Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
(Note: this is part of the As-yon 3rd Anniversary celebration, where users were asked to send ideas for the last panel, which will be illustrated from number #166 to #171.)
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Of Dreams and Memory
Zestiria // AtlA AU // Oneshot #9
[Read on AO3]
As the gang begins to infiltrate the Fire Nation in order to save Muse, surprising revelations come to light.
tw // mentions of physical abuse
- o - o - o -
A frantic gasp shatters the silence of the fire princeâs bedchamber. Prince Sergeiâs arms shake behind him, sweat beading along his brow. His chest rises and falls with every breath, entirely too warm even without a shirt to cover it; his blanket pools around his hips, also entirely too much. Instinct makes him kick his feet over the side of his bed, shoving his covers aside. His eyes dart through the shadows, but in the night, everything is still and calm. Tranquil. His balcony doors are still shut and bolted. The long curtains donât rustle.Â
With a withering sigh, he hides his face in his hands.
âJust a dream,â he lies to himself. âNothing more. No need to lose yourself over this, Sergei.â
The past is meant to remain in the past.
âŚand yet.Â
He can still recall with perfect clarity the twist of his stomach at a singular raised hand twelve years ago. Admittedly, the imprint the image had left on him has always struck him as strange. Why does such a thing affect him when he himself had fallen under the shadow of that hand so many times?
Maybe it was his tears, he thinks. Or perhaps it took finally seeing it happen to someone else to awake in meâsomething like empathy.
Ironic, Sergei thinks, as he uncurls and tilts back his head to his ceiling.Â
The canopy above his bed is the same as it has always been for so many years.
âI havenât had that dream in a decade,â Sergei murmurs. Which leaves one more important question, as tangible as the sweat he can feel beading down his temple. It draws a thin line down from his brow to his neck.Â
Why now?
- o - o - o -
âDo I have to?âÂ
Dezelâs stance doesnât change in the slightest. His extended hand remains pressed against Soreyâs chest, frown firm on his face.Â
Finally, with a heavy sigh, Sorey caves. He reaches up to his ears. âBut I like them.â
âAnd right now, those feather earrings are one of your biggest identifying factors,â Mikleo huffs. His arms cross over his chest and watches as the earrings pass from Soreyâs hands to Dezelâs. The tension in his shoulders doesnât fall until Dezel finally pockets the earrings in Grampsâ travel bag. âIf we actually want to sneak through the Fire Nation, then we need to make sure thereâs no possible way anyone will recognize you. Now, for your hair.â
âFirst Atakk, then my earringsânow I have to take off my hair, too?!â
Mikleo rolls his eyes and play-punches Soreyâs arm. He fights the smile that wants to crawl on his face at the teasing and all-too-telling grin on Soreyâs face. âNo. Idiot. Weâre just wrapping your head. Word is spreading about your crazy hair. This scarf should do the trick.â
Sorey grins. âShould I be flattered? Ah, what the heck.â With one final sigh, he bows, head shoved towards Mikleoâs chest. âMight as well get it over with. Want to do me the honors?â
âI suppose.â
- o - o - o -
When Lailah hears dusty footsteps behind her, she turns and gasps widely, happily. âWhy, Sorey! Youâre hardly recognizable!âÂ
âWell, I think youâre being nice, but thanks anyway!â Sorey grins cheekily. For good measure, he gives a spin. The small tail of his yellow scarf, peeking out from where itâs tucked in at the nape of his neck, bounces with the rock of his weight. âHow do I look?â
âLike a true citizen of the Fire Nation!â she hums and claps her hands together.
Sorey laughs and scratches the back of his neck. âOh, uh, you think soâŚ?â
Lailah nods. âAll of you do!â
Dezel hums and brings up the rear of their party. When he holds out Zenrusâ bag, Sorey takes it and loops it over his head gratefully. Of all, Dezel seems the most uncomfortable in the reds and deep blacks and browns of the Fire Nation jacket and pants hanging loose around his figure. âThen let us reunite with the Sparrowfeathers as quickly as possible. We should thank them for procuring us these garbs.â
Sorey looks up at Dezel, both hands wrapped around the bag strap. âYou think Rose and Eguille made it into the palace okay?â
âTheyâre professionals, Sorey.â
âYeah, and I know you said that before, but I still donât fully get how thatâs supposed to make me feel better.â
âIt means,â Dezel hums and walks past Sorey and out of the alleyway into the street. âThat it should have been obvious to you long ago that selling imports isnât the only business the Sparrowfeathers partake in.â
Sorey still doesnât know what to make of that.Â
Before he can follow his teacher out onto the street, Lailah puts a hand on his shoulder. âSoreyâlisten. Thereâs one last thing we have to take care of before we depart. We need to change our names.â
Soreyâs eyes widen. âEveryoneâs names?â
âW-well, most of the others should be fine, actually!â Thereâs a falter in Lailahâs voice Sorey hasnât heard before, a hitch in speech that twists Soreyâs stomach and zeroes his attention on her, wondering if thereâs something in her words he missed that he should have paid attention to. Something he should understand or know but doesnât. âRose and the others are from the Fire Nation already. Their names are fine. Mikleo and Dezel arenât too obvious detractors. But you and IâŚwell, just to be safe, we should call each other by different names until weâre out of the Fire Nation.â
âReally?â Sorey frowns. âWhy? Do so many people know the Avatarâs name alreadyâŚ?â
âW-wellâitâsâitâs just in case! You know? A precautionary measure. Yes!âÂ
And there it is again. That wobbly uncertainty.
Sorey watches Lailah for a long moment. Lailah has always been difficult to read, always smiling even in situations when Sorey isnât entirely certain she should smile. When finally he nods, he doesnât miss the relieved sigh that slips out of her.Â
âOkay, so, weâll go with something simple,â Lailah says, âThere are many good names out there, so Iâll let you decide which one you want to use while weâre hereâŚâ
- o - o - o -
Boris doesnât anticipate finding Sergei staring off into space at the window when he first walks in the crown princeâs quarters. At first, he turns around to duck his head out into the hall to make sure heâs walked into the right room before he turns around and observes his brotherâs dazed profile.Â
Huh.
Perhaps he can capitalize on this.
âLooks like someone still needs sleep,â Boris begins and clasps his arms behind his back, striding forward with long, lazy steps.
Sergei blinks, jumps, and turns. The instant he sees Boris, however, whatever fright had tensed his figure just as quickly slips away. He pinches the bridge of his nose and makes a sound low in his throat. âOh. Itâs just you.â
âJust me?â Boris scoffs and places a hand over his chest. He staggers back a step. âUgh! You wound me, brother.â
âDonât be so dramatic.â
Boris laughs, but when Sergei doesnât join in, the smile fades. He strides closer to slap a hand over Sergeiâs shoulder. âWow. Youâre out of it. What, did you wake up on the wrong side of bed?âÂ
âYou could say that.â
Sergeiâs voice is a quiet murmur.Â
It reminds Boris faintly of a barren desert. Dry and wistful, waiting for the slightest chance of rain. What a morbid comparison, he canât help but think: to compare his brother to a lifeless ground. Boris shakes his head and squeezes Sergeiâs shoulder instead. âWell, I can tell something is troubling you.â
âOf course it is,â Sergei mutters. âThereâs always a great many number of things troubling me.â
Boris rolls his eyes. âNow whoâs being dramatic?â
âI simplyââÂ
Itâs not the first time that Boris has seen Sergeiâs eyes mist over. Sergei, for all of his stiff manners and rigid posture, has always had the more tender, weepy heart. He cries much more easily than his twin.
But it is the quickness of it, the suddenness of those wet eyes, that draws Boris up short.
ââheâs out there, Boris,â Sergei whispers tightly. âWe know this, now. We know he is there. Somewhere. After all this timeâŚand I had every opportunity to hold him again and lost it. How can such a thing make me as happy as much as it hurts me?â
Boris doesnât need to ask who.
âDo you think he will ever know?â
He squeezes Sergeiâs shoulder again. âI canât say, brother.â
Boris doesnât know what to make of the silence that follows. Is it mournful? Hopeful? Expectant? Or is it something else entirely?
- o - o - o -
âSâDaija! Hey! Donât run ahead so fast!â
Sorey grins and spins around. âAh-ah-ah! You almost slipped, Mikleo!â
âNo thanks to you!â Mikleo scowls. âWhat are you doing, running around like you own the marketplace?â
âThereâs food to eat, Mikleo! Iâm starving! Plus, I havenât had any of this stuff in like, ages, so Iâm super excited to eat it again.â Soreyâs hands are tight around the bag strap over his shoulder. Heâs practically running in place as he waits for Mikleo, Lailah, and Dezel to catch up. âBesides, what else are we supposed to do while we wait for Rose and Eguille? I remember there used to be these delicious roasted komodo chicken kabobs with lots of different veggies between âemâI donât even remember what they were! But they were so good! I wonder if we can find someâŚâÂ
Mikleoâs face tightens. âYeah?â
âYeah!â Sorey continues breezily. He splays a hand out, looking around at the food stalls they pass by, where fruit of various sizes and shapes sit on display. Thereâs a salty, savory smell in the air and Sorey breathes his lungs full of it. âMan! I havenât eaten some of this stuff in ten years! This takes me back!â
Mikleo bites his lip. Idly, he scratches at one arm with the fingers of his opposite hand. âIt does, huhâŚ?â He catches sight of the palace walls, further down the marketplace.Â
Above their heads, giant banners dangle in the air, red and gleaming. Their golden trim catches the light, framing the illustriously painted silhouette of a bearded, fire-crowned man who Mikleo has no doubt is Fire Lord Heldalf himself.
And with that face literally hanging over us, still he smiles?
âIs thatâŚa good thing?â Mikleo hedges.
Sorey jerks around. His green eyes stretch wide. âHuh?â
Suddenly, itâs very hard for Mikleo to meet those eyes. He crosses his arms around his middle. âI meanâŚyou neverâŚâ
What am I trying to say here?
âYou never talked a lot about what life was like for you in the Fire Nation before you and Gramps came to the South Pole. So I guess I always thought you hated it. Or you didnât remember it.â And maybe, some part of a very young and impressionable Mikleo had enjoyed being able to be part of a positive change in a friendâs life and took pride, even, in the possibility that his home was the better home for Sorey. âWas I wrong?â
âWhat?â Sorey blinks and shakes his head quickly. âNo! Iââ
Sharply, Sorey looks away, too.
Mikleo watches him for a long moment. His chest twinges. âSorry. I shouldnât haveââ
âNo, itâs okay. Youâre right.â Sorey shrugs but thereâs something in his eyes that is far-away as if trying to recall something that heâs long forgotten. âI donât remember everything, but what I do remember from over ten years ago isnâtâŚthat great. I guess I just didnât want to think about those parts. Yâknow?â
Mikleo steps closer. He squeezes Soreyâs hand. âYeah.â
Sorey smiles.
Mikleo tilts his head. âSoâŚcan I askâŚ?â Â
âAsk what?â
âAbout what you do remember?âÂ
Sorey hitches a breath and looks away. âUhâwell, Iââ Â
âItâs the Fire Lord!â
âFire Lord Heldalf!â
âHeâs coming!â
Sharply, immediately, a commotion breaks out further down the street. Sorey and Mikleo share one look and jerk back as a procession clears the way, quick to hide behind the thinning edge of the crowd as a palanquin approaches. Mikleo holds tight to Sorey, as an ornate, golden palanquin is carried down the center of the street.Â
Itâs plush, regal. Upholstered with only the finest satin and cotton. The heavy, dark curtains are pulled back with golden ropes, and through the posts, and holes in the honeycomb half-walls, the stern, wide profile of the Fire Lord can be seen, his thick, dark beard curling over his chest.Â
âMake way for Fire Lord Heldalf!â the attendants ahead of the palanquin shout, their backs straight and rigid, arms extended.
âDaija!â Lailahâs voice calls from far away, a worried note in her pitch.
Oh.
Time might have stopped.
Maybe it did.
About what you do remember, Mikleo had asked.
âIââÂ
The Fire Lord doesnât glance at them. Nothing in his stern countenance shifts as his palanquin is carried by. The frown on his square face doesnât budge; his eyes stare at nothing. Perhaps they are nothing to him; all of them.Â
But for just a moment, he is closer than he has been in ten years.
And it is enough.
Mikleo squeezes his hand. âDaija?â
The palanquin has passed.
Sorey blinks once, twice, and thinks he can remember plenty. âI know that face.â
âWhat?â
âI knowââÂ
A raised voice out of an angry face. There were always so many lines digging into the skin high above the manâs brow and around his mouth. It had always looked as if his face had been distorted, every time he would spit, No true son of mine would ever turn out to be a lowly nonbenderâand it hurt, it hurt, so much that all Sorey could think of at the time to say over and over again, prostrating himself, was, Iâm sorry! Iâm sorry, Iâm sorry, Dadâ
âBergs!âÂ
Sorey stumbles back.
Mikleo clasps his hands around his arms, eyes wide. A pale moonface flooding his vision. âSoâDaija! Are you okay?! Whatâs wrong?âÂ
Sorey raises his eyes. Immediately, Lailah and Dezel are there, squeezing closer through the massive press of people around them. Her hands flutter towards him first before threading together in front of her stomach, shaking. Her fingers are clutched so tightly, her skin burns a brighter, pallid white.
âI thinkâŚâ the Fire Sage says quietly and slowly, ââŚwe should find a place to sit.â
- o - o - o -
The door opens with a creak, loud enough to break Sergei out of his reverie. He lifts his head from his fist as a young soldier strides in and respectfully bows. His eyes dart down to the reports and maps scattered across the table in front of him that he hasnât been paying attention to all morning.Â
What will Father say when he knows what little work Iâve managed to finish?
With a tight wince, Sergei rubs his forehead.
The soldier remains bowed even as her voiceâunfamiliar to himârings out: âA message for you, Crown Prince.â
âOh?â Sergei waves her forward. âI wonât ask who itâs from. Itâs undoubtedly Father again with another matter he wants me to address while heâs out. Bring it here, then.â
As she steps forward with the scroll held out, Sergei takes a glance up and takes in the strange, unfitting way the uniform falls over the young womanâs form. Sheâs short; the armor looks like it would have fit better on someone two sizes taller.Â
âAre you a new recruit?â he asks as he takes the extended scroll.
The soldier ducks her head. âYes. Iâve not yet been in the service for two weeks, your highness.â
âMm.â Sergei nods. That explains it. His fingers catch on the edge of the scroll as he begins to distractedly unroll it. âWhen you can, inform your superior officer that the Crown Prince approves of you being fitted for more comfortable armor. Iâd hate for you to be encumbered thusly by ill-fitting attire and unable to perform your duties.â
âOhââ The soldier flounders for a second, her mouth flapping uselessly. Not for the first time, Sergei finds he hates the Fire Nation helmets that obscure half of every soldierâs face. A strand of red hair tickles her cheek, peeking out beneath the cover of her helmet. âThank you, sir.â
Sergei nods and lifts a hand. âDismissed.â
For a woman wearing armor much too large for her, she does not haste in making her departure.Â
The scroll unrolls quickly in Sergeiâs hands. His eyes fall upon the end firstâa habit he has always had since he was a child, eager to see who sent the message before reading its contentsâbut as soon as he sees the name Sorey in scratchy, misshapen letters, inked at the bottom, he freezes.
He jerks up so fast, his knees catching on the edge of his table, nearly upending it and spilling papers and figures and quills to the floor. With little care for anything that has fallen, Sergei launches himself to the door and opens it wide.
âWait!â he shouts into the hallway.
Only the men already standing guard jerk to attention.
Even when they search the entire palace, the redheaded soldier with the too-big armor is nowhere to be seen.Â
- o - o - o -
Sorey sits on a large wooden shipping box, his back to a stone wall, holding his face in his hands. He hasnât moved for several moments, bent and silent. Mikleo hovers at his shoulder, violet eyes traveling over the other faces of their small party as they wait. For a moment, he wonders if heâs the only one who missed what had transpired on the street. Lailah and Dezelâs faces both are unreadable: Lailahâs pinched and Dezelâs frowning.
âI must admit, when I first met you, I had thought it strange you acted like you didnât know at all, butâŚI donât know. I figured you were young. Perhaps you forgot. Memory can be a fickle thing.â
âRemember what?â Mikleo asks. âWhat is it heâs supposed to remember?â
Finally, for the first time in several minutes, he speaksâand when he does, itâs defeated. Quiet. âThat Iâm a Fire Prince.â
Mikleo freezes. âYouâŚâ He spins on Sorey, body numb. âWait, what?â
Soreyâs fingers press hard into his eyes before his hands fall.
This time, when he says it, he meets Mikleoâs gaze head on. âIâm a Fire Prince, Mikleo. Crown Prince Sergei and Fire Prince Boris, theyâre my brothers. And Fire Lord HeldalfâŚIâŚheâsâŚheâs my father.âÂ
T/N: This covers everything on Camlann, including some new bits on Michaelâs past. Major game spoilers!
How did the Age of Chaos envelop the world? The source of that chaos is the Lord of Calamity, whose creation was influenced by the previous Shepherd, Michael. The journey of the current Shepherd, Sorey, is tied closely to that manâs fate.
Shepherd Michaelâs Journey
Michael was the Shepherd around twenty years ago, having assumed the role at a young age because of his outstanding qualities. Alongside his Prime Lord, Lailah, he traveled the world purifying hellions. His goal was to restore faith in Maotelus and the other seraphim, but at that time malevolence was heavily affecting the world, and his journey became a series of disappointments. Although he existed only a generation ago, few people remember his name, which can be considered a sign of the worldâs indifference.
Relocating Maotelus
In those days Maotelus was enshrined in the church in Pendrago, but his existence was threatened by the malevolence in the city. When Michael learned of this, he took Maotelus from the church and moved him to the place known as Artoriusâ Throne near Elysia. Although these ruins had once been a shrine to the Five Lords, humans had long since forgotten about them and they were untouched by malevolence. Lailah advised that he protect Maotelusâ new location, and so Michael founded a village nearby with a few other believers. He afterwards dissolved his pact with Lailah, retiring as Shepherd and beginning a new life based on his faith.
The Development of Camlann
Michael founded Camlann, the Origin Village, along with others who shared his fervor in worshipping seraphim. Many of them possessed high resonance and were able to see seraphim, including his younger sister, Muse. Because of the villagersâ deep faith, they were able to coexist with seraphim just as humans had in ancient times. This made Camlann into a sacred ground free of malevolence and a safe haven for Maotelus.
Writing the Celestial Record
The author of the Celestial Record is a worldwide mystery--but Michael was the one who wrote it after retiring as the Shepherd. Drawing from his experience, opinions, and nationwide journey, he wrote extensively about the geography of different locations and the legacies of various civilizations, as well as his research into the historical time periods of the divided countries, and also included his input on their archaeology.
Caption: After retiring as Shepherd, Michael wrote the book that was later loved by men and women of all ages, and demonstrated the importance of revisiting history.
Character blurb: Michael
After retiring as Shepherd, he didnât seek to educate the public, but instead gathered a small group of believers with the focus of protecting the seraphim.
Character blurb: Muse
Possessing a resonance that rivaled her brotherâs, Muse supported Michael both publicly and personally. Her biological son, Mikleo, was later reincarnated as a seraph.
The Conflict of the Three Countries
At the same time that Michael founded Camlann, Rolanceâs military was becoming active under the leadership of Heldalf, chief of the empireâs Knight Order. To battle the threat of Hylandâs invasion, he set his sights on establishing a foothold in Camlann, which he had believed to be an ancient ruin. The land was defended from Hyland in the east by the Mabinogio mountain range and sat on the western bank of the strait dividing Rolance and the northern country. As such, it was considered a buffer zone between the three countries and a strategic military location. When Heldalf discovered its value, he ignored Michaelâs objections and seized the village. However, Hyland wanted the village for the same reason, and its army soon invaded. Wary of the northern country taking advantage of the chaos, Heldalf decided to abandon Camlann. The Rolance army withdrew and the Hyland army ravaged the village, ultimately destroying it only a few years after its foundation.
Maotelusâ Hellionization
As Hyland attacked Camlann, Maotelus absorbed a large amount of malevolence and became a hellion. Because he was such a powerful seraph, his hellionization would eventually guide the world to ruin. Fearful of this possibility, Muse used herself as a human sacrifice to hold his malevolence in check. Maotelus remained sealed within the ruins of Artoriusâ Throne for nearly twenty years--until he was used by the Lord of Calamity, Heldalf.
Caption: Maotelus disappeared after the destruction of Camlann, and his blessing was lost.
Heldalfâs Downfall and the Fulfillment of His Curse
Despite Heldalfâs promise, he abandoned the village, and Michael made a oath-like curse in retribution. From that point on, Heldalf--who had many political opponents and was no stranger to attempts on his life--fell from his position of power due to the blame for his failure in Camlann, and found himself abandoned by his allies. His entire family succumbed to mysterious deaths, plaguing him with sorrow, and his beloved son was tragically born with an inhuman appearance. After this chain of events, he finally took his own life, but his body wouldnât die. Filled with despair, he disappeared. Abandoned by time, he went on living in his âeternity of solitude,â and Michaelâs curse was realized. The Lord of Calamity turned his back on the world, and Michael faded into history without ever knowing the disastrous consequences he had caused as the price for his vengeance
The Successors of the Land of Hope
The only survivors of Camlann were Muse, who ultimately sacrificed herself, as well as Sorey and Mikleo, who were only infants at the time. Zenrus took them back to Elysia, where they grew to adulthood as best friends and were entrusted with his hope that they would one day become Shepherd and Sub-Lord. A human and seraph born on the land founded in reverence to seraphim, they could become the key to understanding the past and give the world new hope.
Caption: Following his death and the reincarnation of his soul, Mikleo was born again as a seraph and entrusted to Zenrus.