"Come with me," Zadione says. She curls her right arm as if she wants me to grab it. "I''m taking you to my place." Ulrika squeezes her arms around me and takes two steps back. I stumble, but she keeps me upright.


    "For what?" I say.


    "Integration."


    "Not a fucking chance," Ulrika says. She shoves me over to Rhyndac and draws her sword. "My husband isn''t going anywhere with you!"


    "Are you mad?" Rhyndac says, softly yelling in Ulrika''s face. "Put that away before you get yourself killed." Ulrika stands her ground despite Rhyndac''s pleas.


    "Okay," Zadione says, waving her hands to ease the tension. "You pull a dagger on me and now a sword. What have I done to you, my child?"


    "She''s done nothing," Rhyndac says out of the blue. "She''s always had this bad habit of not trusting people."


    "Yeah?"


    "Troubled childhood."


    Zadione stares at Rhyndac with her eyelids hanging low over her eyes. I quickly think of something to add to keep the lie going.


    "It''s true," I say. "It took me nearly a year to gain her trust." I turn to look at Ulrika, flushing my eyes open in hopes she''ll take the hint. "She''s also extremely clingy."


    "What?" Ulrika says.


    "I''ve noticed," Zadione says. She takes a step closer to Ulrika with her arms behind her back. The blade of Ulrika''s sword presses into Zadione''s coat. "Settle down," she said softly. "I won''t be taking you." She forces the sword away from her chest by a nearly invisible force. The tip of the sword slams to the ground, falling out of Ulrika''s hands. "You," she says, pointing at me before raising her arm for me to take. "Come."


    "Okay," I say, locking my arm with her. "I''ll come."


    "Excellent," she says and smiles, lips pressing against her teeth. "Hey! You there!" She says to Tildoc. "Follow me!"


    "Yes, Lord Zadione," Tildoc says.


    Zadione points her finger at Tildoc and gradually moves it to the right of him. I feel a small amount of mana emit from her as if a feather grazed my skin. A portal opens next to him. He steps through it then it suddenly warps over to us. I enter through the other side without lifting a foot.


    "Where am I?" I say. We''re on a rocky shoreline. To my right, I can hear the water crawling up the land. Visibility is terrible. I can''t see the water, nor five feet in any direction.


    "Moonbay," Zadione says. "Where on the other side of the Great Ocean."


    My heart stops for a second, then speeds out of control. I''m hundreds of miles from the closest kingdom. The Great Ocean sits west of all the human, elves, succubi, and fairies territories. No one ventures to this side of the world unless they''re mad.


    "Why are we here?" I say on the verge of panic. "Do you know who occupies these lands?"


    "What?" Zadione says with a cheeky smile. "Don''t tell me you''re scared of my beautiful orcs."


    "Ah," Tildoc says. "No wonder the air felt humid and smelled fishy."


    "There''s a market nearby." She points to her left. A section of the fog dissipates, revealing a pathway of stone steps. "Head up the step, you two. I need to send out a message."


    An old green book manifests in the air when she opens her left palm out in front of her. I remember seeing it from before. It''s the same book from Drake''s library. She moves multiple pages with just a single whiffing gesture. "How do I do this again?" She says, mumbling to herself. "Ah! Yes! That''s how."


    Tildoc shoves me into the steps after the book vanishes in a flash of low bright light. The center of my back hits the corner of a step.


    "Ouch!" I say. "What the hell was that for?"


    "Our lord told you to head up the steps, not stare at her," Tildoc says.


    "Play nice, boys," Zadione says. "Your civil war is over," she says with red glowing eyes. They look like molten metal. "From this point onward, you two are brothers. Is that understood?"


    "Forgive me." He kneels on one knee and bows his body. "I didn''t mean to cross you."


    "Get up the steps, now!"


    Tildon hurries up the steps. Zadione watches him for a moment before putting her glowing eyes on me. Her eyes dim. She clears her throat and shoos me away with her hand. I head up the steps and occasionally turn to see what she''s doing. She''s looking out into the ocean with her arms crossed.


    "Hurry up, rebel," Tildoc says.


    "I''m not a rebel," I say. "And, I have a name."


    "Yeah?" He scoffs. "What is it?" I take a second to figure out what to go by.


    "It''s Kaden," I say, then use a small amount of force magic to shove away. He growls as I pass by him. I almost laugh in his face, but I remember I''m in disguise. If his growl is a natural reaction, I can''t let my ignorance break my cover.


    I continue walking up the steps. Halfway up, I hear something on the beach. I don''t recognize the sound. The inside of my ears wobbles from a low, deep wooshing sound.


    "Is that, Zadione?" I say. "What is she doing?"


    "Go ask her," Tildoc says, passing me. "If you want to get yelled at."


    "Never mind."


    We make it to the top and wait for further orders. Roughly two minutes later, Zadione appears from the fog with three fair-skinned-looking humans walking close behind. It''s two men and one woman. They''re in a single file line behind her, each wearing a different style of cloak. None of them look up to where they''re going until they reach the top.


    They look off in different directions. The man close to me has one working eye. He has a scruffy beard and long dark blonde hair. His right eye doesn''t have a pupil nor an iris. The second man stands taller than the rest of them, yet at the same height as Tildoc. His hair is curly, black, and short. He looks young, around my age, with no wrinkles or any signs of aging. The woman appears to be around our age, too. She''s shorter than Zaidone. Her shiny, oddly cut, dark soot colored hair is short in the front yet long on the sides.


    "Who are these people?" Tildoc says.


    "My Paragons," Zadione says with her hand crossed over her heart. "Come, everyone. We have a bit of walking to do."


    "Where are we going?"


    "Into town," she says, walking away. "I have a manor there."


    I follow Zadione at the back of the line into a busy market full of orcs. They vary in colors like the succubus. I see different types of green, grey, brown, and purple colors. One common detail about the men and women is their bottom fangs protruding from their mouths. Every woman who walks past me is tall. The top part of my head can touch their chin.


    Gods, I feel like a fish out of water. I''m on edge. Orcs are rumored to be vicious creatures that can rip limbs and break bones without too much trouble. Seeing them act casual in the market is messing with my head. I keep gripping my dagger every time an orc walks my way. I feel like at any moment I will have to defend myself. And as time goes on, it gets worse. No one is attacking me. Is it because Zadione is here? Why am I being ignored? Does she have them in a spell?


    "Gods," I say with a sigh.


    "Excuse me?" Tildoc says.


    "You heard that?"


    "Um, yes." He says, raising a brow. His ears prop up closer to the side of his head. "You should know there are no gods but one here. Why are you denying her existence?"


    The deep loyalty he has to Zadione is disturbing. Saying there are no gods is blasphemy. I want to say he''s wrong, but I don''t think that''ll go well. His unwillingness or denial will cause a stir if I attempt to challenge him. For now, I must resume the role of a drow willing to lend his ear to his so-called goddess. Hopefully, I can find a way to get out of here without spending too much time undercover.


    "I''m not ignoring her," I say. "But, there are others."


    "Like who?" Tildoc says, facing me as he walks backward. "You don''t know any of them." He turns around and says, "I seriously don''t know why she prevented me from killing you. I would''ve won." I bite the inside of my lower lip to slow my anger.


    "Keep you cool, Kaioson," I say in my head.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    At the end of the market, we come across a road sign. There are names and three trails. We head down a road to Uzer without saying a word. Small stone houses emerge out of the thick fog on my right side. I can hear people inside. A random leather ball rolls down our path, hitting Zadione in the foot before stopping near me. Everyone stops the second I pick it up.


    "You kicked it too far," an orc child says, coming through the fog. When the second orc child sees Zadione, his face lights up. "Zadione!" He hugs her leg and says, "Welcome back! We''ve missed you!"


    "Oh, you all have?" Zadione says. "Where is my hug?" All of the children run up to her. One orc climbs on their backs to get a more of a direct hug from her. "I missed you all!"


    "Are you staying this time?" A girl orc says, holding Zadione''s left leg.


    "Not this time." They all yell in disappointment awes. "But, I''ll be here longer this time. We''ll play once I''m done working."


    "Whatcha working on?


    "See those two men behind me?"


    "The drows?" A boy says.


    "Yes," she says. "You remember my Paragons?" The boy nods his head and waves at them. They wave back, but the woman squats near the boy''s level to do it. "I want to make another one." She leans her head to get a look at me. The boy does the same but bumps his head into hers. "Ouchy."


    "I''m sorry!"


    "It''s okay," she says, standing up. "Hey," she says, pointing at me. "Kick the ball to them." I kick the ball away from them, into cut grass. They chase after it widely, tripping over their footing and each other. "Children," she giggles. "Let''s go. We''re almost there."


    As we continue down the trail, the more I find Zadione''s presence here confusing. She''s seen as a friend and an ordinary person. Yet, in places on the mainland where her creations despise her, she''s a major threat. I wonder if the Orcs went through what the world is going through first. Most news about the daily life of the Orcs isn''t widely talked about. Maybe, though it is a long shot, I can try asking her directly or someone else. But first, I need to see what she has in store for Tildoc and me.


    We finally arrive at the manor. Zadione instructs the Paragons to get Tildoc and I set up in the courtyard. The one-eyed man leads me to the other side of the courtyard. For some odd reason, the fog gets thicker. It surrounds us like a blanket yet wides when we''re close together.


    "What sorcery is this?" I say.


    "What''s your name, brother?" the one-eyed man says.


    "Ka...den," I say. "It''s Kaden."


    "Salutations," he says and slaps his hand on my chest. "I wish you the best of luck."


    "For what?" Someone across the courtyard bangs steel against steel. I recognize its low tone. "Is that Tildoc?"


    "He comes to slay you." The bagging gets closer and louder. "Ready yourself."


    "Why? Zadione said we were no longer enemies."


    "Did you really think he would let it go after you killed his men?" His voice fades away. He vanishes like smoke when he steps into the fog in front of me. Tildoc jumps out from the fog with his weapon coming down to my face. I conjure my sword with my mind instead of using my hands to quickly block the swing.


    "How?" Tildoc screams. He steps back for another attack. I grab my sword out of the air and jump backward into the fog. "You can''t hide from me!"


    Tildoc is right. The courtyard has no cover. I can make a run for the entrance, but I will be faced with hiding among orcs. The only option is to finish what I started. I can''t afford to play around. I need to use this unnatural fog to my advantage. But blindness might not be enough for an easy victory.


    "I can hear you, traitor," Tildoc says. "Your labored breathing will betray you."


    "I better hold my breath then, hmm?" I say. I conjure my sword to engage but not harm him. As he attacks my floating sword, I cast TM on myself and flank around.


    "Enough of the distraction! Face me like a warrior!" I use the sound of metal clashing to help me picture how close he is to me. "Come on out, now!" I misjudge the direction his facing. When I lunge with my dagger for a killing blow, we''re facing each other. He grabs my wrist with the blade an inch from his chest. I fight with all my strength to force it in. He drops his weapon and struggles with me to gain control of the dagger. Slowly, I can feel him begin to overpower me. The tip of the dagger starts to point down his chest, away from his heart. Eventually, the blade will face the ground if I don''t do something.


    "No!" I say. I pump my arms forward to see if I can at least stab Tildoc''s chest. He''s too strong. His arms barely fold.


    "Enough games. I''m going to kill you!" Tildoc says. He winds his head to attempt a head butt. I duck my head to the left. His forehead hits my collarbone, and he drops his guard for a moment. The resistance in his arms softened. I''m unsure if it is enough to use all my strength to drive the blade into his heart, so I place the back of my hand behind the dagger and use force magic to drive it in. "Ah," he grunts. He drives the blade out, but I force it back in using the same magic three times. The slits in his chest pour blood. I step away to catch my bearings. "My Lord," he says, sputtering. "This can not be."


    "Tildoc," Zadione says three times in three different places around me. The fog lifts like a sun emerging from a cloud. The Paragons are standing at a distance behind Tildoc. "Kaden," she says after gripping my shoulders from behind. "Well done." Tildoc falls on his face. Air hisses from his mouth before silence consumes it. "Go wash up. You and I will talk later."


    I heed Zadine''s command out of fear she will do something to me. An orc servant guides me to the third floor into a bathroom. The tub is steaming hot. Once the servant leaves, two unusually dressed, nearly identical maids step inside the room and close the door. The outfits they are wearing are more seductive than professional. I can see the top of their big breasts. They are wearing purple corsets with yellow strings, their legs are covered in lingerie, and they''re barefoot. The white apron around their waist isn''t long enough to be considered as one. It stops below their crotch.


    "My answer is no," I say. "Leave the towels and leave me in private."


    "Sir, our Lord commanded us to clean you," she says.


    "Is that all she requested?"


    "It is." I watch their faces closely. No one is giving me any sign of lying. They look at me without averting their gaze. "We will turn around and won''t face you until you are submerged."


    The other orc turns around after the first one does. I jump out of my unusual gear and hop in the tub. Both maids waste no time scrubbing me clean. This is my first time having someone other than Ulrika clean me. I don''t know whether to feel disgusted or impressed by how thorough they are. Once they finish and leave the room and a server takes me to a bedroom.


    "My Lord will be speaking with you soon," the servant says. "Wait here till she arrives." He closes the door but not all the way. I listen to his footsteps fade off to the right down a hallway. When the distance is too great to listen, I peek around the door frame to see where he is. He turns left down another hallway a second later.


    "These ears are amazing," I say.


    I cast TM on myself and walked towards the foyer. There are not that many servants and maids walking about. I walk down the steps and leap over the railing once I see no one''s there. My spell silences the hard landing, but it can''t prevent vibrations from scattering to objects. A stand holding a vase to my left wobbles. I tether it to its stand before moving down a hallway. At the end of it, there is an open door. Zadione walks by the doorway to fill her glass cup of some orange liquid sitting on a wardrobe. She''s wearing a loose-fitting shirt with a dark brown corset. Her hair is down and combed through.


    "The empress won''t bow down too easily," the female paragon says. "I don''t think it would be wise to use violence against her." The one-eyed man comes in the doorway with his back to me. His body is enough to block Zadione''s view just in case she glances my way. I hide behind a glass dresser just in case he decides to move.


    "What do you think, Ethan?" Zadione says to the one-eyed man. "Am I being too aggressive?"


    "Penny is right, my lord," Ethan says. Zadione scoffs before taking a sip of her drink. "You are close to your goal. I believe it is in your best interest to gain more allies."


    "Theo?" Zadione says. The whole room goes quiet for a moment. I can hear someone take a deep breath further into the room.


    "Do what you want," Theo says. "I''ll stand by your side no matter what."


    "Not what I was looking for but I appreciate the words." She chugs the rest of the drink and pours another full glass.


    "Forgive me. I do have a suggestion."


    "I''m listening." The door suddenly closes. My ears can''t pick up anything. I listen for minutes. It is like no one is in the room.


    Damn. Best I return to my room.


    An hour goes by before something happens. Three sets of feet approach my door. Zadione whispers to Penny to report to an area called the forest barrier tomorrow morning. A maid opens the door to roll in a food tray while Zadione is still talking. She shuts her mouth by pressing her lips in, then dismisses Penny down the hallway with her thumb.


    "Hungry?" Zadione says, stepping in. "Do you mind if we eat together?"


    "Why are you doing this?" I say. The maid lays out all the food on my bed without my consent.


    "Breaking the ice," she says, and snatches some food off of my plate to eat. "You don''t trust me, so I thought this would be a good way to calm you."


    "Ah." The food smells good. There are vegetables, bread, and some kind of meat on my plate.


    "Dig in."


    "I''m fine."


    "You''re not hungry?"


    "I am."


    "Then eat." I eat cautiously, picking apart my food to make sure I notice anything unusual. Every chew is slow to taste for poison. Fortunately, the flavor and taste aren''t off. "You sure eat funny," she says with a mouth full. I''m not in the mood for chatter. "You remind me of myself when I came to the lower realm." I keep my mouth shut to keep her talking. All I do to show I''m paying attention is grunt. She stops talking about herself when she slips up about Xanlos taking away her position as a goddess. "Anyway, let us get serious for a moment."


    "Why do you want me as a Paragon?"


    "I sense great abilities within you."


    "You do?" She lists off the abilities I used against Tildoc in both fights. My heart rate jumps. I feel sick to my stomach enough for me to burp. She knows a lot but not everything.


    "Each of my Paragons has their special talents. You seem to have many. Who taught you?"


    "Myself. I read a lot."


    "Ah," she gasps. "A man after my own heart. And what of your sword?"


    "What about it?" I say, looking at my sword from the side.


    "Hand it to me." I reach over and she tells me to stop. "Hand it to me without touching it." My sword floats into her hands. "It''s elven," she says after taking a quick glance at the blade near the handle. "You are one peculiar man." Her exaggerated smile is unsettling. The tension breaks when her Paragons step into the room. "What is it?" She says with her eyes on me.


    "The empress is ready to listen to your offer," Ethan says. "We''ll wait for you at the portal." Penny and Ethan leave. Theo walks away last after glancing at me with the side of his eye.


    "Well." She snaps her finger twice.


    "Yes?" A maid says after stepping inside.


    "Get him dressed. Put him in formal attire."


    "Yes, ma''am." The maid''s palms turn purple. She touches my leg and shoulder to materialize clothing on me. "How''s that?"


    "Splendid! Come, Kaden." As I''m following close behind here, I can''t stop looking at what I''m wearing. It''s unusual. I''m wearing three pieces of upper clothing. I have a dark blue stylized shirt over two different color undershirts. The second layer is a brown silky smooth vest, and under that a white creased shirt that goes up to my neck.


    "What the hell am I wearing?" I say softly to myself. I round the corner without looking where I''m going and up into another room full of people. "Huh? Where am I?" I say in my head. Every man and woman in the room is wearing full-body garments that reach down to their feet. In the middle of the room, a woman is standing. On the top of her head is a usually shaped crown. It has a big centerpiece with little intrigue beads going into her long black hair. Her blue, red, and yellow floral dress is the outfit that stands out among the people.


    "Greetings, Empress Tan Da," Zadione says. "Are you ready to talk, now?"


    "Yes," the Empress says. "I have read your proposals."


    "And?"


    "My nation will side with you against Kromagia."


    "You made a smart choice," she says, pointing at her.


    "Have I?" The Empress looks down to her left and frowns.


    "If you said no to me today, I would have burned this nation anew."


    Some people gasp. I understand their shock. Zadione is the definition of pure evil. I need to find a way out of here and tell Haleema what Zadione has planned for Kromagia sooner rather than later.


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