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The story of the play is a familiar one from all the performances you've seen before: a horde of demons begins pouring from the portal and corrupting people all over the nation, and respected mage Ilias Alexandrou leaves his position at the Academy to strike them down. He not only succeeds, but crafts a spell to seal off the portal entirely, then returns in triumph and marries Ithos's queen, whom the recent demon attacks have widowed.

"Hey, that's not what the portal looks like!" you call out, standing up. "Haven't any of you ever been to Pasema?"

The play comes to an abrupt halt, and everyone both onstage and in the audience turns to stare at you. "As a matter of fact, I'm from Pasema," one of the puppeteers controlling a demon calls out, still in the middle of emerging from the portal. "A shimmer in the air wouldn't translate very well to a stage format. The audience wouldn't have any idea what was going on. Saving the world doesn't make you an expert in set design, Jun."

Cowed, you sink back into your chair, and the play resumes. Beside you, Min's shoulders are shaking with suppressed laughter.

Next

The play eventually concludes, to enthusiastic applause. As the clapping dies away, you realize most of the audience and some of the actors are now staring at you. You don't think it's entirely due to the incident earlier—you could hardly have attended anonymously, in your position.

Just as you're trying to decide if you ought to say something, the owner of the company takes the stage. "As I'm sure you've all noticed," he says pointedly, "we have a pair of very special guests with us today! Our beloved Jun, of course—a worthy successor to Ilias herself—and Lu Min, a brilliant singer and a good friend of mine, whom many of you may have seen performing here in Archa the last few months. I'd like to invite the pair of them to take the stage!"

Min rises at once, and your other seatmates eagerly urge you up as well, so there doesn't seem to be anything to do but proceed.

Next

"Jun," the owner says as a pair of actors usher you up the steps to the stage, "I'm sure the tale we've told here today has been weighing as heavily on your mind recently as it has on all of ours. And since you're clearly fond of making your opinions known, I thought you might like to say a few words about your own quest to seal the portal, to give us all strength in these most trying of times. And as Min has made their career recounting that same story, I thought they'd be pleased to accompany you."

You look out on a sea of eager faces. Min inclines their head graciously, then steps back and gives you a significant look. Though Princess Despina has forbidden stating the truth outright, you're sure they're imploring you to use this opportunity to start suggesting your journey may not have been all it seemed. You had no intention of doing so before, and this would appear to be the moment of truth—so to speak.

Mayor Stephan set his whole house aflame in his attempt to kill you and Letha. The demon in Pasema had Alvis in its clutches before you slew it. In Elith, you burned two demons alive in one stroke.

The crowd hangs on your every word, delighted at the new twists and turns in the tale. Min looks rather like you're giving them a headache, but doesn't raise any objections.

After relating how you personally defeated Verity and four of her demonic minions in single combat, you dip into a bow and duck off the stage.

Next

The sun is nearly down as you and Min walk off to the north alongside the river, black fabric twisting in the air behind you as the demonic puppets are pulled down from the stage. Min sighs. "I can hardly be cross with you for keeping your word, can I?" they say. "I just wish things were different, Jun."

You're suddenly too exhausted to summon a response—four days on the road are catching up to you. Min stretches expansively and passes a hand through their hair, freeing it from a loose bun. "I suppose I can go back to my lodging-house before we leave again tomorrow," they muse. "I nearly forgot that was an option. I might even have time to do laundry."

The look on their face is more rapturous than you'd expect, for laundry.