Ithaca (Book 4 of the "Living Nightmare" series)

Prologue

One year ago...

Zeganirn looked between Lance and Ceris. He felt out of place here. Vordus had always been the one to officiate such ceremonies. "Do you swear to honor, respect, and love your husband to the utmost?"

Ceris nodded. "I swear like my mothers before me."

Zeganirn nodded to Lance. "And do you swear to honor, respect, and love your wife to the utmost?"

A smile appeared on Lance's lips. "I swear like my fathers before me."

"Will you both honor this holy union, despite any troubles, be them political, physical, or mental?"

They both nodded.

"Very well then," Zeganirn turned to Echo, who handed him an ancient staff crafted of a wood long forgotten. He gave one end to Ceris and the other to Lance. "In the name of the law you are bound. But in the name of love you are united."

Lance smiled at Ceris and, for the first time in a century, the crowd could see her fullface as she smiled back.

"Queen Ceris, Matriarch of the End, and Lance, Lord and Mage of the Void Islands. I announce you as wife and husband...for all time," Zeganirn took the staff from them. "You may kiss if you really want to."

Without hesitation, Lance stepped forward and kissed her, the guests bursting into applause. Thrilled, Echo hugged Zeg, who hugged her back. 

The people had welcomed Lance back into their lives.

<>

Elsewhere...

Celestia sat silently in the galley of the ship with her son Victor, eating.

He looked up from his bowl. "Did you hear what the messenger reported this morning?"

"I did not."

"Apparently the war is over. Naeus was destroyed and all the Nether forces fled. But what else," he leaned forward. "Ceris, Zeganirn, Gwendolyn, and Lance are all alive. Sora and some other general too. They plan to rebuild the dead islands."

"Lies."

"I don't think our messenger would lie about something like that since the expense would be his head," Victor took a bite of his food. "Also...something about a lost daughter...or something."

Celestia got to her feet so abruptly Victor dropped his spoon. "Oh, that little bastard. I'm going to--"

Her sentence was left unfinished as something slammed into the deck above them, causing the End Ship to rock violently. Mother and son exchanged glances before teleporting up.

A man in a tattered dark blue cloak lay face-down on the Endwood planks. He looked badly injured. Other than a strange purple marking on his face, Celestia had nothing to identify him by.

"Well, lookie here!" Arabella waltzed over, nodding to Celestia. "You've got a guest, Commander!"

"Captain. Pleasure to have you on-board this fine day."

"Pleasure is mine, Commander," she kicked the stranger with the tip of her boot. "Up with you!"

The man groaned and rolled onto his back, blinking as he looked up to them. He squinted then slowly opened his blood-crusted lips. "Arabella?"

"Who's asking?"

"Hellknight," he frowned. "Wait, you wouldn't know that...Agaster."

"Agaster as in Lance's-banished-brother Agaster?" She offered him her hand. "Good gods, mate, I thought you were dead!"

"So did many people. But here I stand."

"Its good to see you again. Although, 'Hellknight'? What kind of pathetic code-name is that?"

"Believe it or not, many people have come to fear that name," he winced, clutching his side. "Listen, I need your help."