The seven of them stood clustered just outside the massive log cabin. Miranda had moved ahead of them.
"Stand back," Miranda said, lifting one hand without even turning around.
They did as told. Shimmer pulled Runner back by the sleeve, Phaenora was already squinting like she was trying to predict which direction chaos would come from. Asenane stepped closer to Vastarael by instinct rather than fear and Reynolds folded his arms with a smile.
Miranda took a breath, planted her feet onto the ground and whistled. The sound was so concentrated that it felt like it punched straight through the air and kept going, echoing outward into the Sinking Void itself, rebounding off nothing and everything at once. For a few seconds, there was only the soft rustle of the meadow grass, the distant creak of the cabin settling and the faint hum of the Void beyond the field.
Shimmer frowned. "Okay, so is this the part where-"
Shimmer barely had time to finish before the ground beneath them shook.
The entire meadow began to quake violently. The sensation below them was no longer that of solid ground but something vast and alive shifting beneath their weight. Runner grabbed Shimmer's arm while Phaenora instinctively braced herself. An ancient roar was layered with so much mass behind it was added after the quakes.
"Miranda, are we standing on an aquatic creature?"
Miranda grinned, cupping her hands around her mouth.
"Yes!"
Another roar answered her and the ground beneath them rose again. The land itself were lifting off from the Void.
"Luke! Forward!"
The response was immediate. That was when it clicked for Vastarael.
"It's a turtle."
Everyone stared at him.
"What?"
"A giant turtle, Asenane. We're on his back."
Shimmer slowly turned her head. "You're telling me all of this..."
"Is a shell," Runner finished quietly with awe creeping into her voice.
Phaenora let out a low whistle of her own.
"He has to be massive."
"Correct," Reynolds said calmly, finally stepping forward. "He is a gift from the Renaitsus of the Gardens of Asphodel."
Everyone looked at him.
"He's the last of his kind. His mate resides permanently in the Gardens of Asphodel. He was entrusted to me so he could grow. He feeds on conceptual matter. To him, the Sinking Void isn't a threat. It's a meal. He's been hibernating for millennia, slowly absorbing energy, and now that he's awake..."
Runner looked over the edge of the meadow as the Void drifted past below them. Luke roared again but this time it was lighter. Vastarael tilted his head slightly and then nodded.
"He says he's glad to be flying again."
Miranda whipped around so fast she nearly tripped.
"You can understand him?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"My mother is an ancient Hydroborn. Understanding animals both land or aquatic comes naturally. All creatures in Spheraphase came from the seas."
Asenane stared at him. "I... didn't know that."
He looked at her, genuinely confused. "How did you think I was talking to Biolumine?"
"I thought it was your bond?"
He chuckled softly. "Bonds for Divine Creatures exist yes, but they don't automatically translate language."
Luke let out another pleased rumble beneath them, Shimmer broke the silence first.
"I swear, every time I think I understand this family, it gets worse."
Vastarael exhaled slowly, rolled his shoulders once like someone preparing for a long stretch rather and lifted his hand. Two of his fingers extended as glowing sapphire lines immediately began to form in the air before him. He drew a Restoration Rune. The moment the rune was finalized, it pulsed once and sank downward, embedding itself directly into Luke's shell.
But Vastarael didn't stop.
A second rune formed immediately after but this one twisted mid-creation. The Multiplication Rune separated into segments that multiplied in real time. The Multiplication Rune glitched before hundreds of identical Restoration Runes burst outward like a controlled explosion, flying across Luke's back in radiant arcs before anchoring themselves across his shell, limbs and even the conceptual outline of his body, each one flaring briefly before stabilizing into a steady glow. Shimmer actually swore under her breath.
Runner's eyes widened. "That's... that's not-"
Vastarael drew again as a second array took shape. This one was heavier and denser. The Protection Runes kept stacking atop the Restoration network and once again the Multiplication Rune activated, multiplying them by the thousands, spreading across Luke until the turtle's entire form was wrapped in overlapping fields of reinforced runic shielding.
The air shuddered as the final rune locked into place. Vastarael lowered his hand slowly and finally exhaled.
"That cost me about half my Soul Energy."
Everyone turned to him at once.
"Half," Phaenora repeated flatly.
"Yes," he said calmly, already sitting down on the porch steps of the cabin before his legs decided to give out for him. "They'll protect Luke from extreme damage. If I wasn't a Ninth Star Mage, that would have been impossible."
Luke let out a deep, grateful rumble beneath them, the sound vibrating through the shell in a way that felt almost affectionate. Just then, screaming started. It came from the Crushing Void. They were high-pitched distorted voices.
"The Voidborn," Reynolds said. "They're moving."
Vastarael nodded once, already pushing himself back to his feet. He summoned Biolumine, who took the form of a massive white feline.
"Then we defend Luke and the farm, right? That's why you told us we'll be fighting nonstop. Runner, Biolumine. You're moving to Luke's head. Shimmer, you're covering the rear. Asenane, above. Phaenora, below. Anything that tries to crawl up from under him is yours."
Phaenora cracked her neck once. "Oh, I've been waiting for this."
"I'll handle the farm itself. I laid Runes beforehand. It will hold."
Reynolds stared at him, then laughed softly in disbelief.
"You did all of that in seconds."
Miranda shook her head, visibly impressed. "You adapt frighteningly fast."
"I'm a Dynasty Monarch. Leaders who can't adapt don't stay leaders for long. Where will you two be though?"
"We'll scout ahead," Reynolds replied. "Miranda and I are suited for it. We've lived in the Void for millennia."
Miranda smirked. "We'll thin the herd before it reaches you."
Shimmer crossed her arms. "Why am I alone?"
Vastarael didn't even hesitate. "Because you're strong enough to fight alone."
"Fair."
Runner frowned. "I can handle it by myself too."
"No," Asenane said immediately.
Phaenora nodded. "Absolutely not."
Runner opened her mouth to argue, then sighed.
"Fine. Biolumine stays."
The screaming intensified. Voidborn silhouettes began tearing through the fabric of nothingness as Luke continued forward. Vastarael sat back down on the porch with his hands resting on his knees.
"I'll be restoring my energy and assisting if any of you get overwhelmed. Luke will tell me. Right, Luke?"
Despite his unimaginable size, Luke roared in agreement.