Foresna, Lardeth, and Falnii were enjoying a nice, romantic rail ride during the night. It was on a private, open-roofed coach that was powered by an engine. It was going slow along a branch line along the continent\u2019s southern coast. Foresna breathed in the salty air. \u201cMan, this is a nice view,\u201d sighed Foresna happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have to admit, no view in the Over-realm can match this,\u201d agreed Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know,\u201d mused Falnii, \u201cI\u2019ve never been to the Galdredan Lava Kingdom before the Endeavor<\/em> had to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you think so far?\u201d asked Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026It\u2019s lovely,\u201d sighed Falnii happily as she leaned her head onto Lardeth\u2019s shoulder. She then brought Foresna\u2019s head down to her lap and stroked his hair. They all gave a contented sigh as the coach continued its leisurely run down the track. Their eyes soon shut as they let the noise of the coach\u2019s wheels on the track bring them to sleep\u2026a sleep that was interrupted as the coach suddenly lurched as it went over a set of points to a siding! Foresna moved to the front of the coach and hit the brakes as the coach traveled between two rows of freight cars. The coach stopped and the three looked at their surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat in the Depths\u2026?!\u201d snapped Foresna before he made a call to the nearby signal box. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d he began as the Signalwoman operating the box accepted the call, \u201cmy lovers and I were taking a nice tour down your line when we ended up in a siding. What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid, Sir,\u201d replied the Signalwoman, \u201cthat all trains had to be diverted into a secluded area, by order of Queen Narven herself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat for?!\u201d demanded Lardeth as he and Falnii joined Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t say,\u201d replied the Signalwoman, \u201conly that it was part of a project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, peachy!\u201d grunted Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks,\u201d grumbled Foresna as he ended the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust once,\u201d sighed Lardeth as he looked towards the sky, \u201cI\u2019d like to have a romantic excursion with at least one of my lovers without something going wrong!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have to make sure Queen Narven hears of this,\u201d declared Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know, I rather hope Calandra takes the throne quickly,\u201d muttered Lardeth. \u201cShe seems to have her heart AND head in the right\u2026\u201d a noise then interrupted him, a noise that froze his soul! \u201cTh\u2026that noise!\u201d he squeaked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMight have been the wind,\u201d gulped Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I recognize that sound!\u201d insisted Lardeth. \u201cDon\u2019t you remember?! Dad\u2019s ghost engine made that sound when it whistled!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLardeth, we all saw him and his train reach the Heights last year, remember?!\u201d urged Falnii. Another noise then rang out. They saw five white streaks in the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat were they?!\u201d asked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf they weren\u2019t going so fast, I might have seen them,\u201d mused Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI caught a glimpse of them!\u201d called Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat did they look like?\u201d asked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA broomstick band of five, all in white!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that what Malnar, Gorfanth, and Arsha saw?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure sounds like it,\u201d muttered Falnii. \u201cWe need to talk to them when we get back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Orbak was walking through the corridors of the Endeavor<\/em> as the overhaul was finishing up. With any luck, Endea would wake up within two days. As he passed by a conference room, he heard the conversation. \u201cYou saw them too?!\u201d yelped Malnar as she met with all those that had seen the broom rider band so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey were rather difficult to miss,\u201d replied Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d asked Yunfeen as she stroked Beruka\u2019s middle head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait a minute,\u201d called Termaf, \u201cisn\u2019t this their anniversary?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Whose anniversary?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, yeah, it is,\u201d remarked Malnar. \u201cThere\u2019s an Under-realm legend about a five-rider band that died.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, yeah, that one,\u201d recalled Yunfeen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMind telling those who aren\u2019t initially from the Under-realm about it?\u201d requested Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure I told you about them?\u201d asked Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t say as I recall any stories like that,\u201d remarked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNor me,\u201d supplied Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNews to me,\u201d reported Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have to agree with my old home\u2019s Crown Prince,\u201d muttered Tufarmem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m surprised,\u201d muttered Beruka. \u201cI would have thought you\u2019d have heard it from Loondal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s not a happy Ghost story,\u201d warned Malnar. \u201cHeck, I\u2019d hardly call it a \u2018Ghost\u2019 story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat WOULD you call it?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026A Ghoul story.\u201d Her audience was then captivated. \u201cThey\u2019re the first Ghouls, prototype Revenants. During the War of the Realms, my first ancestor, Intrag the Conqueror, was growing more impatient with the stalemate the war became. He ordered his top mages to create unstoppable soldiers for him to conquer the Realms or suffer horribly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe mages soon came up with a theory. Vampire blood has been known to have mystic properties, even going so far as to revive recently dead animals of all Realms and give said animals a smidge of Vampire powers. So, they theorized that a generous amount of Vampire blood would revive recently dead soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen Intrag heard the plan, he ordered them to enact it. They scoured the Realms for five of the greatest warriors, killed them, and then applied Vampire blood, taken from Vampires who had failed Intrag. Intrag came to see the bodies walk on their own. He was impressed and gave the order to mount brooms and fly about, spreading his gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately, something was wrong. The Ghouls didn\u2019t understand Intrag\u2019s instructions. They simply flew around the skies of the Under-realm. When Intrag heard the reports, he was furious. He mounted his own broom and pursued them. He ordered them to return home for reeducation, but they refused. They said that they were under orders to fly around the sky and they must complete that mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIntrag was enraged. He fired his own magic, but nothing phased them. Whatever damage they suffered, even under his strongest magic, they shrugged it off and resumed their patrol of the sky. They didn\u2019t shoot him down, just went around him constantly. Intrag was furious. His mages had failed him, and they were executed on the spot. That was mere days before the Message was discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany have tried to undo what was done to the Ghouls but were unsuccessful. They are cursed to forever wander the night skies of the Under-realm, appearing only on the anniversary of their creation, earning the name \u2018White Riders\u2019. Any who catch sight of them, woe be to them.\u201d Malnar ended her story and her audience was in some form of self-reassurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cW\u2026what kind of\u2026woe?\u201d gulped Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAny kind,\u201d answered Gorfanth, \u201cfrom the most minor to the most major.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh dear,\u201d sighed Orbak from outside the conference room. He went towards the entrance ramp without another word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Calandra was in another dress fitting session. There was one particular wedding dress that caught her eye and she decided to try it out. It was a little loose fitting on her, but she liked the design. The Royal Seamstress was taking measurements and making decisions on alterations. \u201cNow, the shoulder-revealing collar is, in my opinion, a nice touch,\u201d she mused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d sighed Calandra, \u201cbut I want to drape my arms around Elmar\u2019s shoulders when we kiss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, with that in mind\u2026\u201d muttered the Royal Seamstress before someone knocked on the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome in!\u201d called Calandra. Orbak then entered the room. The Royal Seamstress knelt in his presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat can we do for you, your Majesty?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI need to speak to Calandra about certain\u2026sightings,\u201d explained Orbak. The Royal Seamstress was confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEr, would you mind leaving us alone for a sec?\u201d asked Calandra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUm, very well, your Highness,\u201d mumbled the Royal Seamstress. She then left the room. Once the door closed, Calandra turned to Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were more sightings?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cForesna, Lardeth, and Falnii saw them last night,\u201d confirmed Orbak. Calandra flopped into a chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGreat, now we\u2019ve got THREE sightings in the span of two nights!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s more. When all the witnesses came together, Malnar told them about the White Riders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s gonna cause panic! Not what Mother was hoping for!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut exactly what you and I said would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDoes Mother know? Should we tell everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour mother knows and, when we met, she voted \u2018no\u2019 on saying anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour Majesty, I know this operation is predicated on secrecy, but Mother\u2019s being stubborn right now. She needs to understand that if there are any more sightings, the word \u2018covert\u2019 won\u2019t mean a damn thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know better than I do that Andwayla has a knack for remaining ignorant, even in the presence of overwhelming facts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, what, we just let this play out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t exactly have much choice.\u201d Calandra sighed in defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right, I\u2019ll alter the event schedule as best I can to at least minimize sightings. With any luck, we\u2019ll keep the situation from escalating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI daresay the Divine Ones will have their work cut out for them in answering prayers for good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo kidding. This could be what gives Dr. Borg the excuse she needs to strike against us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Foresna, Lardeth, and Falnii were enjoying a nice, romantic rail ride during the night. It was on a private, open-roofed coach that was powered by an engine. It was going slow along a branch line along the continent\u2019s southern coast. Foresna breathed in the salty air. \u201cMan, this is a nice view,\u201d sighed Foresna happily. 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