Tale of Vanguard

The morning was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting a soft, golden hue across the bustling capital. Kaelen and Thane stood in front of the capital's main gate, their breath was visible in the morning air. Kaelen's eyes scanned the crowd inside, searching for Serephira's familiar figure. Beside him, Thane fidgeted with his equipment, he was clearly restless.

"Are you sure that's all you're bringing?"

Thane asked Kaelen, his gaze was shifting from Kaelen's small pouch bag to his face.

"It's all i need."

Kaelen opened the flap of the pouch to Thane, revealing its content—or rather, the absence of any conventional content. Inside, Thane saw a swirling void with its depths seemingly endless despite the pouch's modest exterior. His eyes widened in astonishment.

"What in the—?"

"It was my master's, it can apparently store an endless amount of item inside of it."

Thane's surprise turn to an amazement.

"Wow, where did he find such a rare artifact?"

Before Thane could ask more, a familiar voice rang out from the distance. Serephira approached them from the bustling capital. However, it was not Serephira who caught their attention. Behind her, a figure could be seen carrying an enormous backpack on her shoulder, its size was surprising given the person's otherwise elegant demeanor.

Thane's eyes widened, and he called out to her.

"Princess Bastia?"

She offered a warm smile to them.

"Morning, you two."

Kaelen and Thane exchanged shocked glances as they were surprised. Bastia explained as she approached the two.

"The day after the royal assembly, the announcement about the Ascension reached my kingdom. I couldn't waste any time. I came here as quickly as possible."

Serephira joined them, she had a similar surprise look on her face. She sighed heavily.

"Bastia decided to help me with this journey."

With that, Bastia's face lit up with excitement. She gave Serephira a cheerful hug.

 "I'm so happy you accepted my help!"

Serephira sighed and looked at Bastia with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"I'm surprised that Her Majesty even allowed you to come."

Bastia simply smiled with an unreadable expression. Looking at her face, Serephira pressed further.

"You did ask for her permission, right?"

Bastia remained silent for a moment, then gave a small wink and a playful smile.

Serephira's eyes widened in shock as she shakes her head in disbelief.

"Of course, you didn't..."

***

The four of them walked through the dark forest with Serephira in front. The canopy overhead allowed slivers of sunlight to filter through, casting eerie shadows on the ground. Thane broke the eerie silence as he asked a question:

"Where exactly are we headed, Serephira?"

Serephira took a quick glanced at them while walking. 

 "We're going to my brother's private workshop. We need to retrieve his vessel for our journey to the unknown realm."

Kaelen furrowed his brow in confusion.

"A 'vessel'? Can't we just use an Astral Gateway like usual?"

Before Serephira could answer, Princess Bastia interjected them.

"Do either of you know how seekers discover new realms?"

Kaelen and Thane exchanged puzzled looks. Kaelen admitted.

"Not really."

Bastia nodded and continued.

"An Astral Gateway is a manifestation made by a seeker. It's a bridge between realms, but it relies on the presence of a seeker in the new world to be established. Uncharted or undiscovered worlds don't have an Astral Gateway yet."

She paused, ensuring they were following.

"So, to travel to such a world, we need to use a vessel to navigate through the Veil that connects our world to the new one. This space is called an Astral Conduit. The vessel allows us to traverse this space safely."

Thane's eyes widened with understanding.

"And once we arrive in the new world?"

Bastia smiled.

 "Once we're there, we can then set up an Astral Gateway that links back to our own world. The new gateway will be anchored to the existing gateway in our world."

Kaelen and Thane both nodded as they're now grasping the concept.

The group continued their trek through the forest. Until kaelen asked another question.

"Is discovering a connection to a new world really that significant?"

Serephira nodded emphatically, as her gaze was focused ahead.

"Absolutely. It's incredibly important. Our kingdom finds evidence of new worlds only about once in ten years. It's a rare and momentous achievement each time it happens."

She glanced over the three.

"My brother has dedicated much of his time navigating through the Conduit. It's not just about finding new worlds; it's about understanding and traversing the Conduit itself, which is essential for discovering and reaching new realms."

"Huh... I see."

***

After a long walk through the dark forest, the group finally emerged into a clearing where the dense trees parted to reveal a secluded area. Nestled within this tranquil grove was an impressive sight.

It was a large workshop with an imposing structure that was made of weathered stone and reinforced with intricate metalwork. Its design was both functional and ornate, with ivy creeping up its walls and a few arched windows allowing glimpses of the activity within. A wide garage door stood open, revealing a bustling interior filled with various tools, magical artifacts, and blueprints scattered across workbenches.

Inside the garage, the centerpiece of the workshop was a massive ship, which loomed over them with its sheer size. The ship was an intricate blend of sleek, modern design and ancient craftsmanship. Its hull was constructed from a gleaming, metallic alloy with a shimmering finish that seemed to ripple with colors as it caught the light.

The ship was also adorned with runic symbols and intricate patterns that glowed faintly, hinting at the powerful enchantments embedded within it.

As Kaelen and Thane both gazed at it, their eyes were widened in awe at the impressive sight, leaving them speechless.

Just then, a figure emerged from the cluttered interior of the garage. Prince Raul noticed the approaching group and waved enthusiastically as he called out.

"Fira!"

Serephira turned at the sound of her brother's voice and made her way towards him with a warm smile on her face. Prince Raul greeted her with a friendly nod. Serephira then gestured to the three people behind her.

"These three will be accompanying me on my journey."

Raul's expression softened as he addressed them.

"A friend of Serephira is a friend of mine. I'm glad to have you all here."

He then turned to Serephira, his tone growing serious.

"Are you absolutely sure about this? The journey to the new world will be challenging."

Serephira met his gaze with unwavering determination.

"I'm a hundred percent sure. This is something that i need to do."

A look of understanding and respect can be seen in Prince Raul's eyes.

"Very well..."

Raul gathered everyone's attention, his demeanor was focused as he prepared to explain the procedure.

"Alright then, everyone, listen carefully. Here's how this will work: first, I will use my beacon to create an Astral Gateway. This will serve as your entry point into the Conduit."

He gestured toward the ship.

"Second, all of you will board the vessel and enter the Conduit. It is crucial that during your journey inside the conduit, that you do not leave the vessel under any circumstances. The Conduit is an unpredictable and dangerous space, but the vessel is reinforced with aether-infused materials to withstand its pressures and forces."

Prince Raul's expression grew more serious.

"Usually, a seeker would need a Crosair—a person skilled in steering and navigating the vessel. However, in your case, my magic will ensure that the vessel automatically takes you to your destination."

He turned to Serephira, handing her a small, intricately designed object.

"Once you arrive in the new realm, you'll need to use the beacon to create the Astral Gateway. This gateway will link to the one i've established here as the anchor."

Prince Raul paused, making sure everyone understood the gravity of his next point.

"However, there's one critical requirement for this to work: the gateway must be created in an area with a significant amount of aether energy or during an aetheric flux in the new world. Without this, the gateway will not stabilize properly."

Serephira accepted the beacon with a firm nod.

The prince then continued.

"Everything I've outlined so far applies specifically to your journey through the Conduit. My vessel will ensure every one of your safety while you navigate this unpredictable space."

He glanced around at the group with a serious gaze.

"However, once you've arrive in the new realm, the situation changes. You'll be on your own. So... godspeed everyone."