Zadione''s united force has most of Inaubira under her diabolical will. There are three kingdoms left now. Kromagia, the new administration for the Shemorites, and the people of the free lands are the ones that remain. The chances of winning the war seem like an impossible goal. Everyone I see around the Paladin HQ looks hopeless. Their doom and gloom is beginning to rub off on me a little bit. I try to avoid seeing their long faces to keep my spirit up. I train alone and keep to myself. Sometimes, the loneliness seeps in. Forcing myself to be isolated is hard.


    Ulrika is still furious with me. She spends most of her time with her father or around her brothers. I can''t help but think I have gone to the extreme against her wishes. I''m afraid to seek a resolution. The thoughts of what she might do if I try to speak with her stop me from training due to the stress.


    "Damn... I need to go relax," I say.


    Instead of using meditation to calm my nerves, I opt for the healing pools. I believe its warmth and healing magic will offer a better peace of mind. I head to the back of the building. Most of the changing rooms are vacant. I immediately notice Glysith sitting in a pod by herself. She''s far to the right, away from everyone. I join the side with the most people, but I can''t stop looking her way. I wonder why she''s not with us. Curiosity drives me away from the little group to see if she''s okay. I walk near her without her taking notice of me. Her arms are crossed over her lap. She''s crying, but she is quiet.


    "Hey," I say.


    "Kaioson?" Glysith says after shirking. She covers her mouth and apologizes.


    "Mind if I join you?"


    "Oh," she says, slowly crossing her hands over her crotch. "I... I don''t mind." The moment I sit next to her, I realize she''s wearing some sort of bathing undergarment. It is thick, black, and wrapped tightly around her.


    "Y''know, these pools are meant for you to be unclothed."


    "So I''ve read," she sighs. "I don''t want to give these people the wrong impression."


    "Of what?"


    "I''m a," she says and stops to whisper, "succubus. My physiology and reputation could bother people."


    "You shouldn''t be worried about what others think." Ulrika''s reaction to me looking at Haleema''s naked body comes to mind. I can''t help but laugh at what she''ll think of me sitting with a race that makes her uncomfortable.


    "What are you laughing at?"


    "My wife would have a fit if she found out I was sitting with you."


    "Oh, really?" She says with sass. "What''s her issue with me? Is it because I am a succubus?" I chuckle when I hear that question. "See?! Humans and their misconceptions. Gods, they piss me off."


    "I''m sorry."


    "Hey, you''re not a... a..."


    "What?" I say, looking straight into her eyes.


    "I was about to say you''re not a human," she says, glancing off to her left until her sentence ends. "Your people are not dumb like the rest of the humans," she says, nearly smiling. "And you," she says and points at me. "You treated me fairly and saved my life. You''re a good human."


    "A good human?" I chuckle.


    "Well," she says with a high giggle. "A good Kromagian." She stands out of the water to pat my head.


    "I''m still human."


    "Yeah, yeah," she says, sitting down. She goes silent. We don''t say anything for a few seconds. I look around the nearly empty room to help me think of something to discuss. No one is talking. Everyone is minding their own business.


    "This is depressing."


    "I''m sorry."


    "I wasn''t talking about you. It''s... the room."


    "We lost so much, Kaioson. How can we be happy?" There''s nothing I can say to answer her question. "I lost my general, and my love is trapped with Zadione."


    "Serith, yes?"


    "You remembered?" She says with a teary smile. "I''m worried about her. She can''t defend herself."


    "Is there something uniquely wrong with her?"


    "No," she weeps, shaking her head. "It''s just not in her nature to be violent." Hearing her plight deeply bothers me. It sounds like all is lost for them. Serith will have to find a way to survive. Unless there''s a way to help. Maybe I can reunite them. I have Haleema''s portal ring. It still has a few uses.


    "I''ll go find her."


    "What?" She says once she gains control of her emotions. "You''ll—"


    "Die? Get captured?"


    "Yeah... at least one of those."


    "I''ll be in out before I''m noticed."


    "Are you leaving now?" She says, sitting out of the water. I tell her I''ll seek Serith at night despite the moon being out. "Why are you doing this, Kaioson?"


    "I don''t have a better reason other than I want to end your worry."


    "That''s a good reason," she says, tearing up. "Let me accompany you. You won''t know where to look if you go alone."


    "Fine."


    At night, Glysith and I gather in a vacant room on the second floor far away from everyone. I plan out what I want to accomplish. We''ll go in light. I''ll cast a TM spell to conceal our movements. If we have to talk, we''ll use hand signals. There is no telling what race will be there to hear our sounds. Glysith thinks Serith will be at their home. If she''s not there, she might be at Catsha''s pub.


    "And if she''s not there?" I say.


    "Will you pray with me?" She says, gently grabbing the fingers of my hands.


    "I will." I get on my knees and press my hands together. She gets on her knees too, but bows her head to the ground. Her prayer is something to behold.


    "O'' Xanlos and to his angels accompanying the heavens. Please hear me, a creature not made in your image. Bless you all for giving me one of your dearest in my time of dismay. Protect us as we return to save my love. Let it be so."


    "Let it be so," I say.


    "Ready?"


    "I''m ready. Let''s get her." I open a portal back to the battlefield and send my sword out to see if the coast is clear. "Is there anybody out there?" She whispers.


    "None," I whisper. I cast the deafening spell on both of us from our shoulders down to our feet. "Sit on my lap. I''ll tether you to me so you won''t fall off." Once she finds a stable spot, I tether her to me and tether myself to my sword. We take off to the city. She wraps her arms around my body the second I command it at soaring speed.


    "Gods! How is this possible?"


    "Magic. It''s a mental command."


    "No kidding," she says, laughing. I tell her its name and that it is a gift from my adoptive mother.


    "It can protect, levitate, sense people within its presence, and along many other things."


    "Sense? Can it find Serith?" There''s a hint of excitement within her question. She is intensely looking me in the eyes. I don''t want to give her false hope. My sword can bring people to me, but it has to accept them as a trusted friend. Ulrika and Thyrna are the only people it accepts. The sword requires a significant amount of time to understand Glysith''s intentions with me.


    "It can''t," I say. "She would have to gain its trust in order to give it a command like that."


    "What?!" She says and glances at the sword. "That''s stupid! Can''t it see that my love could be in danger?"


    "Quiet," I whisper.


    "We fought together," she says, using hand sign language. "We''re arm brothers."


    "It''s brothers in arms," I say, signing back while trying not to laugh at the butchered phrase. "Do you really see me as that?"


    "Well, you''re not a woman, so I can''t say sister."


    "True," I snicker.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "If that term bothers you, what about a friend?" She presses her lips in her mouth and waits with bated breath. Suddenly, my sword makes an abrupt right turn. It curves around two cultists walking in the direction we''re going and then re-centers on the path.


    "Did they notice us?" She looks back, her ears honing in on the cultist. "Good."


    My sword reaches the outskirts of the city. I remind Glysith to avoid killing or subduing any targets. Catsha''s pub is the closest. She wants to check the house first to see if Serith is there, but I don''t want to backtrack if she isn''t. I rather search as we go in one direction. She insists we check there.


    "Fine," I say.


    We sneak through narrow streets that are not lit by the moon. Oddly, there aren''t that many cultists roaming around. It feels like the city is on lockdown. Glysith can hear the succubi inside the houses we pass. From their brief conversations, she says that the majority are scared. At one house at an open intersection, two succubi are speaking about their worries. One of them is breastfeeding a baby. While we wait for a chance to cross without being seen, we listen to their conversation.


    "Come inside, Anila," the succubus who''s breastfeeding. "Head to bed."


    "I can''t sleep."


    "I''ll brew something for you."


    "No, thank you."


    "What''s wrong?" Anila turns her back to us.


    "I''m worried what she''ll do to us." The other succubus turns her back. I signal Glysith to make her move. The moment Glysith leans into her step, she has to jump back into cover to avoid being spotted by the second succubus. "Zadione wants all soldiers to report to the barracks first thing in the morning."


    "What for?"


    "I don''t know," she says and walks near us. Glysith nearly trips over me trying to back up. I clutch her from behind to keep her from bashing into something. "None of our sister comrades know either."


    "Maybe we should..." The succubi go silent. Glysith turns her head slightly. Her ears push forward as she listens.


    "What did she say?" I say.


    "She wants to flee," Glysith says. "She wants to take the White River north."


    "Is it possible?"


    "It doesn''t seem like it," she says after listening to more of their secret conversation.


    The succubi head into the house to resume their talk. I follow Glysith through more neighborhoods. She points at a house with one light on and suddenly stops when she gets near it. Her ears twitch forward. She pulls out her dagger and puts her finger over her mouth.


    "Two men inside," Glysith says. I grab my dagger.


    "Your so-called sisters gave you up, creature," a woman with a raspy voice says. "We know you are married to a warlock. Where is she?" No one answers her question. "We''re getting nowhere. Make her talk." Something shatters before two thuds make a sound. Glysith sprints to the front door without warning. She kicks open the door and goes to the nearest person. That person casts a powerful icy force blast. It sends her flying into me. We crash through a door on the opposite side of the street.


    "Ouch," I say.


    "Gods," Glysith groans. "It burns!" There''s ice attached to the fabric near her stomach. It''s misting frost. I melt it off before it can inflict more damage.


    "How''s that? Does it still burn?"


    "A little. It''s just cold now," she says and then looks inside the doorway. "We need to get inside, now!"


    "Why the rush?"


    "Serith is in there!" The woman steps outside. I can''t see her face. Her hood is over her head. "Get out of my way!" Glysith says in a hissing-like growl. Her hands go up as if she''s going to claw the air. The woman quickly hurls a stream of ice at her. I negate it a mere moment after it touches her hands with a plume of intense heat vapor. "My hands!" Her hands are wet and red.


    "Zadione was right," the woman chuckles. "Go for her hands." I stand in front of Glysith, wielding my sword.


    "Are you a Paragon?" I say.


    "You should already know that Kaioson," she says and takes off her hood.


    "Penny?" The second man gets behind Penny with Serith clutched tightly in his grasp. "What do you do with them?"


    "Them?" She says and glances at Serith. "I want her." She points at Glysith. "Zadione wants a word with her."


    "A word?" While she speaks, Glysith whispers to me that she can''t use her magic. The pain in her hands is too great. She can''t cast the slightest nudge.


    "Please, save her," Glysith says.


    "What about you?"


    "Focus on her."


    "Would you like to share what''s so secretive?" Penny says, smiling. "Or would you mind pissing off? Go back to your sanctuary and wait out the last of your days."


    "Don''t tell me what to do," I say. She takes out a small axe hidden under a cloak and throws it at me. I deflect towards the sky. When it falls on the road, I rush to her. She reaches on the other side of her cloak and tosses a second at me. I blast it away. It strikes the corner of the house.


    "Impressive!" She manifests a long axe made of ice and uses it to block a lethal swing from me. The edge of my sword cuts into the upper half (handle). She stares at it intensely while grinning. "Those damn elves know how to make a sword, eh? Who gave you this beauty?" I''m not in a talking mood to answer ungenuine questions. I drop my right hand to cast a force blow to her stomach. She interlocks my hand before I can unleash its magic and tries to freeze it. I have to ignite my hand to counteract. "Whoa! That''s hot!" The ice and fire mixing makes water pour from our hands. "You''re making me wet!" Her sexual jokes don''t amuse me in the slightest. I ram the top of my head into her chest. She falls over my right shoulder and into a perfect grabbing position. I push her into the house. The man inside tosses Serith to the side to catch us. My strength isn''t enough to topple him over.


    "Serith, run!" Serith fails to get on her feet. She trips and stumbles out of the door.


    "Go after them!" Penny says. "I''ll deal with Kaioson." I charge up a DG while I''m using my body and hers as an obstacle for him. She tries kicking, punching, kneeing, and elbowing me to free her. Her assaults are too much for me to take, but luckily, the DG is ready to fire. The man manages to walk past me as I''m about to hit both of them with it. I aim at him with moments to spare. The force hits his left shoulder blade and takes a chunk out of the door frame. His body skids across the street before stopping at Glysith''s feet.


    "Flee!" I say.


    "But you have the ring!" Glysith says.


    Damn! She''s right. I need to figure out a way to get away from Penny. I''d rather run than have an all-out fight with her.


    Penny jumps on top of me when I try to stand up. She jabs a small knife into my hip. The pain goes from a sharp sting to a burning cold.


    "Try running away with that!" Penny says.


    "I don''t have to run," I say. "I''ll just crawl." I blast Penny to the ceiling, tether her body to it, and open a portal in the doorway. "Go!" Serith runs in first. Glysith goes around it to pull me in with her.


    "Kaioson!" Penny screams. A surge of mana and cold air surges out of the portal. The ceiling shatters with falling ice. Somehow, she breaks free of my tether. I close the portal before she can come through.


    "That was close," Glysith says. "Are you all right?"


    "Despite the ice-cold knife in my side, I''m okay," I say, chuckling through the pain.


    "Serith, help me pick him up. We need to find a doctor." They carry me out into the hallway by my armpits and legs. "Can anyone help? We need a doctor!" Out of all the people around that can possibly help, Ulrika is the first person to see me. Instead of taking the stairs, she propels herself to the second floor.


    "Where in the yell were you?!" Ulrika says.


    "Galfalian."


    "What? What were you doing over there?!"


    "Relax. We went through to save Serith," Glysith says.


    "Did you persuade him to go there?" She says with hostility in her words.


    "Ulrika," I say, raising my voice. She folds her lips in and frowns momentarily. "We need help," I say in a softer tone. "I''m hurt."


    "Gods! You''re dripping blood!"


    "Find a healer." She frantically looks around and runs down the stairs, screaming for anyone to help. It takes almost a minute for her to find one.


    "Where is he?" A man says.


    "Up," Ulrika says. She flies up to the second floor with a man in her arms.


    They haul me into a medical room. The doctor is a traditionalist. He doesn''t know magic and has to brew tonics before mending my wound. I drink a sedative to numb the pain. The drink puts me halfway to sleep. I can hear him answering Ulrika''s questions about his qualifications and operating on me. She''s worried about the wound infecting me. He doesn''t believe it will, but to be on the safe side, she''ll need to send for a magical healer. The best he can do for me is clean, apply ointment, and sew the wound shut.


    Once the doctor finishes with me, he administers aid to Glysith''s hands. Luckily, they''re not severe. She''ll make a quicker recovery than I. He leaves minutes after dealing with her, putting the room in silence for a time. I can barely hear Glysith talking. She''s whispering. Ulrika is silent. I can''t tell if she''s in the room until she speaks.


    "Why did he go?" Ulrika says.


    "I already told you," Glysith says. "He wanted to bring my love to me."


    "So, he just suddenly wanted to do that?"


    "He''s a good man, Ulrika. Don''t try to bash him for acting heroic."


    "I don''t think I can," she whispers. The direction of her voice is directed at me. Even though it is soft, I can hear every word. "I worry this war will take his life."


    "I''m sure he worries about that too for you."


    "I know he does," she says after sighing. "But you have no idea how much this man means to me."


    "If you don''t mind, I''d like to know. I mean... we like to know."


    Ulrika discloses her tragic past with her brothers to them, including bits and pieces of the year that followed it. I open my eyes a few seconds after she concluded. She''s sitting on a chair in front of me. Glysith and Serith are off to the right. I can''t see them because Ulrika is blocking my view. I want to sit up, but I can''t. The sedative is making me feel heavy.


    "Ulrika," I whisper. My voice is so soft that the back of my throat doesn''t vibrate. Luckily, Serith and her sensitive ears step into my sight.


    "He''s awake," Serith says.


    "Ulrika, Serith said—" Glysith says before Ulrika turns around to look at me.


    "Oh!" Ulrika says. "Hey," she says, holding my hand with her hands. "How are you feeling?" All I can do is sigh. I roll my eyes and try to smile to show her I''m okay. "Thank the gods," she says with a smile. "You''re gonna make me gray before I turn thirty." Serith comes to my bedside to touch my head. Her thumb gently caresses my forehead. Some brightness shines in her eyes. I feel a force pulling me into her palm and then releasing me. "What are you doing?" Glysith comes to stand next to Serith to see what''s going on.


    "You want to speak with him?" Glysith says. Serith nods once.


    "Speak?"


    "Telepathically. She rarely does this." Serith grins, nodding and jumping excitedly.


    "So, what do you want to say?" I say in my head. Her grin gets wider when she hears me. "You''re not the first to speak with me like this."


    "Kaioson," Serith speaks slowly as if she''s talking with her lips. The sound of her voice is in my head and not coming from her mouth. Ulrika squints at her as if she''s seeing something abnormal. Her attention quickly snaps to her. "I''m sorry this happened to you." She speaks with care. All of her words are soft. "I hope your wife won''t be furious with me."


    "Don''t mind her. I am the apple of her eye. She planned a wonderful life for us before the war started."


    "Could you tell me?" She leans closer. Ulrika puts her arm against Serith''s chest until she returns to her original position.


    "Ulrika," I say out loud.


    "It''s my fault. I think I should go now. When you''re better, can we speak again?"


    "Sure."


    "We can go now."


    "Thanks again for your help, Kaioson," Glysith says as she takes Serith by the hand. "Get well soon."


    Ulrika closes the door once they walk out. She rests her back on it and stares at me silently with her arms crossed. Her eyes don''t move. I don''t have the time to deal with whatever she''s trying to accomplish, so I close my eyes to fall asleep. She stands there quietly for minutes. The lack of sound keeps me from trying to sleep. I look at her to see what she''ll do. Instead of seeing a blank expression, she''s trying to stop herself from smiling.


    "Don''t let this face fool you," Ulrika says, putting her arms down to grab her hips. "I''m mad," she says, coming over to me.


    "Are you?" I say like I am drunk.


    "Very," she whispers as he gets on her knees to be in my face. "You got yourself stabbed for a succubus." When she glances at my hip, she stops smiling. "Who did it?"


    "Penny."


    "She''s dead." Her threat makes me chuckle.


    "She''s deadly."


    "So am I. I will do tenfold what she did to you."


    It''s alarming to see Ulrika that furious. I can''t tell if she''s mad at me for going or seeing what Penny did. Her expression is making it hard to decipher where her mood might be. She''s calm for now. Maybe in a few hours, once I''m on my feet, I''ll see the side of her that''ll tell me if she is proud or angry with my actions. For now, I''ll rest. The sedative seems to have another phase kicking in. My eyelids fall over my eyes. No matter how hard I try to push them back open.


    "Sleep well, darling," Ulrika says. "I''ll never leave your side again."