The SpiritWalker approached. He neared and stopped, standing over Lady Penelope and her unconscious husband. He stood in front of them, unmoving. Despite his menacing appearance, Lady Penelope felt oddly at ease. She sensed that there was no malice in the SpiritWalker. His presence and motionless silence was somewhat comforting. Considering that the leader of the Free Peoples Collective -- a shaman, prophet, visionary, and revolutionary -- was close enough to touch her, Lady Penelope was not fearful. "Do not be afraid, my child," he said after a moment. "I will not hurt you. In fact, I have come to help you both." The words seem to hang in the silent air between them. Somewhere on the battlefield something exploded; a distant pop and crackle. "I-I don't understand," she replied. "Wh-why would you help us, SpiritWalker?" The SpiritWalker extended his hand, fingers open, palm turned downward. "A secret war is coming," he said. "You and Polonius have much to do to prepare." The SpiritWalker turned his head towards the battlefield and nodded. "This was merely a prelude to the conflict that is to come. Today, we fought for freedom. The war in which we are about to engage will decide the fate of this reality." "The fighting isn't over? How is that possible?" asked Lady Penelope, shaking her head. "Our forces are defeated and the Free People's Militia suffered heavy casualties, as well." "The Emperor is planning a much more sinister assault against all who oppose the Sovereign," he replied. "It is a conflict that will be played-out in the shadowy realms between worlds using weapons that only he now possesses, thanks, in part, to The Truing." "You see, Lady Penelope, the Uprising was simply a distraction, explained the SpiritWalker. "The conflict provided him with the resources he needed to strengthen his war machine while diverting attention from his true purpose." "But, we are Sovereign," said Lady Penelope. "How can we help you?" The SpiritWalker paused before answering, as if listening to someone somewhere else. "You and Polonius are about to embark on a journey," he said. "A journey that will challenge all you have come to understand about the world around you. When you both return to Capitol City, you will no longer be Sovereign. You will be. . . changed. Forever." "What are you talking about? We can't go anywhere!" she sobbed, turning her tear-streaked face down to look at the unconscious man she cradled in her arms. "There's no journey waiting for us. Polonius is going to die here and when he is gone, I will be forever broken." "Do not despair, Lady Penelope," said the SpiritWalker. "Death has claimed many souls today, but it will not take Polonius. That is why I am here." From The SpiritWalker's hand, a whispy blue energy tendril emerged and descended towards Polonius. As the tip touched his forehead, he drew in a deep breath, exhaled, and opened his eyes. Lady Penelope looked into the revived countenance of her husband and gently smiled. Her tears fell on his face. "Welcome back, my forever love," she said, blinking back more tears. "Now, I must take Polonius with me for moment," said the SpiritWalker. "Do not be alarmed. We will return shortly." Lady Penelope stammered, "W-wait, you can't just . . ." Then, white light erupted from Polonius' eyes. #Steampunk #TheAirshipAndalusia