The Western Empire

A lot has happened in the week or so Amon has been absent from Hargeon. Lamia was allowed some time to mourn her grandfather's death, burying him near Nyx's grave, right behind the hotel. A tombstone was erected especially for him, his name inscribed on it, and below, a small farewell, for the loving Kiryu who raised Lamia since infancy.

Everyone attended the short funeral. It essentially consisted of Lamia, having already lowered Kiryu's coffin, giving a few parting words. Being who she is, it wasn't exactly wordy or that long, being only a single sentence farewell to him. Everyone else departed, except the one who actually live under the same roof as her. The only thing that made this worse was Amon was still missing, since the mysterious explosion that happened after the Eclipse Gate was destroyed, when the Queen was saved, and the Dragons vanished.

Two people also went missing. Kiva, the wheelchair bound girl Amon met, and Hemera, one of Amon's students. No one knows what happened to them, which did not help with everyone's concerns.

It didn't take long for Lamia to read the newspaper and find out Amon was caught and sent to prison, and not just any prison, but the House of Hell, the one made for the greatest criminals of Fiore. A few days later, news of Bosco came to light as well, of a war between the factions, countless dead and many more injured. She had nothing to confirm it, but she felt like Amon was related to the event somehow. He did work there once, and still despises it.

She grew anxious everyday.

And then, one day, she got an answer. Lamia was approached by a woman clad in a purple cloak and a pointy hat. The woman told her she would show her where Amon is if she cooperated, but she had to repeat that a couple of times, because Lamia was too distracted by the woman's large breasts poking through her cloth, even trying to peek through them herself. The woman smacked her hand away each time, and calmly continued her explanation.

Even when her best friend is missing, Lamia didn't let it stop her lecherous antics.

Before she knew it, Lamia, Lucy, and Mira were aboard a familiar looking flying ship. Leaving behind everyone in the care of the others, and Mira trusting Gajeel and Levy to responsibly handle the restaurant without fooling around because they think it's kinky. At least that's what Mira said, those two were left flustered as their manager left.

Slowly, the pieces came together, and Lamia recognized this place, the structure, the rooms. Yes, it was certaintly it, Eva's airship. But, was that Eva? It couldn't be. Her boobs are too big, while Eva was almost as flat as Lamia. There were other discrepancies, like her hair, eyes, claws, and clothes, height, weight and much more, but the boobs. The boobs were the true tie-breaker.

"How long since you've last seen him?" The woman asked Lamia, as they continued walking through the corridors.

"Hm..." Lamia scratched her cheek, trying to recall how much time passed "About two weeks, maybe more...".

Mira cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention "If I may ask~" She politely said "Where did you find Amon? Is he in good condition?".

The woman took off her cloak, her pointy witch hat suddenly popped from under the hood, as if it was always there "I found him on a remote island with some other survivors. Lovely people, I must say.".

They arrived in a room, that looked more like a small clinic, complete with a bed and a cabinet of medicine. And there they were, several people, either standing around, sitting or lying in bed. Among them, Angel, Cobra and Racer, were all resting on beds, and unconscious still, Racer in particular had a cast on his broken leg. Next to them, Amon rested on his own bed, bandages all over his top half, only the top half of his face being exposed, along with his hair.

"...Erza?" Lucy said, recognizing the redhead sitting down besides the beds, with bandages over her body as well "Is that...?" Lucy walked closer to her, the two sharing the same shocked expression, Mira in particular, was so stunned she couldn't move. The two women made contact, with Erza herself quickly grabbing Lucy and pulling her closer into a tight embrace.

"You're real." Erza said, her breathing becoming unsteady and being on the verge of choking up in tears "Is this a dream then...?".

"The Oracion Seis...?" Mira said, pointing out the fact four of the six dark mages they once fought were here. Three were seemingly, while only Midnight remained awake and alive, but notably missing his right arm "Why are they...?".

"Oh, bother...I've ruined a reunion..." Midnight said, sounding half-sarcastic and half-genuine "Please, before you lose your temper, I...".

"If I may." Kagura intervened, walking into the room, dressed in a brand new kimono "While I am glad you could be reunited with your friends, I ask you to listen. These former criminals, the Oracion Seis, they are not evil. They mean no ill will. In fact, I witnessed first-hand, and heard from Erza herself, that they have reformed.".

Mira and Lucy took the time to digest that info, and also realizing Kagura just entered the room.

"This isn't going to be a trap, is it?" Lamia asked, walking towards Amon, who was sound asleep "Sleepin' like a baby, eh?".

Amon opened his eyes, glancing to the side to meet Lamia's "...Lamia...?".

"Hey there, big guy.".

"Oh!" Erza suddenly understood what was happening "You must be the wife I've heard so much of!" Lamia glanced over at Erza, scanning the redhead's appearance, before noticing she stretched her hand out for a shake "My name is Erza Scarlet, I am a new friend of Amon, you could say! I have much to thank him, and I am very glad to meet you as well.".

"..." Lamia leaned down to Amon's face, whispering to him "Amon, were you getting me a gift?".

Amon was too tired to even respond to that.

"Lamia..." Amon said, his voice sore and muffled under his bandages, certaintly not enthusiastic, but that could be chalked up to seemingly being injured all over "I'm sorry I was gone...".

"You're alive, that's what matters." Lamia said "Oh, and don't worry about your work as a teacher, you got fired.".

"Hm?!" Amon suddenly sprung from his bed, a thousand cracking noises throughout his body echoing in the room, as his eyes lit up with shock "W-...Why...?!".

"Sorry, bud." Lamia patted Amon's shoulder in sympathy "You weren't at work for a while, your boss grew impatient, and I couldn't make enough excuses.".

"My work...my students..." Amon's tone became that of a broken and saddened man, with his alleged dream job gone from his due to these circumstances he could not control entirely "I want to see Lily now, I think her smile will make me feel better...".

"This is an absolutely lovely reunion!" The woman bursted into a mad cackle, grabbing her cloak and removing it, revealing that, to no one's surprise, she was indeed Eva in a cloak. Then there were Lucy and Mira, and the others, who had no idea who this woman was to begin with, leaving her supposedly dramatic reveal completely hollow and null. But she kept going "It is in fact, I, Eva Kiesler, the now turned Fantasy Hell Witch, possessing the body of Sabbath Hecate, after she futiley attempted to break my mind! But! I broke hers! This body! Is mine! And so is the power!".

"..." No one was particulary impressed with her story, or really understood what she was getting at.

They all had the common thesis that she was someone insane. Even the people who know who she is.

"...Ugh, you kids these days don't appreciate a good entrance!" Eva angrily said, rubbing the back of her neck in frustration "Fine! Let's get to buisness, you damn brats.".

"Do you know her?" Mira asked Lamia, and by extension, Amon.

"Sorta." Lamia replied.

"I do not know her not one bit." Amon harshly replied, turning his head away to avoid looking at Eva in spite "She's just some weirdo.".

Eva felt quite offended, being taken aback by Amon's brutal honesty and dismissal in particular "You're all so mean...! And after I saved you and locked the poison in your body...".

"...Poison?" Lamia took noted of Eva's comment.

"Fufufu, exactly!" Eva extended her arms in joy "Your dear Amon is dying from a poison! A deadly, magical one that has no cure, leaving him with only three months to live!" Everyone's expression turned to horror, Lamia's in particular, sweat running down her forehead "I locked the poison with his magic. As long as he doesn't pull a single spell, or magic energy at all, Amon will live. I can only lock it once, so be careful.".

"Amon...you're dying?" Lamia turned to face Amon "What did you do, Amon?".

"Haha!" Eva clapped her hands, dark smoke suddenly encapsulated the entire room, crawling from every crevice and crack in the walls "Dear children, I picked you up as per requested by a client.".

"What are you...?".

"Magdaloria!" She exclaimed "Fly, my dear children." With a snap of her fingers, everyone was sucked up by the dark smoke, crushing them under heavy gravity "I'm sorry we couldn't be friends. I love you all. Particulary dear Lamia, but, things are different." A large grin pierced through the deep darkness, rows of vicious fangs drawing closer "With regards, from the Queen of Witches herself.".

Alakitasia, the Western Continent

Population: Approximately One Billion.

In The Valley of Time
"Where do you think he came from?" A man asked his fellow comrades, staring down an unconscious Amon in the middle of a forest. He lied heavily bandaged and covered in leaves and dirt.

"He might be a lost patient. Why would someone so obviously injured just be out in the area like this?" The other man asked, with many others nodding in agreement.

They all wore similar black armoured garb, with a helmet covering their faces. They all wielded their own weaponry, from swords and shields, to spears and axes, and all sorts of other exotic weaponry.

"Should...should we tell the Commander...?" Another one asked, sounding fearful at daring to do that.

"Nonsense! It's just some guy. He's probably gonna die soon, if he's not dead already." The first man answered, holding a spear, and directing the sharp tip near Amon's neck "Commander has more importants things to deal with than some nobody...".

Suddenly, Amon opened his eyes, grabbing the man's spear, getting up and pulling the weapon out of his hand. He breathed out, as if sighing, and immediately struck the man over the head so hard the spear's body snapped in half, the other half flying off, and the man losing consciousness "Where..." Amon asked, slowly turning his head around to face the others. Every movement he made felt like a thousand knives slithering through his flesh "Where am I, and who are you?".

"...Sh-....Should we attack him?" One of the soldiers asked, bewildered "I don't...think it's really fair, we're like...20 against one guy who's obviously injured." The soldier said, pointing at Amon "Look! He's even bleeding!" Just as he said, Amon's bandages began to turn red from his skin being stretched and re-opening his scars.

"You got a point." Another soldier, walking towards Amon, pointing a sword at him "Mysterious injured mummy man! I demand you tell me who you a-...!".

"I asked..." Amon slapped the soldier's sword away, the blade stabbing into the ground "Where am I?".

"..." The soldier turned to the others, his hand up and next to his cheek, as if intending to whisper "I think he's dangerous, you guys." Amon grunted in frustration, striking the soldier with the other spear half, knocking him out and breaking the spear further, thus dropping it on the ground.

"One more try." Amon inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm himself down "Where am I?".

"...You're in the western territory, Zaman, near the capital city of the same name, in the continent of Alakitasia." One of the soldiers suddenly answered.

"Martin, what the hell, man?!" Another soldier angrily scolded the soldier known as "Martin", even smacking him across the head with a mace "Dammit, I know you've only been here for two months, but for God's sake, man, he's an enemy for all we know!".

"T-...The man just slapped a metal sword away and gave two people a concussion by breaking a spear on their heads, I don't wanna anger him." Martin replied "This is basically the set-up for us faceless mooks to get slaughtered by some stranger. I don't wanna be an expendable, faceless grunt, I have a family to feed.".

"You're single.".

"It's my sister's family.".

"..." Amon turned around, beginning to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" The soldier asked Amon "You're heading the wrong way! That way is just deeper into the forest. You'll get attacked and mauled alive by wild animals." He explained "The capital city is the other way we came from.".

"..." Amon turned back to face the soldiers "Can you give me directions?".

"Oh, drop the mysterious badass stranger act, eh?!" The soldier angrily replied, stomping his leg on the ground "You little shithead, you just knocked out two men, one of them being a high-ranking member!".

"You all wear the same armour." Amon replied joylessly.

"It's uniform, jackass!" He stomped his feet again "You hear the vibrations in my helmet? That's protecting me from damage, because it sends shockwaves from impact all throughout my armor and then redirects it to the ground or at the target I hit! It's really goddamn useful!".

"...Okay.".

"Okay?! Listen here, you white-washed fuck, I'll shove my shield right up your...!".

"Captain, please calm down! You're losing your temper again!".

"Shut your mouth, Martin!" The Captain silenced Martin.

"..." Amon stood and blankly stared at the Captain and the other soldiers, blinking once or twice "You guys are fuckin' weird.".

"And you're bleeding more than I do on the monthly! Now shut up and follow us, so we can arrest you for attacking two Imperial Soldiers of Zaman. Asshole." The Captain said "You two, carry the unconscious men, and make sure this man doesn't run away.".

Amon followed suit, having nowhere else to go, or any idea where he is. He felt his wounds itching, but also burning, but there was nothing he could do, because it would cause infection. Amon needed a professional to deal with these, a doctor. It was frustrating, and he couldn't allow his regeneration to take care of it, because it would trigger magic energy consumption, and thus remove the "lock" Eva placed, streaming the poison throughout his body once more.

He needed to stay alive.

"Hey." Gram called to Amon "Do you have any idea what to do?" He asked.

"I'll see if I can get directions, a map or something." Amon replied "I know how this song and dance goes. Some convoluted event, right when I reunite with everyone, separating us again. Lamia, Mira, Lucy, the Oracion Sies, Kagura and...Erza, they're all here. Maybe in this country, or somewhere else.".

"Don't be too hard on yourself." Lucadra said to Amon, in an almost genuine, comforting manner "You'll find everyone sooner or later, and go home.".

"Hey! Maggot!" Before Amon could take a minute to think over things more "We're here." The Captain said, as they stood before an enormous gate, with high walls extending for as far as the eye can see, leaving the forest and woodland creature outside. The gate creaked, and trembled the ground as they opened, allowing entrance into the city, the Imperial Kingdom of Zaman.

The entire kingdom was of white bricks, with dirt from the crevices and cracks of varying colors. The brick roads stretched all over the neighborhoods, no vehicles sans bicycles, allowing to flawlessly travel throughout it without getting in anyone's way. Knights in similar armor and garb like the ones Amon encountered wandered the streets, keeping watch over civilian activity, and even assisting others in need. At the center of it all was a tall tower, a castle that stood out amongst the buildings, and a coliseum standing before it. A noticeable clock was located at the highest point of the tower. It showed the accurate time, and its ticking was heard throughout.

"Oh, that...Doesn't that get annoying?" Amon asked the soldiers, concerning the giant clock's ticking.

"It...it does, but you get used to it." Martin replied.

"Take the injured to the clinic. I'll take this man to our Commander. Report back to me when the doctor finishes checking them up. Understood?" The soldiers nodded to their Captain's orders, taking the two injured men away to the clinic.

"You're going to handle me on your lonesome?".

"For an injured man? Ha!" The Captain replied mockingly to Amon "Your breathing got heavier, and your movement slower, plus your hands are shaking!" The Captain was spot on in their analysis, and Amon became aware of these points, trying to stop them "You can't hide them. You were doing them subconsciously. You'll do them again before you notice.".

"..." Amon grabbed his shoulder, rubbing it in pain, but quickly pulled back, feeling a stinging pain, as blood smeared on the bandages and his hand "...Great." At the same time, he noticed civilians were staring at him. Some took their children back into the houses in fear of him being dangerous, while others looked away, going back to their buisness, as the rest didn't care and kept staring. Not helping matters was Amon's blood contrasting with the white, yet dirty brick roads, as his blood dripped and made a trail.

"A clean man crew gets through town once or twice a week. So don't think too much about it." The Captain said, noticing Amon's behaviour. They were quite the observant individual.

Amon became more tired and exhausted as he walked more and more. The distance between him and the Captain grew, and in turn, the Captain's walking slowed down to match up with Amon's pace. He was still fatigued from the battle on Dianoir. The bodily pains returned the more he moved his body, taking a toll on him. Amon felt like his body temperature rise, and sweat, forcing him to eventually stop in his tracks, putting his hands on his knees and repeatedly gasp for air.

"You look like you recently broke past your limits." The Captain said to Amon, turning to face him "Considering your injuries, I'd reckon you fought a hard battle. But did you win? If you're alive, I would say yes, but you came out of nowhere, so maybe no?" Amon had to sit down, ending up on the middle of the road, as the Captain followed suit, kneeling down, almost to Amon's level "Don't die in the middle of the streets and make this awkward for me.".

"I...just need a minute." Amon said, his breathing calming down and steadying. He pulled the bandages off his mouth, making breathing easier "Ah this is...annoying..." He pulled the bandages off further, exposing his face fully. Exposing an open scar across his right cheek to the air caused it to suddenly burn and sting, causing him to cover it with his hand instinctively, but it only made it worse "Ugh...".

"Don't touch the wound." The Captain said, grabbing Amon's wrist, and calmly pulling it away from his face "You should have taken it off slowly and gently. Because of that, now it stings doesn't it? You could get it infected if you grab it with your hand too." They pulled a clean napkin out of their pocket, gently placing it against Amon's cheek "Press on it gently. It should stop bleeding soon.".

After a momentary rest, Amon continued walking with the Captain, eventually going by the colosseum, and soon into the castle, being granted access by two gatekeepers. Upon entering the castle, Amon took notice of the array of armors and weaponry decorating the halls and walls. It looked incredibly and uselessly expensive. What possible purpose do these have? Must be an enthusiast of knighthood.

"Over here." The Captain gestured to Amon, pressing a button on the wall, as a light above a door glew and small bell rang, followed by the doors opening.

"Oh. Is...that an elevator?" Amon asked, rather preplexed.

"Yes." The Captain replied, entering the elevator "What? We built our houses using bricks, but that doesn't mean we can't have some convinience." They said, Amon simply staring in reply "Get in!" The Captain suddenly shouted, startling Amon and making him get into the elevator, as the Captain pressed the top floor button on the keypad.

A soft, calming jingle played as the elevator went up, and Amon and the Captain silently stood, making no sounds or starting any conversations. At best, someone coughed, or scratched themselves. Amon kept pressing the napkin on his wound, noticing the bleeding stopped. He rolled up the napkin, awkwardly handing it over to the Captain, who took it calmly and put it in their uniform's pocket. And it went back to being quite. The elevator did suddenly stop, opening to reveal one of the floors was an open bath, having a glass roof with some of the windows open. It seemed to be mixed bath, as both men and women, wearing only towels, entered the rather large elevator.

It was unorthodox, and unexpected to say the least.

"Going to see the Commander, Captain?" One of the men asked the Captain, who nodded in reply.

Notably about these people was the various scars on their bodies. Some small, while others had larger ones, some even missing some fingers, an eye, even entire limbs.

"Who's this chum?" A woman asked the Captain, pointing at Amon "You brought a White Rose?".

"I have." The Captain replied "And don't call him that. You know those are just...nonsense tales spoken to make sense of unexplained cruelty and tragedy." They continued.

"I don't think a White Rose is bad." Another woman, one with black hair and a golden eye, with the left half of her body, her arm and a part of her face in particular, was burnt or scarred, said, winking at Amon, the latter moving a few inches away from her "If the curse is true, then it means he's survived through some rough situations. If that blood is hiding scars, then it just means he's an experienced survivor." Once again, the woman sent a gesture towards Amon, this time pumping her bare arm against Amon's body, the blood drenching his bandages smearing on her, though that seems to be her goal. That seemed to be enough to startle Amon, the contact making him quickly jerk back and go to the very corner of the elevator, away from the woman, much to her surprise, which was soon replaced with amusement.

"...I don't like this." He thought to himself.

"Misqil, I ask of you, do not step out of line again." The Captain scolded the scarred woman, named Misqil "You've been sued for sexual harassment once. It'd be a shame to be let go for flashing someone again, and a potential criminal no less." They said, much to Misqil's dismay, though she looked more miffed than angry.

"Oh well~" Misqil shrugged, as the elevator stopped again, opening to a hall way akin to a hotel, with numbered rooms across the halls. She winked once more towards Amon, waving goodbye "If you ever interested, find me in the 501st Room~".

Ironically, Amon did not find her invite very...inviting.

"I like her." Lucadra said.

"You like every sexy woman we meet, that means nothing." Gram sarcastically replied with mild aggression.

"The scary part is you both are speaking my feelings right now." Amon said in response.

"You have issues." Gram said.

"Yeah..." Amon said, sighing.

"Don't accept her invite, maggot!" The Captain shouted at Amon, scolding him after mistaking him for accepting Misqil's advances "A few more floors!" They angrily pressed the button to close the elevator doors, going up again.

Eventually, they reached top, where a throne laid in the middle of the room, a red carpet draped across the room, towards the rotating seat. The glass ceiling and walls exposing the outside world gave a wonderful view of the land and the city. On the throne, sat a woman with short, messy blonde hair, and matching brown eyes, a fair skin complexion, and a striking look in her eyes, even when not glaring per se. The woman stood up, dusting her baggy, striped pants, the clanking sound of her golden metal gauntlet on her right arm rang as she did. Finally, she had what could only be described as a black sports bra, but a bandeau is more accurate, exposing a rather generous amount of skin and shoulders, as well as a high collar around her neck, and wearing sandles on her feet.

Notably, Amon saw the demonic, crown-like symbol on her left calf. He was too used to the skimpy look to be bothered by it. It was the behaviour that got to him.

"Captain, why are you bringing me a bleeding, bandaged man who looks like he's on death row?" The woman said, a soft smile, with no malice or joy, was clear on her face as she spoke "He doesn't even have shoes...is he a beggar?".

"Commander Dimaria." The Captain spoke, standing in salute to their commander "This man appeared out of nowhere, we fear he may be a spy or enemy, but he has nothing on him, and is, in fact, very injured and in need of medical care. However, I require your advice on how to deal with the stranger.".

"Oh." As if passing like a breeze, Dimaria was suddenly face to face with Amon, placing her hand on his chin, moving his head to the sides to examine him "Your wounds are fresh.".

"T-...This feeling..." Amon thought to himself, horrified at how Dimaria seemingly teleported, but he didn't sense a ripple through space, yet the sensation she gave off was familiar. A movement he couldn't see that wasn't teleportation, and he could see proof she walked from the throne. The carpet had obvious marks of being stepped on and was moved a bit to the side, in comparison to how perfectly laid down it was just a second ago.

"Hm." A clicking sound came, prior to a cold breeze sent a chill throughout Amon's body, suddenly noticing the bandages covering the top half of his body were completely removed. Dried blood was on his skin, with the rest smudged across his skin when the bandages were seemingly taken off without much consideration to being too rough. He predictably reacted with shock and horror "You really are a mess, but..." Dimaria said, standing behind Amon, with the bloodied bandages rolled up into a ball "Well, I'm just going to assume you're not weak. You're still standing well, and I can sense your brimming with power.".

"What the hell does that mean...Eh?" Amon's ears were quaking under the pressure of a rallying crowd, with dust getting in his eyes. It took a moment to realize, but Amon was in the coliseum, and was the new participant "What...? Where is...? What?! How?!".

"Hahaaa~!" Dimaria laughed greatly, standing in a special seat where she got a view of the entire scene "Alright, send in the beasts." She said, commanding her subjects.

Gates opened around Amon, and eyes glew from within the bleak and black rooms. Slowly, the beasts exited and exposing themselves as maned lions "Ah, god...Goddammit, why lions? I like lions...Second to bears." Amon said to himself.

"You're not serious." Gram replied in exasperation.

"What? I like animals. I have a soft spot for 'em." Amon said "I actually met this bear cub and his mom that one time and..." Amon's train of thought was cut off by a roaring lion lunging at him, causing Amon to strike the beast with his hand, sending it rolling on the ground, with a clear sign of bleeding from the mouth and broken fangs "Oh!" Amon realized what he had done, gasping "Oh no no no, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to...Ah, I don't like hurting animals, why...?".

The crowd, on the other hand, were only getting more riled up at the violence, cheering for Amon "You guys are fucked up..." Amon muttered, as more lions lunged at him, one of them sinking their teeth into his arm "Ah." He reacted with surprisingly mild annoyance, using the momentum of the lion to continue moving and slamming the King of the Jungle into the ground, forcing it to let go "Oh, I did it again..." Amon said, more concerned for the lion than for the gushing blood on his right arm "I'm going to feel so guilty at night, I swear...".

"They're biting you!" Gram shouted, causing Amon to notice three lions were digging their teeth into him. One bit his left shoulder, one his left calf, and a third munching on his right abdomen.

"Oh. Oh I...I did not...feel these." He said, turning calmly to face Dimaria, dragging two lions on the ground as he did "Can you let me out?! I don't want to do this. This is really...not...I don't like this." Amon said to Dimaria, as the lions seemed to struggle to actually bite deeper into him and rip him apart.

"A-...Are you actually so used to getting injured that the lions don't hurt?" Gram concluded, bewildered.

"...That might explain my emotional dissonance right now." Amon replied, grabbing the lion biting his shoulder, forcing it off, the fangs tearing through his flesh "Please get off." He cocked his arm back, striking the lion with an open palm, but with a little too much strength, as the lion was sent flying and soon landing on the ground, seemingly unconscious "Oh no!" Amon turned in a panic, and the force of his movement forced the two other lions off of him, the one biting his abdomen sent flying and rolling on the ground before smashing into the wall, while the one who bit his calf lunged back at him.

Amon extended his arm forth with an open palm, grabbing the lion by its head and pushing it against the ground. The lion kept resisting, yet Amon had the superior strength, keeping it restrained "Okay, now can we stop please, I'm really hating this. I just knocked out two or three lions and I feel like a monster. Well, more than usual." Amon said, retroactively realizing what he just said "God, this is...I really have issues...".

Not a second passed and the scenery changed again, surrounded by white walls, finding a doctor sitting on a chair near his desk, staring at Amon in mild awe "Alright, doctor." Dimaria said, tapping on Amon's bleeding shoulder, causing him to react in predictable pain "I need you to take of this man for me. Can you do that?".

"Y-...Yes, Commander." The doctor said, with mild fear in his tone "Would you like me to get back to you when I'm done?".

"Oh no, I'm staying here." She replied "I need to keep an eye on him.".

"...".

"You're still bleeding, dumbass!" Gram shouted again, referring to the alarming rate of blood loss from his injuries.

"That explains why my head feels light." Amon said, scratching his head "Hey, uh, I think I'm suffering from...fuck, what is it called...? Is it...is it...blood frenzy...?".

"Oh, dear." The doctor stood up from his chair, rubbing his chin "You're suffering from severe bleeding, and you may also have an infection brewing." The man gestured for him to sit down "Please, relax. I'll be taking care of you in a bit.".

"Oh sure, I just...have several gaping holes in my...Bite marks...just..." Amon sat down on a chair, a sudden surge of pain consuming his body, a delayed reaction to his injuries "...Mmm..." He grunted in pain, now anticipating his treatment.

The Cold Monarch
"Hm." Lamia rubbed her chin, carefully examining a picture in the halls of the castle. The white castle, in a wintry wonderland. The picture she looked at was nothing special, probably because it was blank, washed off colors, leaving behind just a blank, white piece of paper framed and hung on the wall "He must have gotten something free for buying this..." Lamia said, scratching her head as she looked around. She spotted a maid passing by, stopping to stare back at Lamia, in confusion and surprise.

"Uhm, excuse me, ma'am..." The maid spoke to Lamia "I didn't know we had a guest...Or maybe it was just me...Oh no, was it Shamesh again?" The maid quickly rushed off, seemingly going to find someone.

"..." Lamia followed suit, but quickly lost track of the maid, opting to chase the sound of footsteps, which soon was clear to not belong to a single individual, as tremors were all around, through the walls, up above the ceiling. The place was crawling with people. More maids? More skirts. More sizes "Shit. I hope everyone is alive because I might be here a while." Lamia said to herself, continuing on her quest to find out where she is. And maids.

Eventually, Lamia opened a large door, being met with a cold wind, and a bright sunshine. She shielded her eyes from the light, before adjusting to it. Her breath was visible in the cold air, and she put her hands in her lab coat's pockets. Lamia didn't feel the cold, but it was still instinctive.

"You shouldn't be out in the cold." A man clad in a white coat said, exiting the castle after Lamia, with what could only be described as a black smudge paint on his trench coat, on his left shoulder, and on the right lower half of the coat, as well as fittingly snow white hair tied in a ponytail hanging past his right shoulder, and red eyes, complimented by a pair of glases. He had quite the stern look "Unless you are dressed well.".

"..." Lamia walked over to the man, taking off his glasses, and drawing her face closer to his "Hm.".

"Is there a problem?" The man didn't seem fazed by Lamia's actions "Is there something on my face?".

Lamia placed the man's glasses back on his face, turning back "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else." She off-handedly said, staring off into the horizon, before looking down to see they were atop a mountain, with a straightforward, overly long staircase going downwards to a fairly large city down, surrounded by snow and mountains as well. It almost looked like the mountains were blocking off something.

"Worry not, this is a common occurence." The man said, taking off his glasses, and pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his glasses from the smudges caused by Lamia's fingers "Being a White Rose, people assume I'm someone they knew once.".

"Oh, so you know about it." Lamia said, buttoning up her labcoat.

He put his glasses back, adjusting them carefully "It's quite difficult to not know what you are." He replied "I believe an introduction is necessary?" The man talked in a diligent, almost noble manner, yet had a militaristic vibe to him "My name is Invel Yura, but Invel will suffice. And you?".

"That's nice, look, mister..." Lamia froze, trying to struggle with Invel's name despite his very recent introduction "...Dick?".

"Invel.".

"Right." Lamia half-heartedly replied "Where am I?".

Invel allowed her to slide this one time, adjusting his black tie "You are in the eastern territory of Alakitasia, Kor." Invel replied to Lamia "This is the capital city of the same name, Kor, the kingdom where I reside primarily." He continued, pointing at the mountains stretching far off the city's limits "Beyond these mountains are more countries under my control. Alakitasia is a large continent, currently, it is split into five corners. You are fortunate to be in the eastern territory, who knows what could have happened if you ended up somewhere else?".

"Alakitasia..." Lamia said, placing her hand on her mouth, recalling the name and it's location on the map "Oh. The western continent? Hm.".

"Where are you from, and your name, if I may ask?" Invel politely asked Lamia.

Lamia faced Invel before speaking "Eh, nowhere special. I'd jus' like a, uh, some resources to know about the rest of this continent." She said, walking back into the castle, as Invel followed, shutting the door behind them "I'm not here alone. I've been split from my friends, family, and some new acquaintances I've just met." She explained, passing by a few maids, who immediatley caught her attention, causing her to halt and stare back at them as they walked away, not noticing her.

Invel coughed, catching Lamia's attention and pulling her out of her focused gaze "It is very unfortunate you and your friends have lost contact with each other, but unfortunately, I cannot trust you fully yet, and, inspecting the entire continent is impossible at the moment." Invel replied, explaining "Four other points in the continent are under the control of other Monster Mages such as me, and if someone you know is stuck there, then fear not, they are not tyrants. With the exception of one...".

"I see." Lamia responded almost mockingly "So, what do I have to do to find out? Do you want something? Services? Money? What?...You want to touch me weirdly, don't you?".

"Nothing of the sort!" He hastily replied, quickly taken aback by Lamia's assertive nature. Invel cleared his throat, calming down and responding "If you desire to find out where your friends are, or if they are even here, it won't be simple. There exists only a single Mage in the entirety of the continent who can do that, but unfortunately, contacting that woman is out of the question.".

Lamia rubbed her neck, cracking it loudly, before seemingly going into a deep thought "...Who is this woman? I'll go get her.".

"Impossible." Invel said "That woman is out of reach even for me. If you wish to meet her, you'll have to expect the consequences of doing so. Even if, by some miracle, you cross pathes with her, getting what you want, even a simple answer, is not guaranteed. You're more likely to be toyed by her before being left as a rat.".

"...Eh." Lamia frowned, upset and disappointed "Ah, I guess I'll have to wait for Amon.".

"Amon?" Invel inquired.

"A fellow White Rose. Like you." Lamia said "Knowing his luck, he'll be here in a bloody mess but still standing. I suggest the maids get ready for that...event.".

"I don't think I want him to." Invel answered honestly.

"He's not bad, I mean, he does have some issues, and probably is going through a lot, but I haven't been up to date on what happened to him since last time I saw him." Lamia explained, before coming to a realization "Oh, Amon must be in a lot of turmoil.".

"Typical White Rose." Invel dryly replied.

"Isn't that racist? That sounds racist.".

"White Roses aren't a race, it's just a category of people or any creature born with a set of colored hair and eyes. Even an animal can be a White Rose." Invel explained.

"...Yeah, you're pretty racist.".

"Right." Invel sighed, adjusting his glasses, concluding it isn't the best to take her too seriously.

"So..." Lamia said, moving the conversation on "Where are the maids? Do they have a changing room?".

"The maids are out of bounds for guests. Or anyone." Invel replied to Lamia "You will be monitored, however, and placed in your own room. I have a very busy man, so I unfortunately won't be able to assist you very much for a while.".

"Oh. That's disappointing." Lamia said, bemused "Ah well, I'll find it sooner or later.".

Invel began to feel an uneasy air, wondering if he should get Lamia out of his castle, or out of his territory. However, she could be dangerous, and putting her around normal people could be a grave mistake, an incident waiting to happen. In here, the only people in danger are the maids, but he shouldn't fear. They will be able to handle it, and he will get rid of any threat without a second thought.

"Wait, where did she go?" Invel came out of his deep thoughts and realized Lamia was out of sight "Oh." He calmly continued walking, his hands behind his back, off to find the scarred woman in white.

Set the Stage
Erza blinked multiple times, standing up and getting a clue of her location. She rubbed her chin, panning her gaze left and right before, concluding that, yes, she is standing on a stage, in a full theatre "Ah, it's an audience..." Erza's expression became nothing but an awkward smile, freezing in place as she felt the peering eyes of the audience and actors, as if judging every ounce of her person. The mumbling and whispering she could very clearly hear, essentially ruining the point of lowering their voices, only made it worse.

She stopped feeling her legs, despite shaking, her head also heating up, temperatures rising, turning her face red.

"Close the curtains!" An angered man called out, from the edges of the stage, behind the curtains that closed right behind Erza, leaving her now alone before the audience. Quickly, however, the same man exited through the curtains. The man had a slender and effeminate look to him, with sharp features to his physique and expressions, with striking purple hair tied into a ponytail, and black, pupiless eyes. He wore a green suit, with a black tie, buttoned up neatly, with yellow frills on the edges of his sleeves, and around his collar. His attire had a notable rose theme to it, black roses places on the pecs of the shirt, and a singular large one at the back.

"Ladies and gentleman, I humbly apologize, but due to unexpected obstructions, we will postpone and continue the play at a different date." The man bowed his head to the audience, as he issued his apology "Please do an organized line to the exit, we will refund your tickets there." As he finished, the audience became to make their lines to recieve their refunds, as his gaze switched quickly towards Erza "And you, come with me.".

Erza followed the man behind the curtains, going backstage to where the other actors chatted, ate and drank the available treats, while others went to change out of their costumes "Everyone, this will be all for today. I apologize, and you will still be paid at the end of this month. Please, go home and spend time with your loved ones." The man said, allowing the actors to leave early. As the placed cleared, leaving only him and Erza.

He sighed, tapping his foot on the softboard floor repeatedly, before stopping completely, his arms crossed and staring at Erza "An introduction, first. My name is Neinhart, and you?" The man, Neinhart, introduced himself, trying to ease Erza before poking for more information.

"Erza Scarlet." She replied.

"Scarlet. That's a charming family name." Neinhart said, making Erza lightly twitch from his comment, despite not being sarcastic whatsoever "Miss Scarlet...if I may ask, how and why did you suddenly appear in my play? It was the crucial climax of the second act as well!" He despaired over the incident, rubbing his forehead in dismay, in a rather dramatic manner to boot "Madam Jezebel's scheme was at peak, do you not understand how essential a plot point it was?! I know most people would question the equestrian additions, and the abnormalities of the plan, but that is the point, you see!" His tone became more passionate as he continued, as did his mannerism "Alas, the brave hero's heart was to be broken, and his poor maiden would have been lost...Wait, this means the audiences will be anticipating the conclusion...! They must return to find out what happens, otherwise it would eat them up from the inside! Yes, brilliant!" He switched quickly to joyous applause towards Erza, holding her hand in excitement "This must be the formula they call "episodes"!".

On the outside, Erza was smiling, a slight crook across her face, but inside, she had many questions, primarily what fabric his suit was made of. It was surprisingly smooth for the touch. The other questions, were, of course, where she is and who this is.

"This...is very exciting, but I have to know." Erza said, beginning to inquire "Where am I? I'm lost, and...uh...".

"Ah! Right, right." Neinhart stepped back "Welcome, to the southern territory of Alakitasia, Atzaga! The land where dreams, art and the people's desires come true in the most eloquent way, in the forms of theatre plays!" Neinhart exclaimed, his hands extended in a dramatic posture.

"..." It suddenly dawned on Erza where she was after the initial shock of Neinhart's bombast faded "Oh no!" The realization that Erza was separated from everyone caused her heart to skip a beat, and the possible distance being countries, or even continents apart "Is there any transporation I can use to look for my friends?! Is there someone who can help, a detective agency? Police? Authorities? Can I put up missing posters?!" A surging pain quickly forced Erza down on her knees, her hand on her back in pain "Ugh...!".

"Are you alright?!" Neinhart asked Erza, assisting her to stand back up "At the moment, meeting a doctor should be your priority.".

"No! Finding them...I have to find them! That comes first, because..." Erza's back twitched in pain, causing her to grunt louder in pain "It's...I've seen their faces after so long, and I want to see them again.".

"Oh." Neinhart put the pieces together, but didn't want to impede on her privacy or come across as insensitive by asking her for confirmation "I know a doctor, I suggest meeting with her before you try anything severe." Neinhart suggested to Erza, looking and sounding like an instructor giving safety tips "Just to make sure you won't be in danger if you push yourself too hard, of course! Your safety is just as important as the safety of others, or so the saying goes.".

"Even if you say that..." Erza stood up, bu her back was arched. Trying to stand upright was just painful. She moved to erratically before hand, and needed to wait for the pain to go away "Please, help me.".

"...Oh, very well!" Neinhart begrudgingly agreed "Perhaps I could get material for my next play! Hahaha!" He laughed loudly, before it slowly faded away into silence "Ahhh...let's take you to a doctor now, I am very unhelpful to you right now.".

"Thank you..." Erza said, holding onto a nearby prop to keep herself from collapsing "It seems that, in the end, I need a bit more time to heal...".