I follow him outside, seeing several other people looking towards us. From the corner of my eye, I see a large man making his way towards us.
"Hey, boss. What about him? You wouldn't let me spar with any of the other worlds' leaders."
Orion doesn't answer, he just turns away and starts walking towards the pink haired guy. The large man appears beside me, looking down at me. He towers over me, almost twice my height. He's wearing only pelts around his waist, purple fabric around his legs, and a large white fur pelt over his head. His skin is dark, with tattoos stretching all over his upper body. Necklaces and bracelets of bone are hanging loosely on his body. Even compared to Grim's strongest warriors, his mere appearance is intimidating. He kneels before me, us now being eye-to-eye.
"My name is Revine Algana, and it would be an honor to fight with you."
I pause for a moment, quickly looking back to Orion with a confused expression.
"Err, no? I don't think that would be right for ruler to do?"
Revine frowns, standing back up. He pops his knuckles, the crack echoing around us.
"As you wish."
He turns away, slowly walking back towards a small fire in the distance. I feel a small tap on my shoulder, accompanied by someone talking.
"Don't mind him, he's a brute. We let anyone join if they're powerful. But I haven't introduced myself yet. Lance, and your name was Dante, right?"
I turn around to see a man with dark purple and black hair looking at me. His hair is in a ponytail, falling over his shoulder. He's wearing a loose black and white outfit with white scarves around his neck and waist. On his hips I see three swords, two on his right side and one on his left. His left hand is extended for a handshake. I grip his hand and nod in response to his question. As he grips my hand, I feel a pain shot through my hand and wrist. The strength in his hand is absurd.
"Not bad. Not many people can give a good, firm handshake these days."
I rub my hand and look around.
"So, are you guys going to stay here, or will you leave?"
Orion quickly speaks up behind me.
"Most of us will be leaving, but I will leave one of our own here to keep an eye out for Everia. She hasn't left the world yet. Most likely she's laying low, waiting for us to leave. Dante, meet Aeon."
Another large man stands beside Orion. He's slightly shorter than Revine, but much skinnier than Revine's large and bulky musculature. He's wearing ornate blue, black, and purple armor. On his back is a massive jagged great sword. The blade is longer than I am tall. The handle of the sword appears to be made of bone, while the blade is made of some deep purple metal.
"It's nice to meet you. I will keep an eye out for Everia."
Aeon speaks, but his lips don't move. He bows slightly before looking back to Orion.
"Would you like me to go down to the world below?"
"Yes, but try to not stick out too much. As always, our presence here must remain unknown to most of the general populous."
Aeon nods, then starts walking towards the edge. Orion raises his hand, gathering the attention of everyone around us.
"We will be taking our leave shortly. Those not with the main branch, you can go."
In an instant, I see people tearing down tents and placing them on a sled of some sort. Orion looks to me.
"Is there anything else you need before we leave? You can always call us back, but it would save us the trip to solve any problems you may have now."
I think for a moment.
"So, I still don't understand, why do I have to stay up here? Why can't I go down to be with my friends? If I'm able to sustain the barrier, why does it matter where I am?"
"Your distance from the barrier determines it's strength. If you were to go down to the world below, the barrier would most likely crumble. I suspect, that the reason Everia built her platform at this exact distance, is to be able to watch or influence the world below while also maintaining the barrier."
I look around the still torn up landscape around us.
"Wish I could do something about this, make it look nicer."
In an instant, trees start sprouting up all over. The clearing remains, a thick forest seemingly appearing all around us. Aeon's voice rings in my head.
"That's an easy enough request."
I look around in amazement, I've never seen magic like this. Orion speaks up once more.
"If you would like, we can also assist you in making a house here."
From behind me, the pink haired guy speaks up.
"It sounds pretty boring, just sitting up here by yourself. I could bring you some board games or card games to keep you busy. Or maybe some puzzles and brain teasers."
I stand, stunned by the compassion from a group that supposedly excels at combat and killing. I nod, accepting their help. The pink haired guy closes his eyes.
"You'll have to wait a short while. We need to find some people who know how to build a house. We can gather any sort of wood, stone, or metal you'd like. But I don't believe any of us have ever built a house."
Aeon's voice rings in my head once more.
"No, we mustn't waste time. Please envision the home you wish to live in, I shall create it."
Orion pats the pink haired guy's shoulder.
"You underestimate Aeon's power, Hiriko."
I close my eyes, thinking about the house I'd like. But although I could imagine any size home, mansion, or castle, I find myself thinking about a small wooden cabin. The stone chimney gently blowing smoke out from the fire cooking food beneath it. The several rooms within decorated in distinctive styles. The wood steps leading to the front door.
I open my eyes, seeing the house in front of me. I stare at it for a minute, feeling tears welling up. Seeing the house again for the first time since Wolfpack had destroyed it. Orion speaks up.
"Do you need anything else, before we go?"
I shake my head, looking to Orion and the others with him.
"Thank you. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to see this house again."
Orion bows his head respectfully, then turns to everyone else. As he waves his hand, everyone starts grabbing the packed supplies and tents. They all start making their way to the large sled, standing around it. Orion looks to me.
"Don't forget, we're always within reach. Just use the tags to get ahold of us. We will be sending someone in the future to discuss trade further, but for now, we'll take our leave."
He shakes my hand, then walks to the others. In a moment, they all disappear. I look back to the forest, seeing Aeon standing on a limb.
"If you need me, I will be down on the planet below."
I nod, watching him jump back further into the forest. The house stands in front of me, in perfect condition. My memories of everything that's happened during my journey swirling in my head. All the bad, and the good. The sadness, and the joy. The enemies I made, and the friends. I have to say goodbye to all I've come to know and accept that I can't go back. I walk towards the house where I'll spend the rest of my life, the only home I've ever known.
My home.