The Nyella was the only thing that could be heard or smelled this far out from the town. The crash of the waves thundered and roared on the sandy beaches, while hermit crabs and gulls moved about the clumps of seaweed. Further south, the waves crashed down on the tide pools where the younger denizens of Abed might find starfish and shells. He sat on the rocks, and for the first in the longest time, could actually feel the spray of the surf on his face. His long white hair tossed on the ocean breeze and  he inhaled deeply. The feel of the spray, it was like new life returning to his half decayed body. He stood after a few minutes, his long robes lightly dampened by the spray, and carefully picked his way down the rocks again, the stiffness in his torso, legs and arms making it a bit of a feat. However, it was nice to be able to breath fresh air and not have to inhale through his mask. 

He waded in the surf, feeling the place of his origin touching the parts of him that were still flesh. Abed was a place of paradoxes, truly. Pristine, holy, and healing, while at the same time dirty, deadly and corrupt. He could see it. Years of being trapped in the warped reality of a chaotic god he had been forced to serve, had left him quite disillusioned. Nothing was ever as it seemed, the same way he was not what his half dessicated body portrayed him to be. 

As he walked along the shoreline he saw a form further down along the beach. Curious, he moved toward the shape.

It had been a foolish thing to do, and Drake should have well known better, but the peaceful waves crashing against the shoreline had lulled him into some strange sense of security that he had not felt in some time.  It was here that he took some time off to relax; it was here he had another dream.  The now ever constant dreams of flames and fear, of the world crashing down around him, of a raven haired angel reaching out for him, calling his name.  

Her name whispered back, his own hand held out.  And then silence and darkness.

Drake's eyes slowly opened to see the sky above, his hand outstretched to reach the phantom angel.  The sounds of the ocean came back, and he let out a sigh.  Am I not even allowed a nap?  He sat up slowly, noting that sand had unfortunately gotten everywhere.  Great.  Standing up, he stretched out, and shook himself off.  His hair swayed annoyingly in the sea breeze, and he continuously swept it out of his face.  

It was then he noticed a figure standing off in the distance, moving towards him.  It's not running.  Probably not hostile.   Drake raised his hand to wave.  Another gust of wind whipped around him, and he smiled.  Maybe he'd come away with something worthwhile in this encounter.  

He drew closer to the figure on the beach and heaved a sigh of relief when the individual lying on the beach got up and stretched. If anything he appeared frustrated with it. Magnus wondered if such a young individual would have seen enough to keep him from sleeping. The young man looked fit, even ready for a fight, but Magnus was in no fit state to give him what he might have wanted. However, the wave was a pleasant one, and Magnus waved back as he limped up to the man who by all appearances was his own opposite. 

"Quite a fine day for a stroll on the beach wouldn't you say?" the sea spirit asked as he came up to the stranger. Despite his obvious lacking of physical capabilities to move properly, Magnus really didn't look any older than the stranger did. He offered the man a heavily bandaged hand. 

"Magnus," he said introducing himself. 

He's limping along.  Drake nodded at the Sea Spirit's comment.  "It does seem that way.  It's very relaxing."  As he got closer, Drake couldn't help but stare at the state Magnus was in.  Despite his appearance, it almost seemed as though the spirit was almost half dead.  The young man shivered slightly, wondering if it would be offensive to note that in conversation.  

I'd probably best not, Drake thought.  It dawned on Drake that the individual had said his name and extended a hand.  How long have I been staring?  Drake took the hand and shook it.  "D-Drake," he replied in kind.  "I…uh…"  

Don't think about it.  Don't ask.  Just…think of something else.

"Have you ever heard of a raven haired angel with black wings?" Drake blurted out.  Stupid.  That makes no sense.  Come up with something better.  "Sorry, that's not a very…good conversation starter, is it."  What's wrong with me today?  That dream must of really put me out.  Drake glanced down, realizing he should probably let go of Magnus' hand.  

"I'm….sorry.  I seem to be a little off at the moment.  Must be still waking up from just now…a quick nap, you see…"  Because what weird person takes a nap on the beach so randomly?  Ugh, this isn't really panning out.  Maybe I should just…leave?  No, that would seem super awkward and weird.

There was no doubt that he had noticed, Magnus could see that in his uncertainty. And when he finally did take the offered hand, there would be no doubt he could feel the only half re-formed hand beneath the bandages. He wanted to ask. Magnus could tell. The quickly blurted question made Magnus chuckle and he scratched his chin. 

"It's abrupt to say the least, but I'll answer you anyways.My friend, true angels haven't been seen in Revaliir since before the fall Vada, and that was a VERY long time ago," he commented. "However, if it is celestials you want, then you are quite a ways off. All those of celestial decent, or half-celestials as they are commonly known around here all live up in Zets'Ki," Magnus answered. "They come in all colors and sizes up there. If this angel you seek is anywhere, she might be there," he explained. A sudden bought of fatigue, and he felt very winded. 

"I understand the out of it-ness," he chuckled. "Tell you what, how about we both sit down," he said. "Give me a chance to catch my breath and you a chance to really wake up," he said. He didn't really wait for Drake to reply before he was dropping to the sand breathing hard. "Forgive me," he apologized. "I don't have the physical capabilities I once did," he apologized. "I can barely get around these days, it is well and truly a pain," he explained. 

"Now you got me curious. You are looking for a dark angel. Not something a lot of people are looking for."

It was surprising, to say the least, at the sudden mass exposition of knowledge that was handed over without a pause.  This person might very well be a walking library…  

That within itself wouldn't be a bad thing.  If anything, it was a strange twist of fate.  Drake's thoughts paused.  Fate?  There was an odd anger that stirred in his chest at the word, as if to defy it's very existence in the young man's thoughts.  As abruptly as it came, it left with nothing to quench it.  What is wrong with me today?

"It sounds as though I may need to make my way up there sometime," Drake replied as he noted the names mentally.  I'll need a map eventually.  I can't keep relying on my memory. 

As Magnus spoke of resting, Drake couldn't help but agree.  The sea spirit seemed barely alive as it is; denying his rest would be an affront to the kindness that was already gifted to Drake.  The young man followed suit, and saw back down into the sand.  Oh…great.  More sand in places….  He let out an audible sigh.  

"Curious?" Drake questioned.  "Is there something about dark angels?"  Drake hadn't the slightest idea of angel-kind, though there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head like he probably should.  Well, to be fair, if I'm having dreams about them, I probably should know at least something.  Fire, destruction, and an dark, raven haired angel.  "To be honest, I don't know a lot about angels, or even celestials.  I haven't really taken the time to learn much about the world.  I've…mostly been just surviving."  It was almost a revelation of sorts.  Perhaps I'm wasting potential…

"Well, Zets'Ki is high in the Zujiuchu Mountains at the northern most portion of Parvpora. It's perpetually cold and wintery up there, but it is beautiful. If you are thinking of heading up that way, take an airship to Karith and then head west across the Jasumin Plains until you reach Tar Eisalae, the temple of Adraejen Porthyrius, the Keeper of the Keys and Secrets of Knowledge of the Arcane. From there, you go north into the mountains," Magnus explained to Drake, drawing him a rather simple map in the sand. "The Keeper should be able to provide you with any maps you might need for the trek," he added. 

"No, nothing specific. Most of the half-celestials come in lighter colors. While not completely unknown, black wings are a bit of an oddity among half-celestials. So if this angel of yours exists, then people are bound to know who she is," Magnus said. He quirked a pale eyebrow at Drake's comments about not knowing much about angels or celestials. Survival was his thing right now. This made Magnus chuckle. He didn't mean to be rude. 

"Well, this is one hell of a world to just be 'surviving' in," he chuckled. "I take it you aren't originally from here then. Wanna tell me where you came from?"

Drake probably should have been more on guard, but the sea spirit seemed harmless.  

"For the most part, I've always been wandering.  I've never really had a place that I consciously came from."  Drake looked down at the map that Magnus had drawn in the sand.  For the most part, Drake understood the basics of the map, but everything felt…wrong.  The names were off, the places seemed different.  Now that he brings it up…  He closed his eyes.  "Sorry…my…my head hurts suddenly."

The world was wrong.  But that can't be.  I've traveled it for my entire life, but…  His eyes opened slowly, and the pressure in his skull dissipated.  Does this have to do with my dreams?  

"I came from Talis-…"  The name disappeared from his lips as he uttered them.  "No…I came from…"  He frowned.  "Traveled.  I traveled a lot…I cant remember the name of the place I started.  I guess I never paid it much of mind," he said finally.  Something…about that feels just wrong, but I can't push it now.  I'll just deal with it the best I can.  

"I'm still not making much sense, am I?" the man said, staring back at the makeshift map in the sand.  It was already being distorted by the sea breeze.  "What about you?  You seem to have lived through some harrowing times…"  Oh.  I said it.  Stupid…

Magnus put a hand on Drake's back as he said his head had begun to hurt as he tried to remember where he was from. Magnus's eyes narrowed slightly as this happened but he let a soft warm light push through his hand into Drake's back and neck to try and help abate the pain. Magnus shook his head slightly as Drake recovered and said he couldn't really remember. It wasn't something Magnus hadn't seen before. He took his hand from Drake's back and put it back down in the sand. 

"You aren't from Revaliir, Drake. That's why it feels wrong," he explained. "There are many here who are like you. Many who crossed the Void when the rifts opened during the Time Death. You are having a hard time because what is going on here, essentially, is two souls fusing and inhabiting one body. Memories superimposed over one another, making it hard to distinguish which memory corresponds to this world in particular," Magnus explained. "Many many people have had this, it isn't uncommon. This world, was very very similar to the world that almost all those I've read about have come from," the Sea Spirit explained. He absently began scratching at one of his hands and paused after realizing what he was doing. 

"I apologize for this, but it appears it is time for a fresh application," he said, sounding very tired. He pulled a tin of balm from his pocket and proceeded to unravel the bandage from the hand he had been scratching at. With the bandage pulled away, could now see what ailed the Sea Spirit. Part of Magnus's hand was completely mummified, the rot running up his arm and into his sleeve. He dabbed the balm on the rot with his clean fingers on the other hand, and up his arm before he resealed the balm and rewrapped his hand. 

"Mummy rot… It affects most of my body. I was doing some research in the ancient city of Asyut when it fell foul of Sardon Tiger-Iron's curse of decay and ruin as he fell from the grace of the World Tree. The city and all its inhabitants were lost beneath the sands of the Harenian desert and me along with it, each of us either mummified or reduced to nothing more than a specter. An extreme case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Magnus explained. "I've been back among the living only a few months now… the rot is healing, but slower than I would like. It's why I have come here. The bath house here in Abed is known for having medicinal properties that can speed the healing process of things like this," he said. "Lord Drae was the one who recommended it. Lady Angela offered to heal me on the spot, but the damage was so extensive and so chaos riddled that it was all she could do to just keep me alive."

Drake was appreciative of the healing aid that was given to him, but it was afterwards that he wondered if it had cost Magnus something to do it.  As the Sea Spirit unwrapped his bandage, Drake couldn't help but stare.  "It took a deity to keep you alive," Drake said, his eyes not wavering until the bandage was reapplied.  Something like that.  Maybe a God could…  He frowned.  I have a feeling I shouldn't trust them…at least, not yet.  

Drake closed his eyes again.  He had taken everything Magnus said, and was now taking the time to process it.  What the Sea Spirit said made sense, but there were things that didn't click.  Why now?  When did this happen?

"So what exactly should I expect, then?  If this is really something you've heard about…am I going to lose a sense of who I am?  Am I suddenly just going to cease being me?  Or will I suddenly start hearing this…second soul in the back of my mind?  And, I…"  The dark angel's silhouette flashed through his mind.  "Does that mean this dark angel is…from another world?"

It would mean that she doesn't exist here.  Or…maybe if she's like me, a version of her exists…  But does that mean she's like me, or unaffected by the Time Death that Magnus mentioned?   It was almost as if the more Magnus answered, the more questions that formed.  Which brings to question…why did I stumble across someone who could answer my questions so readily just as these dreams start coming  

The feeling of 'fate' once more crossed his mind.  It's all so…convenient.