The White Plane
Atina and Seraphis were now Minor Empress and Emperor, respectively. Not only had Sidus Serpens and Serpentia both acknowledged them, but the obsidian castle had as well.
A ledge formed six levels below Ardyn and Varric's. The black obsidian silently moved out from the wall, layers folding over themselves as the platform extended. This ledge was not as smooth or wide as the one high above it. As it formed, chaos and void magics flooded the castle as if Atina and Seraphis were adding their own essence to the structure's defenses. The magics moved throughout the castle, searching for weaknesses and fortifying them wherever they were found.
Two thrones formed on this ledge as the chaos and void settled. The first was a dark, knotted throne; chaotic runes covered it as if the scribe were unsure of what to write, or did not yet know how to properly use the script. This throne was ringed with bristling, restless chaos magic.
The second throne moved into the castle fully formed from the void. It was gold, shrouded in shadow and laced with void magic. It felt dangerous and empty at the same time. It sat within a ring of silver, which in turn sat within a ring of gold, exuding and pulling in power simultaneously. Both thrones overlooked the round table below like a first line of authority before reaching Ardyn and Varric. Atina and Seraphis were now commanders of Serpentia and secondary connections to Sidus Serpens.
The four looked to the obsidian castle as it completed its changes. Varric and Ardyn nodded as one. "It's time. Serpentia is safe; its connection to Sidus Serpens is secure."
As they spoke in unison, the castle trembled. Magic poured into it from Planar and Noir, and the vortex began to strengthen. Seraphis looked ahead, and a portal opened before the four of them. It crackled with shadow-void magic as it stabilized—a large black hole within the layers between Serpentia and Sidus Serpens.
They stepped through the portal as one.
The group emerged onto a vast plane suffused with soft white light. The ground was composed of fine, white sand, and the skies were draped in sheets of thin, dense white clouds. These clouds were illuminated by a sun of soft, tranquil blue light; the plane never actually saw the sun itself, but its light was omnipresent.
"The Plane of the Sands of Time," Varric spoke, his deep, authoritative voice echoing across the dunes. "I traveled to Serpentia via this plane eons ago. I would still be here if Elsa had not found me. She is the last being who knows how to move between Serpentia and Sidus Serpens."
"The four of us will soon know as well," Ardyn spoke with a smile, causing Varric's expression to soften in return. They shared a look, then all four turned to the east as one.
Varric cracked his neck, readying his body for the coming struggle. His form shifted as he assumed his serpent form, though his authoritative voice still boomed in the minds of his companions.
'There are many different beings here. All of them want to escape the Sands of Time, and all of them believe they need the body of an outsider to achieve that goal.' He paused, extending his senses toward the beings charging through the white haze. As he did, his companions shifted their forms as well.
Ardyn's skin took on a vibrant, ethereal lilac hue. Her hair rose, snapping with readiness, and her battle robes rippled across her body as her vine battle staff formed in her hand. Atina rose into the air, her body thinning until the edges of her scales became jagged with chaotic energy; she became a long, thin viper poised to strike. Seraphis changed into his cobra form, his hood flattening as his gold and silver scales shimmered in the blue light. Void magic slid up and down his body like waves of liquid energy.
They stood at the ready.
"They are ground dwellers," Varric warned. "They are not the most powerful here, but they are not weak, either. Their numbers are sufficient to overwhelm. Do not underestimate them."
Ardyn smiled. Ground dwellers. Her mind spun as her adrenaline rose. She realized she now lived for this—the fighting, the conquering. Her body was tense, her mind relaxed, and the being she loved most in existence was by her side.
Magic welled around them, and all four stepped forward as one.