[Using the speech from Into Hades' Lair]

For someone as drawn to the powers of Fate as Drake, it was not a surprise that he would end up here, at the core of the Void. Perhaps, it was something about the fragmented soul that resided in his heart, or perhaps it was the fate of all Drake’s across all worlds to entangle themselves within the Void… Perhaps, it was merely a string of infinite coincidences that led every iteration of the draconian to the heart of darkness itself…

Or perhaps it was his destiny to be at the center, regardless of whether or not he played a vital role. Still, as Drake entered the realm of Calamity's Edge, he felt the dragon in his soul twinge. Something dark resided here, a power that threatened to devour the world. Perhaps it was not the same as the one that ended the dragon’s previous world, but it was close enough that there was a fear, mixed with some kind of regret.

“So…this is it, then,” he asked aloud, gripping his heart. As if to respond, his heart twinged again. He could feel this vast mix of overwhelming emotions surging through him. If this is truly the case…then we are obligated to press forward. Drake wiped a stray tear from his eye, and took bearing of his surroundings. It was now or never. He started down a path…

It’s so…odd, he thought to himself as he took his first steps into the illuminated ‘streets.’ At once, a loud sound seemed to come alive from all around. It spoke for a time, as if addressing someone. To Drake, it meant nothing, but it meant that there were eyes watching those in the city. He scowled, gazing up at the impossibly high towers that acted as buildings for Calamity’s Edge. There is no way to see. Whatever is watching us has the upper hand. He shivered. The idea that someone could attack at any moment was bad enough when Drake knew he could handle the situation.

Here, he felt cold and alone. It was by the grace of the Gods that he could still feel some connection to his mana. Perhaps his time training with Lord Drae had been worth it. Time and time again, he had proven that his magic was something not to be trifled with.

As he pressed forth through the city, the words of whatever being watching them once more rang through the streets. The Void beasts seemingly were avoiding him, for the moment. Perhaps it was a command that would ultimately lead to a trap, but Drake was grateful for a reprieve. The voice spoke of things that were confusing to Drake, about clinging to humanity and about how the Voice had ‘hired’ someone. It was all above what Drake came here to do, but the next few parts resonated with the draconian.

Greed.

“What do you know about humans then?” Drake asked aloud. It was dumb, and he didn’t truly expect a response. “We’re a lot more than that, you know…” He looked around, almost feeling foolish for speaking to the city itself. “But that’s besides the point…you don’t care what we are, or what we can become…” His silver eyes flashed crimson, his draconian blood burning through his veins.

“Whatever you are…whatever this Void is…we won’t let you stop us. We’re stronger than you can ever know. It’s not in our nature to just back down. We’ll overcome this, just like every other disaster!”

“You may have destroyed Endless…you may have even devoured Daeluin, but I’ll be damned if I let the Void destroy anything else…” His eyes flickered back to silver as his anger softened. But I’m not strong here…I can’t do it alone. I just hope that the others are here as well…

"Behind you!" A woman's voice called out to Drake. 

A Void beast had snuck up behind Drake and was attempting to attack him while he was distracted. Attie flew towards the beast, raising up her scythe and plunging into the back of the Chomper who had dared try to hurt an ally. The second that the blade touched the beast, flames erupted throughout its body, burning the beast in a matter of seconds. She landed next to Drake, folding up her cosmos wings and holding her scythe in her left hand. Normally Attie would have had a simple outfit. But this time she had changed it up. Instead of a simple leather chest plate, she was wearing silver Canelux winged armor. The wings of her armor weren't white but cosmic, looking similar to the night skies.

A pair of silver force gauntlets with little etchings in blue, pink, and orange were on her hands. Her boots were combat oriented while still having the colors of orange and red on them. The most striking thing about her outfit was her mask. It started at her forehead and went down to her chin and held the colors of the dawn on them. Purple started at the bottom that faded to blue then to pink then to orange. In her left hand was a large red scythe that had gold wrapped around the top part it. One touch from the blade would set one on fire, so she was keeping it pointed away from anybody. 

Attie had gotten her armor from one person. A lovely lady who was trying to help people get as much armor as possible. She chose Attie to use the armor as long as Attie would also wear the rest of the outfit, which included the force gauntlets and the mask. Attie didn't mind getting dressed up so she agreed as long as the outfit was still usable. As for the scythe, Attie had found it in an ice temple a while ago and hadn't found a reason to use it…until now. Normally she would have used her magic but she had heard that the void made it harder to use mana or magic. Attie didn't know if this was true so she opted to bring tools that didn't require mana to operate. The force gauntlets, her scythe, and the Canelux armor that allowed her to fly would do. 

"Are you alright?" Attie asked, looking at Drake. 

The one thing that was good about her mask was that nobody could see if she was smiling or not. That meant she didn't have to smile all the time. 

How long had he been in hibernation? The toll of using his ichor to buy the retreating soldiers their escape must have been greater than he had anticipated. The thought of losing consciousness was frightening, especially now that this was no longer the Void he once had known. Though Infesters, Reanimators, and most Twisted were unable to harm him it was the Horror that he feared the most…the thing which the children of Revaliir referred to as a 'World Eater'. The two dusk wolves were no longer with him, leaving Aidoneus on his own again. The sound of its voice in the ruins of the citadel known as Calamity's Edge evoked powerful feelings the eidolon had never experienced, overwhelming and all sharing the same dire urgency that all beings felt when faced with grave danger. Something beyond fear caused the very core of his being to tremble. His people had left their home and became bound to the material plane eons ago, yet they had never been aware that such a thing was present in the Void–their Void. It would seem the former inhabitants of Calamity's Edge had not been as fortunate. 

The mere idea of an immensely powerful entity capable of corrupting body and mind to its foul desires was chilling. Although the coldness of the Void was ever-present, this was the first time he had ever experienced the sensation. No, rather it was the terrifying prospect of knowing how easily the eidolons could have fallen prey just like these lost ones. And now that he was the last of his kind, if he were to perish–that would be the end of them all. He prayed in his heart to any benevolent greater being who was listening that the Origin had been spared from the Horror's cruelty. Everything it touched withered and became sickly corrupted. He couldn't bear to think of that.

The greater of the Horrors was speaking to another of its kind. It would appear that they did not see each other favorably, with the former attempting to use words to goad some sort of response. Confirming what the gods of Revaliir had imparted to their people, Azhizheth had allied itself with two lesser Horrors known as Dagron and Gol-Sleysh. The crux of the conflict was the fact the Voice had asked for the aid of the Horror referred to as 'Greed'. If this 'Greed' had indeed lent their assistance, then the entire world was in their debt for their act of benevolence. 

Aidoneus knew his power was far too meager to fell something like a Horror, but he felt compelled to venture forth. He held an advantage others did not possess, his ethereal state. If he could lead more individuals to safety, then this terrible feeling within him might be put to rest. Sounds of a struggle alerted him to the presence of outsiders. Noise attracted the swarms of Stalkers, and he knew once one caught wind of potential prey the entire horde would be upon them. A being vaguely humanoid in form bearing the appearance of a dark starry sky came closer, its body levitating while it proceeded to glide through the air. Silently it peered from behind the remains of the lost ones' illuminating pedestals, as if waiting to be seen or the right opportunity to arrive. 

The corpse of a void-born creature was on the ground, reduced to a burnt pile. Powerful magic emanated from the two individuals. Aidoneus gave them a both a brief warning. "You are not safe here. Turn back, return from whence you came. This realm has been tainted by the Horror. Should you venture further, you will surely join the lost."

Perhaps it was something that was natural to the Void, a kind of dissonance that interfered with one’s ability to detect and track magical signatures. Or, maybe his distance from the World tree was dulling his senses. Either way, Drake was unprepared when a Void beast came from behind; a Chomper. As his usual luck would have it though, he was rescued by a strangely armored figure, whom called out a warning before hand. With just enough time to react, Drake jumped back as the figure dealt with the threat, taking abnormally special care to not hit Drake.

The weapon is dangerous then, he noted, and looked to the masked girl. He was secretly hoping that she hadn’t heard his rather embarrassing speech before.

“I’m fine,” he responded, turning his attention back towards the path he had started. “I’m glad someone else is here. At the very least, I think being here solo isn’t the best option.” He glanced back with a clever smirk. “Obviously we can watch each other’s back.” While he had some bravado at this point, it was more like putting on a show. His time in the void had already drained more than he was willing to admit, and the Chomper had come quite close to killing him just moments prior. Perhaps the armored girl had not been here as long as he had. Maybe a direct Gate? Was that even possible?

Drake pushed the thought out of his head, and refocused. He was about to speak, when another showed up. At first glance, it seemed like another who would join their descent into the Void. However, they spoke of a warning, that the two should leave immediately. A sympathizer of the enemy? Or is it someone who knows what lies ahead? He stared at the newcomer for a moment.

“Going back isn’t an option. Not when we’re so close to the enemy at hand,” Drake said with his false confidence. He knew they weren’t anywhere near the level of strength they needed to be to fight against the unknown enemy. But turning back was something that he couldn’t begin to fathom. “If we choose to leave now, then we risk the fate of the world. Even if death is all that awaits us there, it is better than sitting idly by and waiting for death to come.” It was a noble, but foolish sentiment, and even Drake knew it. However, trying to explain the calling that he felt from the Void was impossible.

“If you know something, I suggest you start talking,” the draconian said, raising his blade. “The way you speak sounds as if you know the enemy.”

Attie smiled at the stranger's air of confidence, though nobody would be able to see her expression. It was good to see somebody who hadn't been defeated by the darkness and still kept a somewhat cheery attitude. Yet, she could tell that he was drained, otherwise he would have been able to get at the Chomper. Attie wanted to just deliver him to safety but she had been sent into the void for a reason. Some people back at the main base far from the void were needing information about the brute mobs that were guarding the city along with any other information about the rest of the monsters.

Suddenly, a familiar vaguely cosmic humanoid levitated towards them. Attie heard the warning and remembered something that she had forgotten to do before entering the void. Pulling a scroll out of her satchel, she began muttering ancient words from the paper. Suddenly a swirl of magic surrounded her head then slowly faded away. A spell of mind protection. It would help guard her against becoming a lost one, though she would still have to keep her guard up. She put the scroll away and reached out towards Drake, signalling him to lower his sword. 

"That being is not our enemy. I remember him from one of the battles against the Eldritch beasts." Attie said quietly to Drake. 

She had her voice quiet, as she knew that the void was filled with monsters. Attie had forgotten to keep her voice down earlier since she was too busy trying to save Drake from the Chomper. But there was something she had to do before they kept going. Attie flew towards the cosmic being with her wings and stopped in front of him. She lifted her mask to reveal her face to him. 

"Hi Net boy." She said with a cheeky smile before putting her mask back on, "I'm glad I was able to find you. It would have been awful if you were lost to the void." 

Then she looked to the both of them. 

"I've been sent here to find out more about the brute mobs." Attie explained before looking to Drake, "Fire boy. If you have enough energy, I'd like you to come with me. I need to have somebody at my back. Net boy, same goes to you. But if you are too tired or too weak to the void then you both need to get out of here. Especially you net boy. I don't want you to get lost to the void again."

Her senses were picking up the swarm of stalkers that were in the distance. 

"Come on." She said quickly, "We'd better get moving. Its best if we avoid as many beasts as possible. We don't need another fight. We just need information right now." 

Attie began to flap her wings and fly in the opposite direction of the stalkers, though she was still careful to stay with the group. 

An old friend in the far reaches of a strange land, a small comfort to the heart of the eidolon who had already lost so much. He knew this child, he remembered how she had boldly approached to release him back before the disaster began. When she rushed to embrace him, he allowed his body to become tangible. "I have not yet returned to the Origin; it would appear my time has not yet come. I made a promise to someone dear to me that I would return; seeing you here safe brings me great joy." The glowing shapes that were his 'eyes' changed their shape as if there was an invisible smile. A starry limb reached to gently place a hand on her head until she chose to let go. Attie then explained her reason for venturing into dangerous territory, and asked for the assistance of himself and the armed man. The blade-wielding man's distrust was no surprise to Aidoneus, he understood everyone was worried about their own well-being. 

"My name is Aidoneus. I was 'born' within the Void, however I cannot say I know all about this place and its dangers. The Void is a vast endless plain, and often different locations do not intersect. The Stalkers and beasts will not be able to harm me as I am ethereal. I will lend my aid to you, children of Revaliir to repay the kindness your realm has granted unto me." It was soon time for them to move, as Stalkers were already beginning their patrol. To those bound by flesh they were akin to swarms of rats that devoured anything in their path. He kept to the ground along with the man, looking up at the girl flying above them. He stood in one place for a moment, a small wisp of light drifting towards Attie and Drake. 

"Please accept this fragment. This will allow me to converse freely with you within your minds. Silence is strength in these ruins, especially with most creatures here being blind and sensitive to sound." Regardless if they accepted or refused his offer, Aidoneus would give his all to assist them. His power was at its peak here, and his aura sight gave him a clear image of the surrounding threats nearest to their group. They had to be wary of what lurked above and below the ground, as he had witnessed another new variant of the Horror's corruption–Centipedes. Their form was crudely similar to its namesake, though their armored forms, claws, and myriad of writhing parts were the only things they shared. He had identified the true form of this monstrosity as a small parasitic worm that took control over a mass of bodies. Thankfully they didn't encounter those right away. Instead he detected the more mechanical members under the greater Horror's sway…Sentinels.

"Ah… There they are. The constructs known as Sentinels are roaming about. Take care to stay out of their sight. Should you choose to engage, the sounds of battle will surely draw in the hunters and scavengers." 

The girl voiched for the newcomer, and while normally that wouldn’t have been enough for Drake to lower his guard, the circumstances of his weakness and the status of the assault gave him little other option. Even if they were to be enemies outside of the Void, right now they would be allies.

Drake lowered his sword, and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. The exhaustion was starting to set in, but he knew that pushing forward was the only path. The girl seemed to be taking charge of the group, which was a far cry from what Drake was used to, but he was far too tired to argue the point. Even with his exhaustion, though, one thing was definitely important enough to communicate.

“Drake. My name is Drake,” he said wearily. “If we’re going to be doing this, we should at least know names and talents.” The draconian shifted his weight slightly. Aidoneus, the ethereal being, offered them an orb of light to converse mentally, which made Drake feel slightly uncomfortable, but he accepted it. Again, with the circumstances as they were, he really didn’t have an option.

”So how does this work, then?” he thought. Does this just read the surface level thoughts, or everything? He could feel the black dragon in his heart share it’s distaste. Even it did not like the concept of all thoughts being heard. ”Regardless,” Drake thought, ”It is not in my nature to be quiet. I’m a fighter. While I can do my best to keep silent, I did not come here with the intention of merely information. If I see it fit to break away…” He glanced at the two with a knowing look.

”I’ll at least make sure that you two aren’t involved. That much I can promise.” He hated the idea of splitting away from them in his current state. It was inevitable though, as their overall goals were not in alignment. As much as the draconian hated to admit it, he wasn’t even sure if he would survive. I really should have said goodbye to them…

A bit of relief flooded through Attie's mind when Aidoneus recognized her. She wondered if he had forgotten all about their meeting due to the void or something. Attie had heard that it could do a variety of terrible things to one's mind. Memory loss might have been a potential threat. Suddenly, Aidoneus sent both her and Drake a bit of light that would allow them to contact him through their minds. Attie accepted the gift, knowing it would be useful and wondering how it would work. She had done a mental link before but each mental link seemed to be different. 

"Thanks!" Attie mentally said back, "This will save us a lot of trouble! Could you teach me the spell after this is over? Is this even a spell? Oh, are Drake and I connected too or is this just between us and you?"

Attie realized that she had to slow her questions down, as they couldn't get in the way of her mission. Drake suddenly spoke and began to explain himself. She understood that he was a soldier and needed to do soldier stuff, though she didn't exactly know what his purpose was. Was he trying to take over a portion of the city? Was he defending something? Or was he just going out, trying to kill as many monsters as possible? Attie hoped it wasn't the last one, as often that battle strategy ended with the fighter dying and very little productivity came from it. Especially when one was as tired as him. Attie quietly decided to try to protect him as much as possible. There was probably somebody waiting for him to return, unlike herself.

"Thanks for the warning Aidoneus." Attie said mentally back to Aidoneus' warning, "Lets move on and try to avoid the Sentinels. There aren't enough of us to fight sentinels, hunters, and scavengers all at the same time." 

Attie carefully moved away from where Aidoneus told them where the Sentinels were. She wasn't against a fight but there were more monsters than themselves. The idea of being overwhelmed by monsters didn't appeal to her. 

"So here is the plan that they are developing." Attie mentally explained to the both of them, "We need to know more about the brute mobs. They are the monsters that are guarding Azhizheth. If we can get rid of them, that will give the gods and goddesses and easier way to Azhizheth. That's why we need the information so badly. We can't fight something that we know nothing about." 

When the both accepted, he allowed himself to elaborate. "It will only act upon the surface level of  one's consciousness, nothing more. I believe this will be of great use to all of us. For instance, if we were to be separated we would know if one of us has fallen into danger in an instant. I may share my knowledge with you both to further assist you, and likewise." Drake stated he would continue to pursue his primary objective, though with consideration to him and Attie. "Ah, there is no need to worry for my safety, Drake. If I were to fall, I will simply return to the Origin. The Void is where I was formed, and to the Void I shall return. Though I will strive to avoid such a fate, as I have promised someone so. Should you both choose to part with me, I will accept. We are mere acquaintances due to circumstance, and I am simply here to aid you in your endeavors." 

"Our people rarely forget anything or anyone once we have seen them. If you find yourself feeling weary, allow met to shoulder the burden. I would be glad to teach you once we return to safety, child of Revaliir." He replied to Attie's thoughts. "This shared consciousness is only between us three, and it functions just as if we were speaking but more quickly." Soon their attention was diverted to the current situation, as they were faced with two choices: engage or avoid. Attie's purpose was to gather more information of 'brute mobs', versions of the void-twisted which were more dangerous than their common ilk. A rather ambitious and dangerous endeavor, but the reward was just as valuable. "If I may, perhaps we should find a suitable way to test the behaviors and abilities of them should we stumble upon such beings? I am rather wary of venturing deeper to the master of these beasts. The hold this Horror holds over them runs deep. It is as if they have been stripped of any form of individuality to act as its hands and feet. Their eyes are its eyes, therefore no matter what path we take we run a great risk."

It would seem the Horror was quite fond of controlling pawns of flesh. That was what Aidoneus first thought when he mused over the various forms the Twisted had. Though he was ethereal, he too knew better than to assume he was protected. "No matter what course you choose, I will follow." His only purpose was to save as many as he could from becoming lost forever. "Permanence is truly a frightening thing."

Drake looked between the two as they discussed their plans. Attie was still all in for sneaking about, which at the moment made a decent bit of sense. He couldn’t help but think back to when Danwe and Xeik were avoiding the assassins, and how Drake had more than once botched their attempts at stealth. This lead to some complicated thoughts. It seemed as though, despite her armor and weapons, Attie was not prepared for a prolonged fight. Whether it be lack of experience or something else, she seemed very adamant in avoiding confrontation.

Aidoneus, on the other hand, seemed fine either way. The fact that Drake now had to worry about the safety of another meant that he could no longer be as reckless as he had initially planned. No half baked hero time…

”It would seem we’ve come to a bit of a problem then.” Drake replied as he motioned for them to move as the sentinels passed. ”If I understand what you’re saying, it means that everything in the Void is connected to the big guy. It means that if we were to test the limits of anything here, we would be alerting the beasts to our presence.” He held up his hand; a signal to pause their advance. Another set of sentinels moved across the pathways ahead.

”I can barely sense them. This lack of mana is quite…” He paused. No, it wasn’t exactly a lack of mana. He paused. ”Aidoneus. Where do you draw your strength from?” The draconian stole a glance back at the eidolon. It wasn’t that he couldn’t feel a source of power. It was that he couldn’t feel the tree specifically. But there was another source of power that was, admittedly, more sinister.

But power was power.

”The Void has its own power source.” His attention turned back to the paths forward. If push comes to shove…but what would it do to me?