[center][h1] Metamundus[/h1][/center][hr][hr]

Nale ran.

It was something he had gotten used to over the years. One day he was running towards danger and the next running away from danger. This time it was the latter. And not only that, but he had two children with him. The older one, the girl, could run by herself, but the younger one, the boy, was too exchausted, so Nale had to carry him. 

They didn't run in a straight line. From time to time Nale took the two children behind a stone or a tree so they could rest and hide from their pursuer. It was hard to navigate through the woods, especially on this night when the thick clouds covered all the stars. But a Hero never leaves unprepared. Nale took out of his pocket a small stone and kept it on an open palm. The stone began moving away from Nale's hand. 

Homing Stones were interesting artifacts. They were a pair of stones linked to each other through magic. When the stones were separated from each other, they would start moving towards each other. By leaving one stone at home, preferably somewhere safe, and taking the other with you, you would find your way home by going to the same direction the stone rolls.

Nale, deciding it was safe to move again, put the stone back into the pocket and ran with the two children. Finally they reached the village. On every door there was a horseshoe with ends pointing upwards, and above it four triangles forming a square, the holy symbol of the Sacred Order. Nale and the children ran to the third house to the left and knocked the door three times. Before the door opened, Nale turned to the girl.

"When you get inside, don't say a word. Just stay quiet until it's morning. Here..." He gave the girl his stone, "Take good care of it. I will return to take it back."

The girl nodded nervously. Then the door opened and a woman, the mother of the siblings, took them in. Nale stayed outside as the door was locked. Then he heard a sound. He didn't know what that sound exactly was, but he knew who was the owner of it.

"You are too late, Erlkönig" Nale said, turning around, "The children are safe now."

In front of him stood a somewhat humanlike being, tall as a tree and just as thin. It war covered in black armor except for the head, which had no face, only hair that reached further than its body and moved about like branches of a tree in storm.

Erlkönig, King of the Bugbears.

"You can't hide from me, Fate-Seeker," The fey said in a voice too low for any human to make, "Or rather, you won't."

Erlkönig was right. Despite all of his terror, Nale had stayed on the door, instead of taking to a new hiding place, just so he could face the boogeyman for the honor and glory of doing him in. But Nale had learned long ago of his fatal flaw, and prepared for battle. On one hand he took his iron dagger, and on the other he held the Book of Structures, Sacred Order's holy scripture.

"Let us see, if you are stronger than the Weaver." The Hero said, approaching Erlkönig. The fey unleashed some of his hair strands, but their movements were erratic and Nale cut them off with his dagger. But the King of the Bugbears wasn't easily cowed. He released the rest of his hair to Nale.

"Everyone has a place, and everyone is needed." Nale spoke the holy words.

"Everyone has a place, and everyone is needed.
Everyone has a place, and everyone is needed!
EVERYONE HAS A PLACE-"

[center][h1] Praxis[/h1][/center][hr][hr]

"AND EVERYONE... is... needed?"

Nale looked around the room in confusion. Around him was a hogde-podge of people, though some looked more like homunculi, including this... Praxis. Realizing that he was still holding his dagger, he put it back.

"Sorry about that" He chuckled "I was in the middle of the battle when I came here. And the villagers probably think Erkönig took me with him. Long story, I'll explain later."

Nale then turned to Praxis.

"One very important question I think we all need to know the answer to is, how different are magic and achemy in each universe? Let's just say that I might not be able to use my skills in a world without Heroes. Then again, maybe I can think more clearly elsewhere."