Rachel sat in the air, the thrall's dead eyes directly in front of her. She pulled at his fate as it flowed before her like tributaries of a slow moving river. She watched as the thrall formed. It was a demon dragon originally and it wielded ailment and soul magics and used them to kill millions of its kind. As it formed into a thrall its soul well split in two. One moved from its central position to a point near its tail.
Rachel watched as his identity went to the portion near his tail and his ability grew in the one that remained centrally.
A slow smile grew across her lips. 'Please bring me the gem Struns.' As Rachel waited for Struns water magic moved towards the thrall.
Struns moved along the thrall's body as he went to Rachel. The temperature dropped dramatically and he saw the thrall freezing next to him. When Struns reached Rachel the thrall was a statue made of solid ice.
Rachel looked up. Struns handed her the gem as he looked up at the thrall as wel. The gem was so red it looked black and it was heavier than it should have been. Rachel looked at it and smiled. She thought she would need to clean it but it was pristine.
She stored it away in a dimensional storage and looked at Struns carefully. She noticed the silver hairs and raised an eyebrow. 'Was the thrall so strong that he had to use evolution sorcery?' Her thoughts didn't slow her healing and when he was fully healed the silver hairs retracted.
Rachel stood and sighed. "Come. We need to finish things. This thrall caused a lot of damage and it will not disappear just because it is no longer controlling things."
A broad door of deep amber appeared. Animals trapped in the amber trembled as the opaque door swung open. Rachel and Struns walked through the entrance and into a brightly lit tunnel. The stopped for a moment to allow their eyes time to adjust to the light.
"We need to get to the formation." Rachel looked at Struns appraisingly for the second time in less than a day. "Can you help me with some spellwork?"
"Of course I can. Will Rebecca join us?"
Rachel nodded and began walking through the tunnel. "Yes. As well as my siblings and the guard commanders."
"We need that much help?"
Rachel sighed. "We need more than that especially with Shain still causing problems."
Struns tightened his fist. He respected all Azmin because it was what he was raised to do. His home realm was not a distant place and he visited often but he was born in Trannisa and Trannisa was his home, and the Azmin were Trannisa.
But Shain harmed someone that he loved more than his own life and he could never forgive him or trust him ever again.
They walked from the amber tunnel into a brightly lit dimension. The land was a deep green but there was no grass, trees or flora of any kind. Only bacteria, fungus, and microorganisms thrived in this place now. The two stood on a platform of amber that led from the door to stairs covered in the same green that flooded the dimension.
A broad road of rainbow light formed before them and expanded out ward. It curved to the east and then to the south. They began walking across the road in silence. Rachel broke the silence after walking a short while.
"Don't worry about Shain. We will decide what to do with him after we are done with this."
Struns was quiet for a long moment. "I know he is a…"
"It doesn't matter what family or ethnic group he comes from. He is putting our realm in danger. We just need to figure out if it is him or if he has been manipulated. Either way he will be punished."
"I am just saying it will be difficult because of his family background and ethnicity."
Rachel pretended not to hear his statement and carried on. "We will need to draw from the formation and fill the abyss with magic. Mostly Azmin magic but we will need you and Rebecca to support us."
They came to a set of brass stairs and an old brass door scraped open at the top of them as they both approached. A warm breeze wafted through the door and they both sensed intense colors flowing through them.
For Struns it was an odd sensation that he was experiencing because of the Milana. For Rachel it was the realm naturally balancing itself.
The rainbow road extended to the door and they walked through without hesitation. The vibrant green had spread along the road as if it fed on the light. When the road disappeared it fluttered to the ground like dust.
Rebecca was waiting for them when they arrived below Sibba. With her connection with Rachel she already knew everything that had happened and she was a bit upset about not being involved in the fight with the thrall.
Rachel was incredibly powerful and most things did not phase her much anymore so Rebecca knew Rachel was safe but she felt like she let her team down. So when she saw them it took everything in her not to be the sarcastic bitch that she wanted to be.
Rachel and Struns went to the tent set for them and Rebecca, the three entered, and sat down without a word.
'Do you want me to tell them the new plan?'
Rachel shook her head. 'No. My siblings know. They will talk to the commanders.' Rachel leaned her head back. She was not tired but her body wanted to sit and be still. She was still a bit upset that she sensed nothing and that her realm, and countless realms, were almost destroyed.
'What is the plan for Shain?'
'Maybe Small Color.'
'The penal continent can not hold an Azmin. It was never built for that.'
Rachel smiled as she looked to Struns. 'You have way too much respect for my family. There is a way to hold an Azmin on Small Color.' She sighed again. She was sighing a lot these days. 'Give me a few minutes and we will start.'
'A few minutes? You need more than that'
Rachel simply closed her eyes without a word.
A few minutes later there was a meeting in the center of the encampment. The camp was set on what Azmin used as boats. They were platforms that floated in the sky. They were not like the continents that the realm created they were huge aircraft carriers with high railings. They used magic to grow grass and different plants and trees.
There was a ring of trees in the center that created and circulated the magic that maintained and defended the "ship".
The meeting was being held within this ring of trees.
Rachel already told everyone what needed to be done. She explained the demon thrall, its purpose to cause disease and its two previous visits to Trannisa.
Now they were trying to decide the best way to proceed. Rachel merely listened. Rebecca and Struns sat on either side of her and they also said nothing, but they seemed to pay closer attention than Rachel.
It was decided that Rachel, her two Antrunie, her siblings, and the commanders of the Azmin Guard would go into the Abyss to focus the formation and use its power to "sanitize" the abyss. They chose three subcommanders to lead the guard in protecting Sibba continent and monitor realm fate maps.
When all was decided Rachel sat forward. "I want to apologize to you all. I have been on a private mission to avenge grandmother and I have caused harm to our realm." She held up her hand as she saw people wanting to protest and Shain with a smug smile.
"I am not saying that I do not have the realm's full support or that I want to step down as Milana. I am saying that I will change how I approach my duties. Also I feel we should have a Rulan ritual to make sure that the realm still sees me as the current Milana." Again she stopped protests.
"This is only so that the people living here…" She looked at Shain. "….and our dear brother can know with certainty that the realm still sees me as the Milana."
She stood and lifted her hands. She spoke in ancient Azmin as she lowered her arms to her sides.
The voice everyone heard was melodious and seemed to echo in their ears. "Milana, you call?"
"Yes. We will soon have a Rulan. Where will you like it to take place?"
There was silence and just as everyone felt there would be no reply the realm spoke again. "Why do you need a Rulan? You are Milana there is no need. You have done well. Balance will soon be restored and you even want to balance what I have forgotten. Many Milana before you have forgotten about my subconscious."
"Some feel that a new Milana would be better. "
"Stop Milana. I decide such things. You are young and need to learn more but you are the Milana and will be for a long time. There will be no Rulan. There is no need for it."
"You are being unreasonable. The people…"
"I am being unreasonable!?" the sky shook and then a sound like thunder was heard. Rachel smiled because she knew what that thunder like sound was.
"Fine. Fine."
The thunderous sound subsided. "when the time comes I will tell all that you are the Milana. I am much better now but I need more rest. When you have finished your task come to me with your Antrunie and we will talk."
There was silence and then Rachel burst into laughter. "I guess I truly am young and impetuous. I need to try harder."
Bre rolled his eyes. "You always leap before looking sister. To want to call a Rulan ritual before the realm says one is needed." He shook his head derisively.
Cer stood. "Everything is stable for now. We all need rest. Let us eat and sleep a day then we can start." He looked to Shain. "Rebecca can you leave your guard with Shain for a while longer?"
Everyone traced his line of sight but only Rebecca responded. "Of course Azalstin. They can stay with him indefinitely. The Milana feeds them not me."
Everyone froze at the mention of Azalstin and barely heard the rest of her comment.
Yanira smiled. "It has been a while since I have heard that word. Lady Rebecca is right to use it. All of you are Azalstin and we should all acknowledge that. Perhaps we asked for our realm to undergo all this because we neglect the old ways."
Rachel smiled. "I have a lot to think about. Call me when the food is ready." She rose from her seat and slowly walked away.
Everyone else stood when Rachel stood and they all watched as she walked away.