Return
Jhaan was horrified. Nalaea and the gauntlet both disappeared, and they'd been gone for over an hour at this point. Just what happened to the Captain? Was she dead? Worse? Three of the more mentally unstable rangers were just sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth. Jhaan was wondering if they should stay in this tavern, or return home, but his thoughts were interrupted by shouting.
"Jhaan get over here!"
"Jhaan!"
"The Captain's back!"
Jhaan rushed over, and saw Nalaea laying in the floor, clutching the gauntlet in her hands, and moaning in pain. Kneeling down next to her, he placed his hand in hers, and she squeezed it tightly.
"Captain, I'm glad you're safe." Jhaan said, placing his other hand on top of hers.
"Summon her." Nalaea whispered.
"What?"
"Like I taught you all. Summon her now. I refuse to just walk home after what I saw." Nalaea said, as she slipped out of consciousness.
"Clear the area! Arryn!" Jhaan shouted, motioning for tables and chairs to be pushed back.
In mere moments a space big enough for a casting circle was drawn, and after slitting his wrist slightly, Jhaan added his blood, the component so that Vordea would know who was calling her. After a moment, black ink started to spill out of the circle, and Vordea's tentacles slithered out, followed shortly after by the Goddess herself climbing out of the hole in reality that had been formed.
Vordea was quite amused, when she saw Nalaea passed out and clutching the gauntlet. But then she smelled it. She knelt next to Nalaea and sniffed her. There was no mistaking it, not even for a moment. The smell of home. Fighting tears, Vordea curled her tentacles around the thirteen rangers, and pulled them with her through the summoning circle, leaving behind nothing but some inky stains on the floor, and some very confused Dwarves.
---
Nalaea woke in a bed, which was nice for a change. When she opened her eyes, Vordea was sitting by her bedside, in a form that she had never seen before. She looked like a sleep deprived young human woman, with bags under her eyes, and a tangled mess of medium length black hair that didn't look like it ever got brushed. Yet, she smiled when she saw Nalaea look at her. Vordea stood up, and pulled Nalaea into an embrace. Inhaling deeply, Vordea could still smell Demhe Station on Nalaea's clothing. A place so far away and yet for a brief moment, she could remember her childhood again.
"Oh Nala..." Vordea said, her voice cracking. "I thought I would be strong when this day came, but I failed."
"So I was really..." Nalaea said, trailing off.
"Uncountable years ago, in a place that no longer exists, yes." Vordea said, still hugging Nalaea tightly.
"No more games, Lady Vordea." Nalaea said, patting her on the back. "Where was I? And where am I now?"
"Do you promise to never tell anyone? No matter who asks?" Vordea asked, still holding Nalaea.
"I vow."
"Very well. You were in a place called Demhe Station, in the place I call Carcosa."
"That was really Carcosa?" Nalaea asked, shocked.
"It was. And that was me. I was nine years old at the time you met me."
"How old are you now?"
"I can't give you a straight answer." Vordea said, finally releasing her grip on Nalaea. "But only because the number does not exist. I have destroyed and remade the universe more times than can be counted, and thanks to my perfect recall I remember every single time. I was created to defeat entropy, to make sure the death that fell upon my home could ever happen again."
"Who was that woman I met?"
"That was Fleet Admiral Mira Frost. The Last Commander of the Last Fleet. The final ruler of humanity. That was before she became The Corpse King.