  I also remember an airship…a really, really big one, owned by someone who I felt betrayed by.  It was almost a city in the sky…"  He sighed.  "It all sounds crazy because nothing like this has happened, but plausible because it's within the realm of possibility…"

As the stranger further emphasized his intent, Drake felt even more at ease.  It was a similar feeling to Lord Drae, almost welcoming.  As he started to follow the stranger, he was asked another question.  This one was more complicated.  "She's the one I'm looking for.  The angel…or, I guess celestial that's in my dreams.  Raven hair, black wings.  She's more than persistent in the dreams, so…"  Drake paused.  "I guess I care about her.  She probably died, like…I did.  At least, that's what the dreams seem to be implying.  But maybe her soul is like mine.  Maybe she exists here…"  He thought for a moment.  "Or maybe I want her to exist here."

Died, like he had? His lips parted, that certainly got his attention and he tried not to show it too much on his face as his eyes flickered over to him. Was it possible that this young man…? No, he was getting his hopes up to think something like this had such a simple, yet somehow complicated, answer. He hoped that the influx of his own memories wouldn’t start affecting how he approached others to help them. Though he feared even more that his judgment might start to be shrouded. It was a hard line to walk, sometimes hope was more dangerous than fear: the two holding hands to keep balance.

“Yes, often times we can want something so badly that, to us, they come true. Think of it like self-fulfilling prophecy,” his head tilted to the side, eyes narrowing in thought. “Though in your case this is a bit more…” what was the right word, he wondered, “Intricate.” He outstretched one hand, letting his fingers run along the wrought iron fencing as they walked.

“You said that you died. Tell me more about that, because it’s not often you speak to someone that’s seen Dalanesca’s realm and come out as whole as you,” he smiled, wanting to lighten the talk as much as possible while still continuing it. “Near death experiences alone can affect us long term. Many people think that it gives you a constant link to the other side, it’s possible this has something to do with your situation. Do you ever experience black outs? Losses of time?”

He’d experienced death, or, that’s what he had thought it was. It was disconcerting to remember both dying and being fooled into thinking you had, when really you hadn’t. Life was complicated enough without getting death involved. Much less when it involved moving from world to world. Now that he thought about it more, he hoped this young man’s predicament was nothing like his own. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Drake's instincts were telling him that this individual wasn't someone who he would normally find wandering the streets for just any reason.  It was a similar feeling to that of Lord Drae, and it made him wonder just what the man was capable of.  After all, it almost felt as if he were sizing Drake up for something or another.  It almost made Drake worried.  If he's anything like Lord Drae or Iris, I won't stand a chance…

As the two continued down the path, Drake tried to find the words to explain what he thought had happened.  Because death wasn't entirely the right word.  He himself had never died, but the other one had,  

"Intricate is a good word for it," Drake replied, pausing as he thought hard about what to say.  "The death isn't…easy to explain.  I don't think I've ever experienced Lady Dalanesca's realm.  In fact, if anything, it seems distant from this world."  He sighed.  "I don't know how to explain it, or even if I can.  Magnus told me that there are other worlds, like this one.  I think…that this soul I house saw the end of one of those worlds, and was cast here.  I haven't blacked out, or lost time even…." 

He closed his eyes, and immediately he could feel his soul, side by side with a great black dragon.  The dragon was still asleep, its slumber still undisturbed by everything that had happened.  Gently, Drake opened his eyes, as if trying not to stir the sleeping beast.  "If anything," he started, "The soul is lending me its power.  It's not causing me to loose anything.  It's giving me strength."  He paused, "Though…I am wary of it."

"So, I apologize.  I think death is not entirely correct.  I myself have't died…but…this soul has.  And it wasn't here…"

The more the young man explained, the more Naota’s smile faded away. His circumstances, they were so similar to his own that he couldn’t help but be taken aback. Was this a coincidence? Impossible. Bumping into someone over and over again was a coincidence. Going from one world to the other? That was something else entirely. Angela had experienced it just as Naota had, like other members of the conclave had. Was it possible that he’d come from the same world…? Now, that would have been a coincidence.

“If I’m perfectly honest with you, I know too well the things you’re describing,” he admitted, his voice growing quieter. “I’ve recently had a few…” how best to put this, “Memories, resurface themselves. It’s actually quite startling to hear someone else with a situation so similar to my own.” This had to be approached delicately, he himself was still coming to terms with everything.

“This Magnus is right: there are other worlds,” he confirmed, “My own soul came from another, and I’ll warn you now that the adjustment can be damaging to the psyche if you try to wrap your mind around it all at once.” His lips parted, trying to backpedal slightly, “Not that I’m trying to tell you matter-of-factly that this is what’s going on with you, but do know that it’s a very real possibility.”

He laughed gently, the sound slightly bitter without him realizing it or meaning to, “Really, a lot of what you’re talking about is strikingly resembling of things I’ve experienced firsthand. Although, when my body was shared with another soul, it wasn’t a positive relationship…much more parasitic.” He paused in their walk to face him fully, narrowed eyes studying him intently for a brief moment of silence, “What’s your name?”

As the man spoke, Drake’s spirit rose. He seemed to understand, no, relate to it all. Immediately, the draconian felt excitement. However, Drake was surprised that the man didn’t share his enthusiasm. Perhaps it was a curse on him, and not a blessing. It certainly felt that way to Drake sometimes. He was already struggling to sleep properly.

“Damaging to the…” Drake mirrored. So the sleeping dragon is dangerous? But Lord Drae and Magnus seemed to think it was fine. But the draconian remembered his own fears of the dragon awakening and devouring his spirit. The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine. He might be right.

“Drake.Azrahi.” Drake said finally. “You said your relationship was more parasitic…” He cleared his throat. “Mine feels less parasitic and more…in need of help? I don’t know.” The entire thing was overly complicated, and Drake felt as though explaining it was a pain. “The way I see it…this second soul, is like a giant sleeping, black dragon. I can…access its powers by borrowing them, but the dragon seems to never stir. It’s almost like it can’t wake up…as if….” As if it’s waiting for something.

“Could I possibly ask why your soul…thing was parasitic?” Drake was worried that if the dragon woke up, he wouldn’t stand a chance against it. It was alarming to hear that the one person who seemed to relate had such a problem with it, and that it may become a problem for Drake down the line.