《The Black Grimoire》


 Chapter 1: Ascension

    Balthazar, the Aspiring Magician


    Chapter 1: Ascension


    Trumpets blared, and fireworks popped in the air. Colored smoke and confetti wherever you turned, and the smell of hot food being made at stands lining the streets. The Liberation Day festival was especially energetic this year, the heat of summer not yet fully upon the people of Linia, and the past year having been especially bountiful. Today was special, even among celebrations of Liberation Day. In a show of patriotism, the Royal Academia and its branches had made an effort to see their students graduate just prior to the festivities, a show of new strength in time for the eighth celebration of Liberation Day. To the people of the Kingdom of Deponess, it could not be said to be anything less than their most important celebration of the year.


    Graduates from the Academia roamed the city, attempting to show themselves as dignified, but finally at ease after a hard fought year of studies and combat training. Most students at the Linia branch hailed from the city itself, knowing the best vendors by name, and the best locations to rest and relax. Among them, strolling the familiar cobblestone streets, Balthazar sighed in relief at his newfound freedom. Like the rest of his classmates, his uniform consisted of a white, button-up shirt beneath a gray blazer, emblazoned with various crests and markings denoting his status over his heart. With gray slacks on to match, it wasn¡¯t exactly a color scheme one might call eye-catching or impressive, but as soon as the day was past, he would never have to wear it again. Not according to uniform though was a satchel he wore at his side, which he patted, checking its contents out of habit. Balthazar was on the shorter side of average, roughly 5¡¯5, with piercing gray eyes, and messy hair colored like a gray sandstone. At nineteen, he still had a face one would describe as cute more than handsome.


    Balthazar made a sharp turn into an alleyway, finding a ladder leading up the side of a bakery to the tile roof. He readjusted the satchel he wore so it wouldn¡¯t fall while he climbed, peeking up as he reached the roof to find Locke and Alice sitting on the roof, waiting for him. Alice smiled warmly and gave him a light wave, before looking back over the city and its festivities. She patted the tile next to her, inviting him to sit next to her, an invite he gladly accepted. She was quick to grab snacks from Balthazar¡¯s satchel, before passing the bag onto Locke. Alice was a rather free spirited young woman, and the oldest of the three if only by a few months. She had a gentle smile, with eyes that shone with a fiery energy, the color of milk chocolate, just as with her hair, which was slightly wavy, in contrast to the spiky messes her friends had, and fell past her shoulders. Of the three of them, she was the tallest, if only by an inch in Locke¡¯s case, or half a foot in Balthazar¡¯s. Just like them, she wore the same gray unisex uniform. As Balthazar settled down, she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, munching on her sweets all the same. She had a playfully smug face, knowing Balthazar was a blushy mess, even after having known her their whole lives.


    Locke had his focus on the skies, nervously eyeing the airships hovering about the city on propellers and wings and sails.  He kept glancing at one ship in particular through his binoculars. Locke¡¯s appearance was a far cry from the rather timid spirit Balthazar and Alice knew him as. He had a rather handsome face, gentle eyes of amber, and locks of majestic silver hair. He was a fair bit taller than Balthazar at that, standing at a solid 5¡¯10. His uniform was similar, though not quite the same in design to  Alice and Balthazar¡¯s, he was still a Royal Academia graduate, if only in different branches. The biggest distinction at hand was the family crest Locke wore on his shoulder, a roaring lion emblazoned in a bright yellow. ¡°Eight ships, all of them military.¡±


    ¡°That seems a tad excessive. Not that I can blame them.¡± Alice wasn¡¯t familiar enough with the ship designs of the Deponesian military to identify them, not her and Balthazar¡¯s branch of expertise. ¡°Any clue on who?¡±


    Locke pointed to the ship on the outermost point from Linia¡¯s center. ¡°There¡¯s no question, that¡¯s the Leonidas.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the one your brother¡¯s in charge of, right?¡± Balthazar realized he probably shouldn¡¯t have asked a bit too late, but Locke didn¡¯t seem to mind. Alice, on the other hand, gave him a light jab with her elbow. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Yeah, that¡¯s him alright.¡± Locke was no stranger to having the expectations of his family on him, be it his brother who commanded the newest ship in the Royal Fleet, or his father, a legendary knight, for whom the ship was named. He and his brother though could hardly be said to have the greatest relationship ever though. His friends understood him at least on the front of expectations, at least. It had been part of how they¡¯d met, and part of why they¡¯d stayed friends all these years. ¡°He¡¯s not the showman type, but someone¡¯s definitely making a show of him being on the vanguard of the city¡¯s defense.¡±


    Linia was, technically, an independent city-state that existed within the Kingdom¡¯s borders. Time should have seen them properly annexed, but time also did not forget the fierce battles that the Linian people waged to defend their home. Now, they were a sibling state, and true brothers-in-arms with the Kingdom, to the point where few acknowledged the difference in being a part of the Kingdom or not. Within the Kingdom¡¯s borders though, even aside from the fleet that patrolled it on that day, it was perhaps the most fortified city aside from Castle Deponess itself. The fleet to an outsider would seem overkill, but to Deponess and Linia both, nothing was too much in defense of their homes.


    Linia was a near perfect circle, the walls surrounding it were said to have been called up and sculpted from the earth itself by a single man countless years before. Considering the inhabitants, this was certainly believable. Linia was known for its highly well practiced magicians, masters of the elements, and among the best healers one could ask for. In the very center of its circular shape lay the Great Temple, one of three in the world dedicated to the study and teaching of magic, though this Temple also served as a branch of the Royal Academia. Certainly, nearly anyone could muster up some level of magic given the effort, but there was little doubt that Mages from places like Linia were head and shoulders above the rest.


    Balthazar leaned forward and turned to face Locke. ¡°I know King Escalus visits every year, but why the extra from last year? Normally it¡¯s only four or five ships.¡±


    Locke seemed hesitant to share at first. ¡°Outside of the Castle town, it¡¯s been pretty hushed, but Prince Escalus XIII and Prince Atma will both be in attendance this year as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well then.¡± Balthazar glanced over to Alice, whose generally brighter disposition dimmed, as her eyes drifted back down to the streets. ¡°That hasn¡¯t happened in a long time.¡± An awkward silence permeated the three of them. Balthazar made an effort to reach out to Alice, hesitating for a moment, though she turned slightly to him and smiled to reassure him she was alright.


    ¡°We should probably get moving before the crowds really start gathering,¡± she said, building her voice up as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not getting yelled at by Principal Maia now of all times, after we¡¯ve graduated.¡± Balthazar shuddered at the thought, as he made his way back to the ladder and down, he could almost hear the witch hissing the command that top graduates were to gather for a special ceremony. It always felt like she had a particular disdain for him. Not that he ever gave her a reason to.


    The trio took a familiar back route to the meeting point, an outdoor amphitheater close to the city center, just outside of the Great Temple. Balthazar waved weakly to the others as they arrived, feeling Maia¡¯s overwhelming presence glaring at him as the three split based on field and school. He took note of them as they formed up according to their department head¡¯s instructions, roughly eight graduates of each of the three major departments were lined up. Locke was put near the centerpoint of the Squires, certainly a hot commodity, given his heritage. Alice was on the far right of her group, Light Mages, who generally specialized in healing and support magic, but could hold their own in battle all the same. Balthazar, though, belonged to a group that had an affinity towards Dark Magic, which leaned far more heavily on their offensive ability. He didn¡¯t feel the least bit surprised as Maia put him on the far left, marking him, in her eyes, as the worst of the best.


    The Principals of the two major Academias spoke quietly with one another concerning the cadets, as they were so fond of calling them. ¡°I only regret that this is what I must present¡­¡± He heard Maia grumbling under her breath, her gaze not so subtle. The Royal Academia made a longstanding goal to prepare students for the military, even if not all enlisted afterwards, though most certainly did. After all, it was generally encouraged to do so in defense of their home. Principal Maia could not be more disencouraging, though not out of any concern, so far as Balthazar could read her. The crowds gathered more and more, and fully armored soldiers began to gather, blades and spears at attention. The cadets were marshaled to the back of the stage, as the public filled in seats and stands amidst the soldiers. Balthazar, being near the edge of the stage, could make out several nobles, their personal guards and gaudy clothing giving them away. His eyes snapped back at attention as he heard soldiers behind him parting way to let someone through.


    At the front of the group, Regulus Helion, Third Seat of Deponess¡¯ elite Knight¡¯s Council, and Locke¡¯s older brother, strode intently before the cadets. He was marginally taller than Locke, with a slightly more muscular frame. He wore the Deponesian officer¡¯s uniform, rather than his more typical armor, consisting mostly of black; his pants, leather boots, belt, and trench coat. On his chest, like Locke, his family crest, in red, a roaring lion. Likewise, his cuffs, alongside rank markings on his shoulder and collar were also a bright red. His hair was a dusty shade of brown, as compared to Locke¡¯s silver hair, though they shared the same eyes of amber. At his back, he wore a massive blade, almost more akin to a giant piece of iron than a conventional blade. He wore a harness at his chest that kept it to his back, an enchantment holding the blade in place. All the same, simply walking with it was nothing short of a great show of strength. Balthazar however, had trouble seeing the legendary hero that so many people proclaimed the man to be.


    Regulus had a generally cold demeanor, not speaking unless necessary, far from the friendly warmth Locke had. Maia, for all her prattling, fell silent in the knight¡¯s presence. Though he only paused for a moment while inspecting Locke, it was a fair bit longer than the rest of the cadets got. He turned back to where he had come from, nodded, and stepped back, standing opposite of the cadets, observing them all the while. His eyes didn¡¯t seem to break from any of them, if they so much as twitched, he noted it. Balthazar found himself frozen solid.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°At ease, Sir Regulus.¡± From the far end of the line, King Escalus stepped into view. At either side, his twin sons, who Balthazar had difficulty distinguishing between. One however, wore a crest signifying that he had been a graduate of the Royal Academia in Linia, this would have had to have been Prince Escalus, who had inspired a fair amount of clamor in his attendance. The royal family were often born with blue eyes, and blonde hair, the princes being no exception, the two even sharing a longer lock of hair that hugged the left side of their faces, just barely avoiding their eye. The King¡¯s hair had grayed out with age, while he had once been a strong warrior king, time had withered, though not broken him. He still stood tall all the same, though not quite to the extent of his sons. Balthazar guessed they were a couple inches over 6¡¯ as they passed him, to cheering crowds. Prince Escalus seemed to take particular notice of Balthazar, his forward gaze diverting for a second to make eye contact with the young mage. In that moment, his heart skipped two beats, and he felt as though he might topple over, zoning out as two more of the Kingdom¡¯s Knight¡¯s Council passed by him, fully armored, and difficult to identify.


    Balthazar felt his classmate next to him nudge him, signaling that it was time to move. As they marched in order, Balthazar felt his chest pounding harder and harder as he followed the line of cadets, to his increasing horror, to stand directly at the foot of the stage before the royal family. He tapped his heel up and down repeatedly as he heard cheering crowds welcome the royals. He was somewhat relieved to see the Paragons, a pair of highly ranked and valued leaders of Linia¡¯s mages, one Light Mage, and one Dark. Among the council of elders and mages that governed the city-state, they were usually seen as the greatest in a generation. They bowed on greeting the King, who bowed in turn to them, his sons following suit.


    ¡°Your majesty,¡± Dark Paragon Crowe spoke first, a somewhat ragged middle aged man, who wore a black robe and mantle, marked with silver. ¡°It has been far too long, I am proud to welcome you back to our home.¡± He smiled warmly, and extended his hand to King Escalus, who firmly shook it.


    ¡°It is good to be back, Sir Crowe, on a day far happier than last.¡± He spoke compassionately, ¡°For all of your valiance all of these years, I wish you much, though I fear to you, I could offer little.¡±


    Crowe nodded somberly, still trying to hold a smile. ¡°And I thank you for fighting alongside us to protect our home.¡± Crowe was silent for a moment, stepping away for Light Paragon Anne to give her formal greeting on stage.


    She gave her counterpart a knowing look as she stepped up. ¡°Your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Milady.¡±


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ve been staying in good health?¡±


    King Escalus laughed rather heartily. ¡°I am not so old as to be frail yet.¡±


    ¡°Then I pray you stay strong for years to come.¡± More cheers from the crowd, citizens from Linia and greater Deponess in a clamor at the sight of such figures of strength standing together. The Paragons and King turned to the crowd, a silence spreading in anticipation for what came next.


    ¡°To the glorious people of this Kingdom, to our brothers, the people of Linia, I thank you for standing here today with me,¡± King Escalus started, his voice powerful and commanding, but not without a calming sense of compassion. ¡°Today marks eight years since the Liberation of Alexandria, since the end of the Ranzian border war. Today marks the beginning of the lives of a new year of our nation¡¯s best and brightest. Today!¡± He paused, spreading his arms to the people. ¡°Today, I am proud of the peace that every man and woman has fought for.¡± Again he paused, his tone changing. ¡°I have come here today, in remembrance of the battle that started the war, which hurt so many people here and took away our loved ones, a scar upon us all for time immemorial.¡± A somber silence spread.


    Balthazar had barely been old enough to remember what he was talking about, even then, it wasn¡¯t clear; sensations, emotions. Cold fog fighting the warmth of flame, screams, terror, someone holding him close to them as they ran through the streets to escape the fighting, crying.


    ¡°Time and time again since, we have fought to prevent such a tragedy from occuring again, while our wounds have healed, we have remained vigilant. It has been my honor to fight for and keep the peace for all, so that our children may never have to know such a thing again. For our futures, and theirs, we have stayed strong, but now, it is their time to claim their places in the world, to be strong, carve their own futures, and fly free of the nest. As such, my beloved subjects, brothers and sisters, the time has come to make an announcement I have been in anticipation of for 23 years now.¡± Murmuring and realization spread across the crowd, Balthazar putting together why they had gathered new graduates for this event. ¡°I am to name my successor, to guide the nation when I pass or fall unfit.¡±


    Balthazar¡¯s attention turned to the twin princes, Prince Escalus seemed less surprised than his brother, Prince Atma, who almost seemed about to protest his father, before catching himself.


    The King took a deep breath, unnoticeable but to those closest to the stage, a moment of weakness as he turned to his beloved sons. ¡°To see you both grow has brought endless joy to me. I ask now that you two vow to continue to support one another, loyal to one another, to our people, brothers united, as our ancestors were.¡±


    The more composed twin knelt first, followed shortly by his brother. ¡°I swear, father.¡±


    ¡°As do I.¡±


    ¡°Rise, the both of you.¡± The King closed his eyes, and stood in silence for a moment. To his more off guard son, he turned slightly. ¡°Atma Sigurd Ornicius, I entrust the fate of this kingdom to you when the time has come for my reign to end.¡± A mix of gasps and applause came from the people, Balthazar taking note of some nearly drowned out outrage seeming to come from a nobleman behind him. Likewise nearly drowned out, the King turned to his other son. ¡°To you, Escalus, I entrust the fate of your brother.¡± He placed a hand upon the shoulders of his sons, drawing the two of them into his embrace for the moment a public display would allow him. Balthazar could see his eyes slightly redder when he turned back to the crowd.


    Anne raised her hand into the air to signal for silence once more, waiting for the commotion to calm down before she spoke. ¡°In respect of tradition to both Linia and Deponess, Prince Atma is to begin his right of passage, a pilgrimage far across the ocean, to our ancestral homes of Arcana and Arcadia, and ultimately, the final resting place of the first King.¡± She turned now to Prince Atma. ¡°The journey is long, and you will receive no aid from the Kingdom or Linia, save what you take with you and your chosen.¡±


    Balthazar found his heart pounding, once in a generation, the royal family had a pilgrimage, and on that pilgrimage, in honor of one of their greatest king¡¯s legends, they would send three companions with the chosen heir, a young knight, and two mages, Light and Dark. To see the world, and the honor of taking part in something few could ever claim to have even been considered for. This was something out of a dream. He found himself grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°With your chosen, you are to guide them, learn with them, lead, and protect them, and together, prove your strength, wisdom, and worth,¡± Crowe added, as he gestured to the line of graduates. ¡°To you, and our nations¡¯ continued friendship, we offer our best and brightest to accompany you.¡± Balthazar again followed the line of cadets, as they rose to the podium, standing before the royal family and Paragons. As Atma stepped up to them, the line saluted.


    ¡°At ease, everyone.¡± His voice was gentle, with a warm strength behind it, just like that of his father. Maia presented him a scroll, from what Balthazar could make out on a section that curled back towards him, it was a run down on the candidates before him. Atma first walked before each of them, observing their demeanor before he referred to the scroll. Among the squires, he was quick to come to Locke. ¡°Squire Locke Helion.¡±


    ¡°Sir.¡± Locke once again saluted, before returning to his at ease position.


    ¡°I¡¯m all too familiar with the strength of body and heart your family has presented throughout the years. All who know you speak of you in a similar fashion.¡± The prince smiled warmly. ¡°I would be honored to have you as my first companion. Will you accept this calling?¡±


    Locke smiled proudly, a rare sight that Balthazar, who peeked out slightly to see, was glad to see his friend have. ¡°It would be my greatest honor.¡± He knelt, as Atma drew a blade from his belt, and tapped it gently on either of Locke¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°My first knight, Locke Helion, arise.¡±   As Locke stood, a wave of applause swept the people once again, proud in the choice of a companion from such a standing. Atma turned now to the Mages of Linia, first skimming the list of Light Mages, but immediately returning to the top. His eyes turned sad for a moment, steeled again once he paused, and came to stand before Alice. ¡°Alice Nocturne, I understand that your father is Paragon Crowe Nocturne?¡±


    ¡°That is correct, sir.¡± An atypically formal answer from her, Balthazar noted, but one he could understand.


    ¡°And, impressively, the very top of your class.¡± Atma glanced over to his brother, briefly. ¡°I admit, I¡¯m not as familiar with magic as my brother, but given your history,¡± he paused, almost tripping over his words, but catching himself, ¡°and your performance, I would ask you to be my second companion.¡± He turned back to his twin. ¡°Any objections to this choice?¡±


    Escalus stepped forward to review the same document, looking to his brother briefly, and turning the scroll. ¡°I have no reason to complain.¡±


    Balthazar was beyond ecstatic, both of his friends being requested by the prince felt nothing short of miraculous, he had to do his best to contain himself. ¡®Maybe,¡¯ he thought, ¡®this scroll mentions the three of us working together, and that¡¯s how we¡¯re being picked.¡±


    Alice was silent for a moment, unnoticeable in the noise of the crowd, taking her time to answer the prince. ¡°I accept, sir.¡±


    Balthazar could hardly contain himself now, as the Prince walked before the Dark Mages, himself included.


    ¡°If I may brother,¡± Prince Escalus spoke before Atma could fully re-read through the section pertaining to the Dark Mages, and gestured to Balthazar. ¡°I rather like his potential from what I read. Does it not also-¡±


    ¡°If I may be so bold,¡± Maia spoke up.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Balthazar thought, ¡®no, no, no. Don¡¯t you do it you old bat.¡¯


    ¡°As their educator, and member of the Linian council, might I advise a different candidate?¡±


    ¡°As their educator then, do you not have faith in them,¡± Prince Escalus asked her. ¡°If they are your best, then any should do.¡±


    Anne was about to speak in turn, only to be cut off once more by Maia. ¡°But of course, I only wish to see the best accompany the prince, and young Avelus, while certainly holding some potential, is not quite at the same level of some of our other candidates.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re seriously going to ruin this for me, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Balthazar was powerless to say anything, as Maia guided the prince elsewhere.


    ¡°Might I recommend our Paragon in the making, Miles Valentine?¡± Miles. Of course it was him. Teacher¡¯s pet, generally excelled without trying, the envy of most students in the Academia.


    Atma reviewed the scroll one last time. ¡°I must agree, his ability presented so far has been nothing short of excellent.¡±


    Balthazar wanted to scream, cry, whatever, but stood there, silently, motionlessly, as his chance was torn away by a vindictive witch. That he¡¯d been given a chance was a miracle. That his friends had their chances go through even more so. Still, it stuck with him. He hadn¡¯t known it was coming, but he was utterly heartbroken.

 Chapter 2: Tumbled Steps

    Chapter 2: Tumbled Steps


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Maia would cut you out like that,¡± Alice grumbled, putting her hand on Balthazar¡¯s shoulder, as they sat outside of the temple. Night had fallen on the city, the darkness broken by more popping fireworks, and lanterns warmly lighting the streets. The party kept going on and on, and likely would continue past midnight. Alice paused for a moment. ¡°No, I totally believe she would.¡±


    Balthazar tried smiling all the same. ¡°I just hope you have a fun time, and can really see the world.¡± Locke looked like he wanted to say something, but held back, not sure how to say it. Balthazar found that look familiar, but was appreciative of Locke¡¯s restraint and patience, even if he wished his friend would speak his mind more. ¡°It was great seeing even one of you get picked, both of you even more so.¡± His smile grew weaker. ¡°All three of us going was still a bit much to ask for though, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Locke finally found his words, ¡°It¡¯s not wrong for you to want to go, but it¡¯s not something you could have known to prepare for or something like that. They always keep the announcement of the pilgrimage a secret. There¡¯s no shame in not being selected, you were a strong candidate, even with someone trying to impede you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but-¡± Balthazar wanted to speak up, but stopped himself. ¡®Both of you have well known and successful parents, so do I, and I still didn¡¯t get picked,¡¯ he finished in his head. No, it didn¡¯t feel right to say. He knew they had earned their places on the pilgrimage, parents or not. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do now but be happy for you. And I will, I promise.¡± He forced his smile back out again, even if he could feel his body fighting him to match his emotions. ¡°And make sure to keep Miles¡¯ head on straight, if he didn¡¯t already have a monstrous ego before¡­¡±


    ¡°You know he¡¯s still convinced I¡¯m being bashful with him?¡± Alice snickered a bit. ¡°He¡¯s a great magician, but you couldn¡¯t convince him that the world didn¡¯t revolve around him.¡±


    ¡°He would think that. Can¡¯t say I could really see you being like that.¡± A bit more genuine happiness came back to Balthazar.


    ¡°Not with him.¡±


    Locke blushed a bit seeing his friends sharing a moment together, not that they noticed in the dim light, as he feigned brushing dirt off of his face. For as much as Balthazar and Alice told him not to leave things unsaid, they just as well went leaving things unsaid between them. Still, it was something he didn¡¯t feel the confidence to touch on. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say how long we¡¯ll be gone Balthazar, do you have any clue what you¡¯ll do while we¡¯re away?¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± Balthazar sighed. ¡°I know you and Alice planned on enlisting, but I¡¯m still lost. I could enlist, sure, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever thought of something that gave me passion like hearing the possibility of seeing the world like today did.¡±


    ¡°So, are you considering joining a guild then?¡±


    Balthazar paused, there were all sorts of guilds, exploration, hunters, mercenaries and the like, funded by nobles, their own successes in finding fortune, or payment for a job well done. ¡°I could Locke, but, I think the fun is doing that sort of thing with you guys.¡± He didn¡¯t want to drag their moods back down or make them hesitate on leaving. ¡°But, you know me, I can make more friends on the job.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should come with us tomorrow,¡± Alice suggested, pausing, then quickly trying to clarify, ¡°To the local guild house I mean. We need to charter a ship since we leave in a few days, so we¡¯re heading down to the guild house to speak with someone from the Sailor¡¯s guild.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure thing,¡± he said half-heartedly. Balthazar stood back up, Alice standing to follow him.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m just going to go home and go to bed.¡± Balthazar was the night owl of the trio, and the night was still young.


    ¡°Do you want me to walk back with you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Balthazar answered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I think I just need a little bit of time alone. I¡¯ll meet you there tomorrow, okay?¡±


    Alice wanted to protest, but didn¡¯t. ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll see you then, okay?¡± She embraced him from behind for a moment. As she let go, he turned and waved slightly. They shared a brief smile, as they vanished from each other¡¯s sight, the crowds breaking them apart.


    Locke stood, and reassuringly put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯ll be back on his feet in no time, but are you okay? You know you still have time to change your mind, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she answered, ¡°I want to stay, sure. But if I gave this up now, I¡¯d regret it forever, and he¡¯d never forgive himself for feeling like he made me stay.¡± She turned over to Locke. ¡°But what about you?¡±


    Locke was silent for a long while. ¡°I still don¡¯t know if I have the power to choose for myself.¡± He took a deep breath of the night air, searching the skies for the ship his brother was surely aboard.


    ***


    Balthazar journeyed the streets accompanied only by his own thoughts, and the sounds of the festivities going on, but even then, he tried to stop and clear his mind in favor of some kind of void and clarity. He kept down the alleys, mostly, shortcuts he had grown up with, and routes the crowds weren¡¯t so intensely in. He watched homes he passed, each one unique, as if grown to fit the people who lived there, in many cases, they essentially had been. He¡¯d seen some houses get bigger as families grew, others waned away with time and loss. Few remained intact from those that were more than 15 years old now, many having been burned down, or having undergone heavy repair in the battle all those years ago.


    His house was easy enough to find, decently close to the center of the city, a two story house, three bedrooms, one of which was for guests, a nice kitchen and office, and plenty of living space. It felt comforting now, as he turned the door handle to the dark house, his parents still out. He stopped for a moment, looking to Alice¡¯s house next door. It was a bit larger, another two story, with four bedrooms, but it was an incredibly lonely house. Only two people lived there now, Alice, and her father Crowe. Even after the battle had ravaged this part of the city, it remained as it had once been.


    Though nobody was home, Balthazar was still quiet as he closed the door behind him, and went upstairs to his room. He didn¡¯t bother changing or getting under the sheets, just lying there atop his bed, listening to the now faint noises of the festivities outside. At times his mind was silent, other times it raced with the ¡®what if¡¯s¡¯ of the day, losing track of time, as the festival grew quieter and quieter, he missed the sound of the door shutting a floor beneath him. His mind came back to him when he felt someone sit at the foot of his bed. The Light Paragon Anne looked to him concerned, though Balthazar tried not to let her worry. ¡°Is it really that late?¡±


    ¡°A bit after midnight, unfortunately.¡± She sighed. ¡°I really do hate these long drawn out formal events. But, well, that¡¯s in the job description.¡±


    Balthazar sat up to meet her gaze, though he was still shorter than her after all these years. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to be back home every time, Mom.¡±


    Anne embraced her son, not letting him go for a minute, in her attempt to comfort him. ¡°Sorry about everything that happened today. I wish I could have told you about what was coming, but-¡±


    ¡°Secrecy, yeah, Locke was telling me.¡±


    ¡°Not just that. I wanted to stop Maia, but knowing her, she¡¯d have spun it to make me look like a corrupt nepotist.¡± She¡¯d tried hiding it before, but her face was holding back anguish when Maia had tried tearing down Balthazar before the royal family. Now however, her facade was breaking down. Balthazar knew her job came with a lot of responsibility, and with it, a lot of restraint on what she could do when it came to her private life. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to protect this city, and I can¡¯t even stand up for my son. What a cruel joke.¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is.¡± She held Balthazar¡¯s hands firmly in her own. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be denied something that seemed so close, Balthazar, and it hurts like nobody who hasn¡¯t felt it would believe. The only thing that can be done now is to push forward. It¡¯s not going to feel easy in the slightest, but letting this stop your life is exactly what people like Maia want.¡±


    Balthazar sat on his mother¡¯s words before responding. ¡°Why does she hate me anyways?¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Anne was hesitant to answer. ¡°No, not you. Us. Your father and I. Crowe. Some people look to others to blame for their pain, and sometimes it¡¯s justified, and sometimes, they let it fester into hatred for others and the world around them.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Another time, Balthazar. I want you to promise me you¡¯ll look to the future, not back.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Say it fully, for yourself, and for me.¡±


    He perked up a bit more. ¡°I promise to keep looking to the future.¡± She hugged Balthazar again, seeing his energy return to him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a new day coming, all you have to do is wait for it.¡± She stood, and gently stepped towards the door. ¡°Good night, Balthazar.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Mom.¡± Balthazar laid back down, and closed his eyes, as she closed the door behind her. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s wait and hope.¡±


    ***


    The guild house was no more or less busy that day, much to Balthazar¡¯s surprise. Granted, there was always something going on, people sending in requests to the Hunters Guild to exterminate local monsters, or guard detail being hired from the various mercenary guilds, there was always something going on. Balthazar was expecting to find some massive crowd surrounding the Prince to be moving around the city. Rather, he found his friends and the prince rather quietly entering the building as he searched the boards and guild advertisements. As he looked, it became a bit more obvious how they had done it, in that they simplified the way the Prince looked, sticking him in another Academia uniform that wouldn¡¯t stick out in a city full of students. Balthazar waved lightly to his friends, Alice returning the gesture as Locke acknowledged him with a nod.


    Miles barely paid him any mind, instead, making his way for the counter, as Atma gazed around the building, a sense of wonder on his face. Balthazar was rather thrown off, expecting some great formality or regal aura to the young man in front of him. If his friends weren¡¯t accompanying him, he wouldn¡¯t have believed who it was who stood before him. ¡°So people in need make their posts here?¡± He observed the wall next to Balthazar. ¡°I love it, really, a place where people can get help for problems, but also a place that seems to inspire adventure.¡±


    Locke stepped to the other side of Prince Atma as Balthazar. ¡°Sir?¡±


    Atma laughed lightly to himself, scratching the back of his head. ¡°My apologies, Locke. As I¡¯m sure you can understand, I¡¯m not able to explore the city like this all that often, I go off of books and stories most of the time.¡± He turned slightly to Balthazar, ¡°Oh, I remember you, I wasn¡¯t expecting to run into you today.¡±


    Balthazar was silent for a moment, not sure how to respond to the open friendliness of the man in front of him. ¡°I was just-¡±


    ¡°My lord!¡± Miles cut off Balthazar from the clutter of people in the hall, getting between himself and the prince. ¡°They¡¯re ready for us to register at the counter.¡±


    ¡°My thanks. Another time, my friend.¡± Atma stepped away, followed by Locke, and then Alice who mouthed words of confusion and shrugged behind them. Balthazar wasn¡¯t sure if he was thankful to Miles for saving him from a conversation he wasn¡¯t sure he could get through with the prince, or annoyed that Miles had cut him off from leaving a stronger impression. Balthazar walked towards the service counter, with other notes on job postings, overhearing the conversation with the clerk as he waited in line behind them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a messenger to Port Royale before the day is up to register your ship. Our logs have an estimate at the next passenger ship departing in three days¡±


    ¡°Perfect, that gives us time to stock up on supplies and travel over there. That shouldn¡¯t be more than a few hours ride by horse.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Locke interjected, ¡°Linia doesn¡¯t maintain a Cavalry or rent horses, we¡¯ll have to travel by foot or with a caravan.¡±


    Atma stopped to think for a moment. ¡°My thanks Locke. We¡¯ll have to adjust our supplies then for foot travel. As for our budget, I think it¡¯s intentional we got so little to work with. This whole journey is a trial, so my father likely wants us to be resourceful.¡±


    ¡°5,000 credits isn¡¯t a lot?¡± Miles seemed thrown off.


    ¡°4,000 credits now, and that was a bargain deal. Between room and board, travel, gear, maintenance, and replacing things,¡± Alice started counting off on her fingers, ¡°There¡¯s a lot in the way of expenses, especially for four people. I think we¡¯d only get as far as the Land of Mist with this much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the first stop!¡±


    ¡°A little bit into it, but wise budgeting would only get us so far.¡±


    Alice turned back to the receptionist. ¡°There are Guild branches all across the world, right? So, we should be able to take jobs in our travels to make ends meet, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but-.¡±


    Miles cut in again, darting between Prince Atma and the receptionist. ¡°But that would delay our journey by who knows how long!¡±


    ¡°Nothing to worry about, there¡¯s not a due date to be back by,¡± Atma clarified. ¡°My grandfather took a year to make his pilgrimage.¡± Miles shut up, to Balthazar¡¯s delight.


    The receptionist continued, a rather annoyed look on her face. ¡°If there are no more interruptions to what I was saying, you most certainly could take on work for the Guild Houses for pay, but we¡¯d have to charge you for the forming of a new guild.¡± Miles seemed like he wanted to butt in to ask questions, the receptionist giving him a death stare and a smile all at once. She kept going to answer him. ¡°It¡¯s not overly expensive, everyone starts small, even our largest guilds. 1,000 credits. The Guild Houses keep 25% of the pay for your completed jobs as an organizational fee, unless it comes directly from us. It keeps us up and running. In exchange, there are guild hosted shops and informants should you need them in your travels, among other benefits.¡±


    ¡°Satisfied with that, Miles?¡± Alice looked rather smugly over to the Dark Mage, who nodded in turn.


    Atma brought his hand up to his chin, closing his eyes briefly to think. ¡°It¡¯s a sizable chunk now, but the long term says that this is far more helpful than it hurts.¡± He nodded to the receptionist, and counted out the money.


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll send out a form with your ship charter to the Guild House in Port Royale to have them prepare guild badges for you. Did you have a guild name to register this group under?¡±


    Atma sighed. ¡°Nothing really comes to mind to be honest.¡± Locke turned away, not wanting to answer, and Alice shrugged in response. Miles raised his hand to answer


    She very briefly rolled her eyes. ¡°Nothing for it, you¡¯re¡­¡± She paused for a moment, jotting down a name on a form. ¡°The Guild Zephyr. Can¡¯t have you running around as the Dragon Whompers or the other stupid names the rookies pick to sound ¡®cool.¡¯ Don¡¯t be like them, keep it simple, keep it short.¡±


    ¡°Are you allowed to say that?¡± Miles weakly raised his hand to raise a point.


    ¡°I¡¯m paid enough to not say it. But I will.¡± She leered at him menacingly again, never losing the smile.


    ¡°I like you, you¡¯re fun.¡± Alice snickered at the receptionist¡¯s lack of patience for Miles¡¯ questioning and yelling. Balthazar couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit, though he did feel at least a little guilty that his smile came from someone he was jealous of not getting an inch from the receptionist.


    The receptionist sighed. ¡°Is that everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Prince Atma nodded and bowed slightly, ¡°Sorry for taking up your time.¡± He stepped out of the way, Miles and Locke tailing him.


    ¡°Next!¡±


    Alice stopped to talk with Balthazar. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°After that? Honestly excellent. Miles never really did learn to shut up and listen, did he?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Her smile was soft, one of a warm concern.


    Balthazar returned the gesture, smiling back. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Whatever comes next, I promise I won¡¯t let this drag me down. Just have fun while you¡¯re away, okay?¡± It was half true, he was no less lost than he had been the night before, now it was just about him trying to move past it all.


    Alice hesitated to answer at first, seeing through Balthazar, but she relented. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°I said next!¡± Balthazar¡¯s attention darted back to the receptionist, and again to Alice, who gave him an understanding nod, and went back to the others¡¯ side.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I-¡±


    ¡°What was it you were here for?¡±


    ¡°I was looking to join a guild?¡±


    ¡°Well there goes one,¡± she answered sarcastically.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ he thought, ¡®there they go, here I stay.¡¯ He tried shaking off the thought. ¡°Are there any openings at the local guilds?¡±


    ¡°The Hunter¡¯s guild is alway hiring, and I believe the Black Hawk Mercenaries guild is hiring, they¡¯re a more recent arrival here from across the ocean, just the other day.¡±


    ¡°Nothing for any of the adventurer¡¯s or explorers guilds?¡±


    The receptionist dropped the smile for a look that said, ¡®Really?¡¯ as she gestured to Prince Atma and the others as they headed for the door to leave.


    Balthazar sighed, ¡°Not exactly an option.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t know what to tell you then, sir. If you could please, think about it, and get back to me, I have other people to get to before I can take my lunch break.¡±


    Balthazar didn¡¯t have a response or reason to argue, stepping out of line. Working as a hunter or mercenary didn¡¯t sound all that appealing, but if push came to shove, he could get by. It was clear at least to him, he couldn¡¯t just stand around and wait for another opportunity to pass him by, he had to have control over something, take a step towards anything. He found himself running to catch up with Alice and the others, catching them just outside the building.


    ¡°Wait!¡± He almost rammed into Locke, stopping just shy of running into them. ¡°Wait, I have something I¡¯d like to ask.¡±


    Atma turned and nodded. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    Balthazar was silent for a moment, trying to work up the courage to speak back up, but he¡¯d already run up and asked to speak. ¡°I know I¡¯m not allowed to go with you, traditions and ritual and all that, you have your set companions, but-¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯d like to go with you, I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s just as far as Port Royale, even if it¡¯s only a day away. I just want to go out and do something with my life, and I want to know if going out into the world, exploring it and seeing new things with people is right for me.¡± Silence for a minute.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, you can¡¯t come with us,¡± the prince spoke gently, compassionately. ¡°I have my companions, and I¡¯m not to receive further support from the Kingdom.¡± A sly smile formed on his face. ¡°But, my ancestor in legend found far more companions than just who he started his adventures with. I can¡¯t take you with me, but there¡¯s nothing stopping you from seeing your friends off at Port Royale.¡±


    Balthazar was speechless, mouth agape in shock. Likewise, Alice looked to the prince in an excited confusion, Miles being completely flabbergasted, and Locke with a smiling nod of affirmation. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for this.¡±


    ¡°I have a friend who would have liked to come too, but could not, duty calling him elsewhere. I think he¡¯d approve of someone being able to join theirs, even if only for a little while. Meet us outside of town when we depart, and you can join us until Port Royale.¡±


    This little chance, a shot in the dark, was all Balthazar could ask for. He smiled, his spirit burning bright. ¡®A step forward,¡¯ he thought, ¡®not sure towards what, but I¡¯m still going.¡¯

 Chapter 3: Their First Adventure

    Chapter 3: Their First Adventure


    Balthazar was up at the crack of dawn, unusual for a night owl like him, more than excited for what lay ahead. He was all too ready to ditch his uniform for something he found more fitting a magician, his outfit was mixed from his own wardrobe and hand-me-downs from his father. The combat style boots he¡¯d kept from field exercises in the academy, and his black pants were taken from his father¡¯s uniform from his time in service to the military. His shirt was a solid gray, and his mage¡¯s robe was a navy blue. It draped down just to his knees, but wasn¡¯t something overly bulky or awkward, the material relatively thin and light, something he could move easily in. His robe had a hood that draped loosely over his brow when he wore it up, but, given the clear skies, he wore it down for now. He placed his satchel at his side once more, this time packed with a few bare essentials for light travel, some food, money, clothes, and just in case, a few cooking utensils. He kept a second bag at his back, mostly just with a sleeping bag, and his personal notebook.


    Balthazar wondered if he was overdoing it, as he stood by the front door in silence, broken only by his half awake father, who sipped away at his morning tea. ¡°You¡¯re fine. The whole point of you doing this to find out if it¡¯s right for you, and how you want to do it in the future. If you¡¯ve got something wrong now, you can fix it later.¡±


    Balthazar nodded in response. ¡°Right, thanks Dad.¡± The sleepy comfort of his father was very much appreciated. His parents had both been supportive of him going, but it didn¡¯t change a sense of nervousness in leaving.


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s the bare minimum from my days in service,¡± Anne commented. ¡°I feel like I should have you take more with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be a couple days at most, a little bit of travel, and some time checking in on the Guild house in Port Royale, I think I¡¯ll be okay with what I have.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but it¡¯s our job to worry.¡± Anne hugged her son, her husband doing the same after.


    ¡°Whatever comes next is all you. Make yourself proud.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Balthazar opened the door to leave, turning back again. ¡°Thank you for supporting me with this. I love you both.¡± He waved on his way out the door, a rejuvenated smile on his face. He turned and saw Alice outside her house, sitting at the front steps. She waved to him, having been waiting for him.


    ¡°Was worried we might have to leave our resident night owl behind.¡±


    ¡°Oh there¡¯s no way I was missing this,¡± he replied, going to sit next to her. ¡°Still have some time before we leave.¡± He paused, and sat next to her.. ¡°Before you leave, and I follow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you get to come with us as far as you do.¡±


    ¡°You want to run over to the bakery at the north end? This is going to be your last chance to get some of their macaroons for a while.¡±


    Alice grew a smug smile. ¡°Please, as if I didn¡¯t stock up already.¡± She patted her bag with the familiar crumple of paper wrapping around her sweets stash. ¡°But¡­¡± She playfully tapped her chin. ¡°I¡¯m never opposed to more.¡± Alice stood and patted herself down, Balthazar standing again to join her. ¡°So? How do I look?¡±


    Balthazar gave her a brief look up and down, finding her choice in fashion to lean more towards casual attire than he had gone with. Like him, she¡¯d taken a pair of black combat boots, and just like him, wore a Mage¡¯s robe, though hers was white, with red trim, and cut shorter than Balthazar¡¯s to function more as a jacket. Alice let her long hair hang, though as she usually did in casual dress, she wore a black hairband rather than tie it up in a ponytail or braid, letting her bangs hang freely. Balthazar tried not noticing, which Alice definitely took notice of, but he found the white dress she wore something to be perfect for her. It had a soft look to it, and matched her more hourglass like figure, without being uncomfortable to wear. Her skirt cut off mid thigh, just below her robe, under which she wore black leggings.


    Alice leaned in closer to a trying-not-to-blush Balthazar ¡°Well? Well?¡± Her tone was playful and teasing of him, backing off a bit as the red on his face became more apparent.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect for you.¡± He let his eyes wander off to the sky, not quite meeting her line of sight.


    From a distance, having been walking up to their homes to meet up with them, Locke had sighed as soon as he saw the two talking with one another, and Alice leaned in to taunt Balthazar. He had dressed rather moderately, wearing simple plate armor, steel in make and color, with shoulder pauldrons, gauntlets, and vambraces. He kept a pair of swords sheathed at his belt, one the arming sword that had knighted him, the other more distinctly a broadsword, and an Escutcheon shield at his back. His armor had a slight clank to it when he took a step. Beneath it all, he wore the military¡¯s standard black bodysuit for use under armor, with white slipping out here and there under the armor in the form of a surcoat, denoting him as a new knight.. ¡°This again,¡± he said to himself. ¡°For people who talk about not having any regrets¡­¡± He shook his head, his gentle smile warming his face, and waved to his friends as he got closer.


    ***


    Balthazar found it surreal as he waited a little ways to the north outside of town, his heart pounding as he could hear distant popping of leftover pyrotechnics from the Liberation day festival, knowing that it was the people¡¯s way of sending off the prince and his friends. He found himself pacing in a circle, a plethora of scenarios playing out in his head, he partly acted them out in his isolation, and eyes closed, losing himself to his imagination. Fighting off bandits, saving a village, he had a very content look on his face, as he stood proudly, hands on his hips, facing the still rising sun.


    CLAP!


    Balthazar found himself jumping and sprawling as he snapped back to reality, and a snickering Alice who had snuck up on him while he was lost in his own world. He sighed deeply and recomposed himself. ¡°Ah, sorry about that. Good to see everyone. Prince Atma, sir.¡±


    ¡°Just Atma is fine, Balthazar.¡± Atma smiled with a gentle amusement at seeing Balthazar and Alice making fun. He wore plate armor that was tinted azure, though relative to the fully armored knights that Balthazar had seen a few days before, he was armored rather lightly. It covered his chest and part of his stomach area, leaving much of his sides under his ribs relatively exposed. He wore shoulder pauldrons, some lighter armor on his biceps, and a pair of gauntlets with black gloves. While his legs were also armored, it was lightly so, for the sake of intercepting light hits, rather than taking them head on. His armor as a whole, Balthazar could see, was intended to sacrifice some durability for agility. Beneath it all, Balthazar could make out a black bodysuit in gaps in his armor. He kept a shield and spear strapped to him at his back, and carried a singular, heavy bag at his back. From how nonchalantly he carried it all, there was no doubting he had an impressive build, unburdened by the weight of it all.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying sir, aren¡¯t you a bit overdressed for this short trip?¡± Miles piped in, not having too much room to talk, given that he wore the standard Dark Mage Military uniform, akin to what Balthazar wore, though his robe was longer, black, and he made particular point to wear the optional pointed magician¡¯s hat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all, but it¡¯s a lot easier wearing this than carrying it in my bag, Miles. Besides, we have a job to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you grabbed a request at the guild?¡±


    ¡°I snuck by early this morning. The receptionist was a little upset I was there so early, but, the guild house posted a request on their own behalf to go through the Forest of the Elders on the way to Port Royale.¡±


    Balthazar was familiar with the forest, if only because there were always stories they heard as kids about people going missing in the forest, that monsters lived in its darkest depths. It took up a massive area, fed by the coastal rains. Generally speaking, it was avoided, most people opting to take the fairly longer route of going around it rather than through it. ¡°Just to go through it?¡±


    ¡°Right, there¡¯s an old path that several of the guilds and businesses that are thinking of using to speed up travel to Port Royale and Linia, even if only by a little bit. All we have to do is go through it and give a survey on the general safety of the path, its condition, and so on. Considering how many people have interest in it, it also has a rather hefty reward behind it of 3,000 credits.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re clear, Atma,¡± Alice chimed in, ¡°You are familiar with the stories about the forest, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Pay aside, there are good reasons for us to travel through the forest. This is our first opportunity to test our skills together, find out where we stand, and how we can improve.¡± Atma smiled confidently.


    ¡°Can¡¯t really argue with that.¡± Alice sighed. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s do this.¡±


    The trip towards the Forest of Elders was simple enough; from the north end of Linia, they would head due east for the nearest crossing of the Linian river. Rather than turn south to circumnavigate the forest, they would keep heading east, towards a marking Atma had made on their map, the entrance to the old forest path. It was closer to ten in the morning as they neared the borders of the forest, Balthazar staring up to the massive trees that seemed to devour the sky itself. As he looked to the woods before him, he was surprised by how dark the forest became once one stepped foot into its border, light cut off from above by the ancient pine trees surrounding them. The path wasn¡¯t all that wide, enough for a pair of horse-drawn carts side by side, nor any brighter than the rest of the forest. Birds and other critters called out from within, echoed by the trees. ¡°Whew, that is a lot more intimidating up close, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to come with us if you¡¯re scared, Balthazar.¡±


    ¡°In your dreams, Miles.¡± Balthazar took one last look to the looming trees above, before stepping into the woods. The air was cold within the forest, despite summer being just around the corner, almost biting. The path was relatively still intact, not enough sunlight reaching to the forest floor to let many grasses and weeds grow. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s too much to be done to repair the road, maybe further up, but this is in surprisingly good condition.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly think that¡¯s the detail too many people are worried about.¡± Miles kept glancing left and right. He and Balthazar were at the back of the group, left to each other. Alice, in the meanwhile, pulled out a lantern she had packed in her bags, opening it to light it. She snapped her fingers, a small, well controlled flame dancing at the tip of her index finger, which she placed at the core of the lantern, holding it ahead to light the way. Miles and Balthazar both kept note of her taking the front, before turning back to one another. ¡°Something here inspired those stories about people going missing, Balthazar.¡±


    ¡°And if it were all that strong, it probably wouldn¡¯t be confined to the forest, right? Or the Kingdom and Linia would have done something about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying people avoid this place for a reason.¡±


    ¡°For all we know, we¡¯ve been avoiding it for the wrong reason.¡± Balthazar thought back to his personal studies on legends and history. ¡°Name considered, this place probably has some old, forgotten significance to the Linian elders, and people mistook that as this place being some sacred ground.¡± The two weren¡¯t quite sure if they were debating the idea of some horrid monster in the forest, or trying to talk down their nerves.


    Atma slowed his pace for a moment to join in on the conversation. ¡°I can¡¯t say I found a reason for this place being called that in my own studies. If I had had the time, I would have liked to visit your temple¡¯s library someday.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t, it would take years with how much is piled up in there,¡± Balthazar made an attempt at joking, which did give some relief to the tension of the forest. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an answer in there, but with how vast the collection of books is, you¡¯d have a hard time finding it.¡±


    ¡°All the same, a place like this, left so unexplored after all these years? There¡¯s something fascinating about it all.¡± Atma looked to the forest canopy as he spoke. ¡°Legends of the past, history we¡¯ve forgotten, for a lot of my time in the castle, learning about them were the closest I could get to adventures, so call it a soft spot of mine.¡±


    ¡°I can partly understand that,¡± Balthazar replied, his voice building with excitement and curiosity once more. ¡°I¡¯ve considered the adventurers guilds, and archaeology as careers, there really is something special about the ancient world. I think of all the treasures we¡¯ve lost, about what inspired the myths and legends!¡± He caught his rising voice, quieting back down. ¡°Ahem, yeah, I agree that it¡¯s something of an adventure.¡±


    Atma shared a look of excitement over their common interest. ¡°I have little idea of the strange places I may yet visit, but that only makes me more excited for whatever may come.¡± He paused for a moment once he stopped speaking, cautiously observing the forest around him as he walked. Balthazar did the same, trying to take note of anything Atma might have noticed. Nothing. No birds singing, little in the way of insects chirping. The forest, as they had gone further in, had become more overgrown, darker, tighter, strange overgrowth hanging above them, almost making a cramped ceiling of sorts. ¡°Keep calm. Stay moving. Be on your guard.¡± He readied his spear and shield, eyes still scanning the area.


    ¡°What is it? I don¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet. Everything in the forest is hiding from something. Even if we¡¯re foreigners here, we¡¯ve been sticking to the path, there¡¯s not much reason for the local wildlife to be scared of us. Form up, Locke, you¡¯re on the rear guard, I¡¯ll take point. Alice, behind me, Miles, you¡¯re in the center, Balthazar, next to Locke.¡± One by one the group nodded and moved into position, Alice extinguishing the lantern, so as to not magnify their position.


    Balthazar kept his head on a pivot, searching side to side for any sign of danger. He felt Locke tap him on the shoulder, turning back slightly to see him, their voices a whisper. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still practicing those sword techniques I taught you, right?¡±


    Balthazar nodded. ¡°Twice a week.¡± Locke nodded and passed up the arming sword and sheath at his belt. ¡°Locke, this is the sword you were knighted with, I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I trust you with it. Besides, my other sword is too heavy for you.¡±


    Balthazar silently nodded, and placed the blade at his belt. Still nothing. He wondered if perhaps the depths of the forest were simply muffling the sound of the wildlife, rather than something being looming around them. He was so intensely focused forward, he flinched on hearing Locke stumble slightly behind him. ¡°You alright?¡± The group stopped to make sure they stuck together.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he muttered, catching his footing once more. ¡°A root or something I missed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd, I didn¡¯t see anything in the path like that a second ago.¡± Balthazar sighed in relief, relaxing a bit after the slight scare. He noticed something hanging among the overgrowth above them, out of place in a coastal forest. ¡°Are those vines?¡± While they looked up, they once again hear Locke fall, Balthazar turning in time to see him being dragged away. ¡°Locke!¡± He tried reaching out for his friend, though the knight was long gone from the path by the time he could. A moment later, he felt the light breeze of something swaying behind him. He was perfectly motionless, feeling his hair stand on end. He reached for the sword Locke had given him, ready to turn and draw. He didn¡¯t have time to process as he felt something wrap around him, and violently tear him away from the others.

 Chapter 4: The Forest Guardian

    Chapter 4: The Forest Guardian


    Balthazar couldn¡¯t get his bearings as he felt himself be throttled around, feeling his bones pop with how tightly he was squeezed, branches and overgrowth scratching his face as he swung through the foliage, green taking up his entire field of view. From the yelling, he could hear the others being grabbed too, and then suddenly, the rapid swinging stopped. His heart pounded in his head, the world still spinning, right up until he saw the thing that had captured him. Its giant body was like a strange humanoid plant, easily twelve feet in height. Its core parts and the head being woodlike in their texture, almost a tree trunk in and of itself. Its limbs were less arms and legs so much as masses of intertwined roots and vines in a similar shape. The creature held Balthazar up to its head. It had no apparent face, save for a pair of faintly glowing green lights where the eyes ought to be, and Balthazar could make out a large red flower blooming from the back of its head. He tried struggling, but the monster¡¯s grip was so tight that he couldn¡¯t work up the power or leverage to move. The previously finger-like vines solidified into wood, restricting any motion further. He heard some strange rumbling noise from it, clearly observing him with caution.


    ¡°Ahhh! Help! Alice, Prince Atma, anybody!¡± Balthazar turned slightly, seeing Miles in the creature¡¯s other arm. The rumbling noise got louder, as it pulled him close. ¡°Balthazar!¡±


    ¡°Quiet Miles, I¡¯d rather not piss this thing off!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right? Can you cast anything?¡±


    Balthazar tried getting his bearings again. Magicians usually cast using their hands to guide their magic, and his were nearly flush with his body. His left hand was between a gap in the woody vines, enough where he would probably get something going. Certainly, he could certainly cast magic without using his hands, but he needed the fine control right now, or he¡¯d be just as likely to kill himself as escape. He noticed then, how high above the ground the creature held them. Its leg vines wrapped around the trees to suspend it far above the ground, like a spider hanging from a string. A fall from their height wouldn¡¯t kill them, but it would certainly break something, incapacitating them enough for the creature to simply grab them up weaker than before. It seemed to recognize that Balthazar realized this, as he shook his head in response to Miles, gesturing his head down.


    Miles shut up, before turning his head to see three other similar creatures drop from the trees, with the others held firmly in their hands. They stomped through the forest, heading north, deeper into the forest center. ¡°Balthazar, look!¡± The creature jostled him again, this time, shutting up Miles.


    They had to be a pack of some sort, the creatures, if they were moving together the way they were, and taking them alive was no doubt of some importance. As the creature descended from the trees, hitting the ground with an impressive thud, Balthazar tried combing his memories of having to study the bestiaries to try and identify the thing. Miles would probably have a much easier time with it. ¡°Any clue on this thing?¡± He kept his voice hushed, as the two swung back and forth in the creature¡¯s arms, the creature thudding through the forest.


    Miles shot another look at the beast, before turning back to Balthazar and nodding. ¡°I think it¡¯s a Dryad. Not quite a Spirit or Elemental, more like a sentient plant. Very territorial, very violent.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get out of this.¡± Balthazar¡¯s mind zipped through defensive techniques Locke had taught him in case he got into an up close brawl. The hand Miles was in hadn¡¯t hardened, perhaps because it viewed him as less of a threat. Could he work with that?


    ¡®It¡¯s harder for someone to grab and take you if you let yourself go limp than if your body is rigid, it becomes and awkward weight,¡¯ Locke¡¯s words echoed. Not quite what he was looking for. ¡®If someone grabs you, you¡¯ll have a harder time breaking free depending on how you struggle. Fight against the thumb, and you¡¯ll break through better than going against their fingers.¡¯ Balthazar knew their structure was fundamentally different from a Dryad¡¯s, with it being made up of vines, but surely a similar idea followed if Miles struggled against the thumblike vine. What about him though? What was the best thing he could do for himself? Fire magic would certainly hurt the Dryad, and he was highly proficient in it. Lightning magic was precise enough, but tended to pierce rather than cut. Earth? Darkness? Powerful, but not good matchups for the situation. His mind turned to the Light Magic elements. Ice could certainly freeze the hand, but then what? Water wouldn¡¯t do a thing to the plant. Wind Magic could cut, but needed a more range of motion, otherwise, he doubted a strong gust of wind would do him much. Light was an element he was rather lacking in, so he immediately discounted it. He tried his right arm, to see what he could do. Not much, but his hand was still on the hilt of the sword Locke had given him. It might take a few steps, but he had the base of an idea.


    ¡°Miles, when I take action, you need to struggle against the vine that¡¯s like a thumb, it¡¯s your best chance of escape. Do not let your body go rigid, or you¡¯re easier for it to hold onto.¡± Balthazar looked around. They needed some sort of cover, or they were done for, the trees would hardly count with the Dryad chasing them. He saw something white sticking out among the overgrowth and soil. It wasn¡¯t much to go off of, but it was their best shot. The Dryad carrying them was lagging behind slightly, they might be able to scramble away if they moved now. Balthazar placed his free hand on the finger of the Dryad, and nodded to Miles. Focusing, a wave of cold flowed from his hand, shooting into the Dryad¡¯s hand, as crystalline ice shot up its arm, the freeze doing relatively little to the woody parts of the arm, but to the sections still as vines, they were made brittle, cracking slightly as the Dryad tried bringing Balthazar up to its face, its arms ready to snap off if it moved more. Balthazar shivered, trying to keep control so his ice magic didn¡¯t creep onto him and freeze him too, he focused now on the sword in his other hand, waiting for his next opening.


    Miles flailed and struggled while the Dryad was distracted with Balthazar, enough so that he rolled free, and tumbled to the ground. He groaned as he got back to his feet, and stood nearly paralyzed as the Dryad turned back to him. ¡°Balthazar?¡±


    It was the opening he was waiting for. Balthazar, tightly gripped the sword in its hilt with his other hand, using it as an extension of his hand. It burst through its sheath and the wooden hand with a blade larger than what Locke had given him, glowing with a hot scarlet aura. Balthazar had to pour all his focus into the blade so it wouldn¡¯t cook him, with the blade being still at his hip. Crack. There, the heat shift cracked the wooden hand, giving him just enough movement to swing the blade, even just a little. It was all he needed, the magical blade cracking and cutting through the Dryad¡¯s hand, chaining up the rest of its frozen arm, shattering the limb. Enchantment magic, the reason Balthazar had taken up learning the sword from Locke. He flicked the blade, turning off the fire enchantment as he fell, landing next to Miles, who helped get him back on his feet. The Dryad made an agonized rumbling sound, the glow of its eyes becoming more intense, as it reached out to the two.


    Miles made an upward arc with the swing of his hand, spikes erupting from the earth to pierce the beast, not doing much in the way of damage, but pinning it in place. ¡°Torch it!¡±


    Balthazar swiped his hand through the air making a snap as he did, and the Dryad erupted into a massive burst of flame. It flailed wildly, swinging at trees, the fire spreading to them, though quickly dying out. ¡°Run! We can¡¯t stick around if the others come back to help!¡± Balthazar made another snapping motion, and the flames burst once more, intensifying the Dryad¡¯s panicked swinging.


    ¡°Run where?!¡± Miles¡¯ eyes darted back and forth looking for any place they could escape to.


    Balthazar gestured to follow, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, Miles hot on his tail. They heard thudding behind them, but didn¡¯t dare look back. ¡°There, on the right, there¡¯s some white rocks, towards there!¡± Balthazar wanted to scream as he noticed that he was starting to trip again, but he caught himself as he was falling forward. He darted between trees, leapt over stray overgrowth, making for the mysterious white pillar of stone. Between im and it, a fallen tree was in his way, not so large as the massive redwoods around them, but thick enough of an obstacle to pose a threat. Balthazar jumped, not making it over, but landing near the top where he could crawl or roll over it. Miles hadn¡¯t made the jump at the right time, and was trying to climb up, having a bit of trouble, not being in the same physical condition as Balthazar. Balthazar reached his hand out, his eyes falling upon the still burning, still charging Dryad still after them.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help, Balthazar!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save your life!¡± Balthazar forcible grabbed Miles¡¯ hand, who pushed off the log, giving them enough momentum to roll over to the other side. They groaned from landing on each other, stumbling back up to their feet as the Dryad got closer and closer. Balthazar looked around briefly, noticing more of the white stone around him, covered in mosses from years of disuse, but it wasn¡¯t a natural formation, this was the remains of an old structure of some sort. ¡°There, an opening!¡± Balthazar dragged Miles along, as he felt the hot swipe of the Dryad¡¯s hand behind him, narrowly missing them. There, towards the center of the rubble, there was still an entrance going underground slightly. Balthazar hoped it was solid enough to keep them safe, at least for a little bit. They nearly fell down the stairs of the entrance, their forward momentum the only thing keeping them from falling straight away, but as they hit the bottom, they hit the ground after missing a step. They crawled away from the entrance, the Dryad slamming into it, and attempting to reach in with its remaining arm, shifting it once more into vines to attempt to drag them out. Balthazar snapped his finger once more,as he rolled to face them, torching them, and charring them black. They reeled back, but the stomping in the area told them that the creature hadn¡¯t given up yet.


    Miles was the first back to his feet, still backing away from the entrance. ¡°Why isn¡¯t that thing charcoal yet? I thought you specialized in fire magic!¡±


    Balthazar didn¡¯t bother yelling back, as much as he wanted to. He tried containing his voice as best as he could, but his frustration was palpable. ¡°If I went any hotter or more intense with the fire, we could have burned down the whole forest, Miles. A living plant doesn¡¯t exactly burn too easily, and something that big takes a while to cook, plant or not. I kind of thought our Valedictorian would realize that.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, you¡¯re only here because Prince Atma took pity on you.¡±


    Balthazar punched him before the thought had fully crossed his mind. ¡°What is your problem with me, Miles?!¡± Balthazar lost himself to an anger he hadn¡¯t realized was slowly building. ¡°I saved your life more than once, and you still feel the need to talk shit like this? You¡¯re not some infallible mage, Miles!¡±


    Miles looked at Balthazar with horror on his face, like a child being scolded for the first time. He tried standing his ground, but the pain in his cheek from where he¡¯d been hit served as a reminder that he had little ground to stand on. ¡°Gee Balthazar, where do I begin?¡±


    ¡°No, none of that, I am directly asking you, Miles, what is your problem with me?¡±


    ¡°Well gee, Balthazar,¡± he started, sarcastically though his tone shifted to a serious anger, ¡°I hate you so much. I have the talent and skills to be the best, I¡¯ve done better in the Academia than you. I come from a more prominent family than yours, and my parents also work in the Council. So why am I always the one in your shadow?!¡± He spit blood onto Balthazar¡¯s boot. ¡°It¡¯s always you, Balthazar, I can outcast you, and put what you do to shame, but no, we get people who think ¡®oh Balthazar¡¯s so cool.¡¯ No matter what I do, you¡¯re the one people flock to. And it¡¯s because of you that the girl I like won¡¯t even look in my direction! I finally get a shot with this trip, to prove myself above you, and then you come along, and you even ruin my shot with her!¡±


    There was a quiet rage on Balthazar¡¯s face, he¡¯d regained his composure in Miles¡¯ rant. His voice was calm and stern. ¡°Please Miles, you drive people away yourself. You¡¯re so focused on your own ego that you didn¡¯t bother noticing the people who supported you along the way. You have exactly what I have, Miles, you just don¡¯t like me having it too.¡± He turned away to head further into the ruins. ¡°There¡¯s no special trick about any of it. I live my life happy with who I am. And it¡¯s no secret Miles, Alice doesn¡¯t like you. But that¡¯s all you.¡± There was silence as he walked away, Miles frozen in place, not having a word to say.


    Balthazar lit a small flame, letting it rest in his palm, as he surveyed the tunnel. It didn''t go much deeper, he found, and any branching rooms collapsed from time. There were old runes, barely legible, in old Arcadian script. Still, it felt rather natural to read, as he traced his fingers over it, this was some sort of old laboratory. From what he could tell, the place was easily 200 years old, more than likely far older. Doors were caved in, and at the end of the hall, a pile of rocks, a sandstone like brown, lay cluttered in a massive pile, nearly up to the ceiling.


    He felt a stinging pain in his side, turning down to realize that he had burned himself in his escape, a red mark in the shape of the blade he had enchanted, singing through his clothes. As his adrenaline wore off, he could feel it more and more. He groaned, and leaned against a large pile of rubble. Healing magic wasn¡¯t his forte, but he needed to fix himself up, or he wouldn¡¯t make it much further. He took a deep breath, and rummaged through his satchel, still thankfully at his side, finding an old spellbook. Most of it was irrelevant, things he had mastered long ago, but he appreciated the reference when it came to healing. Based off of light element magic, his worst affinity. Of course it was. He took a deep breath, trying to remember how Alice had tutored him.


    ¡®The key is finding the rhythm of your own heart, and a gentle hand, whether your heart is pounding, or fading, healing magic works best in tempo with your body¡¯s flow.¡¯ He exchanged the flame in his palm for a soft light, gently guiding it to his side where his sheath had been. It stung horribly, but he tried keeping his mind centered. Ba-dump, ba-bump, ba-bump. The pain eased, but his mouth filled with the taste of metal. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s working.¡± He couldn¡¯t do much about his clothes, as he returned his focus to his condition. A hole in the side of his clothes would be annoying, but wasn¡¯t a pressing issue. His pants were staying on, and that was enough. He inspected the sword Locke had given him. ¡°Well, I kept you safe, but of course the scabbard can¡¯t say the same.¡± He sighed.


    Miles sat near the entrance,just far enough where the creature wouldn¡¯t get him if it came back. ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was all about you.¡± Balthazar answered sarcastically, before quietly thinking. ¡°We need to find the others. I think if we work together, we can kill the Dryad outside. The others can¡¯t be far if it¡¯s willing to hang around here, and the other Dryads haven¡¯t come here yet. I think it means they think they can wait us out, with us on their doorstep.¡± Balthazar sighed. ¡°Ideally, if we could free them, we¡¯d be able to fight back, but I¡¯m not entirely sure we could free them without fighting.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t really have a choice, do we?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Balthazar sighed. ¡°We should rest for now, make sure we¡¯re ready to fight again. Then, we get up and get moving. We don¡¯t have much ti-¡± Balthazar sprawled forward, hearing something rumble behind him. He panicked, thinking the Dryad had forced an entry behind him, and crawled back as Miles sprung to his feet, as the pile of rubble Balthazar had leaned against shook, parts of it crumbling away like dried mud. Slowly, a hulking humanoid form made of the stone Balthazar has dismissed as debris. Its body was angular, jagged, with thick, clublike forearms, made of more jagged stone. Its head was styled like an old gladiator helmet, though it had an imperfect beauty to it, in how it kept much of the natural shape of the rocks that made it up. Like the Dryads, it had no real face, instead, where the face of the gladiator would be, a pair of glowing red lights for eyes. It let off a low rumbling hum, as if to vocalize. Part of Balthazar wanted to attack, but another part stayed perfectly calm. It made no move to attack, standing by fairly idly.


    There was a silent shock for a moment between the two Dark Mages, before Miles broke the silence. ¡°Is that¡­ a golem?¡± He stepped closer, not going past Balthazar. ¡°That¡¯s incredible, but, what¡¯s a golem doing here?¡±


    Balthazar shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re the earth mage, you tell me.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Golems aren¡¯t inherently Earth magic, they¡¯re more like an enchantment of pure magical energy. You can build them out of nearly anything as long as it¡¯s not already alive. It¡¯s an incredibly rare advanced art, though. Linia hasn¡¯t had a Golem Master in well over a century. You¡¯d have to visit the old cities of Arcadia and Arcana to find one.¡± Miles tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°I don¡¯t get how it turned on though.¡±


    Balthazar got closer to the golem, inch by inch. ¡°I just said to get up, and this thing just started moving, think that was it?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. Golems only respond to their makers, and specifically programmed individuals. This thing has got to be ancient, it¡¯s a miracle it still works at all.¡±


    Balthazar shrugged. ¡°Well, nothing for it. Sit down.¡±


    The golem made another humming sound, before complying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Miles got closer again. ¡°This thing might be programmed to help anyone. Golem, stand up.¡± The golem made no motion and did not acknowledge Miles. ¡°Or not? My best guess is that this is just a very confused golem, and time has done a number on it. Maybe you sound like its previous owner?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± Balthazar looked over the golem, as he stood next to it, inspecting it. ¡°You got a name, big guy?¡±


    The golem hummed again, and pointed to its chest with its stone fingers. There was a core implanted in the center of its chest, glowing with a dim light.


    Balthazar leaned in, touching the core, and feeling old markings carved into it, these being in not Arcadian, but an old fashioned version of Linian rune work. ¡°Faust. Mk. I.¡± Balthazar found it familiar in style to a Magician¡¯s crest, Faust being the family name, and below would normally be a number corresponding to a tarot card.


    The golem hummed again, more energetically.


    ¡°That thing has a lot of personality for a golem. Faust though? That¡¯s an old name, hasn¡¯t been used in years, as far as I know.¡±


    Balthazar looked to the Golem¡¯s eyes, who he found staring back at him intently. ¡°Well, if Faust is who made you, I guess we can call you that.¡± The golem hummed as if to agree. Balthazar turned back to Miles. ¡°I think we might have just found our solution.¡± A grin formed on Balthazar¡¯s face, a plan coming together, he met eyes with their new companion again. ¡°Alright then, Faust, we¡¯re going to need your help, we¡¯ve got people who need saving.¡±

 Chapter 5: Battle of the Forest Temple

    Chapter 5: Battle of the Forest Temple


    The Dryad paced the entrance to the ruin, its body was charred, but it clung to life, waiting for its prey to emerge, as they most certainly would have to. The flames that had engulfed it had died out, but were nothing short of crippling to the beast. It grew more curious with sounds of thudding within the ruins, drawing closer and closer to the small entrance. It moved to lie close to the ground, trying to see into the barely man sized hole. It drew closer and closer, almost able to see within.


    Crack! With a thunderous roar, a bolt of blue and yellow lighting shot from the hole, piercing through the eye of the monster, and blasting through the other side of the Dryad¡¯s head. It thudded to the ground, as Balthazar stepped out of the ruins, cautiously looking for signs of the other monsters. His fingers still sparkled with electricity from the spell, though with a quick shake of his hand, the sparks faded. More thudding, as Miles scrambled out behind him, trying to get out of the way as Faust burst through the rocks still lining the ruin entrance. The golem seemed to hum with satisfaction at stepping outside. As it stood up straight, no longer hunched over as within the old lab, it towered over the pair of magicians, at nearly nine feet tall, not quite the size of the Dryads, but no less imposing.


    ¡°Went straight for the head, huh?¡± Miles peeked over at the body nervously, eyeing the still smoldering wound.


    ¡°Not taking any chances. I¡¯m just glad that thing got curious.¡± Balthazar kept the sword at the ready, just in case the thing wasn¡¯t dead yet. From the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw some of the vines twitch a little. He moved to enchant the blade and finish it, but there was no need, Faust immediately placed its heavy foot over the monster¡¯s head and stomped down, leaving a splattering of green slime. Balthazar and Miles stood in a stunned silence for a moment. ¡°Good work, Faust. But where could they be?¡±


    The golem hummed in a tone that almost seemed to be pride. It removed its foot, and stood sentry as Balthazar tried finding his bearings, using the scorch marks to figure out where they had come from, and try and guess where they had been going. The Golem pointed towards what appeared to be another, much larger structure in a clearing. Again, it hummed, insistently.


    ¡°No point not checking it out. Miles, keep an eye up top, just in case they try ambushing us from above again.¡± Balthazar moved towards the location Faust had pointed out, moving as quietly as they could with a golem moving through the brush with them. As they got closer, it became clearer why Faust had pointed this location out. ¡°I think this place is some sort of temple.¡± Coming closer revealed more white stone beneath dirt and moss, though, not in the same type of construction as the lab. As Balthazar came to the foot of the structure, it became clear that this was older still than the lab. Markings even he couldn¡¯t decipher littered the stone that he found visible. It was similar to old Mage¡¯s script, but distinct all the same, none of Linian, Arcadian, or Arcanan runes lining up. One symbol seemed to recur more than any other, Balthazar reached out to touch it, stopping on hearing the Faust hum, to alert him and bring him back to reality.


    It hummed quietly, pointing to one of the Dryad¡¯s climbing near the top of the temple, a red flower in its head like the one they had just slain. Balthazar and Miles clung to the side of the temple, hoping they wouldn¡¯t be seen. They stayed perfectly still, watching as Faust hid itself in the form of a pile of rocks. They heard more thudding as the Dryad moved away, towards an entrance at another side of the temple. Balthazar crept around the wall of the structure, trying to get a feel for the scale of the temple. It was impressive in its height, nearly forty feet in height, and imposingly wide to match. One of the walls had a hole eroded through by traffic and time, roots spreading in and out. Observing the rounded shape of the building and roof, Balthazar found it oddly similar to an observatory, though surely, no observatory would have so much dedicated rune work. The pair of mages crept up to the opening in the wall, Faust slowly following, waiting for orders. Miles quietly reached into his bag, and pulled out a small mirror, passing it to Balthazar, who had a similar idea.


    Balthazar held out the mirror, using it to safely survey corners he couldn¡¯t see without peeking out. Three Dryads, two with red flowers on their head, and a third, much larger one with a blue flower on its head. They stood around a pile of bodies in soft, dark soil, where the ceiling had been broken to allow light through. The bodies were long since dead, though thankfully, the others didn¡¯t make it up, instead being filled by deer,a decomposing bear, and long other miscellaneous bones. Balthazar kept moving the mirror around, trying to see where Alice and the others were, finding them bound by detached vines in a different cluster. Still conscious, he could see them trying to break free, but they were given little in the way of movement. Balthazar passed back the mirror. ¡°Any clue what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re using those bodies as fertilizer, to eat, since they don¡¯t have mouths, but this seems excessive. Unless¡­ They¡¯re budding, if they¡¯re going to have young to feed, that would be enough.¡±


    Balthazar grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m not letting my friends get fed to them, either way. But there¡¯s not a good way of trying to rescue them. I didn¡¯t see any other entrances, and if we try to draw them out here, we¡¯ll be without help from the others.¡± Balthazar turned to Faust, a bit nervous, not sure how well the golem would fare against the Dryads that were still in peak condition. He didn¡¯t like the idea of sending Faust on what could possibly be a suicide mission, golem or not. ¡°I¡¯m going to need your help, Faust. Miles, you and I are going to rescue the others. Faust, I need you to distract the Dryads for a little bit, and we¡¯ll be there as soon as possible to help finish them off.¡± Faust hummed in acknowledgement, and started looping around the temple.


    ¡°Balthazar, why not just make a run for it? It could probably hold them off long enough for us to escape. We can afford to sacrifice it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do sacrifices, Miles, what he¡¯s doing is risky enough.¡±


    ¡°It is not a pet, Balthazar, and it¡¯s not a person. Can you make the tough call, or can¡¯t you use it like a tool?¡±


    ¡°No, Miles, just like I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice you either if he wasn¡¯t here. That sacrifice couldn¡¯t guarantee our escape in the long run. Besides, you throw things away, and they lose value to you. The last thing I¡¯m throwing away is another life, even if it takes a form like that. Or like you.¡±


    Miles was quiet at first, but nodded. ¡°Alright, I just hope it didn¡¯t decide to wander off.¡± The two waited, getting ready to make a run for the others. Miles¡¯ shaking with fear was all too obvious to Balthazar. He placed a hand on Miles¡¯ shoulder to ground him, reminding him he was there with him.


    Balthazar leaned over to peer into the temple, seeing the Dryads start performing some odd ritual, in which they laid down their vines as roots, descending closer to the ground, and placed their heads together, their flowers blossoming wider. They made an odd droning noise, but as soon as it started, the wall behind them burst open, a stony fist punching through. Faust grabbed the nearest Dryad by the neck with its stony fingers, and violently yanked it through the hole the golem had made, in the process making a hole larger still. The other two turned to face the golem, who beat down on the Dryad it had taken with its heavy stone fists, each impact ringing out with the cracking of wood. Balthazar sprinted across the temple, Miles shortly behind him, coming to a near sliding stop as he reached Alice and the others.


    Alice looked at Balthazar with surprise and relief. ¡°Balthazar?!¡±


    ¡°Hold still for a second!¡± Balthazar carefully guided Locke¡¯s sword to cut the vines so she could free herself, immediately turning to Locke and Atma to do the same. She sprung to her feet, trying to help where she could.


    ¡°What is that thing?!¡± Atma¡¯s voice was filled with a mixture of shock, horror and excitement, seeing Faust fight with the Dryads.


    ¡°That¡¯s Faust. He¡¯s with us, but we have to hurry, I don¡¯t know how long he¡¯ll last!¡± Balthazar made mode cuts along the vines binding Prince Atma and Locke, though they were more easily able to break free. They scrambled to leave any of their things that weren¡¯t weapons and equipment, Balthazar moved to pass Locke his sword back. ¡°Kept it safe, but the sheath wasn¡¯t so lucky.¡±


    ¡°Just glad you¡¯re safe, forget the sword. Hold onto it for now, I think you¡¯ll need it more.¡± Locke drew his broadsword from its sheath, just as Atma readied his spear. ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead on this one, Balthazar.¡±


    Atma nodded in agreement. ¡°You seem to be the one with the plan.¡±


    Balthazar would have felt choked up in any other circumstance, but in that moment, confidence wasn¡¯t an issue, his mind felt clear. ¡°We move together. Locke, Atma, you focus on keeping them occupied, Miles and I will worry about taking them down, Alice, you keep everyone on their feet, support as needed.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    A heavy impact sounded out as Faust hit the ground, the blue-flowered Dryad wailing on the golem with its heavy wooden fists, while one of the reds struggled back to its feet, heavily beaten, parts of its limbs nearly splattered, and its head partly caved in. The third had its chest checked open, slime oozing from the opening, as it helped to attack the downed Faust.


    ¡°Move!¡± Balthazar rushed towards the monsters, their backs perfectly exposed. Mindful not to bring the temple down on top of them, he went to ignite a fireball in his hand, rather than to set off a larger explosion on their location. The flame grew larger and larger, until it was larger than his head, when he hurled it into the back of the neck of the blue Dryad. Like its brother before, it flailed in agony as the flames exploded onto its body, burning away at its vulnerable neck. It hit the ground and rolled about away from the others, as if to try extinguishing itself.


    Faust saw the opening, and slugged the more heavily beaten Dryad, green covering its fist. The third grabbed the golem¡¯s extended arm, and placing its foot on Faust¡¯s chest, slammed the golem back into the ground, and pulled the arm free, with a great cracking noise, and heavy thud as the arm hit the ground. With surprising agility for the bulk of his armor, Atma sprung forward ahead of the group, and leapt into the air, spear in hand, launching, and driving his spear into the Dryad¡¯s back. It bucked around, trying to throw him off, only being free of him as it tried ramming itself into a nearby pillar to crush him. Atma pulled his spear form the monster, and leapt back off, as Miles clapped his hands together, sending a spike of earth towards the beast, erupting from the ground. It attempted to block with its arms, only barely succeeding, the tip of the spike slightly piercing its chest, widening the hole left by Faust.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The weaker Dryad turned to face them, too slow in doing so, as Balthazar pitched another ball of flame, once again throwing it off balance, as he closed the distance, Locke and Alice in tow. ¡°Let¡¯s tear him apart! Locke, go for the legs!¡±


    Wordlessly, Locke moved in, ducking under a swing by the creature, and with a single clean swing of his blade, severed the knee, still made of vines. He was quick to fall back, anticipating Balthazar and Alice¡¯s follow up. ¡°Finish it!¡±


    ¡°Ignite!¡± A burst of red flame lit up the Dryad, a smaller, more controlled explosion. As the flames raged, Balthazar made a gripping motion with his hand, the flames compressing, growing more intense as they shackled the monster to the ground, the smell of burning intensifying.


    With a swipe of Alice¡¯s hand through the air, Balthazar¡¯s flames intensified, her wind magic kicking up a cyclone on top of the Dryad. Rather than suffocate the flame, the magics intertwined the flaming cyclone burning so hot as to leave black scorch marks on the stone itself, the Dryad being turned almost entirely to ashes. ¡°That¡¯s one!¡±


    ¡°Focus on the other red one!¡± Balthazar moved to help Miles and Atma. When it tried throwing a punch or kick, Atma would intercept with his shield, trying to bash the blow to the side, rather than take it head on. As Balthazar ran side by side with Locke, he snapped his fingers, a red blade igniting along Locke¡¯s broadsword, and expanding its length and width. ¡°Try that on for size!¡±


    Locke readjusted his grip for a two handed swing, the dryad turning to face him too late. Balthazar focused his magic more intensely on the blade, enhancing it further, the extension of the blade cleaving through even the stony earth cleanly to leave a blistering slash up the Dryad¡¯s leg, up to its chest, the soft aloe within popping with the pure heat of the blade, and the hard woody exterior blackened and red. A glowing red crack in it steamed with the aloe interior of the Dryad, as it stumbled back.


    Before it could regain its footing, Atma followed up, throwing his spear into the gaping hole worn into the monster by the battle, burying it so deeply that the tip nearly peeked out of the other end.


    Miles raised his hand into the air, lining up his fingers with the spear in the Dryad¡¯s chest, and with a swift downward swipe, a bolt of lightning came crashing down, finding the spear as a lightning rod. The monsters jolted around as its body course with pure electricity, before finally coming to a stop, its body steaming and oozing more aloe. ¡°Only one left! We¡¯ve got this!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drop your guard,¡± Atma reminded him, a resolute calm in his voice, he had his shield up, not wanting to drop his guard and break for his spear, still lodged in the Dryad. ¡°This last one seems different, a leader maybe?¡±


    The Blue Dryad worked itself back to its feet, parts of it very much charred black by Balthazar¡¯s magic, but extinguished from its panicked rolling. It eyed the Dark Mage with what could be described as no less than pure hatred. It got to its knees, and raised its hands, the hands bursting back into vines, which it drove into the earth. Faust, back on its feet, charged the Dryad, ready to swing at it with its remaining arm, but was bound all too quickly by the creature returning its legs to vines, constricting the golem¡¯s joints, and squeezing harder and harder, the sound of stone chipping and cracking.


    Balthazar moved to burn away at the vines holding the golem, as he did so, he heard stone burst apart behind him, turning to see the vines that made up the Dryad¡¯s arms appear behind him, sprouting thorns, and lunging at him with intent to run him through. He gritted his teeth in anticipation, knowing he wouldn¡¯t be fast enough to stop all of them. Atma rushed to try and guard, putting his shield up, most of the vines impacting with his shield, but a stray vine slashing his side, another whipping the sword from Balthazar¡¯s hand. The sheer force put into the attack saw him rammed into Balthazar, and the two sprawled onto the ground, groaning in pain from the hit.


    As the vines rose to strike again, a frigid gust blew over them, freezing them in place into thick casings of ice. Alice closed the distance to Balthazar and Atma, confident her ice magic would hold off an assault on that front at least. ¡°Locke, Miles, keep me covered while I heal them!¡±


    Locke nodded, grimacing as the fire enchantment wore off of his broadsword with Balthaar¡¯s broken focus on the spell. He moved for the fallen arming sword at Balthazar¡¯s side, dropping his shield. Dual wielding wasn¡¯t his forte, as he twirled the second blade in his off hand, but his shield wasn¡¯t going to be as effective against an onslaught of vines, and he was strong enough that he wouldn¡¯t be weighed down by using both blades. He slashed and parried as more burst from the ground. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he would last, as it felt like they just kept coming, no matter how many he cut down. ¡°Miles!¡± His gaze drifted briefly to the other Dark Mage.


    Miles shuddered, and he bobbed and weaved out of the way of vines, freezing as he realized he was surrounded, panic filling his eyes. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to die, please-¡±


    ¡°Hit the ground!¡± Balthazar groaned and coughed as he started getting back to his feet, aiming with his off hand, while Alice tended to his still numb right hand. Miles still shuddered, as the vines coiled back to strike. ¡°Now!¡± Balthazar couldn¡¯t tell if he had heard him, or if the fear had made him drop, but Miles hit the ground as crescent blades of wind soared over him, severing more of the vines.


    Atma stumbled back to his feet, Locke giving him a hand up. ¡°That feels a bit better. Thank you, both of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks later, fight now,¡± Alice answered.


    ¡°Sir, take this.¡± Locke passed Atma his arming sword, as he severed another attack from the Dryad. The prince took a quick feel for the blade, and took a defensive stance to help Locke defend, shield in his right hand, blade in his left.


    ¡°Ready again!¡±


    As Balthazar tried reassessing the situation, he looked in horror as the Dryad raised Faust into the air, with an incredible strength to its vines. ¡°Scatter!¡± He grabbed Alice and dove, as the golem hit the ground and rolled where they had been moments prior, kicking up dirt and dust.


    Faust hummed weakly, the lights of its eyes flickering.


    ¡°Faust!¡± Balthazar called out, but he had little time to react, as the Dryad stomped up to him and Alice, as they lay on the ground, its damaged vines returning to the form of a fist, ready to crush them. Faust reached out, catching the blow, only to receive another to its head. Nearly rolling again, the golem catching itself, holding itself up off the ground as it took blow after blow, hovering over Balthazar and Alice to shield them from the relentless attacks. A chunk of his head was missing from the heavy blow it had taken, one of its eyes cracked, and no longer glowing. Faust seemed to nearly buckle under each blow, but it held in defense of the two mages, humming resolutely. Balthazar was horrified, seeing the golem take such a beating. He rolled out from under the golem¡¯s guard, and blasted the Dryad in the head with a bolt of lightning from his fingertips, though this Dryad was most certainly made of more durable material, the bolt striking, and leaving a small hole, but not a decisive deathblow.


    Once more the Dryad turned its focus to Balthazar, ready to strike, when Atma leapt to its back, driving his blade in deep where on a human, the spine would be, where the ribcage ended. The prince pivoted on its back, dodging its swings as it tried crushing him. As it swung around, he mustered up his strength, twisting and turning the blade into the beast¡¯s wooden skin, creating an opening to its soft insides, leaping off as it turned its back to Balthazar and Alice, taking the blade with him.


    Alice waited for her opening as the monster tried bucking him off, tracing her finger in the air, a crystalline shard of ice forming and hovering where her finger had been. She saw the opening the prince had left, not very big, but big enough for her to make the shot. With a throwing motion, the shard followed a path guided by her arm, piercing into the softer flesh of the Dryad, which rumbled loudly in pain. ¡°Die already!¡± She held her hand out, as if holding the crystal of ice, and made a crushing motion. From the shard in the body of the Dryad, large crystals of ice burst out, piercing through other parts of the monster¡¯s body, to which it toppled over, its life hanging on by a thread, ice spreading across its body.


    In a last ditch effort, the monster¡¯s limbs burst into vines once more, lashing out randomly, violently. In a flash, Alice conjured a barrier of light holding off the endless barrage. With a heavy stomping of getting back to his feet, Faust stood, unafraid of the danger, charging the monster, and grappling with it with its one arm, holding it in place as the monster struggled. Faust hummed insistently, it wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the dying monster for long.


    ¡°Finish it!¡± Balthazar reached out his hands, Locke and Atma¡¯s blades igniting once more with intense flame. The two moved swiftly, as the golem struggled to keep its hold, Atma moving from the right, Locke the left. Atma leapt into the air again, and drove his blade into the Dryad¡¯s eye, while Locke ran it through where its heart would be. They backed off, leaving the blades in, as Balthazar clapped his hands together, the flames enchanting the blades burning with an unmatched intensity, the body popping, and erupting in flames so intense, they started to turn blue. Balthazar cried out, matching the intensity of his fires until the creature stopped moving. The flames cut out, as Balthazar snapped his fingers, the Dark Mage panting in exhaustion, as they watched the Dryad crumble into pieces of blacked charcoal and ashes. The blades clattered to the ground, unharmed by the blaze they had served as a catalyst to.


    Locke coughed, wafting away the smoke from the bodies. ¡°We did it¡­ we actually did it.¡± He collapsed to the ground, the intensity of the fight wearing on him.


    ¡°I always said you¡¯d be a great knight,¡± Alice reassured him. ¡°Thanks for keeping us safe, Locke. I owe you my life.¡±


    Atma retrieved his spear, looking to the group with pride. ¡°I can¡¯t say I was expecting any of this, but I can¡¯t thank you all enough. This wouldn¡¯t be possible without everyone here.¡±


    Weakly, Miles stood in the background, a trembling guilt covering his face. ¡°I failed back there. Horribly.¡±


    ¡°You were afraid,¡± Atma corrected, ¡°And there¡¯s no shame in that. I was too. We all were. Stand tall, you live to see tomorrow, something you more than earned.¡± He patted Miles on the shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Afraid or not, you still came to our rescue. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Balthazar?¡± Alice walked up to Balthazar, who trudged over to Faust, who sat in the ashes of the Dryad, the light of his eye and core weak. ¡°Is he?¡±


    ¡°The damage is terrible, I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s still going,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Faust, I¡¯m sorry, I never meant for you to get hurt so badly. I went on saying I didn¡¯t want to make any sacrifices, but-¡±


    Faust hummed softly, and weakly, but gently extended his hand, as if to pat Balthazar¡¯s head. Balthazar was unflinching, surprised by the gentleness of the giant¡¯s touch. The golem looked around at the others, before returning its gaze to Balthazar, and humming again, with a tone of happiness. It tapped at its core, to its name.


    ¡°Thank you, Faust, for everything.¡±


    Faust hummed one last time, not a sad hum, but one that vaguely sounded like a goodbye. The golem slumped over, the light fading from his eye, and the core turning dark. There was silence from everyone, out of respect for Faust¡¯s sacrifice. Balthazar tried not to get choked up, as he looked to the lifeless husk before him. He reached out, touching the Golem¡¯s core, to which its finger still pointed. Alice reached out to console him, finding instead a fire in Balthazar¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got an idea, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Balthazar was silent for a moment, as he fiddled with the core. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible.¡± He grunted trying to tug at the core. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever have the skill. If he¡¯ll even be the same golem. But someday, I¡¯ll fix him!¡± He felt around Faust¡¯s core, finding some sort of release, worn away by time. Pressing it, the cylindrical core slid out of Faust¡¯s chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know when that day will be, but if I¡¯m going to fix him, I¡¯ll need his core.The body is excess. This?¡± He held out the cylinder, a wide and tall mechanism of clockwork gears, tubes, and wires. ¡°This is Faust. I don¡¯t know what made him tick, why he was the way he was, but I won¡¯t go without at least trying to save him like he did us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve found your answer for what you want to do?¡±


    ¡°For now, yes. I want to see more of the world, find more pieces of the past like Faust, and find a way to fix him. There¡¯s a lot I want to do, but for now, he¡¯s given me my next step forward.¡± He turned back to Faust. ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 6: What Comes Next

    Chapter 6: What Comes Next


    Balthazar was gentle with Faust¡¯s core, as he reorganized his bags to find a place for it, his mind swarming with possibilities. ¡®Maybe the Temple Library in Linia has something on golems that I can use, even if we don¡¯t have any Golem Masters. Worst case, I visit Arcana and Arcadia in the future, they¡¯re bound to have something.¡¯ He paced incessantly, a habit of his while in deep thought.


    ¡°What is this place, Balthazar? Between the golem and this, I¡¯m surprised none of this is charted on the Kingdom maps.¡± Atma surveyed his equipment, checking to see what was damaged in the Dryad attack, or if anything was lost. He removed a notebook, jotting down observations about the ruins.


    ¡°I have a theory or two, but first, do you have any clue where we are relative to the path? I kind of got disoriented in all the throttling.¡± Balthazar pulled out his own notebook to make note of it.


    ¡°We¡¯re not too far south. I¡¯m a bit more used to spinning around in the air, we head north a bit, and we¡¯ll hit the path again.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, I want to try and be able to relocate this place as easily as possible for the future. I want to come back some day, see what I can discover here. As for what we¡¯ve found? It¡¯s more than one structure. Not far from here, I found an underground lab. That¡¯s where Faust was. It¡¯s hard to say what they were researching with so much of the place collapsed, but Faust being there, and labeled as Mk. I makes me think that golems were the point of study.¡± Balthazar turned to look around the temple. ¡°This temple though, this is what really fascinates me.¡±


    ¡°A temple then? I was thinking that too, but it''s a bit odd, don¡¯t you think? The way it¡¯s shaped, and why it¡¯s here of all places.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like one of our magic temples,¡± Alice chimed in, ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a fan of this place considering, but it''s weirdly beautiful.¡± She pointed up to the ceiling. ¡°I noticed when we were tied up, but the ceiling is marked up with old celestial symbols.¡±


    Balthazar looked up to the ceiling, divided up into various segments, each assigned a different celestial body. Sol, Mercury, Venus, Gaia, Luna, etc. The symbols used were nearly universal, a constant unchanged in magic runes for time immemorial. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that kind of temple.¡± Balthazar and Atma searched the walls, faded and damaged by countless years of disrepair.


    ¡°Here! Take a look at this!¡± Atma carefully, but excitedly pulled away moss from the wall, revealing a damaged mural. ¡°This is a place of faith.¡± The mural was barely present on the wall, but the iconography was unmistakable. It depicted a woman locked in battle with a Black Serpent, brandishing a great sword, bearing the marks of the celestial bodies.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Goddess.¡± Alice moved in to get a closer look. Trying to see what had everyone so excited, Locke and Miles joined them in their observation.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Balthazar excitedly flipped through his notebook, finding a familiar set of runes. ¡°On the outside walls, I saw this old rune repeated over and over again, technically, it¡¯s not used anymore in magic texts, but nowadays, it¡¯s been adapted to runes that mean ¡®Guardian¡¯ and ¡®Mother.¡¯ Both though, come from a rune referring to her.¡± Balthazar scrambled to point out a copy of the rune, getting an impression of it on the page of his notebook. ¡°It¡¯s incredible really, Linia has never been particularly strong in terms of faith in the Goddess, but between the lab, and this temple, I¡¯d say it suggests we used to put far more stock in her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just you,¡± Atma added. ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, your sister states of Arcana and Arcadia put a lot more emphasis on faith in the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Faith always seemed irrelevant to my studies.¡± Miles scanned the temple inquisitively. ¡°My family puts more emphasis on practical uses of magic over the spiritual, you mind filling me in?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s tough,¡± Atma replied, a rejuvenated smile forming on his face. ¡°The faith nowadays is scattered, because it never really had a centralized structure, a lot of it has been lost to time, but you¡¯ll still find people who worship the Goddess in most parts of the world, but there¡¯s so many versions of the stories, there¡¯s some trouble figuring out if some of the stories are different versions of the same story, or if they¡¯re distinct stories.¡±


    ¡°Right, some stories cite two goddesses, others a pantheon, or the Goddess and a father God, or that the Goddess bestowed mortals with her power. The Arcadians and Arcanans get really prideful about it, they believe Mages are her direct descendants. It¡¯s why they fought with each other for so many years in the past, or why they were never too fond of intermingling with outsiders.¡± Balthazar thought of the nature of the lab in relation to the temple, recalling the old Arcadian runes at the lab. He shrugged, not able to draw anything definitive from the little information he had to work with.


    ¡°I think I can understand that. The Deponesian flag bears a black eagle to oppose the Serpent, the nation was founded in a time of great faith long ago. Old legends say my ancestor was blessed by the Goddess.¡± Atma pointed to the Black Serpent. ¡°One of the few consistencies is that a Goddess fought with a Black Serpent, and that she protected life from it for all time. So it appears, this place is in worship of her.¡±


    Balthazar looked the place over in wonder. ¡°This place warrants further investigation for sure. I could spend days going over this place, and still not be done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not, Balthazar,¡± Alice groaned, ¡°I just want to be out of this forest before nightfall. We have a boat to catch tomorrow anyways.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we can still catch it.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, in the future.¡± Balthazar did his best to make as many notes as he could, concerning the lab and temple, as the others finished resting and prepping to finish their journey through the forest. He looked to the mural depicting the Goddess and Black Serpent once more, finding a sense of serenity from it. He found it odd, given he had never been one for faith, but all the same, gave a respectful bow of the head to the mural before joining the others.


    ***


    It had been nearing dusk by the time Balthazar and the others made it to the eastern edge of the forest, having had to refind the path they were supposed to travel. The rest of their trip had been free of any monsters, but the delay of running into the Dryads had cut into their time, as if they had taken the long way around the forest. Exhausted, they set up camp a safe distance from the forest.


    ¡°I think we could have made it to Port Royal,¡± Atma said, inspecting the map in the fading light. ¡°But, I can imagine after today, everyone¡¯s in need of rest right now.¡±


    Balthazar set his things on the ground, before lying down in the grasses of the open plain. ¡°Tell me about it. My body feels like meat falling off a bone¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that right now Balthazar, I¡¯m starving,¡± Alice groaned. ¡°Anyone got any ideas on dinner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing.¡± Miles rummaged through his bag, looking for a sign of anything to eat.


    ¡°Same here. Well, I have snacks, but those are expressly mine.¡± Alice double checked her stash of sweets to make sure they were still safe.


    Atma scratched the back of his head, turning away a bit out of embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know how to cook. I brought a few rations, but I hadn¡¯t expected us to need to camp out tonight. How about you Locke?¡±


    Locke patted a slab wrapped in fur that he carried under his shoulder. ¡°I took the liberty of checking for fresh game while we were at the temple in the pile, and carved off some of the deer, wrapped it in its hide.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s a little gross, Locke?¡±


    ¡°I lost my food supplies in the attack, Alice, and I¡¯d have thought you would have prepared a bit better. As far as I can tell, this is what we¡¯ve got. Now let¡¯s get a fire going and roast this thing.¡±


    ¡°Roast it,¡± Miles asked. ¡°With what?¡±


    Balthazar sighed. ¡°You¡¯re telling me none of you prepared to cook?¡± Silence all around. Balthazar pulled out some of the cooking equipment he¡¯d made sure to stow away in his bags. ¡°Miles, get me some clear ground here. Alice, Atma, kindling.¡± The other Dark Mage placed his hands on the earth, a flat, circular stone rising from the ground. Alice and Atma passed over wood scraps that Atma had gathered from the forest. ¡°Give me that.¡± He took the meat slab from Locke, doing his best to set up a makeshift kitchen. Balthazar had a noticeably grumpy face, as he cleaned his hands, with a light casting of water magic, and ignited the kindling. With a simple stand, he placed a cast iron pan over the flame, rummaging through his bag for spices.


    ¡°Is he mad at us?¡± Atma spoke in a whisper to Alice. Alice simply hung her head, more than a little embarrassed at her familiarity with getting Balthazar to cook at the last minute.


    ¡°I want to say he¡¯s more disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad,¡± Balthazar said, his mind turning on how best to handle the venison. ¡°I just wish I¡¯d known I¡¯d have to cook for everyone a bit earlier.¡± He portioned the meat into cuts, oiling it, and rubbing in spices and a bit of salt before he placed it on the pan.


    ¡°Well, you certainly seem to know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I do a lot of cooking at home.¡± Balthazar kept his eye on the venison, not being particularly fond of the meat, but still intending on making sure everyone ate well. As the others set up camp, he minded the meat, tossing in a few peppers and vegetables he¡¯d packed. He wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the looming feel of the others eyeing him cooking while they worked. He¡¯d had Alice and Locke get in his way in a proper kitchen enough times to know he couldn¡¯t trust them to not pick at the food he was making, or accidentally burn what he was making, respectively. As the others finished pitching the tents, he checked the progress of the meat one last time. ¡°Food¡¯s ready.¡± They¡¯d just about sprung on top of him the moment he¡¯d finished announcing it. He chuckled a little bit, a smile returning to his face. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    It was fairly silent as they all sat around the fire, not out of any particular awkwardness, rather, everyone had been too intent on enjoying Balthazar¡¯s cooking. Alice was the first to break the silence, as she was the first to clear her portion. ¡°Balthazar, I don¡¯t even like venison, and that was still excellent. Tender, juicy, with good vegetable pairings, it¡¯s like biting into the heavens.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to find work as a cook? For working with so little, you certainly impress. I could easily recommend you as one of the castle cooks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that good.¡± Balthazar finished his meal, finding it adequate, but not quite his best work. ¡°I¡¯ve got my goal in mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Atma nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, since I never got the chance before, what do you all have in mind for after this pilgrimage is over?¡±


    ¡°As you likely expect, Prince Atma,¡± Locke started, ¡°I plan on enlisting in service of the crown full time, just as with the rest of my family. There¡¯s not much else to it. House Helion have long been the guardians of the royal family, and that tradition likely won¡¯t be going away any time soon.¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Is that what you want to do though?¡± Atma cut to the heart of things, seeing the doubt on Locke¡¯s face.


    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve always wanted to stand alongside the others in my family. I¡¯m not sure if I can though.¡± Locke¡¯s doubt was not with his desires, as Balthazar was aware, rather, Locke was the relatively talentless child of a grand line. As far as Balthazar had known, Locke had been a lackluster squire in his first few years in the Knights¡¯ Academia. ¡°I¡¯m not them, I know that. Regulus made it as the 12th Knight when he was 16, and here I am, nowhere near 13th.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t intend to cause you any doubt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Any doubt is mine and mine alone.¡±Locke returned to silence, and continued eating.


    Alice tried adding on to cheer the mood. ¡°I also plan on enlisting. Sure, I can hold my own in a fight, but I¡¯d much rather focus my work on healing, I want to try and save lives where I can. A lot of us lost people in the outbreak of the war fourteen years ago. For me, it was my mother and older sister. The worst of it is that I can¡¯t even remember their faces, I was so little. It¡¯s sad, yeah, but I want to help people, so that others don¡¯t have to go through the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a beautifully noble sentiment.¡± Alice¡¯s speech was supposed to sound hopeful, inspiring, but Balthazar saw in Atma a deep guilt. It was all in the eyes, a weakness building in them, hard to see in the flickering light of the campfire. ¡°Miles?¡±


    Miles¡¯ answer was surprisingly quiet. ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking ever since the battle. Before I used to think I would be able to enlist, and go into battle just fine. I thought all of my practical skills and the like would be worth something, but I still choked back there.¡±


    ¡°Miles, again, I don¡¯t blame you for that, we were in a life or death situation, fear was inevitable.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you all fought through it. Even that golem fought to the death. I need time, time to seriously rethink what I want to do.¡±


    ¡°You have time, Miles, your whole life ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for you all to be in danger because of my weakness. I thought I was the best, but I know now I¡¯m not ready.¡± He gazed blankly into the campfire. ¡°Not for the military, and not for this journey. I think it¡¯s best that I return to Linia.¡± The group was taken aback by his words, as they processed what he was saying.


    Balthazar raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hold on, Miles, are you serious? This is a once in a lifetime sort of deal, the whole point of this journey is to grow, so why not keep going?¡± He could hardly believe himself for saying what he was, but part of him felt it would be wrong to back down now. Who was Miles to give up on something so many would be envious of?


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I got picked because Principal Maia hates you. Prince Escalus? He saw something in you, potential he said, but I think I saw something else, in all of you. Determination. Courage. I think I need to find my own before I can really grow the way I¡¯m supposed to.¡±


    Atma was silent for a moment before speaking. ¡°I ask you spend one more night thinking this over, Miles. This is the last chance you¡¯ll have for this. If you decide to stay or leave, then that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not my place to choose your life for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    An awkward silence filled the camp, as everyone finished eating. Balthazar glanced over to Prince Atma, wanting a better look into his mind. He wanted to ask about why he looked so guilty when it came to Alice. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking in turn, what about you? What do you want in the future?¡±


    ¡°Me? I would prefer that my people didn¡¯t feel the need to fight. I want them to feel safe, and at peace again. I could go on, but politics are hardly a fun talking point before bed.¡±


    ¡°Anything left over, Balthazar,¡± Alice asked, eyes searching for any scraps of food left over.


    ¡°No, you cleaned out all of the food. Speaking of, I did all the cooking, you¡¯re all doing the cleaning.¡± There was a collective groan at the notion, Balthazar smiling smugly as he stood to set up his own bedding for the night.


    ***


    Chaos erupted around the castle of Deponess, bells were rung, signaling an alarm, horns were blown, and the guards mobilized, fanning out around the castle grounds and city. The discomfort of the situation wasn¡¯t helped by a looming gray fog, blanketing the cobble streets of Castle Deponess. Regulus saw the commotion from his airship, the Leonidas, as the ship began its descent to return home. Something wasn¡¯t right, he knew, seeing the castle town completely closed off, no one entering or leaving, except by air, and his was the only ship still airborne.


    Regulus made for the castle as soon as his airship landed, donning his full knight¡¯s armor, charging past guards who made no attempt to stop him, considering his status. He burst past the main hall and a grand ballroom, before reaching the throne room, his best chance at finding answers. Including himself, eight of the thirteen members of the Deponesian Knights Council were present. Of those present, he was only below the 2nd Seat of the Council, Sir Lancelot. ¡°Status report, anyone.¡±


    5th Seat Gawain grimaced. ¡°Our defenses were broken through. No one is sure how, but despite our guards keeping to their posts, and no suspicious persons being spotted, someone broke through the security of the castle. The worst has happened.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Regulus stepped up to Gawain, not intending to intimidate, but passively doing so, his fellow knight backing off.


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is-¡±


    ¡°King Escalus has been murdered.¡± Lancelot put his hand on Regulus¡¯ shoulder, guiding the knight to back off. Silence returned to the throne room. ¡°In broad daylight no less, what we have is nothing short of a colossal failure on our hands,¡±


    ¡°Then we avenge it.¡± Regulus¡¯ voice nor face gave way to the shock at the absurdity of the news. To those who had long served with him, his trademark stoicism remaining unbroken was nor surprise. ¡°Are there any clues concerning the killer?¡±


    ¡°None, it was as if a shadow claimed his life. We know a blade pierced his heart, but the killer took the blade with them.¡± Lancelot gestured to follow. Come with me, Regulus, I had hoped to give the prince time alone to mourn. The King¡¯s study, the crime scene, wasn¡¯t far. Within, what would have otherwise been a warm, inviting room was turned cold by the all consuming fog, the blood pooling on the carpet, and the tears of a mourning son. Prince Escalus held his father one last time, crying out in anguish. Regulus felt uncomfortable, finding it an all too familiar sight.


    ¡°My lord, my deepest condolences.¡±


    Escalus was silent as he stood trying to compose himself, though his eyes continued to turn to his father¡¯s body. Lancelot gestured to the royal doctors, who covered the body, the blanket they used quickly turning red. The knight guided the prince from the crime scene, returning to the throne room, the members of the Knights¡¯ Council looking to him for any sort of guidance. Escalus made a point to not show weakness before his knights. ¡°I want his killer found and executed.¡± He slowed himself, and closed his eyes for a brief second, not able to work out more in that moment.


    ¡°We¡¯re going through as many possible candidates to try and discover the murderer. You have our word, Prince Escalus,¡± Lancelot reassured him. The doors to the throne room burst open, a heavy set blonde nobleman, draped in fine regalia wantonly stepped into the room. ¡°I thought I ordered none but the Knight¡¯s Council be allowed inside.¡± He leered at a panicked guardsman, who meekly waved his hands defensively.


    ¡°But sir!¡±


    ¡°Now, Sir Lancelot,¡± the nobleman grumbled, ¡°This is a matter that concerns myself and the other members of the nobility just as much. The loss of the King is nothing short of significant! How many men must I mobilize?! I will not sit around and do nothing while a murderer runs loose!¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, Duke Ryner.¡± A second nobleman stepped into the room, a slimmer and more handsome man in his late thirties. ¡°Sir Lancelot means only to contain this situation as best as he can. But, I too must ask, what information has come to light?¡±


    Lancelot hesitated to answer, before receiving a nod from Prince Escalus. ¡°We have little as it stands, Duke Kaian. At this point, there is nothing I can tell you that you are likely unaware of.¡± The knight crossed his arms. ¡°Though if you¡¯re asking for personal opinion, Dukes, my suspicions lie in Ranzian assassins.¡±


    Duke Kaian raised an eyebrow. ¡°My suspicions lie closer to home, Sir Lancelot.¡±


    ¡°Your point being?¡± Regulus kept a close eye on the two nobles, trying to glean their intentions. The two Dukes were not on particularly good terms, having long been political rivals in the Council of Lords that helped to oversee the Deponesian territory. Since the end of the Ranzian border war, many of the nobles and their citizens had been split concerning the continued militarization of Deponess, while some had called for a gradual decrease in the size of Deponess¡¯ armies, more called out for a bolstering of their forces, to safeguard against any further invasions. Some still called for a retaliatory invasion. The two Dukes had been highly supportive of the King, but the same could not be said of the princes. Though the princes may have been twins who shared a distaste for war, their visions for the nation were opposed, Escalus having found importance in maintaining the defense of the people, while Atma had sought to ease military deployment, in hopes of eventually creating a less military focused nation. Given that Escalus and the military faction were somewhat larger in number than the demilitarization faction, news of Atma being named successor was nothing short of controversial.


    ¡°Do you not find this whole situation suspicious, given that the assassination took place just after the King¡¯s declaration of Atma¡¯s ascension? Just following the day the prince departs no less? Why, I saw him off myself in his father¡¯s stead yesterday morning.¡± Duke Kaian represented the war faction, the most powerful of its lords, and spoke in such a manner befitting his station. He would guide others to conclusions, rather than make them himself, and act in support of these ¡®newfound¡¯ conclusions.


    ¡°Are you insinuating Atma had something to do with this?¡± 13th seat Dante leered angrily at the Duke, offended in the place of his absent lord, and long time friend.


    ¡°Choose your words carefully, Duke Kaian, as Prince Atma is next in line for the throne, you may stand to face charges of treason for such unfounded claims,¡± Gawain stood in support of his junior.


    ¡°Unfounded? Hardly. With his being named heir apparent, he would be crowned immediately, no? Historical precedent has seen the named heir placed upon the throne, pilgrimage or not.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Duke Ryner was red faced, looking as though he might explode out of pure rage.


    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting my brother committed patricide? He loved our father more than anyone else.¡± Prince Escalus strode forward to meet the Duke personally, standing well above the nobleman.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll recall, Prince Escalus, once again, my fears are not without precedent. King Gilliam of Ranz raised the banner of peace only after he murdered his father to ascend the throne. I simply ask for a proper investigation of Price Atma, send a task force to retrieve him, so he might clear his name of any wrongdoing¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll have left the country by the time we could assemble a proper judicial force,¡± Regulus made an attempt to intervene in the Duke¡¯s insinuations. Duke Kaian simply gestured to Regulus, letting Regulus create an implication as if Atma had fled the country. Regulus¡¯s stoicism transitioned into the other expression most saw him wear, a daunting scowl.


    ¡°For all your insinuations, I would see you investigated just as well!¡± Duke Ryner jabbed Kaian in the chest with his finger, staring down his rival, who simply ignored the poke, brushing aside Ryner¡¯s hand.


    ¡°By all means. Whatever it takes to see justice served. I surrender myself to any such investigation.¡± He paused, turning to his rival. ¡°Though if we are being fair, perhaps you should do the same, Ryner? It is perfectly possible that some radical member of the demilitarization faction is responsible, to secure his throne.¡±


    ¡°This is no time for jokes, Duke Kaian! House Reyner likewise submits to any investigations!¡±


    Lancelot groaned to himself, these two were precisely why he had ordered the doors shut, knowing the two had great aptitude for sowing discord. He turned to 13th Seat Dante, speaking to him quietly, as Escalus reigned in the bickering of the Dukes. ¡°As Prince Atma¡¯s long time retainer and friend, I would ask you to be among the team sent to retrieve him. There is no one I would trust more with this task.¡±


    ¡°Sir, are you sure? I¡¯m only in the 13th Seat.¡±


    Lancelot sighed. Long ago the numbers had been meaningless, but constant war, and military structure had seen the seats of the Council devolve into rankings of strength and authority. ¡°I hold little stock in numbers, Sir Dante. I place with you my hope that all of this can be resolved peacefully. The House of Lords, the Council, and Prince Escalus will delegate who to send, I will do all I can to see you to the prince, you bring him home safely.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    ***


    Atop Castle Deponess, a woman lay upon the roof, in a spot where even the spires of the castle were blind. She kicked her feet whimsically, humming to herself without a care in the world. She was tall, with long, flowing hair like grayed sandstone, a longer lock of hair draping the right side of her face. She appeared in her late twenties at the oldest, with a remarkable beauty to her, only obscured by the bone-white mask she wore. It covered the entirety of her face, leaving nothing visible. The skull-like eye holes of her mask were black voids, nothing visible within, her gaze being impossible to trace, with red markings just below. In the style of a Jack-o-lantern, there were stitchings in the mask in where her mouth would be, like an extra wide smile of teeth. Her outfit was black, with exception to a white scarf she wore. Her shirt was sleeveless, over which she wore an unbuttoned vest, showing off a circular black tattoo on her shoulder, depicting an Ouroboros, above it the name Fey, below, the number XV. She had black leggings, leather stilettos that went up to just below her knees, and gloves that transitioned into sleeves. ¡°Nemesis, not bad, keeping it clean, but just messy enough to really rile them up.¡± Her voice was playfully sultry, as she spoke to the woman approaching her from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it meets your standards, mistress.¡± Nemesis was similarly dressed, wearing a similar, but distinctly differently marked mask, with no teeth stitched in. She opted for a black cloak and hood, and a dagger at either side of her hips, wearing her hood up even now.


    ¡°I¡¯d have done it myself, but I felt it would have been too messy.¡± The masked woman played with a loose piece of stone chipped from a tile with her fingers. ¡°Our job is done for now. Now we watch the dominoes fall. What happens next is the fun part.¡± She flicked away the stone before standing, arms spread wide. ¡°Give me a show, Deponess! Give me a show, Gaia! I know you won¡¯t disappoint!¡±

 Chapter 7: Overseas

    Chapter 7: Overseas


    Port Royale was bustling, despite the group arriving not long after dawn, merchant peddling their goods in the stalls lining the streets, city folk moving from seller to seller, the occasional whistle blow of a guard demanding someone to stop for random inspection, and the screechy cawing of the seagulls. Port Royale, Balthazar found, was nothing short of lively. Between the massive crowds spilling across the streets, and attention turning to the criers of various markets, the group was able to step through the city relatively unimpeded, none suspecting their prince was walking among them, mistaking them for just another guild.


    The guildhouse, likewise, was clamoring with people patrolling the boards for work. It was easy to get separated, as the group scrambled back and forth, squeezing through the people rushing back and forth. Balthazar made it through the crowd alongside Atma, up to a thankfully open desk. This receptionist, Balthazar noticed, was a lot more lively than their counterpart in Linia. ¡°Greetings, how can I help you toda-¡± He realized who was standing before him. ¡°Ah! Prince Atma.¡± He held back an obvious excitement in favor of discretion. ¡°We were expecting you last night, is everything alright?¡±


    Atma sighed, before pulling an impressive stack of papers. ¡°Well, we took the route through the Forest of Elders, as posted in Linia. I stayed up putting this together, it¡¯s a detailed compilation of what happened in our journey. In short, monsters in the path have been defeated, but it¡¯s just as likely that there could still be more in the forest. It¡¯s promising, but is going to need a lot of work.¡±


    The receptionist skimmed through the report, making an obvious show of surprise as he made note of the bigger points. ¡°Dryads, shorter general time, and impressively, a discovery of some sort of forgotten ruins.¡± He looked up to Atma and Balthazar from his seat as the others caught up, with a wide grin on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, most guilds go years without making such a discovery, but your very first job netting you such a find? That¡¯s nothing short of incredible. I¡¯ll have to raise this with the other local branches, that¡¯s just not something we can ignore.¡± The receptionist stood, and scrambled back into another office giddily to share the news with his branch chief, leaving the party relatively to themselves.


    ¡°You know, when he puts it like that,¡± Balthazar smiled. ¡°It really sinks in how special what we did was. It¡¯s incredible, really!¡± He could feel his body clench up in excitement. ¡°I could stand to do it again.¡±


    ¡°We almost died, Balthazar.¡±


    ¡°Well aware, Locke, but all the same, we made it to the other side of it, and it¡¯s not something I¡¯ll ever forget. Thank you again, Prince Atma, for giving me the chance to come this far.¡±


    Locke smiled, seeing his friend¡¯s passion reignited. ¡°We did pull it off, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Again, Balthazar, you don¡¯t need to call me Prince. I owe you far more than you do me.¡±


    ¡°Right, sorry. But thank you all the same.¡± His smile weakened a bit as he turned to Miles. ¡°Miles, the spot is still yours to go. Have you thought about it at all?¡±


    Miles was silent for a moment. He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was ever my spot, Balthazar. This is what you were meant to do. I stand by what I said. I need to find my own place too, but it¡¯s not with you.¡±


    ¡°Miles¡­¡±


    Atma nodded, and bowed slightly. ¡°If that is your wish. Miles, your honor is not tarnished, so stand tall.¡± He reached into his bag, to a neatly folded letter, alongside a small bag, with a familiar jingle of credits. ¡°I also wrote this last night just in case, explaining everything. Certainly, this whole situation is unconventional, but it¡¯s not unprecedented. My pilgrimage doesn¡¯t begin in full, technically speaking, until I leave the country. The credits should be more than enough to see you safely back to Linia.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t-¡± Miles was silent again. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The receptionist burst back into the room, with a sizable bag, that he placed on the table with a dull thunk! Balthazar was taken aback by the size of it, it had to have easily had closer to eight thousand credits with the sound and weight. ¡°And that would be your reward money. For both your job, and the success of your discovery. Places like that are of particular interest to many of our benefactors, so we try to offer rewards for any such discoveries. Furthermore¡­¡± He placed a second bag down, which had a similar noise to credits clicking together, but this was far smaller, and sounded like a few smaller objects. ¡°These would be your guild badges.¡±


    Atma opened the smaller bag, finding a set of ten identical metal badges, a purely polished iron so clean it might have appeared silver. Atop a circular etching representing Gaia, standard for those tied to the guild houses, there was a silvery wing, like that of an eagle, inscribed upon it ¡®ZEPHYR.¡¯ They were roughly palm sized, where one could comfortably hold on to it, or pin it to their clothes. ¡°I don¡¯t recall custom ordering these.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t, but our guild smith is something of a patriot. When we received the order the other day, he set to making something special just for you. You have the standard set of ten badges here in the event of new members of the guild. If you need more, I can bet he¡¯d be happy to make more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is plenty, thank you, but be sure to pass on my thanks and best regards.¡±


    ¡°Just a reminder, Prince Atma, but I would recommend settling into the ship sooner rather than later. It¡¯s not set to depart until later, but if they can depart further away from the evening, they will.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess we should be going. Miles, I think this is where we part ways.¡± Balthazar put out his hand, Miles shaking it in turn.


    ¡°Do well out there, for both of us. Keep them safe.¡±


    Atma held out his hand, a badge in it. ¡°It¡¯s yours if you want it.¡±


    Miles shook his head in response. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not ready to accept that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold on to it until you feel like you are, then. I wish you the best, Miles.¡± Miles turned to face the exit, turning back briefly to wave, before stepping back into the city for whatever came next in his path.


    ***


    The masked woman strutted into a balcony overlooking the House of Lords¡¯ council chamber, as the nobles of the local districts scrambled in for the emergency summons. More would be on their way with the coming days, until each region was informed, so that the summit would be able to decide the best course of action following the King¡¯s assassination. As it stood, as the woman leered down at the lords below, it was an absolute mess, some completely unaware of the reason for their summons, others assuming Ranzian attack. ¡°This part is always so boring. It¡¯s not even to the point of proper build up just yet.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call any of this boring. This? This is where the first real battle begins.¡± Another voice front the shadows of the dimly lit balcony. The woman was unsurprised, as Duke Kaian stepped next to her.


    ¡°And what battle would that be?¡± The woman retorted playfully.


    ¡°For justice and vengeance. I will not allow Atma to sit on the throne and be a weak king in the face of Ranz¡¯s King Gilliam. After all these years, we stand at a new apex. Last time, Ranz caught us off guard, weak, killed all too many of our people. Women, children, the weak and sick, none were spared in the face of their attacks. Escalus I believe is the key to the just future I desire.¡±


    ¡°Just?¡± She turned to him as he did her. ¡°You¡¯re talking to someone directly involved in your King¡¯s murder. Someone you¡¯ve hired to keep killing, might I add? Not that I particularly care about your justice.¡±


    ¡°For years, my people have wanted a bloody vengeance for the suffering we faced. If I¡¯m not perfectly just, then that¡¯s fine by me. I¡¯ll simply return the blood we shed, for my brothers and sisters, and their children.¡± He clenched his fist, trying to reign in his rage. ¡°You never did disclose your other benefactor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Gilliam, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re implying. Like I said when I first reached out to you, their interests align with yours for now.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly do you plan on doing with Prince Atma? I doubt you have much in the way of implicating him.¡±


    ¡°Oh you leave that to me. I hardly need to do anything. Let¡¯s say, put him in a situation where he has no choice but to run? Sometimes, Duke Kaian, a scalpel is a far better tool than a hammer. Consider the king the use of a hammer. Prince Atma will be a scalpel, giving him just the right push. But to really get things going, I¡¯ll be needing to make one more little cut here with the lords.¡±


    Kaian tensed, putting himself on guard. ¡°And that would be?¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s not you,¡± the assassin snickered. She playfully tapped him on the nose with her finger. ¡°So don''t you worry your handsome little head about it.¡± She glanced out to the crowd of lords once more, Duke Ryner arguing with others below. She turned back to Kaian once more, he flinched slightly, the stitches in her mask shaping into more of a smile than they had when she had turned away, and the eyes shaping into something more joyful. ¡°You¡¯ll have your blood and war. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°What do I call you if I need to reach you? How should I reach you?¡±


    ¡°My assassins are otherwise occupied for now, but I¡¯ll leave you in Nemesis¡¯ care. She¡¯ll take care of relaying anything you need to me, and you can trust that she¡¯ll always be nearby. As for me? Well, people call me a lot of names I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard, but you can call me Loki.¡±


    ***


    Balthazar giddily explored the ship, as they cast out, clear skies ahead, and a cool breeze inviting them out to sea. He leaned over the side a little, making out the name of the ship, Daybreaker. A couple of the crew members found him rather odd, though finding some appreciation in the Dark Mage expressing such an interest in the sea and their ship. The Daybreaker was a fairly large ship, carrying passengers and cargo both between nations and continents. It had taken a fair bit of time for the ship to be let out of port, departing some time after noon. Port Royale had exceptional security, seeing as it had been used as an invasion point during the border war. Now though, they were out on the open sea, passengers moving about to familiarize themselves with the layout of the ship. It wasn¡¯t especially crowded, this particular voyage had more cargo than passengers, though it wasn¡¯t as though they could afford individual rooms.


    Similar to Deponesian airships, as Locke had been quick to point out on boarding, the ship made use of mana drives, specialized engines that ran off of magical energy. It was far cleaner, and more cost effective to keep a mage, or someone at least with a high capacity for magic aboard, than it would be to run a steam engine, with better output to boot. Locke wasn¡¯t all too familiar with the magical side, but Balthazar was familiar enough with technology to connect the dots. A few decades back there¡¯d been some experimentation with steam engines, but any real development had stopped in favor of mana drives once people applied magic to the principle. It was easy enough to get someone skilled in enchantment to feed energy to a mana drive, and get something far better than an old piece of junk. Combine the engine with sails, and one could cross the ocean far faster than one might unassisted. Balthazar found it fascinating all the same, wondering if Faust worked on a similar principle, if returning a flow of magical energy to his core would help to restore him.


    Balthazar found himself bunked with Atma and Locke both, Alice receiving her own room out of common courtesy to her privacy. It took a little while, but it wasn¡¯t long before it settled in to Balthazar that even for a ship as fast as the Daybreaker, it would be over a week before they made port on the other side of the Ocean, in the Land of Mist, and the port city of Calima. Balthazar let out a deep breath and faced out to the horizon, leaning against the railing of the ship, an empty blue consuming all that he could see in the distance..


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of boring, now that it¡¯s setting in, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alice walked up next to him, leaning against the hand rail with him.


    ¡°After what we went through yesterday, I¡¯ll take a bit of boring. It was at least a little fun though.¡±


    ¡°When I wasn¡¯t worried about being turned into fertilizer, yeah.¡± She smiled gently as she glanced over to him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you can be here in full. I really don¡¯t think this trip would have been the same without you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had your back since we were kids, no point stopping now. Won¡¯t lie though, it puts a lot into perspective, everything from yesterday.¡± Balthazar matched her gentle expression, closing his eyes, the events of the forest playing through his mind.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Alice sighed, but her body stayed tense. ¡°I know we can¡¯t really remember the invasion of Linia from all those years ago too well, but yesterday, I started wondering if that¡¯s how it felt back then. To be afraid, to not know if we were going to make it. I wondered if that¡¯s what the war was like.¡± She paused, carefully considering what she was about to say. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m worried I was able to shake it off as well as I did. It feels wrong, like I should be more panicked or something.¡±


    Balthazar gave her words some thought before answering. ¡°I think that¡¯s part of why they always tell us in Academia; ¡®you¡¯re going to kill people,¡¯ ¡®you can die,¡¯ ¡®you¡¯re not invincible.¡¯ Locke says they do the same thing in the Knights¡¯ Academia, to try and reinforce us for life as soldiers. I think it¡¯s okay that you feel the way you do.¡±


    Alice relaxed a little. ¡°You know, when I saw Miles breaking down before, I really wondered if being so relatively unshaken was a bad thing. There he was, having some epiphany about his mortal existence, and there I was, munching on macaroons.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say Miles is weaker, or we¡¯re stronger. My Mom always told me, after working with veterans and explorers, that everybody just responds differently. I was scared. I¡¯m sure Locke and Atma would tell you the same thing. Without Miles and Faust, I don¡¯t think I could have pulled off that rescue. But back there, I found new determination to keep going. I can¡¯t fully explain it, but I just knew I had to fight, and I could fight.¡±


    ¡°No, I get it. I just wonder sometimes. I don¡¯t really remember my Mom and sister, but you remember when we were growing up, people always saying ¡®you must feel so sad,¡¯ or ¡®you must be so lonely.¡¯ That sort of thing just makes me feel¡­ like I¡¯m not feeling what I¡¯m supposed to be.¡± She sighed, a smile returning to her face. ¡°I think what I felt then and now is a kind of appreciation for life. Mine, yours, everyone¡¯s. That part I¡¯m still not sure on. For all of it, what I do know I feel, what I know I should feel is happy you did come to save me- us.¡±


    The two let the slip of the tongue slide, trying to ignore it at first. ¡°Alice, whatever you¡¯re feeling, whether either of us understand it or not, I¡¯ll be there to listen.¡±


    ¡°I know. Always have been, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Always will.¡± The two stared back out to the ocean again, Balthazar resting his hand on the railing, a moment later, Alice resting her hand on his half a moment later as she turned her focus to that blue horizon. The two flinched slightly, but kept their hands together.


    Atma from a distance saw the two as they were finishing their conversation, about to approach. ¡°So that¡¯s where they-¡±


    Locke held out an arm to hold him back for a moment. ¡°Sir, if you would please.¡±


    ¡°Locke?¡± Atma was surprised that someone who was such an adamant follower like Locke was holding him back, not remotely offended, but curious to this new side of his knight.


    ¡°Could you give them a moment?¡± Locke glanced back over to his friends, sighing in relief. ¡°I just think they need a minute to themselves.¡±


    Atma nodded and smiled. ¡°So are those two-¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Right, right, let¡¯s give them some space.¡±


    Locke turned the prince away, a feeling of content that his friends were expressing themselves.

 Chapter 8: A Teachable Moment

    Chapter 8: A Teachable Moment


    ¡°So what exactly are we doing here?¡± Alice traced her eyes around the large open room below deck, glancing back to Atma for any kind of answer.


    ¡°Well, I was hoping to talk to you about this yesterday but-¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find you,¡± Locke cut in, Alice and Balthazar both noting how suspicious Locke doing so was.


    ¡°Right.¡± Atma spread his arms proudly. ¡°This is where we¡¯re going to practice and train while we travel.¡±


    Balthazar raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure about this? I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a bad idea, but I don¡¯t want to burn a hole in the ship by accident. I¡¯ve got the magic control and all that to not do it, but-¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about that, I spoke with the captain beforehand. He was telling me that enough adventurers and guild members go through on the ship that he had to section off this area of the ship with magical wards and the like. Said too many were wrecking their rooms or the main deck. The only conditions are we don¡¯t do anything too crazy, and that people can watch us fight, it makes for good entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Gladiators for a bunch of sailors,¡± Alice muttered. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Atma raised his hand to his chin, his mind turning back to their battle in the forest. ¡°We all fought well together, there¡¯s no doubting that, but it feels like we were lacking proper synergy. We have a decent baseline knowledge, I think, but if we¡¯re going to do our best together, we should probably go a bit more in depth.¡±


    Balthazar nodded in agreement. They¡¯d mostly improvised, and certainly, it had worked, but he was only really sure on how Alice fought, Locke he had a general idea on, and as for Atma? He found it all a bit odd how he moved around.


    ¡°Locke,¡± Atma began, ¡°You¡¯re something of a middle ground between the four of us in terms of familiarity, so why don¡¯t you start?¡±


    Locke nodded. ¡°Well, as everyone¡¯s familiar with, I specialize in swords and shields, but I know my way around a few other weapons too. My Family¡¯s Helion school of fighting has an offensive form for greatswords, and a more defensive style that revolves around shields in tandem with other weapons. While my brother specializes in the offensive form, I focus on defense, so you can trust me to keep you safe.¡±


    Balthazar turned over to Atma. ¡°I still don¡¯t quite get your fighting style. I saw you jumping around better than anyone I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    Atma snapped his fingers, and nodded his head excitedly. ¡°Exactly. Learning things like this will take us to the next level.¡± He held out his spear and shield. His shield was noticeably smaller than Locke¡¯s, but was no less durable or hefty. ¡°I started my training with the Knights¡¯ Academia, so Locke and I have similar fundamentals. I, however, went on to train under Noble Knights Heinkel and Xander.¡±


    Balthazar took a moment to try and place who they were. The Noble Knights of the Council were the finest that Deponess had to offer, their apex warriors and commanders, so, naturally, the Academia made knowing them mandatory due to their weight in the Kingdom military. ¡°7th Seat Heinkel and his brother 8th Seat Xander. They¡¯re veterans of the border war, and they¡¯re¡­ Dragon Knights?! Does that mean you have a dragon?¡±


    Alice excitedly perked up. ¡°Oh that¡¯s gotta be so cool! Does it breathe fire?¡± There were only ever a handful of Dragon Knights at a time, but their presence was nothing short of legendary, powerful warriors who rode atop dragons in battle, said to hold the same power of their dragons within themselves. Alice and Balthazar both found it like running into the rare beast itself.


    Atma chuckled and scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. ¡°That¡¯s a no, sorry. No dragon of my own. Maybe one day.¡± He cleared his throat and recomposed himself, a bit of blush still on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t put as much emphasis as Locke or other knights do on defense in my fighting style. Dragon Knights train more for mobility in combat, hence why my armor is less bulky than his. We put a lot of emphasis into quick vertical movement, use our falls to gain momentum for stronger strikes. In short, we jump and we sprint.¡±


    ¡°How do you do that, exactly,¡± Locke asked, an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of hard to explain, it¡¯s like I-¡± Atma paused. ¡°No, that¡¯s not quite it.¡± He focused for a moment, then turned to face the far side of the room. He took a deep breath, and kicked off, launching himself a light gust of wind from where he kicked off from, not as far or high as he might otherwise, but enough to make an example. ¡°Does that help?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly well, sir.¡± Locke tilted his head, clearly confused.


    ¡°I think I get it.¡± Alice nodded. ¡°Can you prepare yourself to do it again? Don¡¯t jump, I want to see if my idea here is right.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He positioned himself in the same spot, it only took half a moment for him to prepare, Alice placing her hand on his shoulder as he did so, pulling her hand away, with a faint green glow to it.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, you¡¯re using wind magic, in a way.¡±


    Atma left the position, returning to a more casual stance. ¡°Something like that, I don¡¯t have the same aptitude for it as Escalus, but Knights¡¯ Academia training demands we at least learn the bare basics of how it works, since we¡¯re expected to fight alongside other mages. I can¡¯t say I know enough to start casting anything, but I get the idea of it at least.¡±


    Alice nodded. ¡°When you see Balthazar and I cast magic, we use it outside of our bodies. What you¡¯re doing is more like applying magic to your body. It¡¯s a technique used among adventurers and warriors, so that they can draw out every power they have, even if they can¡¯t normally cast magic. It¡¯s not always something that the people who use it are conscious of. We don¡¯t learn too much about it, but even our documentation says that many of the best fighters in history have found some way or another to incorporate magic into their techniques.¡±


    ¡°I figured it was something like that.¡± Atma went over to his bag to pull out his notebook and write some of what he was hearing down. ¡°Heinkel and Xander always told me they¡¯d teach me their more advanced techniques after Escalus or I had our pilgrimage, but I imagine this is probably the key to that. If you¡¯ve ever seen them fight, they rocket around, or do similar things to how Balthazar enchanted our weapons.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± Balthazar added. ¡°Magic has a lot of applications to it, aside from throwing fireballs, or healing wounds. Really, it all comes down to technique and creativity. Someone who only masters one element will usually have an edge over someone so-so at all of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly all that familiar with magic, that¡¯s more Escalus¡¯ forte. Again, I get the basic ideas. You control the elements with your basic magic, but you can also heal, or enhance. I¡¯ve even heard stories from veterans about summoning elemental spirits, or how they¡¯d seen some Mages reshape their magic and the world around them into weapons or armor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit more high end magic. Powerful, yes, but not something we can just throw around without a lot more practice with it.¡±


    ¡°Right, most of my knowledge is second hand from Escalus, or combat tactics from Academia. I¡¯m not even sure how well our martial techniques could really compare to true magic.¡±


    ¡°If you want, Alice and I can give you a refresher on the basics from our perspective. I know our different branches give a few details about each other to function on the battlefield, but until Locke started teaching me more about swordsmanship a few years back, I never would have been able to really understand all the work that goes into it.¡± Balthazar was more than fine offering, his underclassmen often came to him for help understanding material back in the Academia.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind. If there¡¯s something new for me to learn, I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±


    Balthazar nodded in confirmation. He glanced over to Alice, who gave him a thumbs up to go ahead. ¡°At the surface level, Light Mages like Alice, Dark Mages like me. You go a bit deeper, and you get the eight elements, four Light, and four Dark. There¡¯s an opposing element on either side. For example, Ice is a Light magic, opposed to Fire, a Dark magic.¡±


    ¡°I remember this, it''s something of a mutual strength and weakness, right?.¡± Atma kept making notes.


    ¡°Right, but it doesn''t mean that they don''t interact outside of their oppositions. Well, the other pairs are Water and Lightning, Wind and Earth, and Light and Dark, respectively. They¡¯ve all got their own properties at base, Lightning is great at piercing, wind cuts, and Light is incredibly fast, that sort of thing. Again, that really comes down to how well you can use what you¡¯ve got. I¡¯ve seen some people get Lightning to flow like Water, and other times conjure strong structures out of Fire like it were Earth.¡±


    Atma nodded, putting together a T-chart, with little notes in the margins. ¡°So a magician really could have anything up their sleeve, misbranding you would be like mistaking one of Deponess¡¯ knights for Diamant¡¯s Samurai, and assuming they¡¯d fight the same way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a great analogy.¡± Alice cut in. ¡°We get all dressed in different colors, but you never know what a mage has in their arsenal until you see them use it. Magic is our sword, spear, bow, you name it. But people have different affinities for it. Some can¡¯t use magic at all, others can¡¯t get past your hurdle, where they have to use magic in their body. If you want to get technical, people also just have affinities for different elements. Take Balthazar, he has a Fire affinity, so it comes really naturally to him, but he has a harder time with Light and Ice. Me? I have a thing for Ice, but Earth¡¯s always been a weak point of mine, and Fire is really not my strong suit, but I can make it work.¡± She tapped her chin, thinking back a few years. ¡°People more naturally have their affinity flow through them. In your case, that would be wind. When we were kids, we tested Locke, and found his was Light.¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I remember that, he was still new to mages, and was all freaked out when he saw the whole glowing hands thing.¡±


    Locke chuckled. ¡°Well, all these years later, and I just sort of got used to the weird stuff being around you two.¡±


    Atma smiled and nodded. ¡°I think I get it. I¡¯ll have to ask again later, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Balthazar grinned. ¡°Not everyone gets the chance to say they taught the Prince of Deponess something. There¡¯s a lot more of course, but that¡¯s a bit more high end. Let¡¯s save that for later.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, fundamentals are the best place to start, and I think I have a decent idea of yours. You can fill me in some other time.¡± Atma stepped over to a pole on the floor, roughly equal in size to his spear, nudging it with his foot, then kicking it up, and catching it in his left hand. ¡°Well then, who¡¯s up for a little spar?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sit this first one out, you boys have fun, I need to make sure you don¡¯t beat the tar out of each other too badly.¡± Alice nudged her head towards Balthazar and Locke, as she stepped back a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Balthazar answered. ¡°But remember, I can¡¯t exactly switch to a wooden stick like you can. You won¡¯t have to worry about me torching you or anything though.¡± Balthazar was more than adept in magic control, so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about doing any serious damage, but he knew that spar or not, he would have to take Atma seriously, just as Atma would no doubt take him seriously.


    Atma nodded. ¡°Two landed hits to win. That would be all a real enemy might need to take you down.¡± He stood at an opposing end of the room, while Alice and Locke stepped off to the side, and took up a stance, crouching slightly, his right side towards Balthazar, his right hand towards the head of the pole closer to where a spear tip might be, while his left was further back.


    Balthazar excitedly readied himself, right foot forward, hands up, similar to how a boxer might prepare to fight. Deep breath in, deep breath out. He tried getting a read on the prince¡¯s stance, looking for any kind of opening. Based on his stance, the prince was left handed, and his body was relaxed, but ready to spring into action. Balthazar knew distance was going to be his best friend in this fight, but he also knew Atma was far faster than he was, and would be able to close the distance. An idea shot through his mind. Atma was fast, but how agile was he mid-leap?


    Locke stood in the center of the room, off to the side, holding his hand into the air. ¡°On three. One! Two!¡± Balthazar tensed, as Atma did. ¡°Three!¡±


    Atma shot forward, as Balthazar, in a swift motion, spread his arms wide, an earthen barrier appearing with the motion. It was harder to create without proper earth at his feet, but nothing a bit of extra energy investment couldn¡¯t fix. There was a thud as Atma made impact, staggering off the wall that had appeared between them. Atma was fast, yes, but Balthazar¡¯s gambit had paid off, Atma¡¯s initial distance closer was predictable, and easily interrupted. Balthazar let the wall crumble away to dust, as he did, he swiped his hand through the air, an arc of flame blasting through the scattering dust. Atma put up his shield to guard, but was still off balance, taking the still forceful blow to the chest, knocking him back.


    ¡°Point, Balthazar.¡±


    Balthazar kept his guard up as Atma regained his footing. Since the prince was closer, he would have to go for quicker, lighter strikes. Smaller flames shot from his fingertips, Atma rolling to evade, and making a smaller leap off to Balthazar¡¯s side rather than go straight for him. Balthazar moved his left arm as soon as he saw Atma roll, keeping his right in pursuit, but while Atma had evaded the path of Balthazar¡¯s flames, he¡¯d put himself in the line of fire for Balthazar¡¯s counter. A bolt of lighting arced from his index and middle finger. But, given it was his off hand, his aim was just a bit off, sailing under Atma¡¯s arm as he sidestepped Balthazar¡¯s attack, and moved in closer. The Dark Mage was wide open as Atma closed the last gap between them, and, rather underwhelmingly, gently tapped Balthazar¡¯s forehead with the pole. He backed off before Balthazar could properly respond, the mage utterly thrown off by such a motion, touching his head as if to confirm it was real. Atma moved back towards his starting position.


    ¡°Point, Prince Atma. That¡¯s 1:1.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly make swinging this thing weaker like you can do your magic, and I can promise you, getting hit by a stick in training isn¡¯t that fun.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± Balthazar took a moment to recompose himself. In a death match, that would have been a killing blow, but he had a better read on Atma¡¯s movements. As his affinity suggested, fighting Atma was like fighting Wind Magic. Bigger movements were faster and more powerful, but moved in a predictable way, but those smaller motions were far more agile, and harder to evade or connect a hit with. Proper combination of both aspects to match the situation would decide how competent the wind mage was, and how dangerous they were. Ignoring the light tapping, Balthazar could still see that Atma was more competent in his control of his movements than some mages had control over Wind Magic. Baltahazar kept an eye on Atma as he saw the prince get ready to move again. Given the distance between them, he was more than likely going to try and rush Balthazar again, though not head on like before. Balthazar knew he would be putting himself at a disadvantage if he tried moving around too much to keep up, or try to press the attack. His best strategy was to try and win defensively, hold his position, and try and force Atma to act how he wanted.


    Atma lunged off again, feinting for Balthazar¡¯s right side, moving as if a burst of wind were behind him. As Balthazar moved to cast a spell, he kicked off of the ground, changing course for Balthazar¡¯s left. He didn¡¯t stop as he intended though, when his feet his the ground again after his course correction, the floor at his feet was slick with ice, not particularly thick, but enough for him to lose balance and slide, thudding into the wall.


    Balthazar followed up again with his tried and true Fire Magic, a small, well controlled shot aimed for Atma¡¯s chestplate as he hit the wall. His read on Atma being left handed paid off, and he¡¯d seen through the feint, and knew Atma would try to keep him on the side of his dominant hand. It hadn¡¯t gone exactly as he planned, but- The flame pinged off of Atma¡¯s shield, guarded in time.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting the ice after Alice said you weren¡¯t all that good with it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can never fully trust knowledge from your opponent after all.¡± Balthazar bluffed, but he had intended to cast a wall, not an ice slick. He had a terrible poker face though, something most would have been able to see through.


    Atma smiled paced around, reassessing how to make his approach. ¡°Fair enough, but I¡¯ll turn this around yet.¡±


    Balthazar wasn¡¯t entirely sure if his bluffing had worked, but he returned his focus to the moment at hand. The distance between the two wasn¡¯t all that great, if he acted fast, he might be able to catch Atma off guard before he could evade. He spread his arms wide, and swiftly clapped his hands together, and with a faint green glow to it, a shot of wind blasted off, with a speed to match Atma¡¯s. The prince vaulted off the ground, rolling in the air, over Balthazar¡¯s attack, the Dark Mage staring, trying to come up with something as his mind seemed to be a moment behind. He made a motion of reaching out to grab the prince, a shadowy mass moving and forming to guard, spreading out like tendrils to try and catch the descending prince. Too slow. The spell dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, Balthazar jostled back from the rush of adrenaline. He¡¯d been so caught up in the fight, he hadn¡¯t noticed how hard his heart was pounding, or the stupid grin on his face. ¡°Oh that¡¯s a rush,¡± he laughed, as Atma got off of him, and extended a hand to help Balthazar back up. Balthazar took his hand, stepping off to the side with him.


    ¡°You did well. Was that your first time sparring like that?¡±


    ¡°Only with someone who¡¯s not a mage, you¡¯re a very different fight from that.¡± Balthazar sighed and sat himself on a nearby crate.


    ¡°You alright you two?¡± Alice glanced them over for any bruises or injuries. ¡°Hurt anywhere I can¡¯t see?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything, Alice.¡± Balthazar looked himself over for signs of any damage from his fall.


    ¡°You want to check back when the adrenaline wears off? You did go down pretty hard there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, later, I think I¡¯m good for now though.¡± He sighed in relief as he relaxed a bit. ¡°Are you and Locke going to spar next?¡±


    She nodded, and spoke with a wistful smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll try and pick up the pace for you.¡± She and Balthazar exchanged a quick high five, as she stepped into the makeshift arena.


    ¡°How did you read me so well, Atma? This is your first time fighting a mage, right?¡±


    ¡°It is, but I went off of something I started to notice back in the Forest of th Elders. You, Miles and Alice are all very expressive with your hands when you use magic.¡± Balthazar had his interest piqued, listening a bit more intently to Atma¡¯s assessment. ¡°I may not know your full arsenal, but if I follow your hands, I can at least get an idea of how you¡¯re going to attack.¡±


    ¡°When you put it like that, it¡¯s really obvious, it¡¯s how we control our magic the easiest. Honestly, not using your hands is a big skill marker, but that¡¯s a really high bar to match.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say you adapted to me just fine, though I don¡¯t suppose it was a very fair match with how I fight, and you had to handicap yourself.¡±


    ¡°Not something I¡¯m used to, sure, but nothing to put to blame there, I just need to adjust to fighting in conditions like that more. Never know when it¡¯ll come in handy. Just watch Alice fight Locke, she¡¯ll have picked up any mistakes I made and start trying to plan around them. For the record though, the ice thing was a fluke. Completely messed that one up.¡±


    Atma had that sullen look on his face again. ¡°That right, huh?¡±


    ¡°Why do you do that?¡±


    Atma blinked quickly, hiding the darker expression on his face with a forced smile that Balthazar realized was very well practiced. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°You always seem really sad when you talk about Alice and Linia, what¡¯s up with that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s-¡± The normally steadfast prince was hesitant to answer.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, but we are your companions for the foreseeable future, best get whatever it is off your chest now.¡±


    Atma sighed, and seemed to truly relax for the first time since Balthazar had met him. He ruffled his blonde hair into a more natural looking flow, sighed, and sat forward, resting his head on his interlocked hands. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He was silent for a moment, and let out a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m a bit older than you, so I still remember the battle, Balthazar. I remember the days leading up to it, and the days after. Not perfectly, but I still remember. April 23rd, Escalus and my 8th birthday. We were in Linia to celebrate for a few days, our father was going to speak with the Linian council, and wanted to introduce us to your home while we were young. ¡®Our people are brothers, and I would invite them to share in my joy.¡¯¡±


    Balthazar¡¯s mind began piecing things together. ¡°I remember hearing that all those years ago, Ranz attacked because-¡±


    He tried hiding it, but Atma¡¯s face was gaunt with guilt. ¡°Because it was one of the rare chances where my brother and I left the castle.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly blame yourself for that? Atma, you were a child, a victim like the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but knowing that people shed blood for me, just some child they¡¯d never met? That¡¯s not something I can be proud of. As for why Alice? Well if you can believe it, I knew her sister.¡± He paused, and leaned back, looking up to the ceiling. ¡°Knew is a strong word. I was just some kid who snuck away while the guards were still asleep, and ran into her and their mother. It was a rush back then getting to act like just another kid. Never even got her name. But I didn¡¯t forget their faces.¡±


    Balthazar was silent, unsure of how to respond, so he said nothing. The most he could offer being his attention.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t learn their names until after the battle. When I saw their portrait at the vigil for those who died or were taken captive in the attack. I promised I wouldn¡¯t forget, not when people like Crowe fought, but couldn¡¯t save their loved ones. My life shouldn¡¯t matter any more than any of theirs.¡±


    ¡°People didn¡¯t die just for you, Atma,¡± Alice called out as she stepped back to the sideline. ¡°People fought and died for their homes, and you¡¯re not that.¡± She paused for a moment before relenting. ¡°You¡¯re a symbol for many people, something to protect, because you represent their homeland. But that¡¯s not the same as fighting with your loved ones at your back.¡± A soft smile formed on her face. ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation though, my father and I have never blamed you for Diana and my mother, and he¡¯d be honored to know you never forgot. I forgive you, even if you don¡¯t forgive yourself.¡±


    A bit of peace and warmth returned to Atma¡¯s face as he slumped back. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Alice sat next to Balthazar, kicking her feet in the air as she waited. ¡°So who¡¯s up next?¡±


    ¡°Wait, is it already-¡± He glanced up to Locke, who was completely drenched and shivering.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me fight her again.¡±


    Balthazar snickered a bit seeing his friend act like a dog fresh from the bath, but his eyes turned back to Atma. He reached out and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I think I get the type of king you¡¯ll be. I¡¯m here for you, as your companion, and your friend.¡±

 Chapter 9: The Torrential Ocean Stirs

    Chapter 9: The Torrential Ocean Stirs


    Balthazar stumbled about as he tried regaining his footing, the ship rocking back and forth. He tried holding up Locke¡¯s arming sword as his friend had instructed him, but he found himself far too occupied trying not to be thrown off by the ship being rocked about in the stormy weather. ¡°How are you standing like nothing¡¯s going on?¡±


    Locke kept making his motions in practice, as if nothing were wrong. ¡°I got used to serving on airships back in the Knights¡¯ Academia. It¡¯s not quite the same as this, but you learn to keep your footing all the same so you¡¯re not falling down mid-deployment. Remember, your footwork matters just as much as your upper body.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure about me using this sword?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve used it before, and we didn¡¯t exactly have the time to find one your size back in Port Royale. Again, the broadsword is a bit too large for your build.¡±


    Balthazar sighed. He wasn¡¯t weak, but he was by far the shortest member of the party, and frankly, even the arming sword was just a bit too awkward for his short stature. He could use it, sure, but it was obvious to any onlookers that it wasn¡¯t the right size for him. Still, he insisted on trying to hone his swordsmanship, after dueling Locke and Atma proved how much he needed to work on his defenses for close combat. Certainly, under normal circumstances he¡¯d have Locke and the others helping him on that end, but if he wasn¡¯t fully able to fend for himself, he was dead weight. He tried stancing back up, as Locke had shown him, only to stumble again, as it felt as though the ship had rammed into something. ¡°Seriously, what was that?! I knew we hit some rough weather, but nothing this crazy!¡± He carefully sheathed the blade at his hip, about to make his way to the door.


    Normally, Balthazar might have found the sound of rain soothing, but not as the ship rocked back and forth, as sailors cried out on deck, or thunder cracked around them. The Daybreaker couldn¡¯t be in more opposing weather to its name. Balthazar scrambled about the cabin, trying not to be thrown to his feet as the ocean threw the ship about. A week aboard the ship, and there hadn¡¯t been much to hint at the storm, deckhands seeing a storm far off, but the wind¡¯s course ought to have taken it elsewhere. The storm had well and truly crept out of nowhere, striking before dawn as if it had been in pursuit of the ship. Balthazar nearly hit the floor, as the waves throttled the ship, Locke catching him before he did. The two moved to the door leading to the deck, the pounding rain and thunder a deafening cacophony.


    ¡°Keep your arms out, be ready to catch yourself!¡± He had to yell over the roar of the storm outside. Thunder crashed again, followed by a scream. ¡°Follow me, we should make sure people are safe!¡± He opened the door to the deck, a burst of cold wind and rain showering Locke as he carefully trudged outside, minding his step in the water that washed over the deck. A mast and the deck it was connected to were scorched black by lightning that crashed into it, a few sailors twitching on the ground, on the receiving end of a violent shock. A part of the sails had been set ablaze, miraculously extinguished by the same storm that had lit it on fire. Locke pointed out to a few wayward passengers, startled and frozen in place. ¡°You, you, and you! Help these sailors inside!¡± Atma burst out from below deck to see how bad the situation was. ¡°Prince Atma, I need you to find Alice and get her to those sailors!¡±


    Atma didn¡¯t question Locke for a moment, heading off with a much better familiarity with the shaking than Balthazar. ¡°You can count on me!¡±


    Balthazar could barely stand, if anything, he felt as though he might vomit from how violently he was getting tossed about. He nearly fell to the ground, when it felt as though the ship had rammed into something, but kept going. ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Can you do anything about any stray bolts of lightning?¡±


    Balthazar grimaced, unsure at first, he eyed the sword at his belt. ¡°Yeah, but I really don¡¯t like the idea I¡¯ve got. What about you?¡±


    ¡°If this is anything like one of our airships back home, I¡¯ll do what I can to help the crew get us out of the storm, but we need some form of damage control.¡±


    Balthazar nodded. ¡°This is going to be really stupid, or pure genius, and I don¡¯t think I want to start second guessing myself right now.¡± He readied to draw the blade from its sheath as Locke turned to help a crewmate struggling with a mastline snapped loose by the howling winds. Slowly, Balthazar trudged towards the front of the ship, finding a heavy crate to prop himself again, so he could focus on his idiotic plan. He drew Locke¡¯s arming sword once more, holding the blade out in front of him, double handed. Lightning crashed once more, singeing one of the masts, again, a sail lighting aflame even in the torrential downpour. He had to act fast before the ship took any more hits.


    Redirection of the elements around a caster was a basic skill that was taught to young mages who couldn¡¯t fully conjure up their own magical energy, and a skill refined as they got older since it was such a cost effective skill. Balthazar was more than proficient in lightning magic, but even he knew that what he was attempting was incredibly stupid and dangerous. Lightning was infamously difficult to redirect, it was far too fast and volatile, not something a mage could redirect with their hands safely unless they¡¯d truly mastered the element. He charged the blade with a touch of Lightning magic, the blade sparking with the tiny charge he gave it, the principle was simple enough, he had to provide a miniscule amount of energy, which would serve as a guide. It smelled of ozone, as when another bolt came down, again headed for a mast, it curved away, heading for Balthazar¡¯s blade, and charging it further to expand the blade similar to how a fire enchantment might. The Dark Mage could feel his body shake with the raw power he had just redirected, and contained. It wasn¡¯t like his own magic, fighting him, wild, and trying to wrestle free of his guidance. As it stood, he couldn¡¯t maintain the energy blade, if he didn¡¯t release it right away, it would more than likely explode in his face. He stabbed the blade out to the open water, guiding the stored power to arc out away from the ship, the kick of it pushing him back into the crate he¡¯d braced against. He was amazed he¡¯d pulled it off, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be the last bolt he had to stop, the storm relentless.


    Locke didn¡¯t panic, as much as he felt like screaming behind his gritted teeth. Even for his experience with heavy turbulence on airships, he was nearly knocked to the deck with the heavy waves, the taste of salt filling his mouth, and burning his eyes as he struggled to the helm of the Daybreaker. As his eyes cleared, for a moment, he could have sworn he¡¯d seen some great mass beneath the waves, as if just below the surface, but he didn¡¯t have the time to worry about it, as the helmsman cried out for help with the wheel, as it fought him and another sailor against the pressure of the ocean. The young knight took to the wheel with them, wrestling for control against the mighty waters.


    ¡°Engine¡¯s burnt out from the strain!¡± A sailor scrambled out from below deck, yelling at the top of his lungs in an effort to be heard.


    ¡°We¡¯ve toughed out worse storms than this!¡±


    Lightning struck again, and again the bolt was redirected towards Balthazar, Locke swearing under his breath at his friend¡¯s recklessness. ¡°I don¡¯t think those felt so intent on sinking this ship!¡±


    Balthazar¡¯s heart was pounding as he released the next bolt, and his breathing heavy. He could feel his body tensing in preparation to catch another, but containing the bolt long enough to swing it away was taking a toll on him. It was more like having to cast spells on par with natural lightning, on top of having to contain them. At the rate he was going, he¡¯d burn through his stamina long before they were out of the storm. He braced himself, but nothing came. The tension in his body built and piled on top of itself, until he was sure he would collapse.


    When the first note hit his ears, Balthazar could feel his body relax, nearly to the point of going limp. When the second hit him, he was struggling to keep his footing. The unmistakable noise of a harp filled his ears, piercing past the sound of the rain and waves. At that moment, the thunder and lightning seemed to cease, even as the rain continued to pour.


    Her voice was smoother than silk, the playing of her harp more elegant than even the richest kings¡¯ finest regalia. Balthazar felt his mind drifting away as he turned to face the figure out at sea. It was hard to tell her size with how far off she was, perched upon a black island jutting out of the sea. The siren seemed to pay them no mind as waves parted away from her. The mermaid¡¯s tail was a warmer shade of blue, even among the darkness of the waves, matched in color by the knightly armor she wore, down to gauntlets which did nothing to obstruct her playing. Her face was entirely obscured by a knight¡¯s helmet, though her beautiful long hair, a deep green in color, flowed all the same, quite literally, as if she were underwater.


    The ship careened towards her, bit by bit. Locke grew weaker at the helm, unable to fight against the wheel any more as the ship drew closer and closer. Most were thrown to the ground as the ship came to a sudden stop, not as though they were run aground. As if they were caught by something. Balthazar was flung back, rolling past the crate he¡¯d braced against prior, and landing closer to the mid-deck.


    The ship creaked under heavy strain, as something began squeezing it. Balthazar groaned, trying to force himself back up, as he saw the ¡®island¡¯ the giant siren sat upon rise up from the water. Among even the most experienced sailors, the thing was considered a myth, or more accurately, a nightmare. According to some, it only appeared during torrential storms, according to others, it brought the storm with it. They¡¯d been stalked by the great ship sinker, Kraken. The ship shuddered, as the beast tightened its grip with its massive tentacles, and more of its body emerged from the water. It was easily twice the size of the Daybreaker, quite possibly bigger still with much of its body beneath the sea. The mermaid perched on its head was indifferent to its actions and continued her playing, as its tentacles teached onto the deck, grabbing hold of the masts.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Balthazar propped himself up on the handrail of the ship, barely. He could make out a great beak, and rows of teeth in the water, coming closer as the Kraken dragged the ship closer. Faintly, he could hear the rumble of thunder beyond the siren¡¯s song. He struggled to hold Locke¡¯s sword up, his whole body shuddering, wanting to give out and fall. As he was about to falter, he felt a second set of hands on his, Locke at his side, hardly any stronger than he was. Weakly, they nodded to each other, as Balthazar charged the blade, ever so slightly, and lightning burst down from above, with an intensity like nothing before, the two nearly buckling as the blade lit up with blue lighting. They cried out together as they swung the blade, lightning arcing forward, and blasting the Kraken, which bellowed in what felt like a noise that would blast their eardrums, a smell of burnt fish filling the air. The clap of thunder roared out, a reprieve to the siren¡¯s song. The siren atop the creature stopped her singing, though it seemed as if she were unharmed. Balthazar fell first, flat on his chest, nearly unable to move, even as the siren stopped her singing. Locke was next, falling to his knees. Slowly, he turned, as the sound of louder creaking, and an even louder snap! The masts gave way, toppling over, nearly crushing the two, Locke pulling Balthazar out of the way in the nick of time. The Kraken began sinking below the depths once more, the siren leaving its head, and coming closer, her full size apparent once she was up close. She loomed over the ship, eyeing the scattered passengers, with eyes that glowed a cold blue beneath her helmet. She was easily eight meters from head to the tip of her tail. Her gaze was slow, and methodical, tracing the people above deck she could see. As Balthazar¡¯s eyes fell shut, he could see the mermaid dive back under the sea to join the Kraken.


    ***


    It was cold at first, senses fading away to a void, everything except a feeling of cold air, and the scent of salt water. Even those faded, however, as a different sensation crept over, warm, familiar, and gentle. ¡°You¡¯ve always had such a loving heart. I hope that never changes about you.¡± His mental image was that of someone smiling down at him, an impression so strong, he could almost see them without opening his eyes. There was the feeling of a kiss on the forehead. Balthazar tried to see who it was, only for his eyes to gently be kept closed by the soft touch of their fingers. ¡°Be strong enough to be kind. Be kind enough to have faith in others.¡±


    He opened his mouth to speak, only silence as he tried forming words.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can sleep for now, Balthazar.¡± Once more, he felt the gentle touch of the person who held him, their fingertip running along the back of his hand, as if writing something. It struck him how real it felt, it was completely unlike a dream in how vividly he could feel contact with their finger. He felt himself fading again, any sense of the world blanking, except the feeling of warmth.


    ***


    ¡°Oi, oi! You going to wake up or not?¡± A man crouched over him, uncomfortably close, his breath smelling of booze, repeatedly tapping Balthazar¡¯s cheek with his fingers. The Dark Mage groggily opened his eyes. ¡°Goddess above, we just about thought you¡¯d kicked it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Balthazar tried recollecting his thoughts, sitting up a bit too quickly, and his head aching.


    ¡°Easy there, you took a nasty hit to the noggin.¡± Balthazar felt up his head, finding himself bandaged. He was inside one of the cabins, a few other sailors and Locke holed up in the same place, standing by the door. Locke waved to him, smiling at seeing his friend okay. ¡°The prince and lass you were with were worried sick ¡®bout you both. Cap¡¯n would be thanking you both if he were in better shape. I ¡®ave no clue how you two did it, but you saved all of our hides, and you¡¯d better be damn sure we¡¯re grateful.¡±


    ¡°To be perfectly honest, I don¡¯t have a clue either. Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°Another cabin, tending to a few others.¡±


    Balthazar stretched a bit, his body still tingling a bit. He hadn¡¯t taken any hits from the lightning, but guiding it left his body feeling as if he¡¯d rolled across shag carpeting, even hours later. ¡°Locke, you doing alright over there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, I wasn¡¯t the one who fell on their face. Is my body supposed to tingle like this?¡±


    ¡°Give it a bit. I¡¯m still staticy too.¡± It was a bit cold as he sat up, he found himself wearing a sleeveless shirt, his magician¡¯s robe and other clothes folded neatly beside his cot.


    The sailor seemed a bit surprised on seeing Balthazar¡¯s arm. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting a man your age to be all inked up.¡±


    Balthazar, still half asleep, nodded. ¡°Yeah, most mages get one of these. Two marks can happen here and there, but it''s really rare.¡± He tapped at his right shoulder, and a black, circular mark, in the same style the face of Faust¡¯s core. ¡°It¡¯s an old tradition, an identifier. Up top is our family name.¡± Avelus. ¡°The center and bottom are what really make it special. The Seers are the one who give the mark to us, and these marks are like a personal prophecy of what could be. They¡¯re never clear, and some people go their whole lives without ever figuring it out. Hell, I¡¯m not sure if mine¡¯s a tree, or crossroads, or what.¡± He pointed to a black shape in the circle, shaped like a Y. Then to the bottom, representing a tarot the Seer had given him. I; The Magician.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the one on your hand?¡±


    Balthazar paused, waking himself up a bit more, his eyes widening as he stared down at his hand, a new, black mark traced onto it. ¡°That¡­ would be the symbol for Mercury.¡± He traced it with his finger, his body remembering before his mind that it was what that gentle hand has drawn on his hand. He was quick to stand up, still eyeing the mark.


    ¡°Hey, you alright?¡±


    Balthazar refocused on the sailor before him. ¡°Yeah, yeah I¡¯m alright, I just need to get up and get moving a bit.¡±


    Locke frowned, recognizing the subtle confusion in his face. ¡°Since when have you had that?¡±


    Balthazar shrugged. ¡°How long have I been out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe a couple hours?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere between a couple hours and now.¡±


    Locke raised an eyebrow curiously. ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got no clue either.¡± Balthazar started dressing himself into the fresh clothes left for him. ¡°I¡¯ve got no clue if Alice has done it already, but I should probably set off a signal flare in either case, try and signal anyone out there for help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she has, why don¡¯t you just lie down for a bit longer and-¡± Locke touched Balthazar, trying to stop him, the both of them feeling a static pop that stung a bit as they made contact. ¡°Ow.¡±


    Balthazar stepped past Locke, finding the sky outside still darkened by storm clouds, though far from the heavy storm it had been before. He wasn¡¯t sure how long exactly it had been, the sun before and after he¡¯d woken up was blotted out by the storm. Locke trailed him, making sure he was alright, as Balthazar worked his way to the deck, finding it just as beaten and trashed as before, the masts having crashed through the guardrails, and into a few cabins. Balthazar grimaced, as he faced the open sea. He still felt drained, but as disoriented as he was, he knew he had enough in him for such a simple task. He pointed his finger up into the sky, a ball of crimson flame shooting into the sky, and popping up high in the air, hovering and flickering as it slowly descended down towards the water. ¡°One of those every few hours is standard protocol, unless I¡¯m forgetting?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s right.¡± Locke sighed. ¡°I just wish you¡¯d ease up a bit, you nearly got struck by lightning, three times. And you tried fighting off one of the scariest sea monsters known to man.¡±


    ¡°Well so did you, and you don¡¯t hear me getting grumpy with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m more worried about what Alice will do if she catches you out of bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go lie back down, alright?¡± Balthazar glanced back over to Locke, before returning his gaze to the open sea. It was still a gray emptiness. The rain reduced to a sprinkle, and the wind bitter against his skin. He shivered, staring out a moment longer. He reached out with his hand, observing the new mark. ¡°Seriously, Locke, I know I like gloves and all, but this is new.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, but how? When?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking what I am¡­¡± Balthazar¡¯s eyes traced the mark on his hand once more. Out of his focus, starkly contrasted to all of the gray, another red light shot into the air. His eyes moved from the mark to the sea once more watching the flare descend. ¡°You see that?!¡± Balthazar giddily pointed out where the flare had been. ¡°I think our luck¡¯s turning around!¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be. Your timing couldn¡¯t have been any better.¡± Locke smiled. He turned back to the cabins, and the entrance to below deck, calling out excitedly. ¡°We have a flare back! There¡¯s another ship out there, someone get me a pair of binoculars!¡±


    Balthazar followed the protocol that had been drilled into him back in the Academia, shooting off another flare to signal that he had seen them. It didn¡¯t take long for the crew members who could stand on their feet, and other passengers to scramble up top to try and spot the incoming ship. Balthazar sighed as he saw Alice emerge from below deck, an obvious look of disappointment on her face that quickly melted into relief. ¡°Sorry, I know I shouldn¡¯t be up, but-¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± She raised her hand. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you can get up and move around at all.¡± She smiled warmly and hugged him. ¡°You¡¯re going back to bed though.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he answered meekly, smiling all the same.


    ¡°And will you calm down with the heroics? You¡¯re making me look bad,¡± she teased, and hugged him.


    ¡°Easy on the celebrations,¡± Locke called out. He looked out to the ship, still far in the distance, chewing his lip slightly. He lowered a pair of binoculars a sailor had passed to him, slowly. ¡°That¡¯s not a merchant ship. It¡¯s too small, and it¡¯s not flying a guild banner either.¡±


    ¡°So? Could be an independent ship. Point is, they saw our flare, and are coming to help us.¡±


    ¡°What are they flyin¡¯ then?¡± The sailor from before looked to Locke, curious, but clearly on edge.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to make out, it blends in with the clouds behind it.¡±


    ¡°Could be the Mist Alliance¡¯s flag. Ye¡¯ got anything a little more for me?¡±


    Balthazar could see the ship now, drawing closer. It would have been harder not to, seeing as the ship was painted a very proud red, that he could make out rather easily, even as far away as it was. A few sailors took note, and started mumbling to themselves. ¡°What? Is red bad?¡±


    ¡°More and more likely to be.¡± The sailor looked back to Locke. ¡°Son, can ye¡¯ tell me the anything else, before I start thinking ye¡¯ lot are nothin¡¯ but bad luck?¡±


    Locke was silent before answering, waiting as the ship drew nearer. ¡°I can almost make out the name on the bow. The¡­ Vermillion Bird?¡±


    Balthazar glanced about to the sailors, who looked sheepishly at their feet. ¡°That¡¯s really bad, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Son, that¡¯s a pirate ship.¡±

 Chapter 10: The Tempestuous Captain

    Chapter 10: The Tempestuous Captain


    Anyone who was remotely familiar with a weapon was armed, and holding back at the entrance to the lower decks. Any cannons the ship had were out of commission following the attack from the siren and Kraken, so it wasn¡¯t as if exchanging a broadside was going to go in their favor. Furthermore, Atma and Alice were the only ones still in any condition to fight, Balthazar and Locke were still far from fully recovered. They might have been skilled enough to take on any of the pirates individually, but not while protecting everyone, or being overwhelmed. Their best move was to huddle down, and hold a choke point, better able to handle the combat ready pirates that likely outnumbered any fighters on the Daybreaker. Atma cautiously peeked out of a window in the door that Balthazar was too short to see out of. He held up a hand, signaling everyone to hold their position and stay quiet. The pirates shouted loudly as the ships lined up side to side, some barking orders to others as they dropped planks for crossing over.


    ¡°How many?¡± Locke had the point position next to Atma, ready to take up a defensive stance as soon as he needed to, armor or not. He¡¯d had no time to equip himself, instead wearing a simple tunic, alongside his sword and shield.


    ¡°Ten right now, but there¡¯s definitely more still on their ship.¡± Atma took another quick glance. ¡°One more coming over.¡± He ducked back down, readying his shield to try and wall the entrance with Locke.


    The pirates on the ship seemed to go quiet on the new person stepping aboard. ¡°Oh don¡¯t go playing dead on me now!¡± A woman¡¯s voice, proud and commanding. ¡°Most of my crew doesn¡¯t bite, now it¡¯s a little rude to not greet your rescuer, isn''t it?!¡±


    Atma and Locke glanced back and forth between each other, not sure of how to respond.


    ¡°We¡¯re not exactly too keen on trusting pirates, much less one of the Tempests! Go away ye¡¯ she devil,¡± a sailor cried out.


    Balthazar didn¡¯t have to know who this pirate was to know insulting her was probably a bad idea, and he let the sailor know, glaring at him. ¡°Please don¡¯t make this worse.¡±


    ¡°You want to come out here and say that?!¡± Her tone dropped to be a bit more ferocious.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± The sailor murmured, barely audible.


    ¡°For the record, he doesn¡¯t speak for us!¡± Balthazar tried peeking through the window as he responded to her, but had no luck, with Locke and especially Atma towering over him.


    The pirate outside scoffed. ¡°Then who is? Because I¡¯m getting real tired of talking like this real fast.¡±


    Atma paused for a moment. ¡°Your crew goes back to the ship, then we talk.¡± It was a lot to ask for, and that much was painfully obvious. Atma wasn¡¯t exactly in a position to negotiate, but he knew that this was going to be his first and possibly best shot at trying to gauge where the pirate actually stood on raiding the ship.


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping two of mine with me. That¡¯s more than generous enough.¡±


    Atma sighed in relief. ¡°Deal. But I¡¯m taking two with me up top.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She whistled a command to her crew, who retreated back to the Vermillion Bird, their footsteps audible against the deck.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s willing to talk, we¡¯ve got that much going for us.¡± Atma looked over his companions. ¡°Balthazar, Locke, I need you two with me. I know you¡¯re not in the best shape, but I need you two by my side in case something goes bad. You¡¯re also my bluff. Alice, I need you to stay on guard here in case things go south, you¡¯re our best bet in that worst case scenario.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Alice looked back nervously to the cowering people behind her.


    ¡°Doubting this won¡¯t help us, so-¡± He glanced out of the window again. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Slowly, Atma opened the door, Locke and Balthazar flanking him. He still held his spear and shield, but held them up to show he wasn¡¯t trying anything. A plethora of pirates, male and female both, lined the Vermillion Bird, sitting rather nonchalantly, standing about lazily, or a few sitting on the handrails kicking their feet about. The pirate who had been in charge eyed them over, her eyes stern, focused as they stood before her. A pair of pirates flanked her, keeping an eye on Locke and Balthazar, but they hardly seemed that concerned. Atma''s eyes met the captain''s. ¡°That sailor called you a Tempest?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Captain Tempest!¡± One of the flanking pirates growled, her captain silencing her with a nudge of her elbow.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sienna Tempest, so you¡¯re not confusing me for one of the others.¡± She was tall, between Alice and Atma in height, just over six feet. She had a steadfast confidence to her, relaxed, but keeping an eye on the trio all the same. She rested a tall battle ax against her shoulder, carrying it with ease despite its clear weight. She wore a black tank top under a red duster coat that draped down past her knees, and a pair of bracers. Her boots were on the shorter end, cutting off above the ankle, with thigh high socks and jean shorts. She was fair skinned, though slightly beige with a life in the sun. She had a white forehead band, holding back some of her very long brunette hair that hung down nearly to her waist, similar in color to what her name suggested. Her eyes were a similar color, a warm, almost chocolatey tone to them.


    ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m all that familiar with you." Atma bowed his head slightly. Atma was well aware that now would be a terrible time to give out his full name, defaulting to his middle. "As for myself, you can call me Sigurd.¡± He pointed up to the flag her ship was flying, gray, and speckled with smaller insignias. ¡°You¡¯re flying the Mist Alliance¡¯s flag, you mind telling me what that¡¯s about?¡± As the name suggested, the Mist Alliance was not a single nation, rather, a conglomeration of allied city states scattered about the western half of the continent referred to as The Land of Mist. Individually, they were a bit larger than Linia, and networked, they were lesser in size and strength compared to Deponess, a powerful alliance all the same.


    ¡°Privateering contract. They keep me paid, I don¡¯t have to raid them. You get the picture? I¡¯m a pirate, not a monster.¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Atma relaxed somewhat. ¡°But I take it, you still want something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a pirate, not a monster.¡± She spoke tauntingly, with a bit of smugness on her face. ¡°Call is a fee for my services. I¡¯m taking what you don¡¯t need, and we haul your ship east with us on our way back to port.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to be just a bit more specific on that.¡±


    The captain tapped her foot impatiently. ¡°Let¡¯s call it¡­ I¡¯m taking your money, your weapons, a quarter of your cargo, and any miscellaneous treasures you may have on board.¡± One of the pirates at her side got up on his toes to whisper something into her ear. She groaned and rolled her eyes. ¡°And your spices.¡±


    ¡°Not a deal I can make.¡± Atma was quick to shut her down.


    ¡°You know I can always just sail off, right? Probably stay just far enough away to wait you all out. I¡¯m giving you an out here.¡± She smiled with gritted teeth. ¡°One that sounds pretty generous to me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not giving up all of our weapons. Insurance to see to it you hold up your end of the deal. I help keep them held back from attacking, and you do the same for yours. And the spices? These merchants won¡¯t be getting off their feet if you take their money and spices.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not so fast, you¡¯re losing the weapons, I¡¯m not risking any of your people going out of control. Besides, what guarantee do I have that you can reign them in? For all I know, you¡¯re just some guy they sent out as a scapegoat. If you¡¯re going to be adamant about it, I can always take it by force.¡± She placed her free hand on the handle on her battle ax, and put her foot forward, as if she were about to lunge. ¡°Try me.¡± Locke and Balthazar tensed up, getting ready to fight, with the pair of pirates at Sienna¡¯s side ready to do the same.


    ¡°How about there being no point to you trying to take them? I have a few mages on board, and you should know that there¡¯d be no point in disarming them.¡± He didn¡¯t break his non-aggressive posture, Balthazar seeing this and easing up. Atma held his arm out in front of Locke, signaling him to back off. ¡°The only guarantee I have worth anything is my solemn vow and my life, if it gets them back home.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bold claim, Sigurd.¡± She straightened out her posture, her expression lightening. ¡°You get some of your weapons. We¡¯re taking half.¡± She sighed. ¡°Do you know how many idiots always try to pull something when I let them keep any of that stuff? Always with the, ¡®oh I can¡¯t trust you even though you¡¯re trying to help, let me try and stab you!¡¯¡± She waved her free hand about, then stopping, her eyes dead serious. ¡°Your people behave, or I¡¯m making you intimately familiar with the ax, blondie.¡±


    ¡°Then let me pass the conditions on to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Well then, make it quick.¡±


    Atma bowed, and signaled for Balthazar and Locke to hold position. He made his way back below deck, as Balthazar and Locke stared down the horde of pirates. Balthazar counted twenty, including the Captain and the pirates flanking her, thinking more were almost certainly below deck. They seemed to be a bit more relaxed, though Balthazar could still see hunger in the way one or two paced back and forth, like an animal getting ready to pounce. His eyes turned back to Sienna, trying to gather his thoughts on her. Certainly, she seemed reasonable enough, but the whole exchange had felt like walking on eggshells. As his mind settled a bit though, he found her more off putting to look at. Not because she had any deformities, nor anything she wore, rather because she seemed all too familiar to him. Hair, eyes-


    ¡°You got a problem?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± He blurted out, before turning his attention elsewhere. He wanted to sigh in relief as he heard Atma return, noticing a red mark on his cheek, someone obviously having hit him.


    ¡°One or two weren¡¯t too happy about giving up part of their cargo, but when I told them it was that or us being left behind, they lightened up to the idea.¡± He turned to face the captain. ¡°You have a deal, miss Tempest.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard.¡± She clapped her hands together, smiling. ¡°We¡¯ve got a new job folks, clear the masts, and get ready to tether. Sooner, the better. I¡¯d rather not be stuck out here with that storm¡¯s still hanging nearby.¡±


    ¡°Did you not run into it?¡±


    Sienna raised an eyebrow. ¡°The storm? Of course we did, blew us off course, it¡¯s how we ran into you sorry bunch.¡±


    ¡°No, no, there was something else, it wasn¡¯t just the storm that wrecked this ship. These masts weren¡¯t exactly snapped by the storm alone. We ran into a giant Siren, and a Kraken.¡± The pirates, lackadaisical or not, snapped to attention at this, murmuring amongst themselves.


    Sienna¡¯s jaw didn¡¯t drop, but her eyes gave away her shock and confusion. ¡°How the hell are you all still alive?!¡±


    Atma pointed his thumb back towards Balthazar. ¡°That would be more of a story for these two to tell you, they were the ones who scared it off.¡± Balthazar wasn¡¯t sure whether to feel pride at Atma¡¯s praise, or fear seeing a few of the pirates trying to size him up.


    ¡°Captain, we should ditch these guys and make a run for it,¡± one of the pirates at Sienna¡¯s side half-whispered. ¡°If that thing¡¯s still in the area, I imagine it''s pretty pissed and looking to finish the job. Getting paid doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re dead.¡±


    Sienna shot her subordinate a glare, where he instantly backed off. ¡°Can it Archer, I doubt that thing¡¯s stupid enough to try for something it knows bites back. Storm¡¯s clearing anyhow, and last I checked, you don¡¯t exactly hear stories about them attacking when it¡¯s clear out.¡± She paused for a moment, before announcing to her crew, loud and clear: ¡°Double time it, and I¡¯ll see to it the kitchen gets you something real nice tonight.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, I didn¡¯t intend on concealing any information.¡±


    Sienna rolled her eyes as she turned back to face him. ¡°You too blondie, get your people up here helping, it¡¯s going to get us out of here a whole lot quicker.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± He paused, as the two began stepping away from one another. ¡°And Sienna? Thank you.¡±


    She paused, and looked back over her shoulder. ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m a pirate, not a monster.¡±


    ***


    Balthazar found himself manning the bar and kitchen of the Daybreaker, rowdier than ever as the crew of the Vermillion Bird came in after finishing the tethering and getting the ship in motion again. Night had already fallen, and everyone had long since been burnt out. The pirates still had some energy to them, bringing some of their food and booze over to cook with, Balthazar working alongside people from either ship to dish out food and drinks. Alice had certainly told him to rest, but he found cooking to be his best way of doing so, apron and all. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me, you ran out of everything?¡± He passed a clean plate back to a cook from the pirate crew.


    ¡°Archer left our stuff out, and we completely lost our stash of spices, everything but our salt and pepper.¡± The cook groaned in frustration.


    ¡°And you had nothing else to work with?¡±


    ¡°Not really, maybe a bit of mold on old bread, but that¡¯s hardly seasoning.¡±


    ¡°So when spices were a term in negotiation-.¡±


    ¡°You speak of this to no one. It was embarrassing enough that Archer had the captain ask.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡± Balthazar stepped out to the bar counter, grabbing plates with hot food on his way out. He passed one to the near end of the counter, before heading towards the center, where Sienna sat waiting. ¡°The prime rib you brought over I seasoned with spices from my personal stash, alongside some rosemary, and baked in a salt shell. Rare cut, like you asked. Roasted the potatoes in oil and herbs, and your greens are high in vitamins to prevent scurvy.¡±


    ¡°You cook, you tell crazy stories, and you can use magic. You know, my crew could definitely do with replacing one of the last people we trusted in the kitchen.¡± She cut into the meat on her plate, biting into it, and closing her eyes as she savored the taste. ¡°No, I have to insist. Name your price.¡± She raised her mug to him, which he took, refilling, and passing back, alongside a wedge of orange.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m otherwise occupied.¡±


    ¡°Shame.¡± She took a sip of her beer before turning her attention to her crew, roughhousing a bit in the corner, over what, she couldn¡¯t quite tell. ¡°You got a nice find?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell Cap¡¯n, no one knows what the damn thing is.¡± Archer held up an aged contraption, one Balthazar immediately recognized. Faust¡¯s core.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s mine!¡±


    The pirate scoffed. ¡°Not anymore, that¡¯s the price you agreed to, weren¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I want it back.¡±


    ¡°Try and take it from me.¡± Archer laughed. ¡°Oh right, you can¡¯t. Captain¡¯s orders.¡±


    Sienna shrugged and returned to her meal. ¡°Oh I have no intention of stopping him, Archer, and the food¡¯s damn near good enough, I might just ignore everything else.¡±


    Archer seemed to lose face for a moment, but walked up to the Dark Mage as Balthazar did the same. To Sienna¡¯s left, her first mate, a woman named Peony, closer to Balthazar in height, eyed the two up as they stood face to face, or at least, Balthazar¡¯s face to Archer¡¯s neck. ¡°100 on Archer, you know he never fights clean.¡±


    ¡°100 on the little one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll match that.¡± Alice sat at the bar next to Sienna, leaning over to see the two about to fight.


    Not that it was much of a fight. Archer dropped like a stack of bricks right as he had tried moving to drive his knee into the mage, his clothes singed from a bolt of flame that had blasted him in the chest. Balthazar made a motion of blowing on the finger that he¡¯d fired it from like a candle. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. But I¡¯m taking this back.¡± He walked up to the table Faust¡¯s core had been placed on, ignoring any of the pirates sitting there, before returning back to work behind the counter. It dawned on him what he¡¯d done as he turned to face away from the crowd of sailors and pirates, rowdier than ever, slowly turning back to Sienna and murmuring an apology. ¡°Sorry.¡± He felt himself shrink as he worked his way back into the kitchen.


    ¡°You just won me money, don¡¯t apologize for a thing.¡± She turned back over to Peony, who rummaged through her pockets for money. ¡°For the record, Archer also couldn¡¯t read who he¡¯s fighting to save his life.¡±


    ¡°Realized it a bit too late¡­¡± She patted herself down. ¡°So, I may have left my stash on the Vermillion Bird¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re paying up.¡± Alice leaned forward tauntingly.


    ¡°She¡¯s right on that one.¡± Sienna grinned as she reached out across Peony¡¯s shoulders, before pulling her suddenly into a headlock. ¡°And I know damn well you have the money to pay us.¡± She let her first mate go after a moment and patted her head. ¡°Be a dear about that, would you?¡±


    Balthazar stepped back outside of the kitchen, somewhat recomposed, placing a plate in front of Alice, and another in the spot next to her. He took off the apron he¡¯d been wearing in the kitchen, about to step out from behind the counter to eat his dinner. There it was, the dots connected. Hair, eyes, body type, made all the more obvious with the two right next to each other; Sienna was like looking at another version of Alice. He tried shaking off the idea, thinking it just an odd coincidence. She was a Tempest anyways, some pirate family, as far as he understood.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a mark too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Balthazar snapped back into focus, meeting Peony¡¯s gaze. She pointed to his shoulder. ¡°We don¡¯t see ¡®em too often in our line, maybe for a few people who can run an engine, but most don¡¯t exactly stick with our line of work.¡±


    ¡°Peony-¡±


    ¡°Captain¡¯s one of the few I¡¯ve seen with one.¡± She received a more forceful elbow to the side from Sienna.


    Balthazar paused, and turned to Sienna. ¡°You¡¯re from a mage family too?¡±


    Sienna scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly like talking about it, but-¡± She took off her coat partially, her right shoulder plain as day to see.


    There was a loud silence as Balthazar and Alice read her mark. The center design was reminiscent of stairs from head on. Tarot of VII. Family name: Nocturne.


    ¡°What?¡± She glanced back and forth between the two. ¡°What?!¡±


    Alice pulled down her coat on the left side, revealing a mark on her shoulder. A black wing, Tarot of XIII, Family name: Nocturne.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She slowly turned back to her beer, downing as much of it as she could. ¡°Oh shit.¡±

 Chapter 11: Strained Ties

    Chapter 11: Strained Ties


    Balthazar sat on the floor near the foot of Alice¡¯s bed, it was nearly noon, and she¡¯d refused to leave the safety of her bedding, though she was certainly wide awake, she;d gotten up to eat, but had almost immediately retreated back to her room. He¡¯d stepped out earlier to try and get a read on Sienna following the night before, only to find the captain on the opposite ship. Silence then, from either of them. He glanced over to Alice, still staring up at the ceiling.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stick around, you know,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°I know. Would you like me to step out again?¡±


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t think you need to bother with me right now.¡±


    Balthazar glanced back at her worryingly. ¡°We can talk about it when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Alice blinked slowly, before sighing. ¡°It¡¯s just like before, Balthazar, how am I supposed to respond to any of this? I don¡¯t- Is that really her? Is that Diana?¡± She rolled over to her side. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m supposed to act all giddy that my sister could be right there, or feel heartbroken that I thought she was dead for years.¡±


    Balthazar wondered if the name was pure coincidence, not wanting to say it out loud, knowing it probably wasn¡¯t appropriate at the moment. Nocturne was a new family name in Linia, as far as he knew Alice¡¯s father, Crowe, had been the first raised in Linia, though he hadn¡¯t been born there. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I ever knew what her Mark was, you?¡±


    ¡°No, Dad doesn¡¯t like keeping up pictures of Mom and Diana, or showing me. It always hurts him too much.¡±


    Balthazar turned away for a moment and grimaced. He¡¯d always been an only child, and was too young to remember much in the way of details from all that long ago. ¡°I wish I could be a bigger help to you. I don¡¯t get it, losing someone, only for them to show back up like that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Balthazar.¡± Alice sat up in bed, wearing a solemn expression. She was still dressed in her clothes from the night before, except her jacket, lazily thrown at the foot of her bed. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can help me right now but me.¡± On either shoulder she had a tattoo, her left had a black wing, and XIII, while the right had a white wing, and XIX. It was rare among mages to receive more than one, but it could still happen all the same. Alice reached out to her jacket, Balthazar passing it to her as she did. ¡°Dad¡¯s not here to tell me, if this is all just some strange coincidence, or if that¡¯s actually her, my only answers are going to be with Sienna.¡±


    Balthazar stood as Alice turned to get out of bed, stopping herself before fully standing up. He didn¡¯t want to ask if she was alright, it was clear enough that she wasn¡¯t. ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡±


    Alice sat in silence for a moment, and almost seemed to turn back to go back under her sheets. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°We have time, but remember, don¡¯t wait too long on this.¡±


    Alice sighed and finally stood up. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She stepped up to the door, stopping again. ¡°I know I need to, but-¡± She hesitated.


    ¡°Alice-¡± Balthazar crossed his arms, his eyes stern, but compassionate.


    ¡°Right, right.¡± She cracked open the door, peeking out to find Locke about to knock. ¡°Locke?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still here, good, two things, first and foremost, I wanted to check in on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Maybe twelve years I¡¯ve known you, Alice? I know you well enough to know when something¡¯s wrong. Just like I know Balthazar¡¯s in the room too.¡±


    Alice opened the door wider, Balthazar nodding to Locke as he came into view. ¡°A bit too well if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± a voice called out. ¡°Are we interrupting something spicy?¡± Peony peeked around the corner of the door frame, frowning on seeing nothing particularly interesting happening. ¡°Weak.¡±


    Alice groaned. ¡°And you¡¯re here because¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not just me. Cappy¡¯s here too, but she took a fair bit of convincing.¡± As she stepped into full view she gestured off to the side with her thumb, Alice peeking out to see Sienna, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, staring down at the ground with something of a pouty expression. ¡°Captain, come on, I¡¯m not having you mope around like this forever!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you won¡¯t have it, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hey it¡¯s my job to make sure the ship stays running when you¡¯re not around, and like this, you might as well not be-¡± She was cut off slightly as Sienna walked past her, and flicked her forehead with her middle finger.


    ¡°Shut it, you.¡± She stood in front of Alice. ¡°We should probably-¡± Sienna was quiet again, neither her nor Alice looking directly at each other.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± Alice¡¯s eyes wandered anywhere but to the pirate captain, nervously falling back to Balthazar. ¡°Do you mind if Balthazar sticks with me on this?¡±


    ¡°A bit.¡± Sienna grumbled a bit under her breath. She glanced back at Locke and Peony, who backed off, knowing this wasn¡¯t their place to get involved in.


    Balthazar stood next to Alice, speaking softly. ¡°I can stay if you want me to, but I¡¯ll be right outside if you need me if I can¡¯t.¡± Alice nodded quietly, as he stepped past Sienna, trying to give her an expression to show he had confidence in her, something she noticed and meekly smiled at.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± She stepped into the room and slammed the door shut behind her, slumping against it. ¡°Alice.¡±


    ¡°Sienna.¡± Alice sat down at the corner of her bed, where Balthazar had been sitting. ¡°Or¡­ are you Diana?¡±


    ¡°Right to the point, huh?¡± Sienna finally met the Light Mage¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not a name I¡¯ve heard in years. It¡¯s not a name I want to hear.¡± Her tone wasn¡¯t particularly biting, rather, one that didn¡¯t care for the past.


    Alice¡¯s thoughts started racing. ¡°It really is you, isn¡¯t it? How? Why? Dad and I- We thought you¡¯d died all those years ago.¡±


    Sienna was silent for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡±


    Silence again. ¡°Not all the details are clear. I was only seven or eight at the time, but the Battle of Linia was pretty infamous, enough that even I heard stories of it, years later. We were evacuating home, when the Ranzian soldiers raided our house. Some stories I heard said if they couldn¡¯t force a surrender, they wanted hostages, others that they wanted to capture a few Mages of their own.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember much of it really. Balthazar was with us while Dad and his parents were deployed to defend the city. Our neighbors across the way had seen them attack, and seen Mom try and fight.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t make it, did she?¡±


    Silence, this time from Alice. ¡°No,¡± she nearly whispered. She cleared her throat. ¡°She fought tooth and nail, and she took every single one of her attackers with her. Our neighbors tried getting over to help, but she was already gone, you were already gone.¡±


    ¡°Smashed a damn window open and dragged me out.¡± Sienna lifted her headband a bit, before quickly letting it snap back in place. ¡°They weren¡¯t gentle.¡±


    Alice almost stood, and reached out. ¡°I can-¡±


    Sienna held her hand out. ¡°Leave it.¡± She sighed. ¡°I need a reminder sometimes, about the lines I¡¯m willing to cross. This is just that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a pirate, not a monster, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Sienna leaned her head back against the door. ¡°They carted us back to the ships, me and a bunch of other kids. No clue what they were going to do with us, all we could do was huddle and cry.¡± She looked to Alice, who held her knees, a sight all too familiar to her story.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not it, is it?¡±


    ¡°No. Whether we were bargaining chips or not, they were headed back south for Ranzian waters. The ship I was on was lagging behind, rough seas, as if the ocean itself were trying to throw it off course, and was intercepted by a nearby pirate ship.¡± Sienna¡¯s expression only slightly warmed. ¡°Marcus Tempest, the captain of that ship, saved us. Wasn¡¯t exactly a fan of Ranz beforehand, but that really sealed the deal. Had kids of his own, so seeing us like that? Damn near sent him on a warpath. Some of us stuck around, others scattered around the Mist.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t try coming home?¡± Alice asked, not knowing if she¡¯d like the answer.


    ¡°You have to understand, Alice, I was a kid at the time. And you know the body count in Linia was high. When we heard about it all, from each other? None of us thought we had a home to go back to. So, I was someone new, Sienna Tempest.¡± The two were speechless for a moment, before Sienna continued. ¡°Marcus took me in, raised me with his own. I had new brothers, sisters, a new home.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Alice hugged her knees a bit tighter.


    ¡°I never forgot, Alice. I never could.¡±


    ¡°Neither could we.¡± Alice sniffled a bit. ¡°I think I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re still-¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°But, Alice, I¡¯m not even sure you could even still call me your sister after everything.¡± She gazed off at the floor in a gaze emotionally exhausted, and weak.


    Alice scowled at the notion. ¡°You¡¯re still my family, that much never changed.¡±


    ¡°Is Dad okay?¡± Sienna asked somberly.


    ¡°Everyone always says he just hasn¡¯t been the same ever since it all happened. He tries his best though. I think Mom would be proud of him.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d always be proud of him.¡±


    ***


    Crowe wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the way the Council of Lords glared down on him as he stepped into the room. It wasn¡¯t that he was insecure of his height, though he was all too familiar with how many of these Lords would try and find any possible way to assert themselves over him, or find some weakness to exploit. Anne stood at his side, alongside elders from the Mage council, none of them particularly happy. Crowe stepped up to the podium at their end of the council chamber first. ¡°Let me get this straight, you attempt to conceal the death of King Escalus from us, and hold off on involving us with the formation of a judicial committee, with a matter that most certainly concerns us. We are still allies, are we not?¡±


    ¡°You are invited to this Council, but we do not recognize you as a proper territory of Deponess.¡± A speaker from the war faction stood in protest to Crowe. ¡°An appointment of a judicial force was deemed necessary, our laws and rulership are ours and ours alone.¡±


    ¡°Are our mages not involved in the ascension of each of your kings? I am not denying a need to investigate the assassination, sir, but we very much are within your borders, and involved in your nation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Lord Williams.¡± Duke Kaian raised his hand to silence the lord within his faction. ¡°My apologies if he gave you any offense, Master Nocturne, but this was a matter we felt we could not so casually release. I and many others would rather not have our Ranzian neighbors find any reason to try and invade us once again. You of all people should understand that, after all, you left quite the impression on many of those within my territory, the Scarecrow, they call you.¡±


    ¡°I prefer to leave that behind me, Kaian.¡± Crowe tapped his foot in frustration. ¡°I believe you owe us details on the matter of this judicial force.¡±


    ¡°We have sent a moderate force for the sake of retrieving Prince Atma and his companions for investigation and trial.¡±


    ¡°His companions as well?! Surely you couldn¡¯t call them involved in all of this?!¡±


    ¡°Largely superficial in their case, Master Crowe, but we have an obligation to be thorough in our investigations of all potential information concerning the death of King Escalus. They simply may have testimony in favor of or against the Prince.¡±


    Prince Escalus stood at the far end of the council chamber, at a raised pedestal in between the rows of Lords. ¡°I find your declaration of a ¡®moderate force¡¯ to be insufficient in description, Duke Kaian, but whatever sees my brother¡¯s name cleared.¡±


    Anne stepped up inquisitively. ¡°What do you mean by that, Prince Escalus?¡±


    ¡°Duke Kaian, in discussion with the Knights¡¯ Council, with further input from myself and Duke Ryner, have elected to send four members of the Knights¡¯ Council, and deployed detachments of their troops with them.¡±


    ¡°Four?! That seems rather excessive, does it not?¡± Historically, the presence of one or two was often enough to turn the tide of battle, but the deployment of so many to a given assignment had not been ordered since the war.


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, I would most certainly agree, Master Avelus,¡± Escalus started, ¡°But if, as I fear, this is the beginning of an attack on Deponess itself, I will not leave my brother unguarded.¡±


    Anne shot the elders and Crowe glances to read their opinions on the matter, none particularly excited concerning the idea of such a massive deployment. Begrudgingly, she turned back and nodded. ¡°And the Knights going?¡±


    Kaian raised his voice to be heard once more. ¡°Present, we have 13th seat Dante, 12th seat Stein-¡± Anne flinched ever so slightly. ¡°6th seat Agravain, and 1st seat Raine.¡±


    Some murmuring spread among the elders, concerning the deployment of the 1st seat Knight, though Anne focused more on the 6th and 12th. From noble families, both of them. Agravain was a well known butcher of the battlefield, not for any particular reason, he simply acted as a wild animal they unleashed on their enemies. Stein, she feared more, being more familiar with him. They¡¯d known each other before the war, worked together at a small medical practice, even. He¡¯d been a kind man, once. Now, he was a broken husk, obsessed with death and the macabre. Neither Knight she would trust in protecting much of anyone. Raine, though, of all people had a stake in seeing the group back safely. ¡°And I take it these knights are set in stone?¡±


    ¡°After much deliberation, yes.¡± Escalus then gestured to a woman standing off to the side of the council chamber, closer to the Mage¡¯s council representatives. She was dressed in the Kingdom¡¯s officer uniform, black, with red cuffs, and a red collar. She had lighter brown hair and steely eyes, with a stoic expression to her. ¡°I do, however, wish to extend you the offer to review the special investigator we commissioned for this judicial force. She is, after all, one of your citizens enlisted with us.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Watts, reporting.¡± She saluted.


    Anne was familiar with her, though it had certainly been a few years, she had fought alongside Watts in the front in Duke Kaian¡¯s territory. Watts had been a fresh graduate, serving in the special forces unit Anne had been assigned to. A serious individual to be sure, even as a young recruit. She hadn¡¯t fought particularly long before the war ended, but Watts had more than earned her commendations in battle. ¡°Watts has certainly performed well in the field from my own accounts.¡± She turned back to deliberate briefly with the elders. They were a bit more willing to default to her opinion on the matter. ¡°We can agree on this assignment.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled?¡± Duke Kaian turned back to Prince Escalus.


    ¡°I believe so, unless there are any other objections?¡±


    Murmurs, which settled into silence.


    ¡°Very well then. The judicial force departs at dawn via airship. This council is dismissed, but I ask you to remain in the area of Castle Deponess, while we await their return. May the Goddess smile upon us all.¡± Escalus bowed, to a silent respect from either side of the Council of Lords.


    Duke Kaian was among the last to leave, stopping to speak with Crowe. ¡°My sincerest apologies to you, old friend.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯d call us acquaintances, Kaian, not friends.¡± Crowe glared at the nobleman, not particularly fond of his words during the council.


    ¡°You saved my life in the war, the lives of many of my people, Crowe, and for that I will be eternally grateful. My home too was broken by the war, as you know. I apologize for letting my passions take me, for reopening wounds with you.¡±


    Crowe exhaled deeply. ¡°Then you should know why I¡¯m not proud of the monster I let the war make me. I understand you just fine, Kaian, but I want to move on, if I¡¯m still capable of doing so.¡± He turned to leave, and reunited with the rest of the Mage delegation.


    Kaian shook his head as the Dark Mage left, glancing over to the woman dressed in gray next to him, acting as his assistant. She was a brunette, with a blank, cold gaze. She didn¡¯t bother turning her head to face Kaian as she spoke. ¡°Not a man you should seek to make enemies with, nor one you seem successful at making friends with.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s like trying to reign in a cat, that one. Though I believe you were standing by to observe at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Consider that an observation then.¡± She kept in pace with the Duke as they stepped out of the Council chambers.


    ***


    Lieutenant Watts stopped at a local tavern for dinner, it being her favorite local spot, relatively quiet, with far better food than the barracks provided. The bartender she knew and trusted, having been a regular for years. The place let her eat and sort through her files concerning the case at hand, which she kept hidden in mage script in a notebook she kept on her person. With the severity of her current case, she felt it would be the last chance she would have to enjoy herself before she deployed in the morning. She readjusted the circular spectacles on her face, reviewing her notes. As a habit, she kept points as to why any given suspect could be innocent or guilty, though Prince Atma was certainly more difficult to keep balanced. The only marks against him were vague and uncertainties raised by the war faction, possibilities concerning an immediacy of inheritance, or to ensure that the King made no second choices. It was hardly anything to go off of. She was fairly certain then, that he would be found innocent. In that regard, she rather hated this particular assignment, with how clear cut it seemed.


    Watts sighed and closed her notebook, about to return to her meal, as a woman stepped into the tavern. She was fair skinned, and well dressed, with furs on her coat, gloves, and a clicking of her boots as she stepped in. She had gray eyes, with hair of a similar color. She was likely around Watts¡¯ age, somewhere in her mid-late 20¡¯s. By her guess, the woman was a rich businessman or noble¡¯s daughter, and Watts was completely entranced with her. She felt her heart skip a beat as the woman met her gaze, and again as she drew closer. To most, she would have seemed just as stoic as ever, but Watts struggled to hold back an overwhelming feeling of blush as the woman came closer.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    The woman bashfully looked away. ¡°Hard to say. I¡¯ve seen you come by here and there, but I don¡¯t think I ever got your name.¡±


    Watts cleared her throat, a bit flustered. How could someone so stunning have slipped past her attention. ¡°Apologies. Melissa Watts- Lieutenant Melissa Watts.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant, huh? I figured you were something with the uniform and all, but that¡¯s amazing.¡± She smiled, ¡°You can call me Mona. And I have to say, I always thought the uniform was a great look, but you really do something special with it.¡± She touched the tip of the table. ¡°Do you mind if I join you for a drink?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Watts¡¯ stoicism chipped away, bit by bit as Mona sat before her, raising her arm and calling out to the bartender for a pair of drinks. Her eyes seemed to pierce right through her, with a face she could describe as no less than angelic. She tried averting her eyes as Mona took off her fur coat, and revealing a somewhat revealing dress beneath, Watts¡¯ mind tracing the curves of the woman, despite how much she tried to tell herself not to. Mona took immediate notice of the red in the officer¡¯s face, leaning forward playfully to fluster her more, obviously getting a kick out of her response. ¡°Maybe a bit.¡±


    ¡°Meanie.¡± Mona smiled. ¡°But, I like a tough soldier in uniform.¡±


    Watts let out a deep and obvious exhale, a confident soldier she may have been, but flirting was beyond her, especially with a woman like the one before her. ¡°I¡¯m flattered, really.¡± Her face grew redder, an expression so unfamiliar that those familiar with her might not have recognized her as she was. She accepted her drink, as the bartender passed it to her. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d say tough.¡±


    ¡°Well you must be if you¡¯re a Lieutenant.¡± Her tone shifted into something a bit more sultry. It was like every word that left her lips was an absolute, something to be followed, completely believed. ¡°And the cool, collected soldier type you present yourself as? Now that¡¯s what I like.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡±


    ¡°Very much so.¡± The two sat and drank together, Mona toying with an increasingly flustered Watts as the night settled in, red blush taking up their faces. Eventually, Mona stood to leave, wobbling a bit, Watts catching her before she fell. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just the sweetest?¡± She hugged her sloppily, the officer flinching a bit at her warm touch. ¡°You mind helping me back to my place?¡±


    ¡°N-not at all.¡± She helped Mona with her coat, and made their way into the crisp night air, the night surprisingly quiet as the two strolled together, Mona leaning against Watts all the while. The officer had a feeling she¡¯d regret her decision to drink with the woman once morning and her new deployment rolled around, but opportunities to meet someone like Mona felt once in a lifetime. Mona led her towards a richer area, even for the castle town, something similar to what Watts had expected, right up to a manor, silent with the night, a couple guards posted at the front gate, though little else.


    Mona stumbled at her words at first, before collecting herself a bit. ¡°I¡¯d rather not have my family see me like this, so I¡¯ll sneak around back, near the gardener¡¯s shack. She¡¯s off for now anyways.¡± She practically dragged Watts with her towards the back entrance, not a person in sight. ¡°Thanks so much for your help. And really, thank you for being such great company.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem, Mona.¡±


    Again, that sultry voice that was so hard to resist. ¡°Would you care to keep me company a while longer?¡±


    Watts had to fight to say no, but every part of her knew that drinking with some rich man¡¯s daughter, and spending the night with her might certainly seem worth it in the long run, but between her job, and potential repercussions from Mona¡¯s family, she could just logic out her response. ¡°Not tonight, Mona. I have to go tomorrow morning, but, wait for me at the tavern, and I promise I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Mona¡¯s eyes drifted down, a bit of disappointment to them, before a playful light returned to them. ¡°Well, before you go then-¡± She with an unexpected force that caught Watts off guard, pulled the officer in close, and kissed her, deeply, and held her in place for a moment. She pulled away a moment later, and took a deep breath, inhaling a wispy smoke, as Watts went limp in her arms. ¡®Mona¡¯ let her drop to the ground, dead, and swallowed the last bits of wisp. Her expression and manner in which she carried herself returned to be as if nothing had ever happened, drinks and all. ¡°You really were fun, you know. Shame, really, I think you¡¯d have been more fun still.¡± She snapped her fingers, the woman acting as Kaian¡¯s assistant emerging from the shadows.


    ¡°Mistress. I take it you had an enjoyable night out?¡±


    ¡°Nemesis. I only wish it had lasted a bit longer.¡± She smiled, and with whimsy to her step, dragged the corpse onto the manor grounds of Duke Kaian.

 Chapter 12: The Book Blessed by the Stars

    Chapter 12: The Book Blessed by the Stars


    Arriving in port Calima was delayed beyond their initial plan, certainly, but touching solid ground again was nothing short of its own sort of relief. Balthazar was thankful they had even made it that far. It had been a few days since the Vermillion Bird had come to their rescue, port security being relatively lax with the ship¡¯s flying of Mist Alliance colors. The atmosphere was similar to Port Royale, people bustling back and forth. The crew of the Daybreaker were filing their reports with the sailors guild, Atma and Sienna tagging along, respectively reporting for Zephyr, and the Guild House acting as an in-between for the Pirates and Mist Alliance.


    Balthazar couldn¡¯t quite place it, but his mind felt as though it were in a haze ever since he stepped foot in town. He was dizzy, his head felt as though there was an odd pressure against his skull. He felt like a compass, drawn towards something, the only relief he felt coming as he faced towards the city center. He looked over a map of the city that Peony had given him, trying to make any sense of the odd sensation he felt. A library stood in the center of the city, impressive in size, certainly, but nothing compared to the Temple in Linia. He sighed, unsure of how to progress, figuring he¡¯d wait for Atma and the others to come up with plans on where they were headed next.


    ¡°I figured you weren¡¯t really just Sigurd, blondie,¡± Sienna laughed as she stepped out of the building with him. ¡°But a prince? Now that would make for a pretty penny.¡± New to her outfit was a bandolier, to which she held her ax, casually ignoring its weight.


    ¡°And that would be the reason I said otherwise,¡± Atma half chuckled, a bit thrown off by her moxie as she slapped him on the back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s a bit like how in my line of work, you get used to wanting to punch someone one day, and taking them for drinks the next.¡± She paused, reconsidering her words. ¡°Something along the lines of that.¡±


    Atma half-heartedly chuckled, it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t particularly comfortable talking with her. Balthazar took immediate notice, and tried butting in. ¡°Sienna, anything worth knowing about Calima? I hear they have a pretty impressive library.¡± Atma mouthed a thank you, Balthazar smiling subtly to him. Still, he had at least some interest in the area.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s boring, but for a bookish guy like you?¡± She tapped her chin with her finger, growing a devious grin. ¡°Say, you care to join me on a treasure hunt?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Sienna wiggled her fingers, as if telling a ghost story. ¡°Peony always hunts down local legends, and she told me of one where, long ago, before the library was a library, it was a temple to the Goddess, but its secrets were buried when enemies of the faith ransacked the place in search of its treasures. Unable to find them when the place burned to the ground. Now, somewhere in the old catacombs, there¡¯s rumors of one last entrance to the hidden cache.¡± The last bit she spoke in a sing-songy tone.


    Balthazar had admittedly heard stories of the waterways before, but never of a treasure trove. Calima had been on his list of places to visit, when it came to his interest in history and archaeology. Miles and miles had been discovered, with who knew how many left to be found. It was tempting, to say the least. ¡°And you want to find it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better believe it. I¡¯ll split the loot with you if we find it.¡±


    Balthazar sighed, glancing over to Atma, who shrugged sheepishly, not wanting to answer, but with a familiar twinkle of curiosity in his eyes. Balthazar thought back to the temple in the forest, and how he¡¯d found Faust. He didn¡¯t have any other leads, on repairing Faust, or the odd sensation in his head, this one might be worth checking out. ¡°Alright,¡± Balthazar answered, ¡°But we¡¯d best grab Alice and Locke if we¡¯re going to do this. Locke would feel bad if we went off and got hurt, same for Alice, but she¡¯d be jealous we didn¡¯t invite her to come with us."


    Locke was easy enough to find. Ever the loyalist, he hadn''t strayed far, restocking supplies at nearby booths with money he''d hidden away among Balthazar''s books, where he''d figured the pirates wouldn''t check.


    Alice wasn''t particularly difficult to find either, standing perfectly still, skimming through a book at a stall. Sienna snuck up on her from behind, while the others were still catching up, and restocking with Locke. "Whatcha got there?"


    Alice slammed the book shut immediately, shelving it back where she''d found it. "Just checking out some of what they''ve got, you know? Different places, different books."


    "Endymion Nights Vol. 1 by ''Victory and Peace?''"


    "It''s a romance series," she blurted out, blushing, "bit of a sucker for it, you know? What''s up? Where is everyone? What are we doing?"


    Sienna raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. "We''re going exploring. Your booky boyfriend gave me an idea to try hunting down some old stories about treasure in the city."


    "Baltha-" Alice cut herself off. "Wouldn''t it have been found by now? This city is old right?"


    "Not necessarily. The catacombs sprawl all over the place, have different levels, and new areas are found all the time. Hell, there''s even still stories of people getting lost down there." She grinned maliciously. "But that''s not important. So there is something going on with you two, isn''t there?"


    Alice''s eyes narrowed. "You heard nothing."


    Sienna raised her hands in a fake surrender. "My lips are sealed." There was a gentle smile between the two, and a bit of relief, as they felt the tension between them fade away more and more. "Listen, I-" She stopped herself, glancing back to see Balthazar and the others about to join them. "Another time, Alice."


    Her sister nodded, playing it off as the others caught up. "So where exactly are we starting this search?"


    Balthazar caught up as Alice asked, lagging behind as much as he could to not get involved in anything they were talking about. "That''s easy enough," Balthazar answered as he saw a bit of relief in Alice''s eyes. He wasn''t entirely sure of the talks she and Sienna had been having, but it''d clearly done them well. "I checked a map of the city, and there''s a few waterways that seem to stem right from under the library. I say we start there."


    Atma nodded, his enthusiasm returning at the prospect of old ruins. ¡°We deserve to have at least a little fun after everything. No harm taking just a bit of time checking this out.¡±


    Finding a way in was no problem, the people of Calima used the waterways frequently, paths and stairs leading down to the water line, and gondolas littering the networking paths, connecting all across the city. Some even mapping out some underground portions they could use to get around. Balthazar found himself at the front of the pack, flame in hand, searching for any clues to go off of. He rubbed his head, feeling the pressure on it greater and greater.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Atma leaned forward, checking in on the Mage.


    ¡°Okay, just¡­ off. You?¡±


    Atma seemed a bit embarrassed to answer at first. ¡°You remember my story, right? It¡¯s just difficult having someone so stuck in your mind show up when you thought you¡¯d never see them again. I don¡¯t know how Alice and her are managing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk to people a lot, do you?¡± Balthazar spoke before realizing what he¡¯d said. ¡°Sorry, I mean-¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not entirely wrong there. Most conversations I have tend to be political or scholarly. My brother aside, I¡¯ve only had one real friend in my life before my pilgrimage.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯d like to be better with people.¡±


    ¡°You do alright.¡± Balthazar relaxed a bit, trying to keep his voice down a bit to avoid echoing about too much in the tunnels.


    ¡°I can give a speech, make a political statement, but individual people are harder for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you should try talking to her. It¡¯s what helped you before, right? And it¡¯s what helped Alice and Sienna both. My mom always told me, ¡®it¡¯s nice to be strong on your own, but being able to be weak around others is its own treasure.¡¯¡±


    Atma frowned a bit. ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done, I think.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, especially in the world we live in. But, you find the right people you can be weak around, and I think your world gets a lot brighter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right. I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± Atma stared out to the darkness of the tunnels. ¡°Any clue what we¡¯re looking for?  You¡¯ve been making a few turns here and there, but you don¡¯t seem to be paying too much attention to the map.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m following the water, trying to take us upstream. All the maps of the city portray the water flowing out from the centerpoint.¡± And he was drawn like a compass towards the center of the city, but he didn¡¯t want to mention that part aloud. ¡°If we¡¯re looking for anything? Maybe something like the symbols we saw at the forest temple. If what Sienna said was accurate, we might find answers that way.¡± They crossed a stone bridge leading over an intersection of water, coming to a stopping point just beyond it, a massive boulder made of brick and mortar lying in their path, debris from a prior cave in, that had simply been repaired around. Water still swept past, and peaking around didn¡¯t reveal any alternative routes to get past. ¡°Through here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    Balthazar rubbed the temples of his head. ¡°Yeah.¡± He brought his hand up to his chin, his mind racing on how to best deal with the obstacle, without bringing the ceiling crashing down. ¡°Earth Magic maybe? I could try-¡±


    ¡°Leave that to me.¡± Sienna pushed past him, and patted down the rock, trying to size it up. ¡°Oh, this¡¯ll be no problem.¡± Balthazar was curious, not expecting her to seem to have the magical solution, stepping back with Atma. Sienna took a deep breath, put one foot forward, and another back. Balthazar stood still in anticipation. Though, he wasn¡¯t quite sure how to respond when she punched the boulder. Less so as it shattered, bits of brick splattering into the water and across the path. She wiped off her hands, the task said and done like it hadn¡¯t even remotely been a concern. ¡°Like I said.¡±


    There was a bit of stunned silence across the group. ¡°You are scarily strong.¡± Atma stepped forward, nudging a bit of the debris with his boot.


    Balthazar couldn¡¯t tell how much was her own brute force, and what was magical enhancement. He couldn¡¯t tell much, if anything in the way of any magical exertion to try and strengthen herself. Either way, it was a stark reminder to not get on her bad side. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s err¡­ keep going.¡± The particular path they were on extended for some time, not a sign of any others in the waterway. Balthazar could feel the sensation on his head now more than ever before, it was as though he couldn¡¯t turn away, not so much out of pain, but a drive, a gravity. Eventually, a T-shaped fork, water flowing in from either side.


    ¡°Well now what?¡± Alice glanced down either side. ¡°Your pattern of following the flow of water kind of doesn¡¯t work here.


    Balthazar faced the brick wall before them, and crossed over to get a closer look, wordlessly. It was hard to make out fully, but still there, even if worn from years of aging, were old runes from the worshipers of the Goddess. Alice walked up to him, aware of how unusually fixated he was, even for his interest in archaeology. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he said, patting the wall down, searching for something, like a man possessed. ¡°There¡¯s got to be a switch, or-¡±


    Sienna tapped her foot impatiently. ¡°Want me to bust this wall down too?¡±


    ¡°No! No.¡± He yelped, before turning back to the wall.


    ¡°Is he always like this?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Alice mumbled a bit, tilting her head slightly, and backing off. ¡°This is new.¡±


    Balthazar stopped, his eyes landing on a circular indentation, which he wiped clean, revealing a bronze emblem. It was just like a Faust¡¯s core, like his mark. ¡°Fey. I.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Fey, isn¡¯t that-¡± Alice cut herself off, as Balthazar seemed to unconsciously remove the glove on his right hand, revealing the unfamiliar mark of Mercury, the mark shared with the emblem on the wall. ¡°When did-¡±


    Balthazar pressed the emblem, and poured his magic outward, feeling it flow into the wall, which rumbled and shuddered. The others backed off in shock, Alice dragging Balthazar back, as he remained in his trance-like state.


    ¡°A cave-in?!¡± Atma¡¯s eyes darted about, trying to gauge the best way to run to make their escape. Right as he was about to lead them out, the rumbling stopped, and with a sonorous thud the brick wall made way for a large metallic door, which opened itself to them. ¡°What the-¡±


    Balthazar stepped forward, his mind ignoring the world around him for the sake of whatever was on the other side. It was almost like a ringing in his ears, not hearing a word the others said as he stepped inside. As he did, torches, completely independent of any action on his part, lit themselves, littered across the walls. Shelves, lab equipment, with scant few books to be seen.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to owe Peony so much money for this¡­¡± Sienna curiously followed, glancing around. ¡°Not really what I was expecting though, not really anything in the way of books for being under a library, and I can¡¯t really see anything worth calling treasure.¡±


    Atma was put off that such a place really existed. He traced the iconography on the walls with his eyes, similar, nearly exactly the same as the forest temple. ¡°This place is ancient, but-¡± He reached down and picked up a stray book. ¡°Arrogance and Hatred? A novel. That¡¯s only¡­¡± He did some quick math in his head. ¡°Forty-two years old. This place is old, but its seen visitors, relatively recently.¡±


    ¡°First edition,¡± Locke pointed to the cover. ¡°I¡¯d say its last visitor was long before any of us were born.¡±


    Atma looked at other books scattered around. ¡°None of these are non-fiction, It seems more like someone¡¯s private collection of entertainment. It doesn¡¯t really match up with any of this lab equipment.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°Alice, you and Balthazar said Fey, right? Is that like the creatures of myth?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± she spoke with reverence in her voice, as Balthazar stepped closer and closer to the center of the room, an altar with a lone tome atop it. ¡°When we say Fey, we refer to an old House, House la Fey from ancient Arcadia. The home of the original Dark Mages. It¡¯s a major part of our history, so we¡¯re all taught about them. As our history tells it, well over a thousand years ago, a scion from House la Fey ended the great war between Arcadia and Arcana, for the first time in our history. He and his wife from Arcana¡¯s House Megistus laid the foundations for Linia.¡±


    Something seemed to click in Atma¡¯s head as Balthazar laid hands on the book. ¡°I think I remember hearing a related story. My ancestor fought alongside Mages to end a great war across the sea, it¡¯s said she swore an oath of eternal brotherhood with them, it¡¯s the Deponesian side of our first relationship with Linia.¡±


    For Balthazar it was like pure clarity as traced his fingers across the cover of the book, black leather binding it, silver adorning it, including a cover bearing the same brand as the emblem he had used to enter the room. The pressure on his head, his mind was gone. He didn¡¯t realize how wide he was grinning as he began to open it, nor did he realize the intense red light from above, and the heat descending towards him. Locke yanked him away from the altar, as a mass of flames crashed down where he¡¯d been a moment before.


    ¡°What the-¡± Balthazar snapped to his senses, fully awake and aware, still clutching the grimoire.


    ¡°Balthazar, I need you awake and in the now!¡±


    Balthazar¡¯s gaze darted back to where he¡¯d been a moment before, the mass of flames contouring and reshaping into that of a dragon, still made of pure flame. It roared bestially, an intense wave of heat blasting out. It was massive, nearly nine meters from its head to the end of its tail, glowing with embers popping off its body.


    ¡°The hell is that thing?¡± Sienna readied her ax, the others following suit with their weapons.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fire elemental!¡± Balthazar found himself calling out without knowing where the information came from. ¡°Salamander!¡±


    Locke and Atma stepped up front as the creature clawed at the stone floor, singing it black. Locke raised his shield, and glanced back to Balthazar. ¡°What¡¯re our chances of running and making it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll catch us and torch us before we make it to the door, we fight or we don¡¯t get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Peony can forget about me paying her for this¡­¡± Sienna grimaced and glanced around, trying to gauge what to do next. ¡°You got a plan?¡±


    Balthazar tightened his grip on the grimoire. ¡°Made of fire or not, an elemental is still a physical form, we can still hit it if we can catch it off guard. Ice and Water are going to be our best bets here. I don¡¯t suppose you can work any of that?¡±


    Sienna gritted her teeth. ¡°Not particularly well. Don¡¯t exactly practice.¡±


    Balthazar glanced back over to Alice. ¡°I¡¯ll take support, you¡¯re going to find an opening and snuff out its fire, everyone else, I¡¯ll enchant your weapons!¡± Salamander stomped with its right foreleg, taking in a deep breath, and stomping with its left. ¡°Here it comes!¡± Balthazar raised up a wall of earth as the elemental spewed a torrent of flame, which coned out from the wall as it impacted, singing walls and books off to the side.


    ¡°Balthazar, that thing¡¯s not stopping!¡± Alice called out, Salamander¡¯s flames not weakening, converging even, into a controlled beam, that had the earth wall glowing, as if it were being melted through.


    ¡°Balthazar, leave this to me,¡± Atma called out, ¡°Just like our duel!¡±


    ¡°This one¡¯s for real, Atma.¡± Balthazar nodded, getting the idea, and with a swipe of his hand, and a snap of his fingers, Atma¡¯s spearhead lit up with a frosty white glow. The prince rocketed off to the side, Salamander wholly focused on the conjured wall, missing as Atma kicked off of a wall from the side, and rammed his spear into its neck, crystals of ice spewing from the wound, and melting all the while as the elemental roared and flailed, its flame attack dispersing. Balthazar crumbled away the earthen wall, enchanting Locke and Sienna¡¯s weapons with ice as Atma backed off, pulling away with his spear as the monster swiped at him with its flaming claws.


    Sienna swung her axe full force into its head with a slight jump, just as it tried regaining its bearing, Salamander brutally slamming into the ground, jaw first, her ax buried in its skull. For a being of fire though, it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to inflict any lethal damage. Smaller flames snorted from its nose, as Sienna ripped her axe free, the wound vanishing among the flames, and the elemental reared back for another blast of flame.


    As it opened its jaws, with a swing of his icy broadsword into the beast¡¯s chin, Locke slammed its jaws shut, rolling back as Sienna made another swing, batting Salamander¡¯s head off to the side. Again, Atma leapt and stuck its head, and again it slammed into the ground, though this time, his spear pierced not only the dragon, but straight through its jaw into the ground, pinning it. ¡°Alice, you¡¯re up!¡± Atma called out as he leapt back, Sienna and Locke falling back with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help hold him down!¡± Balthazar dropped to the ground, touching the bricks beneath him, stone constructs forming from below to try and shackle Salamander¡¯s limbs.


    ¡°Extinguish!¡± Alice clapped her hands together, calling upon as much power as she could to summon up enough water to drown out the elemental, waves crashing together from either side, forming a massive dome to contain the creature. She interlocked her finger, her eyes holding a new intensity to them. ¡°And freeze!¡± Her dome enclosed itself in ice, water still swirling around beneath, and encasing Salamander. She silently stared forward, trying to focus on maintaining such a massive and powerful casting, as the intense glow of Salamander dimmed.


    ¡°Stay on guard,¡± Atma ordered. ¡°We stay on guard until we¡¯re sure this thing is down.¡± He readied up his shield, just in case, Locke doing the same.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take over the ice, you just focus on the water.¡± Balthazar snapped his fingers, another layer of ice forming. He wasn¡¯t quite as adept at ice as Alice, but he would have to do, lest she give out before the monster was finished. He was quick to realize just how intensely she had to apply her magic, almost immediately having to double down on investing his energy, and constantly freeze.


    ¡°That thing¡¯s not giving up, Balthazar¡­¡±


    Salamander¡¯s eyes still burned under the dome of ice and water, its form still visible, and an all too uncomfortable sound emanating from it. The water was boiling. Steam burnt a hole in the icy prison, Balthazar attempting to patch it, but the intensity of the heat was unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen before, beyond his own flames, or any mage¡¯s for that matter. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her fall to one knee. Between the strain of maintaining so much water, and trying to support the ice that was failing, she was running out of energy, and Balthazar nor Sienna were skilled enough to fully supplement her.


    ¡°Alice, drop the spell! If you burn out everything you¡¯ve got, we¡¯ve got not fall back for support!¡± Atma put himself between the dome, and the others, Locke loyally at his side. ¡°Locke, we don¡¯t let that thing pass.¡±


    ¡°Fall back, sir, your life is more important than mine.¡±


    Alice released her magic, the water and ice remaining, but creating a cloud of steam as it boiled. She panted, surprised she¡¯d been able to hold the spell for as long as she had. ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    Balthazar grimaced, stepping up to hurl everything he could at the elemental. Lightning arced from his fingers to attempt to electrocute the beast in its watery prison, raising stone spikes from the earth to impale it, or icicles dropping from above. Anything he had, he threw at it, giving little care to his own stamina, so long as he could put the thing down.  He kept it all concentrated on where the dome had been, as steam filled the room, enveloping them, and cutting away at their visibility. Balthazar lost sight of the others, and they him


    Salamander was not simply made of fire, rather, it was fire itself, and still it burned, even weakened. It was like looking at hot coals, as some of the steam made way for the monster. No longer did its flames burn so intensely, nor did its wounds heal so instantaneously as they had before, steaming and smoldering, but not closing. It was pinned in place by Balthazar¡¯s attempt to attack it,spikes holding it by its tail, and claws. Atma¡¯s spear had long since melted away, left as little more than a slag heap on the ground. Balthazar panted, having burnt through nearly everything he had to try and put a stop to the elemental. The others would have to try and finish it. Once more it reared its head, its attention squarely on Balthazar. The steam was so intense, Balthazar wasn¡¯t entirely certain if they knew where the fire was headed, isolated in a sea of white.


    An idea came to mind. One last ditch effort. What if he redirected the flames, just as he¡¯d done the lightning before? Salamander loosed a pillar of flame, cutting through the steam, directly at Balthazar. He didn¡¯t have a sword, but he was more than familiar enough with fire magic to try. He held of his hand, igniting it ever so slightly. Almost immediately he was struck by the intensity, not burning, but he wasn¡¯t sure how long he could last. It fought against him, not quite like natural or magical fire, well and truly alive. He grunted as the heat got worse, as he tried guiding the flames towards the ceiling.


    The black mark on his hand pulsed with an ominous aura, and he felt a new sensation in his head, one he could only describe as revelation. He closed his eyes, opening them to find the Black Grimoire at his side, hovering just at eye level, its pages flipping themselves open to an entry. Balthazar grinned as his eyes met the page, and in an instant, everything became clear. ¡°Siphon!¡± Balthazar adjusted the aura of his magic, it was darker, consuming, and in that instant, he felt a sense of euphoria as the flames were consumed, absorbed. Balthazar staggered a bit, readjusting to the new surge of power entering his body. If anything, he felt overcharged, like no power he¡¯d ever known before.


    Salamander¡¯s flames let up, and the steam began to dissipate. Balthazar glanced back over to the grimoire, as it flipped to another page. ¡°Oh.¡± He grinned. ¡°Oh that¡¯s real nice.¡± He raised his hands and lined up Salamander between his fingers. ¡°Nova.¡± Salamander¡¯s color drained, compressing to a single point at its core, its flames well and truly extinguished, then bursting into a sphere that carved away at anything in its radius. Truly nothing remained, except a smoldering crater, and wisps of pure magic flowing into the air.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Sienna called out, the first he could see as the fog dispersed.


    ¡°Agreed, what did you just do?¡± Alice wafted steam out of her face, glaring at the perfectly cut crater in the center of the room.


    Balthazar found himself a bit confused, disoriented, and the grimoire back in his hands. He opened the book, its contents filled with old Mage script, no longer flipping around as it once had. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡±


    ¡°It worked, whatever that was.¡± Atma peaked over at the book. ¡°Was that thing guarding this?¡±


    Balthazar shrugged, returning to the opening pages. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. But this thing- I could just, I don¡¯t know, feel it?¡± He traced his hand across the paper, his hand coming next to the same emblem that adorned the book and entrance to the mysterious laboratory. Fey. Tarot of I. Bearing the same mark of Mercury on his hand. Beneath, a signature from the writer. ¡°Ebon la Fey. 2nd son of House la Fay.¡± He was completely still, despite wanting to shake in his boots. This grimoire was nothing short of an unmatched treasure. ¡°This is his Grimoire! Ebon la Fey, his magic, his formulas, they¡¯re all here! I don¡¯t-¡±


    Alice scrambled to get a look. ¡° I can¡¯t believe it! This thing would have to be ancient! How is it still readable? What¡¯s it doing here?!¡±


    ¡°So this thing is pretty valuable after all, right?¡±


    ¡°Sienna,¡± Alice answered, excitement building, ¡°You couldn¡¯t begin to put a price on this thing!¡±


    ¡°I suppose then, that that makes this a successful treasure hunt?¡± Atma glanced around the room, still alert.


    ¡°I¡¯m all for never doing that again.¡± Locke sighed, sheathing his blade.


    Balthazar grinned ear to ear. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to try and read this. There¡¯s got to be answers here for so many different types of magic! Who knows what kind of history I could¡­ could¡­¡± Balthazar staggered a bit, Alice and Locke catching him before he fell. He nearly dropped slack. ¡°That last spell¡¯s catching up-¡± His eyes felt heavy as if he were being swayed to sleep. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry him,¡± Atma offered. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to the surface, get some rest. I think we all deserve some down time after that.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Completely unanimous.


    Balthazar was on Atma¡¯s back for most of the journey, the prince carrying him with surprising ease, up until they saw daylight on the far end of one of the tunnels. They could hear some commotion outside, people shouting, and something far louder above. Atma set Balthazar down cautiously, a cacophonous beating of the skies above. They crept towards the entrance, trying to find out just what was going on.


    ¡°That sounds like one of ours,¡± Locke called out. ¡°Our airships I mean, they have a real distinct sound to their engines, kind of like that.¡± He peaked out of the entrance, gazing out at the city, and the skies above. ¡°Sir! That is one of ours! They have troops in the city!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Atma wore a look of confusion. ¡°Let¡¯s move, I want to know what¡¯s going on out there.¡± He strode outside, Locke at his side, searching for any sign of a commander among the soldiers. Balthazar looked around meekly, looking up to the sky, seeing five, make that six, ships circling above. This wasn¡¯t some small force, any more, and it would be a full on invasion fleet.


    Locke pointed up at a few of the ships. ¡°That¡¯s the Marauder! And over there is the Midsummer Night! And that¡¯s the Pleiades! It¡¯s the flagship of our fleet, if it¡¯s here¡­¡±


    ¡°Prince Atma!¡± A voice called out. A man in dark armor, a near-black purple, stepped into view from an alleyway. His face was impossible to make out beneath the helm he wore, his armor had spike pauldrons, and a fur collar. His feet had a noticeable clanking noise with each step he took. A pair of massive greatswords rested at his back.


    ¡°Agravain. What¡¯s the meaning of all of this?¡±


    The knight tilted his head slightly. ¡°Why, you. By order of the Council of Lords, the Knights¡¯ Council, and your brother, you are under arrest for suspicion of the murder of King Escalus.¡±

 Chapter 13: A Rigged Trial

    Chapter 13: A Rigged Trial


    For being his first time on an airship, Balthazar certainly wasn¡¯t enjoying himself. It was a larger ship, the Midsummer Night, surrounded by the others, flying in formation above the city of Calima. Deponesian soldiers had his wrists shackled together, along with the others. Seeing as he wasn¡¯t a direct suspect, they hadn¡¯t yet taken his things, but as he looked around the deck, he felt completely and utterly trapped. The soldiers completely surrounded them, either at work, or keeping trained on them, so that no movement they made went unnoticed.


    ¡°Excuse me, why am I under arrest too?¡± Sienna raised her hand at her shackles.


    ¡°Quiet you!¡± One of the soldiers barked.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m really starting to think you all are bad luck¡­¡± She eyed her shackles. She very well could break out, but with nowhere to run, she was better off playing nice.


    ¡°I demand an explanation for these charges!¡± Atma furiously cried out.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple really.¡± A middle aged man stepped out from below deck. His hair was a faded gray, his face scarred, and his eyes empty. He wore stone colored armor, scratched and beaten from years of combat. ¡°Your father was assassinated, we felt the need to investigate any possible connections. His son leaves the country immediately after the murder and being named heir? Forgive me if it''s just a little off putting.¡±


    ¡°Stein, to hear that from you of all people¡­¡± Another knight, in black armor with white trim, stood beside him. ¡°It¡¯s ironic, cruel even.¡± He was on the younger end, closer to Atma and Sienna¡¯s age. He had white hair, with a dyed streak of red on his right side. He was just under six feet in height, marginally taller than Stein, and perhaps as tall as Alice. ¡°Listen, we just need to be sure to clear you of all charges, you come back to the Kingdom peacefully, I doubt we¡¯ll have a problem.¡±


    Atma seemed to choke a bit, trying to process the news. ¡°Dante. My father, is he really-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Atma closed his eyes for a moment, thinking to his father in reverence. ¡°Very well. Back to Deponess. Please see to it that Captain Sienna is returned to her ship, and my companions are taken care of.¡±


    ¡°Not quite yet, Prince Atma.¡± Stein spoke in a very matter of fact manner. ¡°We¡¯ll be interrogating them first.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Atma seemed taken aback.


    ¡°Sorry, interrogate?¡± Balthazar raised his voice.


    ¡°A special investigator, Lieutenant Watts from Linia, is aboard the Pleiades, and will be conducting the primary interrogation," Dante answered. ¡°Just answer her questions honestly, and this will be quick, we can go home, and we can get to the bottom of this.¡±


    Balthazar sighed in relief, a Linian investigator was more likely to be fairer with him and Alice than someone directly affiliated with the Kingdom. Brothers in arms or not, something about the way some of the soldiers around them looked at him told him they weren¡¯t exactly fond of him regardless of his innocence.


    ¡°I want them in the cells below deck for now. Isolate them, I don¡¯t want them ¡®getting their story straight¡¯ or trying anything.¡± Stein eyeballed the group, pacing in front of them, stopping directly in front of Balthazar.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Stein.¡±


    Stein was unmoving, staring directly into Balthazar¡¯s eyes as he replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, Prince, but you¡¯re in no position to be giving orders right now.¡± Stein paced around Balthazar, and searched him and his belongings. ¡°What do we have here?¡± He held Faust¡¯s core playfully, investigating its mysteries and details.


    The glare from the knights around him told him he should answer. ¡°It¡¯s an old relic I picked up on our travels,¡± he started. ¡°Just a personal trinket and project for the future.¡±


    Stein eyed it a while longer, before returning it to Balthazar''s bag. ¡°And thi-¡± He reached for the black grimoire, his finger making contact as Balthazar reached to stop him, an instinct from somewhere he didn¡¯t recognize. A soldier drew their blade on Balthazar as soon as he did, lunging, and keeping the tip of his sword trained on Balthazar¡¯s neck. Stein gripped the back of Balthazar¡¯s collar, lifting him slightly. ¡°And this is?¡±


    Balthazar¡¯s eyes darted back and forth. ¡°S-sorry, that¡¯s a book I just picked up. It''s in old mage script, I can¡¯t really read much of it.¡±


    Stein¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m confiscating it to search for any evidence, since you seem so keen on guarding it.¡± He eyed the soldiers nearest to him. ¡°Like I said before, cells, now.¡±


    ***


    Lieutenant Watts smiled, as she sat with Atma, flicking through the pages of her notebook. Everything about seemed almost overly formal, between her keeping her steel hair in a bun, the officer¡¯s uniform being spotless and well kept, or even smaller details, such as the placement of her cap, or the arrangement of pins on her uniform. ¡°I understand you changed companions before leaving the country?¡±


    ¡°At my prior companion¡¯s request, yes.¡±


    ¡°I have statements from your report to the Guild House in Port Royale, and from your previous companion, documenting your time.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re aware I would have had no opportunity to arrange the crimes I stand accused of?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your report was quite thorough, the report of this Miles even more so.¡± Watts leaned forward, the change in her position adjusting the glint of her round glasses, revealing her steely eyes tracing every detail of Atma. ¡°But, I simply must wonder if this was planned even further back. Surely you must have realized that your father had gone rather long without naming his successor, that one of you would be due to be King one day? Given he did choose you as his heir, surely you must have realized some time ago that he intended you to be King.¡±


    Atma was silent for a moment, the lieutenant incredibly difficult to read. ¡°I was under the impression that Escalus would be King.¡±


    ¡°Jealousy then?¡±


    ¡°None. Escalus would make for a fine king.¡±


    Watts leaned back, the glare of a lamp in the room  illuminating her glasses, the reflection hiding the boredom in her eyes at his answer.  ¡°I see. Very well then, guards, the next one!¡± A pair of soldiers entered the room, escorting Atma outside, unshackling him from the interrogation chair, as the special investigator turned to the book Stein had confiscated, thumbing through it with little interest.


    ***


    ¡°Locke Helion, born third child to Leonidas Helion. You¡¯re not expected to inherit the school your family teaches, the estate, and while your performance is certainly above average compared to your peers, your siblings, on the other hand¡­¡±


    ¡°May I ask the point of this line of questioning?¡±


    Watts crossed her legs and sat up straight in her chair. ¡°What I mean to say is, what does a third child have to gain from siding with a man who would be king?¡± She let the question simmer for a moment. ¡°I imagine nearly everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m neither skilled nor worthy to inherit any of it. And I¡¯m fine with that, if I¡¯m to gain anything, I must earn it myself, not through inheritance, or some elaborate scheme.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a loyalist, I see.¡± She adjusted her glasses. ¡°Tell me then, is there anything then to definitively prove to me a lack of involvement.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lacking in evidence, Lieutenant, and we both know that. If you¡¯ll note the logs we made with the Guild House, there is no time in which Atma could have made contact with anyone outside of the group, or other supervision. And I doubt the knights who acted as his guards beforehand would be so unobservant.¡±


    ***


    Stein entered the room in between interrogations, Dante at his side. ¡°Anything so far?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing incriminating, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± Watts snapped the black grimoire shut before facing them.


    ¡°I told you,¡± Dante scoffed. ¡°None of them has done so much as attempt to pick a fight.¡±


    ¡°There was the Dark Mage,¡± Stein countered.


    ¡°The kid was reaching for a book Stein, a book no one can even read!¡±


    Stein turned back to the investigator. ¡°Is there anything in there?¡± His eyes drifted to the book, a hunger the lieutenant recognized in them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need more time there.¡±


    ¡°Should I bring him in next?¡±


    She seemed to ponder it for a moment. ¡°No, save him for last, bring me one of the girls.¡±


    Stein nodded, stepping back into the halls of the Midsummer Night, while Dante lagged behind for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll report to Raine and Agravain, they¡¯ll want to keep updated.¡±


    ¡°If we get anything, you¡¯ll be the first to know, but again, you¡¯ll need to give me time, Sir Tellian.¡±


    Dante turned to the door, a sour expression on his face. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Alice Taube Nocturne, born December 3, Light Mage, graduated with high honors just a few weeks ago. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? I can¡¯t say I¡¯m all that familiar with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve seen me in years.¡± Investigator Watts didn¡¯t emote in a particularly strong way, but Alice could sense an odd elation to the way she carried herself, as if she were holding back excitement. Watts tapped the black grimoire with her finger. ¡°Where exactly did you pick up this little number?¡±


    ¡°Right below your feet if you can believe it. We were exploring the old catacombs when we came across an old lab where we found the book.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Alice raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t seem all that interested.¡±


    ¡°Alice, may I call you Alice? I¡¯ve seen a lot in my time, and this? Oh that¡¯s nothing compared to what else you might find in the world.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you to be that well traveled, Lieutenant Watts, but that is a Fay Grimoire, I¡¯d hardly call it run of the mill.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be correct in that regard,¡± Watts, in a way similar to how a bored child might, opened the book, and flipped the pages from one cover to the other. ¡°Call it a preference of interest. I seek new truths, truths relevant to the now. It¡¯s part of why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m well aware you won¡¯t have anything new for me that the others haven¡¯t said before.¡±


    Alice scowled. ¡°So is the interrogation over, or-?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Watts said, removing her cap. ¡°I''d like to know your impressions on things.¡±


    Confused, Alice took a moment to answer. ¡°If you mean Atma, he doesn¡¯t really seem the type. The man¡¯s a big softie, always trying to get as many people through something as he can. I wouldn''t call him a killer. He negotiated with pirates, pirates of all people! Saved our lives doing it too. I mean, it¡¯s not like the captain is a brutalist or anything, but Atma certainly kept things smooth.¡±


    ¡°And what about now? Has your opinion shifted in the light of these accusations?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s jarring to hear such a thing, but I¡¯ve seen him get all bleeding heart, really spill his guts. No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a murderer.¡±


    Watts tilted her head slightly, and removed her glasses, her face seeming off from how it was before as she did so. ¡°I suppose the last question I want to ask is; what are you feeling right now?¡±


    ***


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve met you before.¡± Watts eyed the prisoner curiously. ¡°Will you tell me your name?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you the strong silent type, let¡¯s go off of that mark on your shoulder then, Miss Nocturne.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Watts sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not making this any easier for me, are you Miss Nocturne?¡± She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s fine though, I welcome a challenge.¡± Watts met the brunette¡¯s eyes with an unusually bright demeanor, especially as the chains of the interrogation chair rattled and strained. ¡°See, now that¡¯s a look I¡¯ve seen before, eyes I¡¯ve seen before. Eyes of a savage beast.¡± She leaned back in her chair. ¡°But if you¡¯re not going to be helpful, then that¡¯s perfectly fine, I¡¯ll just see if I can get a bite from the Dark Mage.¡±


    Her chains relaxed, clinking lightly.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t care, do you? What would Alice say if she saw that, I wonder?¡±


    ***


    Balthazar felt unnerved as Stein pulled him from his cell, which had been closer to being a box than anything. He was carted up a ways to a nearby room, catching a glimpse of Atma and Sienna outside of the interrogation room, silent, as guards remained stationed on either side of the door, and trained on either of them. Stein shoved him into the interrogation room, where Lieutenant Watts sat, readjusting her glasses.


    ¡°Melly? Melly, it is you!¡± Balthazar sighed as he sat down with her. ¡°I figured when they said Watts, but I wasn¡¯t certain. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Stay quiet until you¡¯re asked something.¡±


    Balthazar shrank back at Stein¡¯s voice, freezing up as the man reached to shackle him in the interrogation chair. Watts raised a hand, Stein stopping. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary here.¡± She smiled and returned the black grimoire to Balthazar, sliding it across the table. ¡°Nothing in here that you could call evidence, Sir Stein.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but this one I¡¯m staying in on.¡±


    Watts shrugged it off. ¡°How is your mother doing, by the way?¡± Her eyes glanced back and forth between Stein and Balthazar.


    ¡°Busy as always, but she¡¯s glad to be out of active service with the military. She still talks fondly about you, Melly.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Balthazar, I think I have the most important questions for you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    She pulled at her glasses again. ¡°One question, really.¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    Watts smiled as she took off her glasses and ran her hands down her face. ¡°You want to see something really scary?¡±


    ***


    Atma stood inquisitively by the door, Sienna at his side. ¡°They¡¯re letting you off, right?¡± The guards didn¡¯t seem to pay much mind to their conversation, if anything, welcoming any open words to find evidence to prove or disprove his innocence.


    ¡°They should, they don¡¯t exactly have anything they can use to hold me, not like the others being your companions and all.¡± She sighed. ¡°I''m sorry about your father.¡±


    ¡°... Is this what it felt like for you?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say, Atma, grief¡¯s never quite the same for people.¡±


    ¡°This sort of echoing emptiness?¡±


    ¡°Well, that much is familiar.¡± Silence for a moment, as they waited for Balthazar. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sure this¡¯ll pan out just fine for you and all, but I hope you can find the truth behind all of this.¡±


    ¡°You and me both.¡±


    THUD! CRACK! The two and the guards nearby staggered as they felt the ship take a heavy impact, and shudder with its weight. ¡°What was that?!¡±


    One of the guards rushed to the interrogation room. ¡°It sounded like it came from-¡± CRACK! The door flew off its hinges, smashing into the wall, the soldier caught in between, a horrid popping and groaning sound from his bones and armor as he was squeezed between the door and wall. A large, wiry, shadowy black arm extended out, holding the soldier in place. It flowed like a fire, not quite solid, and was far too massive to be from anything that could fit on the ship, though its size was far from consistent. Towards the hand it grew thicker, further way, thinner, closer to a human arm. A soldier tried cutting at the shadowy mass, only for it to corrode away at his sword, and recover, not unlike how Salamander had. The arm pulled  the door away from the wall, and hurled it down the hall. Atma grabbed Sienna and dove to the ground as it bounced and splintered, shattering itself into the wood surrounding, and a few soldiers getting hit by the debris.


    ¡°Balthazar!¡± Atma called out, trying to teach the Dark Mage, as a second arm emerged from the doorway, feeling around, and working with the other to try and drag the main body out.


    Sienna held him back, her strength being more than enough to keep him from rushing in. ¡°You¡¯ll die if you go in there unarmed!¡±


    ¡°But Balthazar¡¯s in there with that thing!¡± The arms seemed to suddenly be dragged back into the room, another loud crashing shaking the ship. A low cracking noise intensified, as the ship shuddered, and a flash of red light burst from the room, Louder and louder, seeming to spread.


    ¡°We need to move!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Move!¡± Sienna dragged Atma and tried making distance from the room, as the arms burst out again to try and break free, a howling shadowy mass dragged along, with eyes a glowing gold color, locking down on them. CRACK!


    Atma found himself nearly in freefall, as the monster¡¯s violent outburst strained the ship beyond its limits, and split it in two. Sienna grabbed his hand, holding onto the railing leading upstairs, and some of the soldiers started free falling, the wind roaring as the ship began crashing down. The two were throttled around, the railing straining to support them. Atma caught a glimpse of something in the distance, the black mass still rampaging on the other half of the ship, and plummeting far faster. Then, towards the direction of the Pleiades, another familiar sight. ¡°Sienna, I need you to trust me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t really have much choice, do I?!¡±


    ¡°On my signal, I need you to let go of the railing, but hold on to me!¡±


    ¡°What?! Dammit, fine!¡± She grimaced and nodded.


    ¡°3¡­ 2¡­¡± CRACK! The rail gave way, and the pair were flung from the airship, in a free fall of their own.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡± A third voice called out. In a flash, Atma caught a grip on a large spine. He still hung loosely, straining to keep his grip and pull up Sienna.


    Sienna grunted as she  grabbed hold of another spine. ¡°Is this thing-¡±


    ¡°Sienna, meet Hiryu, Dante¡¯s dragon.¡± The beast roared in affirmation, smaller and leaner than one might expect, but with three prominent horns, and a massive wingspan that soared the skies with an incredible strength and grace to them.


    Dante leaned back from his mount, reaching out to Atma. ¡°Hold on, this landing¡¯s going to be a little rough!¡± He grabbed hold of Atma¡¯s hand and helped the two work their way up Hiryu¡¯s back. The dragon wheeled away from the falling debris nearly skidding to the ground as it landed, Atma and Sienna hitting the ground rolling with the rough landing. Dante dismounted, to check on them as Hiryu stood on its hind legs, its forelimbs being more like proper arms. It folded its wings, and carefully observed the three.


    ¡°Oww¡­¡± Sienna groaned as she sat up, trying to get her bearings, finding they were somewhere to the North of Calima. ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t your doing?¡± Dante warily looked over the two of them.


    ¡°No, something just- I don¡¯t know, burst out of the interrogation room, attacked everything.¡±


    ¡°You thought that was us?¡±


    ¡°We, Atma.¡± Dante hastily looked back to the Pleiades. ¡°Atma, we saw something burst out of the interrogation room, and assumed someone was fighting back. They sent me to scout things out.¡±


    ¡°Fighting back?¡±


    ¡°Atma, they think you and your companions were attempting to escape!¡± Dante paced back and forth. ¡°Dammit, Agravain¡¯s all excited to hunt you down, and Raine¡¯s too dogmatic to not try and hunt you down. I don¡¯t have the authority to stop them!¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Sienna glanced around, trying to find any kind of cover.


    ¡°Calm down, both of you. There¡¯s got to be some way to explain this.¡±


    Dante slowed his breathing, trying to focus. In the distance, to the southeast, a flare shot into the sky, calling for help, presumably at the wreckage of the other half of the ship, Survivors. ¡°You two lay low for now. I¡¯ll try and meet up with the Pleiades over there and see if I can try and clear this up before this situation gets any worse.¡± Dante looked up to Hiryu, who lowered himself to allow his rider to mount. ¡°Wish me luck.¡± He turned to the wreckage. ¡°Let¡¯s fly, Hiryu!¡±


    ***


    Stein brushed off debris on his armor as he watched the flare descend. His face had a new scar to it, but he hardly noticed as his attention turned to the Pleiades, and then, the woman claiming to be Watts. ¡°Where is he? That Dark Mage?¡±


    She shrugged, waving her hand around whimsically. ¡°You could always thank me for saving you first, you know.¡± She cracked her neck to either side. ¡°I think he landed somewhere else, this half of the ship wasn¡¯t so lucky, split up even more mid fall than it seems like the other did.¡±


    Stein stepped up to the woman and held her up by her collar. ¡°Who are you, really?¡±


    ¡°Not afraid of you, that¡¯s for sure. While I¡¯m at it, you can thank me for letting you see my real face. I don¡¯t go showing it to people all that often. But you saw me, real scary, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Stein let her down, curious. ¡°More beautiful, if I must say so.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you charmer you.¡± She giggled, and reached into her coat, placing a mask with a stitched mouth on her face. ¡°I hate to give this up,¡± she said, patting down her uniform, ¡°I think I make this look good. As for who I am, you can call me Loki.¡±


    ¡°That boy, that book, what was it when I touched them? It felt like-¡±


    ¡°Like the Goddess herself poured the world into your mind? Why not go after him, now that you¡¯ve gotten a taste of real knowledge. That is what you¡¯re seeking, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± he smiled, maliciously.


    ¡°Then do me a little favor. I¡¯ve given you plenty of set up, and soon you¡¯ll get plenty of bodies, and the knowledge on what to do with them. You just tell them they fought back, and I¡¯ll consider us even. Give it a little spice, I know exactly what¡¯ll do the trick.¡± She leaned forward and whispered into his ear, her mask smiling like a jester.


    ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    ¡°Just what I like to hear. I¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± With a joyful sway to her step, she stepped into the shadows of the ship¡¯s debris, and vanished without a trace, out of sight, as the Pleiades set down.


    ***


    Dante was shocked as Stein gave his report, with the usual nonchalance. ¡°But why?! They had nothing to hide!¡±


    Stein glared at him, leveraging his being in the interrogation room, and general outranking of the newcomer to the Knights¡¯ Council. ¡°I¡¯m simply telling it as I saw it. The Dark Mage attacked, and killed the Lieutenant, his magic broke apart the ship. She was on the verge of cracking him, and he tried fighting before she could get an answer from him. As I understand it, there was some sort of collusion between the prince and the Mages of Linia, hence the children of their Mage Paragons accompanying him.¡±


    Agravain growled, ¡°I always knew we couldn¡¯t trust those bastards with the pointy hats. What now?¡±


    ¡°What else,¡± Raine asked, their voice cold. ¡°We hunt them down.¡±


    Stein grinned. ¡°Alright then, by your leave, I¡¯ll go after the Mages. I¡¯m the most experienced here with them after all.¡±


    ¡°Very well. But I want them alive if you can help it. I leave it at your discretion if they put up too much of a fight. The rest of us will go in pursuit of the Prince.¡±


    Dante protested in shock. ¡°Raine, your brother is among those Mages, you can¡¯t just-¡±


    Raine cut him off swiftly and confidently. ¡°Locke has always been able to choose the right path, but he¡¯s weak willed. If he¡¯s alive, he will surrender, of that I have little doubt.¡±


    Dante shrank back, they weren¡¯t hearing him at all. He clenched his fist and bit his lip. Member of the Knights¡¯ Council he may have been, but to them, he remained just the rookie.


    ***


    Balthazar found himself next to Alice and Locke, with a rhythmic thudding vibrating his body, a gentle, but warm embrace as he drifted in and out of consciousness. It was almost like being carried by the Dryads all over again, but his body felt too battered to do a thing about it. His clothes were shredded, his arm burnt lightly, and a nightmarish dread hanging over him, feeling as though claws had shredded into him. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d been moving, or how fast, his eyes drifting open once more, as the crimson, fiery light faded away. The others were still out, left who knows where. It didn¡¯t matter to him at that moment. For now, he felt safe, from whatever it had been that had filled him with so much terror. Part of him wanted to remember, but every time he tried, his mind screamed him away. He took solace in his safety for now, his gaze turning back to the black grimoire, still clutched in his hands.


    ***


    ¡°That¡¯s the Marauder, it¡¯s breaking off to the east. Maybe in search of the others?¡± Atma perched himself at an outcropping of rock near a river that led back towards Calima. He sighed, as another ship neared their location, the Silverbolt. ¡°Do you think Dante got through to them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Sienna glared up at the ship. ¡°That ship¡¯s not slowing down. That thing¡¯s on an attack run.¡±


    Atma¡¯s eyes darted back to the ship as a cannon ball hit a nearby outcropping, shattering rock, and raining dirt down on them. ¡°No, no, this can¡¯t be-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better believe it''s happening!¡± She grabbed him again, nearly slinging him over her shoulder as she did, and made a run for the river. ¡°Hold your breath, this is going to be rough!¡± She dove into the river, as the barrage commenced, the shore being bombarded with near endless cannonfire, clouds of dust and debris filling the air. The Silverbolt circled around the area, trying to find any sign of them. Nothing.


    PART ONE: END

 Chapter 14: Thoughts of their Brother

    Part Two: Atma- Wayward Prince


    Chapter 14: Thoughts of their Brother


    Atma burst to the surface of the water, panting for air, Sienna calmly floating up next to him. She put his arm over her shoulder, trying to keep him as still as possible. ¡°Just breathe,¡± she said, with a whispered tone. ¡°Don¡¯t swim right now, you¡¯re just going to end up fighting me and  tiring yourself out.¡±


    Atma¡¯s mind raced, trying to process what exactly just happened. Sienna had abruptly dragged him into the water, and kept him under until he tried flailing for air, all the while dragging him upstream under the surface of the water. More to the point though, his own people had just opened fire on him with intent to kill. What was he going to do? What could he do?


    Slap! ¡°Oi, focus!¡± Sienna snapped him back to attention. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to go back under again, I need you to relax and focus.¡± She glanced up to the sky, the unmistakable sound of the Silverbolt coming back around for another attack. ¡°I need you to hold on as long as you can once we go under. One tap on my shoulder is you¡¯re starting to feel the need to come up, two is it getting worse. Three is immediate.¡±


    Atma blinked repeatedly, trying to meet her gaze. ¡°Right,¡± he said, still a bit dazed. ¡°Okay.¡± He tried looking himself over, before being dragged back under, taking a deep breath as soon as he felt her start moving. The Calima river was deep towards its centerpoint, the rainy season having just passed, and Sienna was a strong swimmer, keeping them closer to the riverbed, as more bits of dirt and debris rained down from above. He didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d tightened his grip on her shoulder until she nudged him with her elbow. He relaxed a bit, as she ¡®landed¡¯ on the riverbed, and started stepping forwards, digging her feet into the soft mud  to almost anchor herself. She made a deliberate march upstream, as if she¡¯d been in this situation a dozen times before. He¡¯d have thought they¡¯d have floated up, but quickly realized she wasn¡¯t holding her breath like he was, between the weight of both of them, he wasn¡¯t quite enough to drag them up. He let little bits of air escape as they went. Clearly not as adept under the water as she was, he at least could hold his breath for a while, given he had trained for high aerial combat. He tapped on her shoulder after around 45 seconds, letting a few more bubbles escape. They were still decently close, but had made surprising progress from where they¡¯d dove under, they weren¡¯t under any direct fire now, though they could still hear impacts in the water.


    Sienna glanced around, noting a shadowy area in the water, looking up to see an overhanging piece of stone on the side of the river where the Silverbolt would be, a perfect hiding spot for a moment for Atma to catch his breath. Two taps on her shoulder, to which she nodded and pointed ahead. A bit longer, closer to two minutes under and she kicked off of the riverbed, moving the two under the overhang, any line of sight with the airship obstructed. ¡°Take a breath and break while you can, we have to keep moving.¡±


    Atma panted slightly, not particularly warmed up for dives in such a tense situation. ¡°Right.¡± He tried steadying his breathing to readjust. ¡°How are you fine?¡±


    ¡°Practice, and a bit of magical technique.¡± Sienna only half answered, not paying him her utmost focus. She glanced around for any sign of ground troops or the Silverbolt moving. ¡°We lost a few of our things back there, but with any luck, they¡¯ll float downstream, making them think we went that way too.¡± She turned back to Atma, taking notice of the mess of confusion and tension in his expression. ¡°Tell you what? We get out of this, I¡¯ll teach you sometime.¡±


    Atma realized as she spoke to him the serious concern he wore on his face, and tried loosening up a bit, but he kept turning back to the Silverbolt. ¡°After a bombardment like that, they¡¯ll have to deploy on the ground to search the area. That¡¯s protocol for suppression and search strategies.¡±


    ¡°Anything else we might have going in our favor?¡±


    Atma peeked out slightly, noting the sun inching closer and closer to the horizon. ¡°Crash protocol, the Midsummer Night isn¡¯t exactly an insignificant loss. They have to rally ships to search for any dead or wounded, salvage what they can. Even with all the troops they have, they won¡¯t finish before nightfall. If the Silverbolt searches the area and rallies back up for new orders, it¡¯ll be occupied until at least dusk.¡±


    ¡°And they won¡¯t just blitz us down?¡±


    ¡°No, Raine¡¯s a professional, extremely by the book, and I imagine Dante wouldn¡¯t be opposed to buying us time with protocols.¡± He seemed to relax a bit saying it out loud. ¡°Caius and Stein I¡¯d worry about, but Raine¡¯s probably here to rein them in. And the military knows full well they¡¯re much faster than we are.¡±


    Sienna grimaced. ¡°Dante wasn¡¯t exactly all that helpful just now. What about Alice and the others?¡±


    Atma didn¡¯t answer at first, hesitant to reveal his skepticism on if the others had even made it. ¡°They¡¯ll probably only send one Council member after them. Maybe three after me. I¡¯m the priority target. Still though, they have to be careful, they can¡¯t go full deployment in hunting us, or they risk picking a fight with the Mist Alliance.¡±


    Sienna sighed, realizing she wasn¡¯t going to do much of anything for the others. ¡°Alright, we head north then. There¡¯s a town we can hide out in overnight, we can make a plan from there.¡±


    Atma glanced back once more, before turning back to the pirate. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d get ready to hold your breath again, I¡¯m not taking a chance with this.¡±


    ***


    Escalus gripped his head in his study, rifling between reports of scouts reporting from the southern border, reporting an all-clear as of now, no sign of Ranzian movements. He wondered then, if it was true that they really had nothing to do with the assassination. It was all too much coincidence piling on top of itself, the assassination, the right of ascension, and now, the odd black mark that had appeared on his left hand. He recognized the mark well enough from his studies, the celestial symbol for Mars, but one he had no recollection of being there. He had kept it hidden under a pair of gloves that he often wore, but its presence was unendingly scratching at his mind. It was something he could feel, an echo in his soul, a touch he should know. At the same time though, it burned like a hot brand applied to his skin, and it was driving him mad.


    He sighed and looked up to the portrait mounted above his desk, caressing his brand as he did so. It was a portrait of his mother and father, made before the twin brothers were born. It was one of the few connections he¡¯d had to his mother, who had died shortly after he and Atma were born, and now, it was a painting holding the memory of both of his parents. ¡°Mother, Father, guide me, please. Deliver Atma safely home.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to be king?¡± It wasn¡¯t quite his father¡¯s voice that echoed in his mind, somewhat similar, paternally gentle.


    Escalus shook his head, and walked over to the window, trying to shake off the thought that intruded his mind. The air was still cool despite the heights of summer rapidly approaching, though looking out did nothing to alleviate the tension in his heart.


    ¡°Your three great desires Escalus.¡±


    Desires? Escalus stared out at the horizon with a great melancholy. He wished he and his brother had their roles reversed, that Atma might be spared having to hear of their father¡¯s death in such a way. That he could keep his kingdom safe, be it from Ranz, or whatever other threat came knocking at their door. Escalus looked back to the portrait again. It was the closest thing to a family portrait the four of them had. Unity. Family. For now, Escalus stood alone, gazing out on an uncertain horizon. A childish wish, he knew, but it was his wish all the same.


    The prince sighed, before turning back to his desk, his motion to sit back down interrupted by a knocking at his door. He opened it, to find Conseil, a man somewhat older than Escalus, and loyal retainer to both himself and Atma. He dressed modestly, not far from that of a butler, though the man carried himself with the composure of a well trained soldier. His hair was a dull blonde, and his face was generally unexpressive, though Escalus was more than familiar with the biting sarcasm that his demeanor hid. ¡°Dukes Kaian and Ryner wish to speak with you, sir.¡± He was a servant from a young age, his family having long served the royal house of Ornicius, and his record was nothing short of distinguished


    Escalus scowled, knowing the two would simply bicker for his support on whatever issue that they were fighting on again. ¡°I¡¯m rather busy at the moment, Conseil.¡± He made sure to enunciate clearly, and sign to him, having been decently well learned in it from years of Conseil at his side. His retainer had gone partially deaf following a break in his direct service to the castle, when he had served in the military early on in the Ranzian Border War. Conseil could at least, still hear somewhat out of one ear, and he had learned to read lips long before he had been deafened, but he appreciated the effort on his lord¡¯s part. Escalus himself appreciated having a way few could actively follow to speak privately, when he had little in the way of privacy.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°As I told them, my prince, but you¡¯ll find them more hard of hearing than myself.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Escalus donned his coat, black with gold crests emblazoned upon it, taking a moment to recompose himself as he strode out the door, Conseil trailing him off to his side. Down the spire, and through a hall, it wasn¡¯t long before he reached the throne room, finding both Dukes waiting, rather impatiently. ¡°You had something you wished to speak with me on?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my prince.¡± He bowed, and stood straight again, brushing his dark hair aside as he did. ¡°By our projections, the judicial force should be due to intercept your brother¡¯s chosen course within the next few days, with any luck, he should be returned to us, soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware, Kaian, but I take it that this isn¡¯t everything?¡± Escalus had mixed feelings concerning Kaian. The two were often in agreement concerning the defense of Deponess, neither particularly trusting of the uneasy peace with Ranz. Escalus found the only real deterrent to King Gilliam of Ranz had been their overwhelming show of force at the Battle of Heimdal Canyon, the last battle of the war, which had taken place in Kaian¡¯s territory. It had been a rout that had been so crippling to the Ranzian army that, had Gilliam not called for an end to the hostilities, would have allowed Deponess to sweep through Ranz relatively easily. Escalus nor Kaian weren¡¯t particularly certain the war should have ended the way it had, feeling in hindsight that they should have fully taken Ranz. The King, however, to a point Escalus could somewhat agree with, restrained the army. At the time, the Kingdom would have been stretched too thin in the attempt, and the strain on the civilian populace had grown to be near crippling, with far too many soldiers being drafted away from their proper trades to maintain the economy. Nowadays, with the ingrained hatred of Ranz in the people, and increased peacetime militarization, the same could not be said for the present day Deponess.


    ¡°Of course. I also wished to let you know that Ryner and I have set aside our squabbles for the time being to arrange your father¡¯s funeral.¡± Kaian presented a stack of papers, containing the details of the procession. Escalus carefully took the papers, skimming across their contents. He always found it difficult to read Kaian, at times he had genuine sincerity to his actions and words, but a silver tongued man such as him was someone one had to be wary of. Ryner was a less complex man in contrast, he sought peace, though it was all too clear he had his own interests in mind. It was hard to say whether the two acted out of their loyalty to his father, or, in hopes of garnering his favor.


    Escalus maintained his stoic gaze as he turned back to the Dukes. ¡°My thanks. Six days from now, then.¡±


    ¡°We spared no expense from our own coffers, sire,¡± Ryner nearly boasted. ¡°All that we have is thanks to him.¡±


    ¡°Except the brown on your nose, that¡¯s all you.¡± Escalus saw Conseil sign, amused that the man seemed to be signing his thoughts for him.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Ryner had no clue as to what Conseil had said.


    ¡°He expresses his sincere appreciation of your generosity.¡±


    ¡°Good man.¡±  Ryner paused for a moment. ¡°Whatever comes next, I pray we are all seen safely through, I fear what has happened so far is mere prologue to something far worse.¡±


    ¡°Another war, you mean?¡± Escalus was somewhat taken aback by his sudden drop into such a serious tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never known you to be one for cryptics, Ryner.¡± Kaian shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t go soft on me now.¡±


    Ryner frustrated, fumed. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Kaian. Our homeland hasn¡¯t been the same since the war, with each passing year, it seems we stray further and further from the Goddess¡¯ protection.¡±


    Conseil made another motion, one that didn¡¯t need interpretation, a series of taps across his chest, the symbol for the divine Grand Cross.


    ¡°We have always relied on our own strength, Ryner,¡± Kaian confidently stated. ¡°Goddess or no, our kingdom will not fall, of that I vow, here and now.¡±


    ¡°Will you vow the same? To defend your home? To safeguard it from any threat?¡± Again, that voice from before, stronger, louder.


    Escalus almost spoke to agree, before noting Conseil signing a warning. ¡°Personal strength is important, but I hope I taught you and Atma both that strength alone does not win battles, nor does one alone.¡±


    ¡°I believe it best we-¡±


    ¡°Your strength alone may not be enough, but to you I would grant a blessing.¡± That paternal voice again, and again, Escalus¡¯ head felt wracked with pain. He clutched his temples, trying to keep from what felt like toppling over


    Conseil was quick to his side. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He used his words, a more direct call to his prince¡¯s wellbeing.


    ¡°Fine, Conseil. Forgive me, everyone, I feel all of this is taking a toll on me.¡±


    Kaian frowned, ¡°We can continue this another time, please, rest your highness, you¡¯ve not given yourself the time since your father¡¯s passing.¡±


    Escalus was silent, as he regained his bearings. He was hesitant to do so, before Conseil signed to him once more, not wanting Escalus to have to verbally show weakness, something he knew the Prince would hate projecting before the two most powerful men in the kingdom aside from him. ¡°Please, leave this to me.¡±


    ¡°But I must-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, my prince. Take the time to rest, I beg you.¡± Conseil placed himself between Escalus and the Dukes, though the Prince raised his hand, as if to dismiss him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I will rest, but I have other matters I must attend to first.¡± He sighed and turned back to the hall towards his spire, though he turned back, articulating and signing, ¡°See them out, please.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, sir,¡± Conseil answered, though he signed something else entirely. ¡°It''s a pleasure to be rid of them for a time.¡± The retainer turned back to the Dukes, noticing a half smile on the face of a maid accompanying Duke Kaian, as though she understood what he had said. She was a new face to him, odd, given his track record for at least attempting to familiarize himself with some of the staff of frequent visitors. A new hire, he figured.


    He returned them to the castle entrance, before returning to his prince¡¯s side, finding the prince at his desk once again, though this time, fallen asleep against it. Conseil removed his coat, placing it over Escalus, as he carefully moved the untouched stack of papers. ¡°Let me at least do this for you.¡±


    ***


    Atma thought back to his brother, as they hid away that night, how me might respond if he were to hear the false accusations against him. He had faith in his brother, but he¡¯d had faith in Dante, in his kingdom. Yet there he was, on the run. An overwhelming dread and despair gripped his heart, and he writhed about in his makeshift bedding.


    Sienna was familiar with the area, having led them to a small town to the north called Myyah, a place where people had owed her a few favors, enough for them to hide out for a little while, enough they wouldn¡¯t be sold out. The two were holed up in a barn near the river, owned by an older couple, whom Sienna knew from a job of some sorts, years prior. Sienna took note of Atma, rolling about in the makeshift bedding, not so much out of a lack of physical comfort, but she recognized the look of distress keeping someone awake. She wondered then, if it was how she¡¯d appeared when she first turned up with the Tempests, lost her home. No, not quite the same, she¡¯d been a kid, and hardly remembered much of her previous life. Looking at him, this was a man who had the only life he¡¯d ever known slip away. ¡°You¡¯re better off talking than wallowing, Atma.¡±


    Atma stilled himself for a moment before shuffling around to look at her. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Then start with the first thing that comes to mind.¡±


    ¡°Do I not have a home anymore?¡± He was silent for a moment longer. ¡°They think I killed my father. They think I¡¯m a murderer. At that point, I really don¡¯t have a home do I?¡± It was at least a little relieving to put it to words, but still, he could feel himself wanting to writhe around still. ¡°I wish I could go back.¡±


    ¡°But it feels impossible, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Atma didn¡¯t answer at first, her response was dead on, he took the time to process it. ¡°Yeah. The one home I¡¯ve had, and it¡¯s just gone. I wanted to go out into the world, fulfill my dream, but it¡¯s bitter when I don¡¯t have the option to go back home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your dream?¡± Sienna had a bit of curiosity in her voice.


    ¡°Yeah. I wanted to see the world. To meet people, explore, be free.¡± He was rather melancholic about it, as he turned to face the moon.


    Sienna closed her eyes and lied back down, taking in his words. ¡°Freedom doesn¡¯t mean much when you don¡¯t have a structure to come back to though, does it?¡±


    Atma stilled himself. ¡°I want to find the others, Sienna. I want to make sure they¡¯re safe. I want to clear my name and go home.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s your plan for this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way across the mountains to the east, head south, track down the others. I owe it to them to get them home. You¡¯ve been a great help, but you don¡¯t need to be stuck with me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a clue on heading after them, do you?¡±


    Atma didn¡¯t answer, he had nothing more than the start of an idea.


    ¡°Listen, you can try not involving me, but I¡¯m already wrapped into this. I¡¯m not leaving Alice to the wolves, not when I just saw her again after so long.¡±


    He nodded to himself. He wouldn¡¯t leave Escalus either if his role was reversed with hers. ¡°What¡¯s your idea then?¡±


    ¡°We head northwest, and hear me out here,¡± she quickly added to make sure she could get her full thought through. ¡°There¡¯s a full hideout up there, and I just might, emphasis on might, be able to get us a ride.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s one step, but getting to the others, clearing my name-¡±


    ¡°You and I can¡¯t afford to worry about that right now. One step at a time. We can try and plan it later, but for now, we need to make for the hideout, it¡¯s our best chance of survival. And if we can¡¯t survive, then there¡¯s no point in planning anything else. Focus on what we can solve and do. Think of it this way, you worry about food running out a week from now on your ship, and you¡¯ll miss the storm that¡¯ll tear your ship apart in an hour.¡±


    Her practicality was reassuring to him in place of the doubt and anxiety that filled him. It was a much more reasonable goal. Reach the hideout, survive. That he felt he could do, that felt reasonable in comparison to his freedom, his status as a fugitive. ¡°Sienna? Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I get it, Atma.¡± She let out a deep breath as she settled into her makeshift bedding a bit more. ¡°It gets worse before it gets better, what you¡¯re feeling. But it does get better, eventually.¡±


    He blinked slowly, and tried old meditation techniques from his training days. Deep breath in, deep breath out, trying to clear his mind, feel the world around him, rather than his mind. Better eventually? He certainly hoped so. A cool breeze. Soft moonlight glowing down on him. Chirping crickets. The scent of fresh straw. He relaxed a bit, taking in the little details, the physical sensations of the world. As he closed his eyes for the night, it was as if a gentle figure embraced him, one last comfort and sensation to guide him to sleep.

 Chapter 15: Ahead on our Way

    Chapter 15: Ahead on our Way


    There was a rather surprising calm and warmth Atma felt as he opened his eyes to find himself someplace familiar, yet new. He was seated at a rather well used table, with a warm cup of tea placed before him, with a soothing aroma, and a hint of lemon wafting to his nose. He raised the cup to his lips, finding it at a perfect temperature. He took a sip, closed his eyes, and took in the gentle fragrance of his drink. There was silence, but not in an uneasy manner, rather, a serenity, as if falling into a soft bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult, I know. Take this time while you can.¡±


    Atma opened his eyes, to meet the gaze of a tall woman sitting opposite of him. She had simply appeared, sitting before him, smiling at him with a warmth that, like this place, felt both familiar and new. It was a mother¡¯s smile she gave him, though she did not resemble his mother. He¡¯d been limited to paintings of her, but he and his mother both had blue eyes and blonde hair. The woman before him, however, was wholly unique. Her eyes shone two different colors, one gold, and the other silvery, and they truly did shine, ever so slightly. Her hair was a deep black, like staring into the night itself, but as she shifted slightly, it seemed to sparkle, as though there were stars among her black locks. ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    ¡°You and I? Never. But also yes, many times.¡± She took a sip of her own cup of tea. ¡°What you face is your most daunting trial to date, Atma, but I have no doubts in you, little one.¡±


    Her words were oddly comforting, despite his unfamiliarity with her, the warmth she spoke with nothing short of true sincerity. It was odd, hearing her call him little one, he thought, seeing as she was shorter than he was, but it bore an odd comfort as well. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any advice for me, whoever you are?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± she answered. ¡°But you¡¯re a bird freed from your nest, if you don¡¯t fly, how can you survive? What comes next is up to you, Prince of Birds. You¡¯re free to fly however you wish, for the first time in your life. I know you and your heart to know well enough you don¡¯t need my guidance.¡± She paused. ¡°Guidance or not, to you, I grant my love and blessing.¡± She reached out and held his hand, gently tracing the back of it with the tip of her finger.


    Atma watched as a mark similar to Balthazar¡¯s was inscribed upon the back of his hand. ¡°21? No, that¡¯s¡­ Jupiter.¡± He met her eyes once more. ¡°You were the one who gave Balthazar his mark, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Those who should bear one will always find one another. You might call it fate.¡±


    ¡°Then you must be-¡±


    ¡°No one important, not anymore, little one.¡± The woman smiled sadly, but she still looked at Atma with an invigorating spark in her eyes. ¡°What will you do now, I wonder? Now that you have been forced along the path?¡±


    Atma smiled, his confidence returning somewhat. ¡°The only thing I can do. I¡¯m going to find the others, Balthazar, Alice, and Locke. I want to clear my name. I want to get them home safely. To have my home back.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Then spread your wings, Atma, and find your flock.¡±


    A wave of exhaustion hit Atma once more, as if he had never gone to bed. As Atma felt his eyes grow heavier he tried asking one more thing. ¡°What do I call you?¡±


    Her eyes seemed to sparkle, as she answered. ¡°Lilia, you can call me Lilia.¡±


    ***


    Atma awoke peacefully, finding it still before dawn, though the light of the stun started to creep over the horizon. He wrapped right hand around his left, instinctually cradling it, though not out of any pain he felt. All the same, looking out to the stars, still hanging above, he felt something inside him flutter, tracing the back of his hand. It was real, the mark upon his hand. He clenched his fist, and glanced over to find Sienna awake as well. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be up so early.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit too used to swaying in my sleep on the water. I¡¯ve been real off and on. You?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure.¡± He showed her the back of his palm. ¡°I¡¯m not just seeing this, right?¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s real, and that¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°Not just me then. I can¡¯t say I understand it, but that doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that we find our way back to the others. And I know we will.¡±


    ¡°Not that I don¡¯t like it, but where¡¯s this confidence coming from?¡± She grinned a bit.


    Atma drifted back to Lilia¡¯s words. ¡°Not entirely sure, but, call it fate, I suppose.¡± He realized how serious his expression had grown as he was speaking, and chuckled a bit. ¡°We should get going then. Even if it¡¯s the only thing we can do, it¡¯s a step in the right direction to not just be stuck in this rut.¡±


    Sienna sighed. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Leaving the town was a quiet affair, nothing in the way of applause or fanfare, or so much as a note. They were headed north long before the sun broke the horizon, with little more than the clothes they wore, and miniscule supplies from their bags. Atma let her lead the way, as he had little in the way of knowing where exactly they were going. ¡°We don¡¯t have to dive back in the water, do we?¡±


    ¡°Not unless you see a ship headed our way. With the mist creeping in, it should be much harder for them to track us too. There¡¯s a town called Zanch up ahead, that¡¯s our next stop.¡± The cold mist was not especially thick low to the ground, but got thicker just a bit higher up in the air. Visibility wasn¡¯t excellent, but it wasn¡¯t overwhelmingly obstructive. Really, in the quiet early morning hours, it was something akin to a rather comforting blanket. Even as the day went on, and they were approaching, the mist embraced the landscape, sunlight only slightly breaking through.


    ¡°Anything I should know about this place before we get there?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s been a few years since I last visited, but it¡¯s a mining town. Nice folks, we smuggle a few goods for them here and there, and they pass us a few shiny things they dig up.¡±


    ¡°Why? They aren¡¯t mining anything illegal, are they?¡±


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m sure you know how much they tax mythril, especially the stuff as pure as they get here. So, just a bit of tax evasion, I guess.¡± She grinned smugly, nearly ear to ear as she noticed him glare slightly.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re a hardened criminal or a rogue with a heart of gold sometimes.¡± Atma sighed as he looked back out to the city, as they neared its outskirts. The city was nearly entirely stone, save for some of the homes, with cobble streets, forges, and several layers of stone walls that lined the streets, for the sake of a conical, layered defense against monster attacks. Newer homes were made of wood, though the oldest were stone. The people of Zanch, before the mine had brought them their share of wealth, were forced to use whatever they could for their homes while they dug. What else could have been more plentiful than their stone? With the town nearly being built into a mountain, the widest segment of the town¡¯s cone shape was faced outward, to allow time for people to fall back to the mines in the event of an emergency. Granted, the upkeep on the walls was rather lacking, having become overgrown with ivy and moss. With how silent the world around them felt in the mist, it took him a while to realize just how relatively quiet the town was. He didn¡¯t see any guards posted at any of the entrances, which he figured would have been standard practice. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not right.¡±


    Atma had never been to a mining town before, but certainly, he¡¯d read enough financial reports concerning them to know that not enough was going on. Just because the mine was the centerpoint didn¡¯t mean it was the only thing in town. There should have been shops dealing in goods to support the families, active pubs for workers to visit in their off time, smithies for maintenance, and all the like. It wasn¡¯t as if there were no people. As Atma looked around, he caught brief glimpses of a few stray people, scavenging around the town, never sharing more than a glance, before retreating back into alleyways or their homes. Mist that had once seemed like a comforting blanket took on a different feel to Atma, now an ominous shadow looming over them. ¡°What happened here? Everything looks intact, but this place is dead.¡±


    ¡°Nothing good. We need to find the foreman, he¡¯ll be able to give us a clue as to what¡¯s going on. His place was near here, when I last came to town.¡± She patted her thigh under her coat, where she hid a dagger sheathed in a leg strap. It was all they had for weapons between the two of them in case things went south. Sienna made for the alleyways, rather than the main roads, Atma trailing her as they were mostly obscured by the buildings around them. She stopped him as they neared a corner, gesturing for him to be quiet as she peeked around. ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± She turned back to face Atma. ¡°We¡¯ve got problems. Again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think I really am bad luck. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Town¡¯s been taken over, old gang of rogues that splintered off from the Tempests a few years back.¡± She gestured for him to take a look. They didn¡¯t have much in the way of uniform, the group of five bandits that Atma could see. Ragged clothes on some, while one, who he assumed to be the leader, wore a clean suit. The only unifying marker was a crimson emblem on their back, a humanoid face stylized with large fangs, and horns. ¡°They call themselves the Red Oni, seeing as their boss comes from Diamant. I thought they had gone and scattered. My brother fought their boss Douji a few years back, cut off his arm, and we assumed that he¡¯d died of his injuries.¡±


    ¡°We can take them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about them, I¡¯m worried about how many more goons and mercs they¡¯ve got stashed away. That guy in the suit¡¯s nothing more than an enforcer, taking him out wouldn¡¯t do a thing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on just standing by, Sienna. If we can help these people-¡±


    ¡°Save the white knighting, blondie, I know you¡¯re all honor and being a hero, but we¡¯re seriously outnumbered, and in case you didn¡¯t notice, more than a little unprepared. I¡¯m not saying we don¡¯t try and help. If my folks messed up, I need to clean up the mess. It¡¯s that simple. But you don¡¯t need to get involved. We can come back with more people, and more gear, and maybe we can handle this.¡±


    It was strange, hearing her talk about it as her own duty. It was a sentiment he could understand, having known duty to the throne, to his people all his life. Still, seeing the town as it was, he knew very well he couldn¡¯t just let it be. This was their home. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see them lose their homes too. I¡¯m helping you, and I¡¯m helping these people, Sienna.¡±


    She scowled a bit before turning back to the thugs, standing outside one of the nearby homes. ¡°Then use that brain of yours, you¡¯re supposed to be the smart one here, right? We need a plan here, and we need weapons if we¡¯re going to do so much as put a dent in this operation.¡±


    Atma peeked over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what exactly was stirring with the enforcers. The lead in the suit carried some sort of vial, which had a warm orange glow to it. The thug yelled loud enough that hearing him was easy enough, which Atma figured was the point, for everyone in the area to hear.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°I could have sworn we were perfectly clear. I¡¯m dragging someone back to the mines, and I really don¡¯t care who!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one left here for you to work to death.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was weak, but resolute for the situation. If she was trembling, it was clear it wasn¡¯t out of fear, but exhaustion. Her face was somewhat sunken and gaunt, her eyes dark, as though she hadn¡¯t slept in days. ¡°You took my brother, and left him to die in an alleyway. You took my husband, and haven¡¯t even told me if he¡¯s still alive. You give us so little to live off of, I can hardly feed my daughter, let alone myself.¡±


    ¡°You expect me to know the names of every worker we¡¯ve got? Now you listen here. Our boss has got a nice little deal lined up with some friends he''s got back in Diamant. Real nice job, but we¡¯re not exactly meeting our quota. And if we¡¯re not meeting it, it¡¯s only going to get worse for me, and you can be damn sure I¡¯ll be making it worse for you. Especially you. So you can come along, or I can take the kid. I¡¯m taking someone, like it or not. There¡¯s always option C, but I promise you won¡¯t like that one.¡±


    ¡°I know you and your heart to know well enough you don¡¯t need my guidance.¡± His heart, huh? Atma¡¯s rational mind was certainly telling him that the best thing he could do was sit and wait. It was the practical choice, one Sienna called for, one years of education and military training called for. His heart told him something different, and he felt his muscles tense, fearing where the situation may be going.


    ¡°Go die in a fire.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s option C!¡± The enforcer wagged the vial in his fingers, pulling back his arm to throw it.


    Atma started running before he¡¯d fully processed that he¡¯d started running. He shot forward, just like with his normal Dragon Knight technique, making a fist right as he closed the distance, and slammed it into the thug¡¯s side, just under the ribs.


    The enforcer failed his throw, the vial splattering onto the cobble streets, and its contents erupting to a massive flame. The man staggered back, away from the flames, his goons thoroughly dumbfounded. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?!¡± He coughed, obviously winded.


    ¡°You idiot!¡± Sienna stood next to Atma, ready to back him up. She pulled her dagger from its sheath, a medium length swordbreaker.


    ¡°My guess was insane, but that works too.¡± The enforcer¡¯s eyes widened once he took a second look at Sienna. ¡°Dammit, that¡¯s one of the Tempests!¡± He pointed to two of his cronies. ¡°You, grab the woman and get her back to the mines. And you, go get backup, now. Between the Tempest, the idiot, and that one in black, I¡¯m not taking any chances.¡±


    The woman tried shutting out the Crimson Oni, but was far too exhausted to put up more than a meager resistance. She was kicking and screaming, but it was to little more effect than a show. Atma made a move to try and sprint for her, cut off as one of the thugs drew a cutlass and slashed at him wildly. Any armor he had left was light, his bracers, his chestplate, a bit on his legs and boots, he wouldn¡¯t have tried taking a hit with more armor regardless of whether or not he¡¯d had it, but he felt far more pressured to back off, vulnerable.


    ¡°So, blondie, how¡¯s your hand to hand?¡± Sienna called out to Atma, as he eyed the enforcer and his thugs. Between the leader and the two goons still with him, it was cutlasses and daggers. Weapons Atma could use, certainly, but not his preference.


    ¡°Like I said, we can take them.¡± It wasn¡¯t his forte, but his instructors had made sure to drill him in hand-to-hand combat, in the event he was disarmed. He put up his fists, as the three moved to surround them. Sienna had her back to his, eyeing the gangsters, scouting for an opening. The one with a cutlass made his swing too obvious, raising his blade above his head to slash. Atma caught him with a swift strike just below the bandit¡¯s sternum, followed up with a smashing blow to his stomach, staggering him, and finished with a swing from Atma¡¯s dominant left hand to his jaw, just under the cheek. The man toppled, just as another facing Sienna tried catching her off guard when she glanced back at Atma.


    She caught him all the same, using the back of her swordbreaker to catch the blade mid-swing, and with a twist of her wrist, forced it from his grip. She immediately cut him down, with a slash of her blade, and put him down with a brutal stab, right between his ribs. Sienna ducked as the enforcer swung at her with a dagger of his own, and ripped her swordbreaker back out to better face him.


    He was clearly a fair bit more skilled than his thugs had been, but the situation was very clearly reversed, Atma on one side of him, Sienna on the other. The enforcer knew his best chance was to try and run, he¡¯d find a weak point, and use it to break through. Sienna still had a knife, and he knew all too well she was going to be a threat, but Atma was unknown to him. Still, given her reputation, Atma felt like a much safer option to try and break through. The enforcer made a stab to Atma¡¯s face, not so much out of intention to kill him, so much as force him to move out of the way. It went well enough, Atma moving out of the way, as the enforcer tried running out of his lunge. What he didn¡¯t expect, however, was Atma grabbing his wrist after he dodged.


    Atma pulled him in closer, slamming his knee into his stomach, and hammering him into the ground with his fists to his back. The enforcer groaned, trying to get his breath back once again. ¡°Like I was saying, easy enough.¡± Atma picked up the cutlass from the thug he¡¯d knocked out. He stared a bit uncomfortably at Sienna¡¯s dagger, red with blood. Certainly, these had been criminals, threatening to kill innocent people, but the sight unnerved him still. It was the first time in clear memory that he¡¯d seen someone killed in a fight.


    Sienna took notice, putting the blade back in its sheath after wiping it clean on the fallen man¡¯s clothes. A morbid sight to Atma, but not of any particular note to the pirate. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you?¡±


    ¡°A little pissed, but that¡¯s nothing new. We should get out of here before¡­¡± Her words trailed off. Atma turned to see what it was she was looking at. ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± The thug who¡¯d run off to get help had returned, with a few more goons, and a large beast in tow. It was malformed, almost akin to a normal animal, but distinctly unnatural. It was almost like a bull, but bigger still, nearly eight feet tall just at the shoulder. Its jaws were malformed, crooked, overly open, almost like how a child might draw an animal¡¯s mouth, and lined with fangs that didn¡¯t match, some like a wolf¡¯s, other¡¯s like a shark. Its limbs didn¡¯t match, improper lengths, out of proportion, or facing the wrong way. Its eyes were blood-red, swiveling around at random. Its breath was like a guttural groan, something that had Atma¡¯s skin crawling. It was an abomination, whatever it was, something that simply should not be, as if it were only trying to mimic the shape of something rather than truly being as it appeared.


    ¡°What is that thing?!¡±


    An Oni holding onto the chains holding the creature laughed. ¡°The boss told us to bring it out once he heard we had a Tempest involved! It¡¯s called an Echidna, a little import from up north, and lucky for you, it¡¯s feeding ti-¡± The man was cut off, as he stepped too far forward, far too cocky in his belief he could rein in the abomination. The beast sloppily lashed out with its jaws, getting ahold of its handler, shredding him with its malformed fangs, and swallowing him nearly whole, stray bits of gore and clothing stuck in its imperfect teeth. It had been so sudden, silence filled the streets in the place of what should have been screams. Once again, the beast¡¯s eyes darted about, looking for something to try and devour. A pair of its handlers turned tail and ran, leaving only one grunt left, paralyzed in fear as one eyes made direct eye contact with him.


    Atma shook himself back to his senses. ¡°That thing is-¡± He winced, the mark on his hand almost seeming to burn as he stared in horror at the monster. ¡°Any clue on our chances of fighting it?¡±


    ¡°Kind of thinking we should run instead.¡± Sienna grumbled, reaching for her swordbreaker once again.


    Trying to limp away, however, was the enforcer, attempting to make a getaway into an alleyway. One of the Echidna¡¯s eyes darted around and found him, and the beast made an unnaturally fast run after the man for its malformed body, trampling over the thug Atma had previously knocked out, and just crushed the enforcer as it threw its full body weight into attacking him.


    ¡°That thing saw him a hell of a lot easier when he ran¡­¡± Atma readied the cutlass he¡¯d picked off of the ground. ¡°I guess the decision¡¯s been made for us.¡± He tried thinking of a plan to take it down, but they only had so much to work with. ¡°I saw you crack a boulder, surely you can do some damage to that thing, right?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to get me to stop that thing mid-charge, why not try it yourself, tell me how easy it¡¯d be without that thing goring you.¡±


    Right, not his best idea. ¡°Leave defense to me then, and you just get ready to attack.¡± Atma whistled, catching the Echidna¡¯s attention, as it sumbled haphazardly back to its feet, its neck seeming to snap into place to face him. ¡°You are so much uglier when you¡¯re looking right at me¡­¡± He moved closer to Sienna as it began its charge, his muscles tensed, and magic built up in his body. Fast as it was, the lumbering beast couldn¡¯t hope to keep up as Atma grabbed Sienna by her waist, and leapt into the air, kicking off a gust of wind as they went. It was less height than he was used to making, not used to carrying someone in a jump, but still more than high enough to evade, the two just about level with the rooftops of the two story homes. Still, with how large the Echidna was they could feel the air go past as it charged under them, Atma landed a bit more roughly than he would have liked, but they were still alive all the same.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that aga-¡± Sienna started, cut off as Atma launched the two of them off to the side, his boots skidding as the Echidna, with frightening agility, turned to charge again. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick¡­¡± The monster turned after some distance, but it was enough, gauge just how fast the thing could react and turn. They¡¯d stopped just where he¡¯d wanted to though, near the alleyway where they had come in, and one of the thick stone walls that made up part of the town¡¯s defensive barriers.


    Atma didn¡¯t jump or launch with other people, it was harder for him, but people who weren¡¯t trained for the rapid acceleration and stops could get thrown off if they went through the motions with him. Certainly, Sienna wasn¡¯t the type to get motion or seasickness, but she hadn¡¯t been thrown around like that before. ¡°Sorry, but one more, one more and we make our counter. It¡¯s going to be the worst one though. Careful on this one, don¡¯t want you biting your tongue off.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how long he could keep himself and Sienna moving all the same. Sure, on his own, he would be perfectly fine to evade for as long as he needed, but he had to move both of them, and try to keep a similar speed despite what was essentially moving two of himself in weight.


    ¡°Just¡­ do it.¡± Her voice was a bit gloomy, but she seemed to get what he was going for.


    ¡°Hold¡­¡± He watched carefully as the Echidna readied once last charge, a new furiosity filling its eyes, now hyper focused on them. ¡°Hold¡­¡± The monster started charging, and Atma waited. If he didn¡¯t time it right, depending on how smart the creature was, it could catch him mit motion, not unlike how Balthazar had in their sparring sessions. Too late, he¡¯d get splattered, too soon, and while he might recover, he could just as easily leave himself open to a different splattering from the Echidna. As it bounded closer and closer, time seemed to slow down, as Atma stepped towards the left, watching as the beast corrected ever so slightly to follow his projected direction. ¡°Now!¡± With a bit of fancy footwork, and the fact that he could use Sienna as a counterbalance to his weight and momentum, he switched directions once more, and launched off to the right, and behind the Echidna. The beast slammed into the wall the sound of cracking, crunching, and one of its asymmetrical horns snapping. He didn¡¯t skid to a halt, shifting into a few smaller turns, made up a few steps, akin to a sprinter making a tight turn. Atma nearly lost his footing along the way, as he turned back and launched the both of them towards the monster. His feet forward, and dominant hand on his blade, he let gravity and his momentum deliver the heavy impact of his strike. He aimed for a spot just behind the shoulder blade, where he could hopefully cripple the beast and its ability to charge. Sienna, despite being bucked around by him, had enough in her to draw her dagger out again, and slash into its side as she went by, slowing herself suddenly as her dagger was stuck in the beast¡¯s flesh. Had she not been as strong as she was, she might had had her arm dislocated, but forced a swing of the blade, feeling it crack on bone in the beast¡¯s chest, but still cutting through, and leaving relatively intact.


    The Echidna¡¯s blood, as it dripped from its wounds, was more like sap or tar in its consistency, thick, sticky, and caking their weapons, to an almost absurd extent. Whether it was a natural defense or not, their blades being covered in the blood made them that much less effective. The creature tried escaping, but, Atma had managed to sever the tendons in its shoulder. Between that, the impact into the wall, and a horn being stuck into the stone, it was stuck, though they couldn¡¯t say for how long. Sienna mounted the abomination, as it tried bucking her free. She didn¡¯t open her mouth, since the thing was just as likely to make her bite her tongue off as Atma, but pointed to its broken horn, on the ground near Atma. Thinking fast, he tossed it to her, and she caught the horn just as the Echidna broke free of the wall. With one last, defiant battle cry, Sienna, with both hands on the broken horn, drove it into the monster¡¯s skull, holding on for dear life as it gave one last attempt to lose her. She let go and jumped, Atma catching her and rolling as the beast finally toppled to the ground.


    ¡°Like I was saying earlier,¡± she panted, ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, and a bad luck charm.¡± She let out a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s not do that ever again, please.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Atma sprawled out, utterly exhausted from their journey and the fight. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you,¡± she began laughing, sprawled out next to him.


    A little rumbling. Atma felt his mark burn once more. ¡°Back on your feet!¡± A voice, somewhat distorted, as it yelled through a helmet. Atma saw the Echidna rise one last time. He rolled to try getting back to his feet, grabbing Sienna, trying to evade again, but they were too close.


    A dark figure leapt from the rooftops, standing between them and the monster. He was clad in black armor, from head to toe, sleek, angular, like looking at a shadowy demon. The twin swords he wielded were blood-red. The man in knight¡¯s armor let out a war cry, and his blades ignited with a black aura that almost seemed to flow like flames. He lunged forward as the monster struggled to its feet, and swung both blades wide in an arc, leaping back, to land right next to Atma and Sienna. The monster¡¯s head rolled to the ground, and its body was cut far cleaner and deeper than his blades alone should have been able to accomplish. The man shook his blades, to remove the miniscule amount of blood that had gotten on them, and sheathed them at his back.


    Atma had only seen a technique like the man had used once before, when he¡¯d seen Agravain duel, and nearly brutalize another knight. But this clearly wasn¡¯t him, Agravain was a much larger man, large, with muscles his armor could hardly contain. Comparatively, this Dark Knight was lanky. The man took off his helmet, revealing dusty blonde hair, and brown eyes. He was older than either Atma or Sienna, roughly twenty-seven. He smiled, with what could only be described as a debonair¡¯s confidence, as he turned to face them. Whoever he was, there was no denying that this man was dangerous, despite his charming demeanor.


    ¡°Thank you for saving us back there.¡± Atma extended his hand to greet the stranger.


    ¡°Thank you for fighting to try and help these people. You- you¡­¡± The man was puzzled for a moment as he reached out with a gauntleted hand to return Atma''s gesture, then locked eyes with Atma, a seriousness returning to his expression. ¡°You have a mark too?¡±

 Chapter 16: A Shade of Darkness

    Chapter 16: A Shade of Darkness


    ¡°Too? You mean-¡± Atma looked at the Dark Knight¡¯s hands, but realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to see past the black steel gauntlets.


    The Dark Knight nodded. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time. They won¡¯t send just the Echidna, they¡¯ll want to make sure that you¡¯re dead. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± He looked around the square, piecing together what he could from the aftermath of the situation. He pointed to the home where the woman had been dragged off by the gangsters. ¡°Is the girl at this house still here?¡±


    Atma paused for a moment, first thinking of the woman he¡¯d failed in saving, only to realize she¡¯d mentioned a daughter she¡¯d been struggling to care for. ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±


    ¡°Then we need to hurry and find her. She won¡¯t be safe here.¡± The man was quick on his feet for being completely covered in armor, his eyes darting around as he barged into the house.


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Mia, but don¡¯t bother calling for her, get looking, and we can get her somewhere safe.¡±


    Atma was a bit puzzled, but nodded, the three fanning out across the house. Atma wasn¡¯t quite sure where to look, checking in closets, looking behind corners, stopping as he heard a scream, and rushed to find its source. Sienna had found the little girl in a compartment under the floorboards, likely hidden there.


    Sienna reached out to the little girl, who couldn¡¯t have been more than six years old, but even then it was debatable if she was that old. Her eyes were red with tears, but she¡¯d managed to keep quiet, fighting back making a noise until Sienna had found her. She had wrapped herself tightly in a blanket, refusing to budge and trying to hide herself, covering her head. ¡°Oi, Mia, kid, we¡¯re here to get you out of here, come with me-¡± Sienna recoiled her hand, as the girl lashed out from under her blanket. ¡°Ow! She bit me!¡± She shook her hand. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you here kid!¡±


    The Dark Knight skidded down from upstairs, and gestured for Sienna to back off. ¡°Just, hold on a second. She can¡¯t hear you.¡± The little girl peaked out for just a moment as she felt the floor creak slightly with his footsteps. He got in between the little girl and the pirate, he spoke clearly, and tried to enunciate so she could more easily read his lips. ¡°It¡¯s me, Shade, we¡¯re here to help.¡± The little girl was wary all the same, holding tightly to her blanket, though not so much as before. Still, she wore it like a hood, peeking out to see what exactly was going on.


    Atma stepped up now, crouching down. ¡°My name is Atma. What¡¯s yours?¡± He signed slowly to her. Her eyes seemed to light up, as she responded. Atma spoke while she signed, so she could read his lips too, and the others could follow along.


    ¡°Mia.¡±


    ¡°Mia, we need to go. It¡¯s not safe here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but my Mom-¡±


    ¡°I will help her, she wants you to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but-¡±


    Atma hadn¡¯t spent much time around kids her age, except the children of a few nobles, but he still realized that ¡®yes, but¡¯ was very much a favorite phrase of theirs. ¡°You know him?¡± He gestured to Shade. Mia nodded timidly. ¡°Please, we need to go before more bad people come.¡±


    It took her a moment, but the little girl nodded, and mouthed, ¡°Okay.¡± She raised her arms, and Shade picked her up, holding her firmly, yet gently to his chest.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he said, ¡°There¡¯s a place on the outskirts of town, where we¡¯ll be better off.¡± The Dark Knight stepped out of the house, hearing a commotion of what sounded like more goons on approach. ¡°Dammit, they¡¯re not far off now, try to keep up!¡± Once again, he moved deceptively fast, Atma and Sienna doing their best to keep pace. At random, he would break left or right down a street or alleyway, in an attempt to make sure there wasn¡¯t a clear trail to follow, though he seemed to do it a bit less as he realized Atma and Sienna were starting to lag behind. Sienna wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as she was strong, and Atma was feeling the fight with the Echidna catching up to him, his muscles and joints were sore, and as he made turns, it felt like he had been just short of pulling something. There was silence, as they reached the outskirts, even outside of the walls meant to protect the city. There hadn¡¯t been anyone in this part of the city in a long time, even seemingly before the takeover of the Oni.


    Shade slowed to a walk, and gently let Mia down, and walked beside him. She held tightly to his gauntleted hand, but kept glancing back at Atma, who was still a few paces behind. Atma felt just a little reinvigorated seeing her on her feet, a smile creeping back onto his face.


    ¡°Since when do you do the whole hand sign thing?¡± Sienna wasn¡¯t out of breath, but she certainly wasn¡¯t full of energy either.


    ¡°I first started learning a few years ago, when the war ended. A friend came home, couldn¡¯t hear quite right, so he, my brother and I took it upon ourselves to learn.¡±


    ¡°Do you have friends?¡±


    Atma shrank a bit as he slowly turned to her, awkwardly. ¡°Two if we don¡¯t count the others.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, turning away from him briefly. ¡°You seem like you were raised pretty much just to do your whole nobility thing. Didn¡¯t think you really got around socially. You¡¯re not exactly the most street smart person I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    Atma sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, I admit. My friends are Dante, who I knew because of his family, and Conseil, whose family has served mine for generations. Conseil¡¯s why I learned.¡±


    She seemed a bit taken aback. ¡°You learned signing, this whole complicated thing, for the sake of a servant?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for all the time he was in our lives, he deserved that much. Is that surprising too?¡±


    She was silent for a moment as they approached a few scattered buildings, resting on the edge of the mountains. ¡°You¡¯re a sweet person.¡± She spoke gently, he almost didn¡¯t hear her. ¡°Do you know how many of the people who come to the Tempests are people thrown out because they lost their purpose? Too many. Some want adventure, others money, most of them want a home. Myself included. Most nobles would see a man like Conseil, label him useless, and get rid of him. You went out of your way to help him.¡±


    ¡°Not just him. People like her.¡± He gestured to Mia, as they came up to a building that was near decrepit, but just on the livable side. Looking at it, it was hard to identify at first, but, seeing a fallen sign near the entrance, it became clear that this was an abandoned Guild House.


    Shade raised his free hand, and knocked rhythmically, waiting for a moment as a series of locks and latches were opened from the other side. Another child, maybe ten years old, peeked out, before opening the door. ¡°They¡¯re all with me. Tristan, I need you to gather everyone up, tonight we need to play it real quiet.¡± The boy nodded, eyeing each of them as they passed through. He locked the doors tightly, before stepping on a path that had clearly been marked as to avoid where the creaky floorboards were. It seemed a bit much, but given that people were hiding out here, it clearly was a system that worked. Shade knelt down to face Mia. ¡°Mia, Granny Agatha is here too, you remember her, right? She used to babysit you.¡±


    The little girl nodded, and followed the Dark Knight as he guided her to a back room, which would have once acted as housing for traveling guilds, but acted as a makeshift dormitory for the few people who had managed to hide out. Mia ran excitedly to an older woman she recognized, Shade breathing a sigh of relief as the girl embraced her. Tristan returned shortly after, with an exaggerated salute, as a boy his age might give. ¡°Everyone¡¯s coming boss!¡±


    ¡°Boss?¡± Sienna grinned. ¡°Got yourself a little gang going here too?¡±


    ¡°Not nearly enough of us here for that,¡± Shade half chuckled, as the people holed up in the old guild house gathered around. He took a head count, a total of fifteen people, counting himself, Atma and Sienna. Half were Tristan¡¯s age or younger, a couple were teenagers, and the rest were older, and well past their primes. ¡°Alright folks, things got a little noisy in town today, so we¡¯re locking down and playing dead for now. I don¡¯t want anyone leaving right now, there¡¯s going to be too many Crimson Oni running around to try and evade. Tina, Austin, I¡¯m looking at you two specifically. I don¡¯t care how boring you think it is here, if I catch you even trying to do something stupid, you¡¯ll wish the Crimson Oni had been the ones to catch you.¡± He glared down at the pair as they whispered to each other, snapping to attention as he called them out. ¡°And don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about your ¡®secret tunnel.¡¯¡±Shade sighed. ¡°But I can appreciate the ingenuity in using the old smithy¡¯s waste tunnel as an exit. You two are going to make sure that tunnel is ready in the event we all need to evacuate.¡± Shade went on to make note of their food supply, and how much of a commotion had been stirred up in town. He was upfront, but not overly blunt in his explanations, he let them know that the grip that the Oni had on the city was still tight, but they hadn¡¯t dedicated themselves to hunting the people hiding out in the guild house. It wasn¡¯t an overly long briefing, following its conclusion, Shade pulled aside Atma and Sienna to a dusty old room that had once acted as a smithy.


    ¡°I imagine you have questions, but, let me properly introduce myself. You can call me Shade, Shade Deimoncheir. I¡¯m the one trying to liberate Zanch.¡± He was shorter than either of Atma or Sienna, if only by a little bit, but he wasn¡¯t in the slightest bit insecure about it, with a clear confidence in himself. ¡°This place is my hometown, but I¡¯ve been away traveling for a few years. As you can imagine, coming back to find the place like this isn¡¯t exactly a welcome surprise.¡±


    ¡°I figured something like that.¡± Atma rubbed his chin. ¡°You seem far too strong to just let something like this pop up.¡±


    ¡°My thanks, but you give me too much credit. There¡¯s only so much I can do. I could wage a one man war on the Crimson Oni, or I could defend these people. As it stands now though, I don¡¯t have the manpower to do either particularly well.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you took down that monster when Atma and I had to give our all to cripple it.¡±


    ¡°Let me rephrase, I can¡¯t do both. The regular goons are one thing, but if they let out more Echidnas it¡¯d be a bloodbath. More than either of those, Douji has this one guy on his payroll, well and above any of his enforcers, a mercenary of some kind. And there¡¯d be no preparing any of these people to try and defend against him. If he finds this spot, I¡¯m the only deterrent to keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re shackled in place unless you can make a decisive strike at the head, right?¡±


    ¡°I can only make quick runs to find supplies, or other people who need to hide out. That mercenary, if he¡¯s not by Douji¡¯s side, is actively trying to find me. Douji, on that note, is either hidden away at the mayor¡¯s mansion, or the mines, overseeing the dig. If I hit one, the other would go straight on lockdown, and could send Douji¡¯s men all over in a killing spree.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯d need to attack both spots at once to make sure neither could fortify or start attacking civilians.¡±


    ¡°Correct. I¡¯d hoped you were the help I¡¯d called for when I heard the commotion in the city, but instead, I ran into you.¡± He sighed, and his eyes met Sienna¡¯s. ¡°You, Miss Tempest, need no introduction. I overheard some squabbling from some of the Oni while they were running through town, so I went looking for you myself. I¡¯d hoped maybe you brought some sailors, but it seems like you¡¯ve already got your escort, hm?¡± He nudged his head in Atma¡¯s direction. ¡°To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure which Tempest you were, but given the red, and your unmistakable beauty, you¡¯d be Sienna Tempest, or as the sailors like calling you, Bloody Bull Shark.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Do they,¡± Sienna replied through gritted teeth. ¡°Well, yes, I¡¯m Sienna Tempest, but ditch the nickname.¡±


    ¡°Noted, I get the feeling I¡¯d find out how you got it.¡± Shade may have said it, but his tone of voice said he wasn¡¯t the least bit scared of her, though not out of a failure to understand her strength. Shade turned his attention to Atma. ¡°You though, you¡¯re a bit harder to place. Or, you would be if you didn¡¯t forget to remove your family crest, Prince of Deponess.¡± He reached out and poked the eagle crest on Atma¡¯s chest with the slightly pointed tip of his gauntlet¡¯s finger.


    Atma recoiled back, though Shade didn¡¯t make a move to insinuate any kind of threat. Sienna shook her head, to tell him not to answer, but Atma couldn¡¯t ignore the obvious, Shade wasn¡¯t their enemy, and he had claimed to have a mark too. ¡°You¡¯d be correct. I am Atma Sigurd Ornicius, Prince of Deponess.¡±


    ¡°On your pilgrimage then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°I just got done telling everyone we¡¯re not going anywhere, we have time. Abridge it for me.¡±


    Atma nodded, and took a few minutes to catch the Dark Knight up with his journey. ¡°So, I¡¯m trying to clear my name, I don¡¯t know how, but I will.¡±


    Shade¡¯s eyes narrowed somewhat. ¡°That is, provided Raine doesn¡¯t kill you first.¡± The Dark Knight sighed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s interesting at least. I¡¯ll help you out, but I¡¯m going to need your help too.¡±


    Atma seemed to get the idea. ¡°You want us to hit one location while you attack the other.¡±


    Shade nodded. ¡°If Raine really is on your tail, you can¡¯t afford to stay here, this place is definitely on the list of stops Raine¡¯s going to be making. We need to strike as soon as possible if we¡¯re going to make it out of here, and if you¡¯re going to escape Raine and the rest of the Deponesian fleet.¡±


    Atma turned silently to Sienna, who didn¡¯t meet his gaze. ¡°And your help you mentioned before?¡±


    ¡°My uncle. But it¡¯s hard to say when he¡¯ll be here, if he¡¯ll even be here. The man¡¯s such a wanderer it¡¯s hard to know if he¡¯s alive or dead somewhere in the world. I sent a carrier bird off to where he last sent me a letter, but, eh, at this point, you¡¯ll do. The basics of the plan is that while I attack the mayor¡¯s mansion, you go after the mines, and get people out of there, and whoever doesn¡¯t find Douji goes to help the other after they¡¯re done with their half of the mission.¡± Shade gestured to a set of doors in the smithy, opening them wide to reveal a stash of weapons, left to gather dust and webs. ¡°The guild didn¡¯t really last here, most folks here don¡¯t have the desire to go out on an adventure, and the miners didn¡¯t see much point in establishing a guild. Ultimately, this Guild house was just unsustainable without any real interaction or funding from any of the people here.¡± He pulled a sword from the wall, swinging it for a moment, before balancing it on its flat to test its weight and overall balance. ¡°Still, they left behind a few friendly little treasures, made from some of the local stuff.¡± He tossed the blade to Atma, who did much the same in getting a feel for the blade.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad sword at all, lighter than I would have thought, but it doesn¡¯t seem brittle either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mythril for you,¡± Sienna answered. ¡°It¡¯s just about one of the most valuable ores you could ever try to sell. It¡¯s lighter and more durable than iron, and far more heat resistant, so it¡¯s a bit harder to work with, but the best airship engines all want to use this. It¡¯s why we smuggled some of this for Zanch in the past, it¡¯s too lucrative to not tax the hell out of.¡± She inspected the walls for a weapon she liked, settling on a battle axe, smaller than her previous one, but still a fair bit larger than most might be able to use. ¡°To be honest, this feels a bit too light. That¡¯s going to take forever to get used to¡­¡± She grumbled a bit, before turning back to the wall, to see if she could find anything better.


    Atma returned the blade to the wall, finding a spear his size instead. He paused for a moment as he did so, his eyes falling back on the mark on his hand. ¡°Shade, you said you have a mark too?¡±


    The Dark Knight nodded. He unclasped his gauntlet, revealing a black mark on the back of his right hand. Whereas Balthazar¡¯s had been the symbol representing Mercury, and Atma¡¯s Jupiter, Shade bore the mark of the Moon. ¡°I can¡¯t say I know for sure how I got it. About a year ago, I woke up with it. I thought I¡¯d just gone a bit too wild, and didn¡¯t remember it the night before, but then, I ran into this monster, something I¡¯d never seen before, and-¡±


    ¡°It burned, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It happened to you with the Echidna, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Atma nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know why or what it was, but it felt like my body was screaming at me that that thing couldn¡¯t be let free. But that wasn¡¯t all, see, this mark, it only showed up today. And my friend, Balthazar? His mark appeared just after we ran into Sienna.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t have much more to go off of than me, do you?¡± Shade sighed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s part of why I want to help you. This mark, there has to be something more to it.¡±


    ¡°Did you meet her? Lilia I mean?¡±


    Shade¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s creepily specific.¡±


    Sienna raised an eyebrow as she tuned back into the conversation. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the woman in my dream from last night. She¡¯s the one who gave me the mark.¡±


    ¡°So dreamgirl does have a name,¡± she quipped, to his obvious embarrassment.


    ¡°Not that kind of dream girl. I hesitate to call her a dream at all. Before we ran into you Sienna, we came across an old temple, littered with these symbols, a temple dedicated to the Goddess. I¡¯m thinking this woman is exactly that.¡±


    She tilted her head, not quite buying into it. ¡°I¡¯m not much of one for religion, all things considered, forgive me if I¡¯m not exactly convinced.¡±


    ¡°Neither am I, but a bit rubs off when one of your friends is a devout follower.¡± Atma¡¯s mind briefly returned to Conseil. He shook his head, trying to process everything. ¡°But mysterious marks appearing following strange dreams? Marks that burn near monsters, or her telling me I¡¯d find others who would bear the mark? Surviving an encounter with the Siren and Kraken, only to run into you? Sounds a bit like divine intervention to me.¡±


    ¡°Call it what you want, I¡¯m in charge of my own destiny.¡± She sighed. ¡°So what, you¡¯re some chosen king? Are you going to invoke some divine right to rule?¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t have an answer for you.¡± Atma scratched the back of his head, as he tried thinking of what to say next to her. ¡°There¡¯s too much we just don¡¯t know. It could be a curse, for all I understand.¡±


    ¡°Either way, this?¡± Shade waved his hand with the mark. ¡°This wasn¡¯t always there, and neither was Atma¡¯s.¡±


    There was silence for a moment, as Atma clenched his fist. Lilia¡¯s words had come true so far, but he was left wondering still if she really was who he thought she might be, and how much else would come to pass according to her. It weighed on him, as he turned back to the wall of equipment, trying to find some semblance of an answer with what little he had to go off of.


    ***


    The man stood stoically upon the roof of a building near the abandoned Guild House, as night crept in, and with it, an even deeper haze over Zanch. He dressed in all black, save the bone white mask upon his face. Moonlight briefly peeked through the fog to illuminate his mask, though it was little more than a passing moment. His eyes were not visible though the black slit that acted as a visor for his mask, another void where it would be impossible to identify him. He wore a black duster coat, with a hood he wore up, hanging ominously over his brow. It flowed slightly in the mountain winds. He¡¯d known of the hideout for a long while, keeping an eye on it here and there, careful not to alert the Dark Knight to his presence. He cared little for jobs such as this, where his contractor would simply suppress an area. He was certainly capable, though specialized far more in assassination. Miners and the like weren¡¯t much of a fight, but Shade had been different, a real challenge amidst people who might as well have been practice mats. He kept tabs on Shade, not particularly concerned about informing his contractor, Douji. His leader, however, might find some amusement in the new arrivals in Zanch. Thanatos, however, would be more than content fighting them and Shade both.


    The assassin leapt from the building, vanishing into an alleyway, to a secluded spot where he could meditate, and plan his next course of action. He sat, and from a pocket on the inside of his coat, unrolled a small leather wrapping and a thin vial, containing various small bones, scattered about. With a drop of fluid from the vial, he brought the bones near his face, and whispered gently to them. He cupped his hands around the bones, giving them a taste of his magical energy, the fluid doing the rest of the work. As he opened his hands, a small, skeletal bird formed itself from the bones black and red snews stitching the mismatching bones together, with whispers ever so slightly repeating and echoing as it spread its tiny wings. Despite its lack of flesh or feathers, it flew all the same, silently, into the shadows, vanishing into the dark without a trace.


    He was not left waiting long, surprising, given his leader¡¯s generally more laissez faire approach to command over the group. Whispers filled Thanatos¡¯ ear, alongside the sound of bone scraping against bone, as the skeletal familiar emerged from the shadows of his hood, and caressed his mask. He remained silent as he took in the response, up until he felt the bony familiar begin to scrape back into the shadows, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. ¡°Understood. I will pass word along to Kronos and Nyx.¡±


    ***


    Atma took the spear from the older man, as to demonstrate a more proper technique to him. A few of the kids, Tristan especially, had their eyes on him too, obviously intrigued. ¡°The sword is a simple weapon, but a spear is going to be far more effective with less training. Remember, a sword can¡¯t cut you if it can¡¯t get close enough.¡± He showed off a basic grip and thrust. ¡°You¡¯re not all that strong, so let your momentum and gravity do the work. Keep your feet facing where you want to strike, and you move your body with the stab.¡± He made a show of making the motions as he spoke, stepping forward to thrust. ¡°One arm is weak, two are stronger, but when you put your full body into it, goons like the ones in town won¡¯t stand a chance, they¡¯re too sloppy with any of their swordplay.¡± Atma handed the spear back, and stepped back to let him, and the others try, correcting them as they went.


    ¡°A good choice in fundamentals.¡± Shade was fully out of armor now, though he still kept a blade at his belt. His pants were black, and he wore a blue jacket, with a bit of fur at his collar, a bit more well suited to the nighttime weather. He had a white shirt on, which just barely hid something on a small chain Shade wore around his neck. Atma wasn¡¯t overly curious, figuring it to be a personal memento. His hair, now liberated from his helmet, was wavier than Atma¡¯s first impression had suggested, falling down to a medium length. ¡°I can handle most weapons just fine, but a specialist will always teach it better. And to be honest, yours is a bit better for them than one of these.¡± He patted his blade. ¡°Sword techniques aside, my Dark Blade arts aren¡¯t something I would teach just anyone. Sure, I get powerful attacks like you saw before, but using them is taxing on my body.¡±


    Atma nodded, getting the gist. It was why Agravain¡¯s fights ended so quickly whenever he sparred. He¡¯d have an overwhelming offense, but ultimately, someone who could endure or evade for long enough could pick him apart, though it was far easier said than done. ¡°Not many have the aptitude to use your techniques. I remember reading, though, in my studies on more obscure techniques, that you burn through your life force when you use them.¡± He had a rather concerned look on his face. ¡°How accurate is that?¡±


    ¡°An over exaggeration from a scholar who saw an amateur, I¡¯m sure,¡± Shade scoffed. ¡°It¡¯ll drain away at my stamina, sure, but unless I fight for a long period of time without support, I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s a bit like a mage using magic, but for me, it¡¯s a physical investment.¡±


    Atma wasn¡¯t entirely convinced, but nodded. ¡°Alright, just worried is all.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about it, I¡¯ll show you exactly what I¡¯m made of tomorrow, and then you shouldn¡¯t have any room left for concern.¡±


    Sienna knocked on the doorframe, leaning against it as she listened in. ¡°We¡¯re all clear outside, the last of their patrols have gone back for the night.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± Shade turned back to the group of civilians, giving another headcount. ¡°Alright everyone, it¡¯s time to get all the lights. Austin, you¡¯re with me on the next watch.¡± The teenager sighed, but didn¡¯t argue with Shade. Shade turned back to Atma and Sienna. ¡°You two better rest up while you can, we make our move at dawn.¡± He sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve got room on a couch, and a bit of light padding for the floor. Wish I could offer you something better, but a bed is about the most luxury I can get for everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with the floor,¡± Atma said, before Sienna could get a word in. It didn¡¯t take long for him to settle, the cushioning he had was minimal, but it was plenty for him to try and relax a bit. It was dark out in the front room, where he lied, bugs chirping outside. His eyes were heavy.


    ¡°You keep doing that, you know?¡±


    Atma didn¡¯t open his eyes to answer Sienna, just too tired to do so. ¡°Doing what?¡±


    ¡°That thing where you take the path for someone else, even if it means something worse for you. You did it when we first met, you tried it again for everyone when Raine showed up after the underground, again this morning, and just now.¡±


    ¡°Right. Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever just act for yourself, for what you want?¡± She glanced over to him, a bit of frustration in her voice.


    ¡°I just want to help people, Sienna.¡±


    ¡°Bull. You told me you wanted to be free. What does that mean, Atma?¡± The disappointment in her voice was clear enough that Atma didn¡¯t have to see her face.


    ¡°It means I want what I can¡¯t have.¡± He opened his eyes, turning to her. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be King. But being King means helping people, and I want to help people. But, I just want to live my life, like a normal person.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°To be the King of Deponess, I don¡¯t think I could ever live for myself. It''s always just for the people. The worst part of all of this is, it feels like, in a twisted way, my wish to not be King was granted-¡±


    ¡°Stop that.¡± She snapped, a bit louder than she intended, she had an angry restraint to her voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help. This is your first time having your life turned around, but for me, I just see a man who needs to stop wallowing in his pride and self pity. I don¡¯t care if a goddess is involved in this or not, whether fate¡¯s a thing or not. I had my life taken out of my control before. Never again, Atma, never again. When life gives you lemons, you throw a brick right back at it, and take control back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I get it.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°If you want to help people, that¡¯s fine. Help people. But do it because you want to. You want to live for yourself, find out what that means to you, because right now, I don¡¯t even think you know what your freedom means. You have to fight for it though. Life¡¯s a ferocious monster. You better do something, like throwing that brick.¡±


    Atma was silent at first, thinking back on his journey so far, shorter adventures he¡¯d had with Dante, little memories in the Academia before the fateful turning point in his life. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. But¡­ every day I¡¯m out here, getting to know you, Balthazar, Alice or Locke¡­ I think I¡¯m happier than I¡¯ve ever been before.¡±


    Sienna turned so she wasn¡¯t directly facing him, unsure of how to respond.


    ¡°So thank you. Thank you for being here.¡±


    ¡°You really are sweet, you know that? The little girl, showing these people how to keep themselves safe? I think you¡¯re being more honest about helping as you go, not the sacrificial leader like you were on the ship. You were smiling with them, that kind of smile that comes from the heart.¡±


    He sat on her words for a moment, and closed his eyes again. A warm smile crept up on his face, as he reminisced over the night¡¯s events. ¡°Yeah, I guess I was.¡±

 Chapter 17: Deathmatch

    Chapter 17: Deathmatch


    The watchmen weren¡¯t particularly concerned with their jobs, especially as dawn neared. In all of the Crimson Oni¡¯s time running the town, any rebellions were quickly and easily quelled, and at this point, as far as the watchmen were concerned, there was nobody left to suppress, with how thorough their takeover had been. Sure, they could try, but Douji had specifically instructed the gang to make sure people got enough to eat so they could work, but not so much that they would have the energy to try and muster up the strength to fight back. The mansion was quiet, the next shift of guards not yet swapped in, and others lazing about, content in their conquest of Zanch. Dawn was nearing, following a silent night, as always. The weather was surprisingly clear for Zanch, the thick mist and fog largely dissipated, now a gentle coating.


    ¡°Why are we even here at this point?¡± One bored watchman yawned, turning to his partner, shorter and a bit more heavyset.


    ¡°What, like, in this town? There¡¯s still plenty of mythril in these mines, it¡¯s the best source from a smaller source. You want something bigger, and you¡¯d have to attack Diamant or Arcadia, and I don¡¯t know about you, but I ain''t fighting any ninja or witches.¡±


    ¡°This spot isn¡¯t safe though, you know that. Between us being stuck near Falcidia and the Tempests, we¡¯re basically setting up camp in the dragon¡¯s den.¡± The shorter watchman gritted his teeth, nervously.


    ¡°But they haven¡¯t picked up on us yet, we still have time to pick this place clean.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but I saw what those intruders did to the boss¡¯ pet Echidna yesterday, that thing was in pieces, and the only bodies there were our guys. Plus, I heard a Tempest was there.¡±


    ¡°A single Tempest isn¡¯t all that much, you¡¯re too scared of them.¡± The bored watchman shrugged, not particularly concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Tempest you idiot, that Dark Knight¡¯s been running around too. Anyone who sees him ends up dead!¡±


    ¡°If everyone¡¯s dead, then how do we hear about him?¡± The taller one raised an eyebrow, turning his back from where he was supposed to be watching, as the sun began to peak over the horizon.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the townies, man. There¡¯ve been whispers, they call him an Angel of Death, talk about him like he¡¯s some great savior. It¡¯s unnerving, man, they¡¯re always cowering, but the second they talk about him, it¡¯s like we¡¯re not even there.¡±


    ¡°Look, we¡¯ll be fine. Douji¡¯s personal hitman should be more than enough to handle that guy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but even if it were a sure thing, Douji spent the night over at the mines, said he wanted to keep an eye on things since they were falling behind schedule.¡±


    ¡°Just stop talking about it then, I¡¯m too tired to hear your scary stories.¡± The taller guard spoke bitterly. Clank! His skin crawled, as he heard the distinct sound of a suit of armor behind him, and saw a growing look of horror on his partner¡¯s face. As he turned, he heard a tune echoing in the morning winds, and again, a flash of the sun in his eyes. A harmonica played in the Dark Knight, alongside a deliberate clanking of his armor. This was an announcement of his presence, and a challenge. The taller guard didn¡¯t get the chance to see the Dark Knight¡¯s face, as he set aside his harmonica, and donned his black helmet.


    It was like looking at a demon, seeing the black armor, seeming to bore into his soul. There was no reading the face of the knight, the helmet perfectly obscuring it. It had a visor for his eyes, but there was no seeing through it from the outside, making it impossible to tell what he was looking at, or, as the guard realized the Dark Knight was glaring up at them, who he was looking at. It bore a crown-like crest, above the visor, peaking towards the front. The armor almost seemed to contour to the mystery man¡¯s body, with more plating at the chest, gauntlets, and pauldrons, though with how naturally he moved, it was closer to a second skin. They were a bit confused however, as the man held what seemed to be a spear, wrapped in cloth. ¡°Is that supposed to be a flag for surrender or-¡± BANG! An explosion in the distance, like a cannon going off.


    Shade adjusted his grip on the spear, and drove it into the stone at his feet, letting it unfurl and flow in the morning breeze. It was a simple blue cloth, really, but at its center was painted a symbol, that of the Guild Zephyr. In a swift motion, he drew his blades, blood-red, and made a deliberate advance towards the guards. Slow, without a break in his pace, as others came outside to see what the commotion was, unfazed as the first grabbed his axe to attack, no more concerned by the second joining him. He crossed his blades, then arms, and crouched slightly as they neared him. They weren¡¯t halfway through their swings by the time Shade lunged forward, slashing out, and cutting them down in a single motion. He gave his blades a flick out of habit, not that it would be much help, given how much more cutting they were due for. He remained silent, as a new guard made his attack with a spear, giving him little more in the way of acknowledgement than a slight turn of the head. Shade made a quick parry with his left blade, and followed suit with a decisive thrust of his right. He didn¡¯t need to follow up, the one blow being more than enough, as the guard tried grasping at the blade that ran him through. Shade kicked the fallen guard free of his sword. His blades erupted in shadow, flowing like black flames. ¡°Run, scream, fight, beg. Do what you must. Today, this all ends.¡±


    ***


    Atma crept up to the fence surrounding the mines from the mountain side, rather than from town. It wasn¡¯t quite dawn yet, and the guards had yet to switch places. Now was the time to strike, when they¡¯d be at their most tired. Atma patted his new equipment one more time to make sure he was ready to go, as he¡¯d done a dozen times on his way over. His armor wasn¡¯t the same quality as what he¡¯d left Deponess with, but it was similar enough in design that it wasn¡¯t hampering his mobility. He kept his spear at his back, and his buckler was small enough that he could still easily get both hands on his spear. ¡°All set,¡± he said, more to reassure himself than Sienna, who was trying to get a read on the fence.


    ¡°Barbed at the top, not gonna be a fun climb.¡± She started taking off her coat to throw it over the barbed wire. ¡°I really like this one too.¡±


    ¡°You know I can just jump us both over, right?¡±


    Sienna scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not doing yesterday again, please.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot easier, I promise.¡± Atma held out an arm to her. Sienna readjusted her coat, and got back next to him, like how she¡¯d been when he¡¯d launched them around with the Echidna. He put his arm around her securely, looking forward. He had a good enough feel for moving with her, and more than enough experience moving with his gear, that the jump would be as easy as he promised. Deep breath in and out as the time came to enact the plan.


    Sienna gave him a quick slap on the back. ¡°You¡¯re getting lost in your own head. Stop thinking about it, just go.¡±


    He nodded, and jumped, with a swift motion, fluid, and landing with a rather light step. He glanced around, the two of them having ended up in a storage area for ores that were set to be shipped out, and equipment that needed to be repaired. Atma let go of Sienna and glanced around, looking for any guards, not finding anyone in their proximity. ¡°Like I said, easier.¡± The inside of the mine camp was made up of three primary sections, the storage area, where they were, had a secondary fence separating it from the rest of the mine, and more importantly, its guard towers, built up from stone faced towards the rest of the mine, rather than into storage. The watch towers were clearly new,  a series of eight circling the main mining area, being of lesser construction quality, of scrap stone meant to monitor the workers and ensure a lack of escapees, not something the townsfolk had willingly put together. The central office was closer to storage than the mines, a long standing facility often used as a rest spot and dorms for the workers, though now, it served largely as the area where the Crimson Oni and Douji relayed their orders.


    She brushed him off and kept moving, ¡°You remember what we¡¯re looking for, right?¡±


    ¡°The plan was to get some of their stray blasting powder, set it off, and draw them in for a second blast, right?¡± Atma grimaced, it was a bit brutal by his measure, but Shade had come up with the plan, so he had to follow through, like he¡¯d promised. Atma followed her, keeping his head on a pivot, coming up to a minecart filled with old junk, including a few sticks of dynamite used for blasting away rock. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they just tossed this out.¡±


    Sienna felt the nearest stick, and spat bitterly. ¡°Wet from overnight, try and find something else.¡± She sifted through the cart, trying to find anything else.


    Atma¡¯s eyes darted about, before peeking up at a nearby guard tower, hiding back down before he was spotted. ¡°So they didn¡¯t see me, but I saw something you might like.¡±


    Sienna tilted her head slightly. ¡°Show me.¡±


    Atma snuck up to the nearby guard tower, using the storage to cover his approach. One guard, stationed at the foot of the tower, had dozed off, waiting for someone to come take the next shift, while the other was lazily hanging out up above. He gestured to the guard asleep, and then up, Sienna nodding as he leapt up to the watchtower¡¯s nest, and in one motion, grabbed the guard from behind, and held him in a headlock, waiting for the man to stop struggling, and pass out while Sienna climbed up to join him. ¡°Well, what do you think,¡± he asked as he finally let the man down, and gestured to the piece of heavy artillery mounted on the watchtower, a large cannon, like one might see on a ship. It was more for show than anything, its mounting was impractical in such a location, it was good for exactly one thing, looking scary to people who couldn¡¯t fight back. It had a terrible firing arc and position, and was ill suited to actually defend.


    ¡°You know how to get a girl a gift. This¡¯ll do really nicely.¡± Sienna had a smile growing wider and wider the longer she had a hold of the artillery piece, caressing and inspecting it like one might a loyal dog. ¡°Oh they even kept it loaded. Move out of the way for a bit, I¡¯ve got an idea. She closed an eye, and got low to the cannon¡¯s level, as if trying to simulate a shot. With no obvious strain to herself, she forced the heavy cannon to turn on its unstable mounting, where it most certainly wasn¡¯t meant to fire. ¡°Where do you think the main office is? I want to say, right, about¡­ here." She eyed the line from the back of the cannon to an office space on the corner of the building that butted out so it could see a wide arc of the mine area.


    ¡°You want me to search this guy for a light?¡±


    She laughed a little. ¡°No need, this I¡¯ve got.¡± Unlike the snappy motions of Balthazar or Alice, with Sienna, it was more of the motion of her grabbing something invisible, and squeezing it. A flame burst into her hand, inconsistent in size, first bursting as something larger, before compressing down to fit in her palm. ¡°I kept at least a few tricks. Now, I¡¯d cover my ears if I were you.¡± She checked her shot one last time, and slapped the fuse with her palm with the flame. BANG! The shot echoed throughout the entire camp, workers and thugs alike turning to meet the source of the noise, as a black mound of iron sailed through the air, and the corner office space of the central office exploded into wooden splinters.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Atma leapt back down to the ground, a gathering of confused, and exhausted looking workers, broken up here and there by the occasional thug. One Crimson Oni rushed him with a blade in hand, but, unlike the day before, Atma was fully equipped, and no random brigand with a sword was going to pose any kind of threat to him. Shield in hand, Atma backhanded the initial swing away, before a decisive thrust of his spear into the thief. It was his first time taking a man¡¯s life, feeling as the man slumped over and hit the ground. The workers seemed unsure of how to respond, baffled that someone had actually killed one of the rogues. Atma wasn¡¯t given time to fully process his first time taking a life, with another bandit quick to rush him. Atma readjusted his grip, his dominant left hand about halfway on his spear, and with a tighter control, he parried the attacking man, sending his blade flying, and with another fluid adjustment of his grip, he spun his spear, and slashed at the bandit¡¯s chest, cutting him down. He¡¯d much prefer fighting monsters to people, but he was getting results.


    ¡°You gonna give them a speech or something?¡± Sienna brandished her axe, strutting past Atma as he started zoning out, not fully sure of his next course of action.


    ¡°No, speeches can always be done later. Let¡¯s find Douji and put an end to this.¡± Atma made his way to the central offices, where Douji would most likely be if he were at the mines. A rogue from behind made an attempt at a sneak attack with an axe, but was tripped by an anonymous miner, sending him face first into the rocky dirt, and his axe clattering to the ground, little more than a tomahawk, but enough for Sienna to take note of, picking it off the ground, and finding a spot for it at her belt. Another, an enforcer in a suit tried intercepting them, but Atma simply tackled past him, bashing him with his shield, and trampling over him. With five guards down, it was enough to incite some excitement among the workers who had seen it, and commotion was beginning to spread, especially with fighters who made Douji¡¯s enforcers seem a breeze.


    Yet another jumped from a second story balcony, trying some improvised jumping attack, only for his eyes to widen in horror as he came down, watching as Sienna wound up a swing of her axe like it was a baseball bat, and hit him hard enough that any cuts he received seemed like nothing in comparison to the blunt trauma his body had taken as he slammed into the wall with a sonorous crack. It was dissuading enough that other Crimson Oni were hesitant to move in. One nervously readied a crossbow, only to find himself on the receiving end of Sienna¡¯s newfound tomahawk,  just about pinning him to the wall behind him. ¡°Anyone else? Or are you all scared of the little pirate girl that¡¯s come to kick your asses?¡±


    Atma thought he saw a brief flash out of the corner of his eye. His body moved on instinct, pulling Sienna down, as a blade cut through the air where their heads had been a moment before. ¡°You¡¯re good.¡± The man¡¯s voice was fairly quiet with a bit of gravel to his voice. A black hooded figure with a bone white mask looked down on them, standing so close he could have touched them, as if he had appeared from nowhere. He had moved so smoothly, and so silently, Atma hadn¡¯t been able to see the type of blade their attacker wielded, whatever it had been had vanished beneath the assassin¡¯s cloak just as quickly as it had been drawn. Their attacker was dismissive of them, nonchalantly walking towards the blasted apart office space. ¡°I trust you are fine, Douji?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°No thanks to your help, Thanatos.¡± A large, lumbering man stepped out, he had skin burned by years of working the sea, and surprisingly clean, well kept black hair. The man was down an arm, his left, which had been replaced by what appeared to be an old harpoon. Slung partially on his shoulder, and held up by a massive right arm, was a thick iron club, covered in spikes. Douji, boss of the Crimson Oni, glared at the prince and pirate. ¡°And I can¡¯t believe you missed that attack just now. A Tempest and a wannabe knight¡­ Must be the ones from yesterday. Give me their heads and I¡¯m paying One million credits each.¡±


    ¡°I am an assassin, first and foremost, not your guard, Douji, and you are not my master. You would do well to remember that. And I¡¯d have thought you¡¯d be more than willing to pay more for one of those associated with your loss of limb?¡± Thanatos¡¯ eyes were hard to track beneath the mask. Atma was never sure if the man¡¯s eyes were on him or not, whether or not he had an opening. His voice, likewise, was so flat, that without being able to see any of his face, it was hard to get a read on the man.


    ¡°Name your price.¡±


    ¡°Five million in pure mythril, and I want it within the day.¡±


    It was a hefty price to ask of anyone. One Million credits would have been more than enough to cripple the finances of most city-states, and five was enough to feed a larger city like Linia through several harsh winters, and lavishly at that. Pure mythril was an especially steep price, the amount the man was asking for was enough to be a significant percentage of the mine¡¯s production. Thanatos¡¯ asking price would have been nonsense to anyone but Douji, a man who hated the Tempests more than any other. ¡°Done. Now, kill them.¡±


    Atma helped Sienna back up. ¡°He really wants you dead, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Wait till he hears what Katrina did to his arm.¡± Sienna readied her axe, lining her gaze up with Douji. Tall as she was, Douji was a true giant, swinging around a weapon almost as big as she was. ¡°Your arm makes for a great bathroom sign by the way!¡± She glanced over to Atma. ¡°I think I can take him, but the other guy? He¡¯s the one to worry about.¡±


    Atma nodded, and took a step back, ready to lunge at the assassin. Douji hadn¡¯t even begun to take a combat stance, as though he were confident he wouldn¡¯t have to fight at all. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Atma launched himself at Thanatos, ready to thrust his spear and take down the guard in a single blow if he could. As he closed the distance between them, he aimed center mass, the tip of his spear brushing into the assassin¡¯s cloak. In that moment, to Atma it was as if he were stuck in molasses, as he watched Thanatos step back, away from the tip of Atma¡¯s spear, and then off to the side, ever so slightly. Atma skidded to a stop, moving too fast for having not hit anything. He tried turning as he skidded on the loose gravel of the earth beneath him, watching out of the corner of his eye as the assassin held his arm out, now brandishing a weapon from under his cloak. It was almost like a baton in its T-shape, a weapon Atma hadn¡¯t seen in use particularly often, a tonfa. Generally, it was more of a defensive weapon, but Thanatos¡¯ personal weapon had one end bladed. He¡¯d only barely finished turning as the Assassin made a punching motion, the blunt end of his blade tonfa jabbing into his stomach. Atma clutched his side as he came to a halt. Had he not been turning and skidding, the blow would have been far worse. His equipment was light, limited to chain mail at his stomach, any plate mail conservative, more to his chest, his chain mail not the most effective at defending against blunt force.


    Thanatos spoke with the same monotonous tone of voice, clearly not exerting himself. ¡°You seem surprised.¡± The assassin flicked out his other arm, a second, identical tonfa seeming to emerge from his cloak¡¯s sleeve into his hand.


    ¡°Most can¡¯t keep up with my speed.¡± Atma regained his composure, and adjusted his stance, less for blitz attacks, and more for something defensive, shield arm up front, left lance arm back, keeping his feet in line with his arms, to keep his body moving in harmony when he needed to make his next move. He glanced to the side slightly, seeing Sienna about to attack as he spoke to the Assassin.


    ¡°Most aren¡¯t me.¡± He dropped himself below Sienna¡¯s swing as she came at him from behind, catching himself as he neared the ground, and pivoting to kick her as he went down, squarely under her ribs. Her axe impacted the ground with a heavy THUD! Despite its lack of weight, cracking the earth from its point of impact ever so slightly. Her grip was ironclad, refusing to lose ground, and taking the hit, gritting her teeth through the hit,a grin growing on her face with him still very much in her reach. She stomped down where Thanatos¡¯ leg had been, intending on breaking it, the assassin rolling out of the way, and springing to his feet.


    ¡°Wiry little bastard, isn¡¯t he?¡± Sienna coughed a bit, as she pulled her axe from the ground.


    ¡°He¡¯s strong too, really strong. That should have been a glancing hit back there, but I thought he was going to knock the wind out of me.¡± Atma tried not to show it, but internally, he grimaced. There was something, looking at Thanatos, that made Atma feel like screaming. His teachers had called it battle sense, a recognition that his opponent was beyond him. Everything seemed to feel that way, the cold confidence, his ability to dodge, and how he¡¯d seemed to appear from nowhere. Atma could feel that there was no beating Thanatos.


    The assassin tilted his head, years of battle making Atma¡¯s realization obvious to him. ¡°You seem to recognize it; the gap in our skill. How wide, I wonder, do you think it is?¡±


    Atma wasn¡¯t sure, but he also knew it wasn¡¯t as though the assassin could simply play around. He¡¯d had to evade their attacks. For as strong as the man before them was, he wasn¡¯t invincible. He was fast, but not so fast that Atma couldn¡¯t keep track of him. Atma had a few pieces, but the puzzle that was Thanatos was going to need some experimentation. Atma lashed out with his lance, making a few quick thrusts for the assassin¡¯s head and chest, which Thanatos casually parried or evaded, batting attacking aside with agile movements of his full body, and spinning his tonfas to throw off attacks send his way. As he knocked Atma¡¯s spear aside, he closed the distance Atma kept between them with his lance, and jabbed at the prince, Atma again having to readjust his grip, to be closer to bo staff combat. He swung with the bladed end, a blow blocked, so he immediately followed up by striking a glancing strike with the other end of his spear. Certainly, it sped up his rate of attacks, but it was a style of combat that he wasn¡¯t overly proficient in, and not quite so powerful. It was an intensity unlike anything he¡¯d ever trained for, spinning his spear to try and land a hit with either end and pressure his opponent off, but Thanatos¡¯ weapons¡¯ more defensive nature let him block these lighter strikes easily enough. Every blow from the assassin, guarded or not, made Atma feel as though his bones were ringing from the impact. In between strikes, he would flip his tonfas in hand, the bladed end occasionally lashing out instead of a blunted one, and vice versa. Atma made a sweep with his spear towards the assassin¡¯s legs, which again, didn¡¯t seem to work, Thanatos jumping over the attack, about to strike with the bladed end of his tonfa, but Atma took a page out of Sienna¡¯s book, and moved to use more force against him, bashing out with his shield. Thanatos stumbled back, patting his chest as if to inspect the damage. Atma chuckled. ¡°Not so wide that you can play games.¡± The prince winced, feeling a few minor cuts and blows he¡¯d taken in the exchange, nothing serious, but clearly worse off than his opponent.


    Thanatos tilted his head. ¡°So it would seem.¡± Thanatos held up his arms in a cross, as Atma and Sienna circled him, trying to find an opening, but with his eyes impossible to read beneath his mask, they couldn¡¯t tell who he was watching. In a sudden, yet smooth motion, he lunged forward, swinging his arms out wide as Sienna moved in front of him. She held her axe low and high block with its long handle, as to try catching his hit when the blunt ends of his tonfas impacted with her axe. With a slight adjustment of his swings, Thanatos hit her axe in just the positions to force it to twist in her grip, going with her body¡¯s natural ability to turn, rather than try to brute force past her guard. As the head of her axe impacted the ground, Thanatos flipped one of his tonfas, and thrusted out with a bladed end.


    In a desperate motion, less a conscious thought, and more instinct instilled by years of life as a pirate, Sienna let go of her axe as it was wrestled from her control, pulling her swordbreaker from its sheath, just barely catching the blade in her dagger¡¯s serrated back. Thanatos pulled back before she could twist, and tried breaking his tonfa free from his grip, glancing back briefly, as he heard Atma moving behind him. He raised his tonfas over his head, again in a cross, recoiling slightly as Atma leapt, and swung his spear in a slashing motion, intending to bring it down on Thanatos¡¯ head. It would have been a lethal hit, not something the assassin expected from the seemingly mild mannered dragon knight, realizing in the same instance that it was a ploy to force him to guard at an awkward angle. He moved to try and throw Atma off of him, all while Sienna flipped her dagger in hand, and moved to stab him in the heart. Between both attacking him at once, there was little room for escape, the assassin twisting his body, to throw off the prince, and change where the stab would hit him. The pirate¡¯s dagger impacted with a weapon hidden beneath his cloak, diverting off to the side, still gouging his side, but the damage was far from lethal. The assassin didn¡¯t so much as flinch, as he broke free of the two, his blood dripping to the dusty soil at his feet.


    Atma didn¡¯t give him the time to recover, launching himself to Thanatos¡¯ wounded side and slashing with his spear, as Sienna picked her axe back up and moved for the assassin¡¯s opposite side. Trapped between them again, Thanatos parried Atma¡¯s strike with one arm, swinging early to parry Sienna before she got enough power and momentum in her swing to overwhelm him. Both out more of their weight and strength into pressuring the man, trying to force him to crumple under their combined strength. With a surprising burst of strength, the assassin swung out, staggering the two back ever so slightly. Atma, adapting to the terrain as they fought, had a smoother landing, and immediately lashed back out, thrusting his lance, forcing Thanatos to parry again, knocking his speartip into the ground and backing off to a safe distance, which should have stopped his attack.


    Atma, back in his training days, had tried a similar tactic against Dante. With the high speed thrusts of Dragon Knights, forcing their spear into the ground could use their momentum to rip their weapon from their grip, or stop them in their tracks. But when one used the same tactic against someone often enough, they developed a counter to it, a counter Atma had been on the receiving end of more than enough times to learn. He readjusted his grip on his spear, being closer to the end, not giving up his momentum, and jumping slightly. He used his spear as a pole to vault forward, driving his metal plated boot into Thanatos¡¯ side, where Sienna had cut him before. It was improvisational enough that the assassin hadn¡¯t seen it coming. There was no escape, Sienna still on his opposite side, swinging a fist into his masked face. With a battle cry from them both, Atma and Sienna sent the Assassin rolling to the ground.


    Atma landed next to Sienna, panting slightly. ¡°Nice follow-up. Thanks for not swinging the axe there.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I can read that much, I¡¯d have cut you in two if I¡¯d missed. Still probably have hit you otherwise.¡± She shook her hand, her knuckles slightly red. ¡°The hell is that thing made of? I hit that thing as hard as I could, and I still couldn¡¯t break through it.¡±


    Having seen her break a boulder with that same punch, it was hard to imagine a mask enduring a hit better. Still, with force like that, from two opposite ends, Atma knew they should have broken the assassin¡¯s neck. It made it all the more unsettling as the man silently got back to his feet, slowly rising, pushing himself up with his arms first, then standing to face them. His mask was cracked, bits of white chipping and crumbling slightly near the cheek, where he¡¯d taken the hit. He cracked his neck to either side, as if he had been sleeping in a bad position, and nothing more.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡±


    Douji was turning red in rage. ¡°I said I¡¯d pay you to kill them, Thanatos! Stop playing with them and kill them! I¡¯ve seen you kill bastards far stronger than them!¡±


    Atma¡¯s blood ran cold. He¡¯d been giving the fight everything he had, and thought he¡¯d at least gotten Thanatos to take them seriously. Was it still not enough?


    Thanatos turned back to his employer slightly, and raised his arms, tonfas in hand, letting them slip back into the shadows of his cloak. Then, with another flick of his wrist, a large blade, akin to a broadsword, mounted to Thanatos¡¯s arm, extended from beneath his cloak. He¡¯d had a much more offensive weapon the whole time, but had decided to use the more defensive tonfas instead. Atma¡¯s battle sense had been right, they were outclassed, but he hadn¡¯t fully realized the monster in front of him.


    The assassin was out of his line of sight without Atma ever breaking eye contact with where he¡¯d seen the man a moment before. Atma felt something sail past him, before finding the assassin again before him, his wrist blade held mere inches away from Atma¡¯s throat. Atma glanced to the side to see what exactly had flown past him, finding a single hand length sword, pulsing with shadow.


    ¡°I¡¯d back off if I were you!¡± With black armor, and footsteps that clanked ever so slightly, Shade was an immediate draw of everyone¡¯s attention. To the miners and townsfolk of Zanch, a heroic myth, to the Crimson Oni, a nightmare, in either case, the Dark Knight¡¯s presence demanded attention.


    ¡°Ah, so you have finally decided to join us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re familiar with me?¡± Shade had a far more confident showing to Thanatos than Atma had ever had. The assassin backed off, as the Dark Knight stood between him and Atma, drawing his second blade from the earth, which pulsed with an even greater shadow as it felt its master¡¯s grip once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for a while, Dark Knight. You are unlike most I have faced in recent memory, a real challenge. I was hoping to duel you, in a well and true deathmatch.¡±


    ¡°You what?!¡± Douji fumed. ¡°I told you weeks ago to kill him, and you haven¡¯t done so? Out of what, some sense of honor or glory?!¡±


    ¡°Not so,¡± the assassin replied, caring little for his employer¡¯s growing rage. It was as expressive as Atma had ever heard him, almost speaking like an artist pondering their work. ¡°Battle is the only reason. Challenge. A true battle where he would come and face me, not unlike how these two have. I would have it no other way, so see their truest potential. A battle one chooses to fight, for their own desire, not for a hostage, or desperation. That is true power. That is true beauty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mad!¡± Douji let his club hit the ground, seemingly ready to strike out at the assassin, pointing his harpoon arm menacingly.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care the price, assassin, just kill the-¡± Douji didn¡¯t finish his sentence before he hit the ground with a heavy thud. Blood dripped from Thanatos¡¯ wristblade, though it was slight, the cut he¡¯d made extremely clean. The assassin flicked the blade to clean it of blood, before sheathing the blade beneath his cloak. It was probably for the best that Atma couldn¡¯t see the bandit¡¯s face, or the source of the gurgling noises.


    ¡°You have enough time left to understand why, at least.¡± Thanatos crouched down next to his former employer¡¯s face. ¡°I told you, I am not your guard. And you are not my master. To put it simply, you couldn¡¯t outpay my loyalty to them, and their orders supersede yours.¡± He glanced back to Atma and Shade, as the gurgling stopped. ¡°I would like to continue, but my orders take me elsewhere. You impress me. I will expect more of you in our next encounter, Prince Atma.¡± Smoke kicked up from his feet, the assassin walking away, vanishing into the haze, gone as the wind kicked the smoke away, as if he had been a mere phantom.


    ¡°He¡­ he knew who I was.¡±


    ¡°He killed Douji for us?¡± Sienna walked up to the fallen gang boss, kicking him with her foot to see if he was well and truly down. The man well and truly was dead. ¡°Well, shit.¡±


    Atma fell down, the gravity of it all crashing down on him. ¡°I almost died!¡±


    ¡°You alright there?¡± Sienna turned back to him and crouched next to Atma. ¡°You¡¯re a bit more shaken up on this one.¡±


    ¡°The assassin knew me by name, and he almost killed me-¡±


    ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t have.¡± Shade interrupted, removing his helmet. ¡°He stopped before I threw my sword. I wasn¡¯t fast enough. He let you go. If I¡¯m reading this situation right, he wasn¡¯t allowed to kill you.¡± He inspected Atma¡¯s wounds. ¡°Light scratches and bruising, but there¡¯s nothing that would be lethal. Not to discount your skill or anything, but all of your vitals are untouched.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a bit scarier to be honest. It means someone is plotting something, and I think it¡¯s involved in this greater plot in Deponess.¡± Atma found his mind racing again, trying to piece the puzzle of his father¡¯s death together. He had a new piece, but it only invited more questions, the whole situation just seemed to get bigger and bigger with every step.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point worrying about it now,¡± Shade began, ¡°You don¡¯t exactly have much more to go on at this point, we need more information, but, I think this proves that there¡¯s someone out there who does know what¡¯s going on, and that means we absolutely can clear your name. So do try and perk up, it¡¯s really not a good look for you.¡± He glanced around before extending a hand to help Atma back to his feet. ¡°Besides, that¡¯s no way for a hero to appear to these people.¡±


    Atma looked around, finding a crowd of civilians gathering, and the bandits who remained either fleeing or throwing up their arms in surrender. He took Shade¡¯s hand, rising back to his feet to meet the gaze of the crowd that had formed. Returning home, even if still far off, felt just a step closer. He felt stronger for having fought, and looking to the people he¡¯d helped, he¡¯d found his efforts more than worth it, and with that, he smiled brightly.

 Chapter 18: A Quiet Moment

    Chapter 18: A Quiet Moment


    Atma wasn¡¯t expecting heroic fanfare or festivities, and he was honestly glad not to receive them. People started to come outside, miners headed back home, seeing some warmth come back to people; that was more than enough. Seeing lights in homes, along the streets, and life returning with it, which was all that the tired people could afford, but it had its own beauty. Atma, having been raised to know flashy festivals, and his own experiences, all those years ago when the war with Ranz first broke out, left the taste of them just a little sour.


    Shade, with a tired expression to his face, sat next to Atma, just outside the old guild house. He was completely out of his armor, with his suit clanking in a net sack he carried over his shoulder, and set down gently, alongside a few cleaning and care materials. ¡°Sorry for the delays, I needed to make sure any stragglers were taken care of. Locked up, most of them.¡± It was mid afternoon, the sun cresting towards the horizon.


    ¡°And the rest?¡±


    ¡°Well, I need to clean my armor.¡±


    Atma didn¡¯t quite take to his meaning. ¡°It¡¯s a bit harder to tell with your armor, parts of it are smoother, other parts look worn like wrought iron.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I paint it black, Atma.¡±


    The prince¡¯s eyes noticed gold bits of the armor, and then, found themwith bits of dark red splattered about. ¡°Oh. I see.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really not comfortable with killing, are you?¡±


    ¡°I killed a person for the first time today. Not out of the result of me failing to save them, or because something attacked me and they were in the way, this time I actually killed someone.¡± Atma paused. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people die before, and this was different.¡±


    ¡°It''s the first life you¡¯ve ended yourself.¡±


    ¡°Even if they were a criminal, hurting these people, I can¡¯t say I feel good about it.¡±


    Shade laughed a bit, as he started cleaning. ¡°For a Deponesian prince, you¡¯re the least Deponesian Deponesian I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°How do I put this? The stereotypes for Deponesians either depict you as ¡®holier than thou¡¯ crusaders, or barbarians fighting other barbarians. You¡¯ve got sympathizers, sure, but even outside of your home continent of the Land of Kings, we know how brutal and bloody the fighting got. Stories of civilians, even kids fighting in the border war. The one I knew fits more into the crusader archetype.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a fan of us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of fighting.¡± He held up a rag, dyed red. ¡°Ironic, yes, I¡¯m good at it, but it doesn¡¯t mean I like it. If it were up to me, I¡¯d be living it up in a bar, the Crossbow in town always had a nice atmosphere and audience. I¡¯d go back to playing the piano with a beautiful woman at my side, playing along with me. Goddess knows she can¡¯t sing.¡±


    Atma raised an eyebrow, finding the last detail oddly specific. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, days in the past. Stories I¡¯m not sure your pure little ears are prepared to hear. Where I¡¯m going with this is that you¡¯re not someone who wants to kill, and that¡¯s fine. The taking of a life should never be dismissed. It¡¯s still someone¡¯s life, but remember, not every person is worth saving. These bandits today? They didn¡¯t have to do any of this, they chose to pillage, to torture, starve these people. Don¡¯t let killing be easy for you. It shouldn¡¯t be. But remember that not all hearts are like yours, very few are the same. Some are like Douji, or Thanatos, others are like mine, or Sienna¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I remember a teacher of mine saying something similar. You kind of remind me of him.¡±


    Shade grunted, not wanting to go further with that line of thought. He tossed Atma a vial, which the prince caught with no difficulty. Inside was a pale blue liquid, which had a soft glow to it. ¡°Healing potion. Mages will basically bottle magical energy, for selling or later use. You could toss em to make them explode, or, some like this one you drink. Light damage or not, it¡¯ll help you keep in top shape. You¡¯ll need to be, if we¡¯re going to get moving tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s a miracle Raine and the others haven¡¯t caught up yet. I imagine Dante¡¯s trying to slow them down, and Raine¡¯s searching every nook and cranny, but if we don¡¯t get moving soon, they will catch up.¡± Atma popped the top off of the vial, and downed it, quickly, not sure what to expect. He coughed a bit. ¡°Is it supposed to taste like metal and bitter leaves?¡±


    Shade grinned. ¡°A lot. I¡¯d relax if I were you though. You told me in your story that you went upriver, right? That¡¯s a harder trip,  they wouldn¡¯t really expect you to take, and if your lost stuff went downriver, that means it flowed back to Port Calima, which is at the very least a day¡¯s search to check for information about you falling back. Especially with the lovely miss having a ship back in the port, they¡¯ll have done all they can to make sure you didn¡¯t double back to that escape route. Don¡¯t know if you noticed either, but it¡¯s hell trying to navigate the fog and mist out here.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but our air fleet is what propelled us into winning the war, I have faith in them.¡± He paused, ¡°That sounds a lot worse out of my mouth, now that I think about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh I get it, but you should also think about how you had a guide to get here. Here and there, there are markers locals like us use to navigate. Real easy to miss if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking for, and I know that the vast majority of your people have never come here. They¡¯ll struggle. So relax, but don¡¯t get complacent. You¡¯ve fallen behind enough that they are and should be a concern. But you should afford yourself some downtime, make sure you don¡¯t break.¡±


    Atma scratched the back of his head. ¡°How do you propose I do that?¡±


    Shade paused his cleaning. ¡°Oh, right, you¡¯re still not used to living among us commoners.¡± A devilish grin grew on the Dark Knight¡¯s face, one Atma recognized from his days back home, where Dante would try and get him to go into town and flirt with girls or hang out with other cadets from the Royal Academia for Knights and Squires. Atma had always refused, out of principle for his station as prince of Deponess, and general discomfort with the idea. It was something he¡¯d regretted, something that seemed to be showing up on his face. Shade relaxed a bit before speaking. ¡°Why not go spend time with Sienna tonight, you two get along just fine. It¡¯s nice to see really, you two are cute.¡±


    Atma flinched rather noticeably. ¡°Sorry, I- wait- why don¡¯t you go talk to her?!¡±


    Shade was trying to hold back that mischievous look once more, though he was clearly having to struggle. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t get time around girls either, got it. Trust me, I like a girl who can kick my ass, but she¡¯s not at that point where she could.¡± His face turned serious for a moment as he faced Atma. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt she could break you underfoot though, so do mind your manners with the lady.¡±


    ¡°So, wait, what are you saying to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying don¡¯t do anything. Whatever you have works, you don¡¯t need to do anything crazy at all. Just, have fun.¡±


    As dusk neared, Atma walked the streets, seeing people peeking out their windows, clearly still on edge, but the fact that their windows were open at all was promising. Many of the shops were still closed, Atma catching a few glimpses of people starting to put everything back together. Only one place in town really seemed to be unscathed, a local tavern called the Crossbow. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the one Shade mentioned.¡± He saw a couple of familiar faces from the mine, and a handful of the older civilians from the Guild House. They waved to him if they recognized them, though many were far too invested in their first chance to take a drink in what had certainly felt like an eternity. A piano in the corner stage lay untouched, while a band, made up of a few off duty miners, played a jazzy tune, relaxing after a long day. It didn¡¯t take Atma long to find Sienna, though he wasn¡¯t particularly certain he had found her, finding her outside of her more typical style of clothes. She wore a simple black dress that seemed to perfectly contour to her and her curves, with a skirt that ended at her knees. Its design left her shoulders bare, the tattoo on her shoulder being what gave it away to Atma that it was in fact, Sienna. She wore her hair up in a ponytail, held in place by a blue ribbon. She still wore that white headband, the one odd piece throwing off the look, something he¡¯d never seen her without, come to think of it. She sipped at a mug of beer, not particularly energetic in her drinking.


    ¡°Care to join me for a drink?¡±


    ¡°More into wine myself, not much of a drinker.¡± He sat next to her at the bar, and signaled to the bartender. ¡°How much for a glass of something red?¡±


    ¡°For you? It¡¯s on the house tonight.¡± The bartender, clearly a little lean and worn, smiled, and reached into a cabinet that wasn¡¯t obvious at a glance, a hiding spot for more quality items. ¡°This is from Falcidia, bottled 30 years ago, their famous rose wine.¡±


    Falcidia, one of the largest city states, was well known for their agriculture, and their cultural fixation on flowers, and were generally known to have among the world¡¯s best brewers. ¡°That seems a bit muc-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from my personal stash, something I¡¯ve been saving for a great occasion, and let me tell you, this is it, boy.¡±


    ¡°I took a cheaper one to be honest, don¡¯t care too much for the fancy stuff.¡±


    Atma nodded. ¡°Very well then. You have my thanks.¡± He took the glass the bartender poured him, taking a small sip, likewise, not an energetic drinker, not that he ever was. ¡°I¡¯m more of a social drinker.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine, it¡¯s about the mood I¡¯m feeling tonight.¡± Sienna closed her eyes, taking in the atmosphere of the bar, a relaxed contentment obvious on her face.


    ¡°I have to ask, where¡¯d you get the dress? I didn¡¯t think you had one.¡±


    ¡°I know a tailor here, she had this on order for one of my sisters, made some adjustments for me, and it¡¯s mine now.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ll be okay with that?¡±


    Sienna scoffed and snickered. ¡°Hey, if Katrina wants to order something and forget to pick it up for a year, I¡¯m more than fine taking it for myself. Honestly if it weren¡¯t hers, I don¡¯t think this¡¯d fit me.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, you could have fooled me, I thought it was intentionally for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You like it? You never said anything, so-¡± She spoke in a playful tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s different from what you normally wear, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you. This look really is beautiful though.¡±


    ¡°This look is, huh? You wound me.¡± She understood what he meant just fine, but his obvious ineptitude in flirting was obvious. Or rather, he wasn¡¯t flirting at all, not intentionally.


    Atma, ever the one to try and correct any perceived rudeness on his behalf, noticed his poor phrasing. ¡°Let me clarify, you always are, I think this is just a new side I¡¯m seeing for the first time.¡±


    Sienna took another relaxed sip from her drink. ¡°You¡¯re still not all that great with people are you? It¡¯s cute, really.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made progress, I think.¡± Atma scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Just a bit. You¡¯re still the selfless hero I met back on that ship.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that part of me¡¯s going to change so easily.¡± He smiled, taking a drink himself. He finally let his body relax a bit, his shoulders loosening up. ¡°Either way, you¡¯ve really been my greatest ally on this journey.¡±


    ¡°Aww, even next to Balthazar? I thought you two were best buddies.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been a great friend, everyone has been. I¡¯m grateful to have met all of you. Shade¡¯s been a savior in the dark, Locke, a reminder to give my best, even when I¡¯m not at my most confident.¡± He paused, hesitantly, out of concern for Sienna¡¯s emotions. ¡°Alice has acted as a voice of humanity, and glued us all together.¡± He paused again, trying to gauge her response, getting a simple nod in response. ¡°Balthazar¡¯s reminded me to keep going. Even if he¡¯s not here, I¡¯ll keep going like he would. Like he probably is. I even had a companion who stayed behind in Deponess, he reminds me that we¡¯re not perfect, that I have room to grow. You on the other hand? You¡¯ve been my center these past few days, keeping me together in a new world, and a scenario I couldn¡¯t have dreamed of. I don¡¯t think the others could have helped me like you. You¡¯ve really lived in the world, you¡¯ve seen a lot compared to most of our naivete. Even before this, you were bringing me into a wider world, when I first met you, going into a situation outside of my full control, like that shipwreck. Yeah, it¡¯s been rough, but you''ve also helped make it fun. You¡¯ve pushed me to grow, and held me together. I could never replace that, and I don¡¯t think anyone could.¡±


    Sienna was silent at first, but quicker to respond. ¡°You do that a lot you know, leave me not knowing what to say. You said something similar last night, right? Not sure I expected you to be so heartfelt about it though.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, was that too much? Speeches and formal functions are still more my thing than socializing, I think.¡±


    She held up her hand to her face, as if thinking, though covering just the slightest bit of red in her face. ¡°No, I get it, it¡¯s you.¡± She lowered her hand, not attempting to hide her face, feeling Atma probably wouldn¡¯t notice. ¡°You speak from the heart, it can be a rough quality on some, but yours is- how do I put this like you might? I¡¯ve seen countless treasures in my life, Atma, and you¡¯ve got a heart as golden as any of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably exactly how I might word something like that.¡±


    ¡°Then let me take another shot at it.¡± She paused to think. ¡°You¡¯re an anchor. Strong, but not unchanging. You take hits, scratches, but your core is still there, still strong, keeping everything in place.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I follow.¡±


    ¡°Atma, even with my adoptive family, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d call myself tethered. We¡¯re all off doing our own things most of the time. Peony sticks around, but most of our crews will trade off with each other here and there to spend time ashore, or change up who they want to sail under. Most of the ladies want to sail with Neptune, for example. Or the ones who really want to pick a fight go join up with Orion or Katrina. I¡¯ve only known you for a bit, and sure, I think you¡¯re a free spirit too, but not like them. And Alice? I love her, she¡¯s my sister, but it¡¯s hard to feel that connection to her, or our father after so long.¡±


    He¡¯d been thinking on his own want for freedom, he¡¯d said as much. ¡°Me, an anchor though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hasn¡¯t been that long, has it? You, my anchor, are always with me, even after all of this. You didn¡¯t ditch me back then in Calima. We¡¯ve trusted each other with our lives, despite our short time together. I know I haven¡¯t really been abandoned, I have family, however distant they might be, but you¡¯re like my anchor because I can rely on you to be there too, make me feel like I¡¯m not being swept away, seeing as you seem to be chained to me. If that makes sense.¡±


    Atma felt a tightness in his chest, not quite sure how to process this unfamiliar feeling. It wasn¡¯t like when he would meet with nobles trying to proposition him or Escalus for arranged marriage, where their interaction was almost purely transactional. Nor was it like some noble girl trying to play a seduction act that he didn¡¯t follow along with. His composure was just a bit off, as he tried working through this new feeling. He had a word for it, but it was a scary word, he wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to touch. ¡°I think I do. I think you¡¯re saying the same thing I am, in your own way.¡±


    Sienna took a more intensive drink. ¡°Yeah, I guess I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always let me be vulnerable with you, always let me be weak. That¡¯s something special, something new. Deponess prides itself on strength, you know that, we all know that. Especially for the men of Deponess, what I say would be frowned upon. It was hard showing weakness to the others. Like I said, you help me get that weakness to grow.¡±


    Sienna frowned. ¡°That¡¯s something true of anywhere, your- our homeland just writes it in large letters. That¡¯s sad to hear, you know? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re giving yourself enough credit. It takes a lot of strength to be weak, to let yourself be vulnerable. But being strong all the time, it¡¯s impossible to ask of anyone. I doubt the Goddess herself could pull it off.¡± She sighed.


    Atma saw the tired look on her face, not quite physical exhaustion so much as mental. ¡°Do you need to be weak right now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m nearly that strong.¡± She began to raise her mug again, stopping as she saw Atma begin to raise his hand in protest. She closed her eyes and set the mug down. ¡°Okay. Not here though, not with everyone around.¡± She left a few coins on the bar as a courtesy to the owner, Atma doing the same, as he walked with her. The night air was cool to the skin, with a gentle mist returning as the moon hung overhead. Compared to the previously blackened city, consumed by darkness, there was a gentle warmth emanating from the homes, changing the atmosphere entirely.


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about your family too, right? If you belong with them?¡±


    ¡°Something along those lines, yeah. Back then, when we were still on the water, I spoke to Alice. I realized something when you were talking to that little girl before, the one you had to sign to? It feels like it''s the first time I¡¯ve ever really spoken to her. It¡¯s the only time I can think of. She was four when I got separated from her, so it¡¯s not like she couldn¡¯t talk to me, but that was the first time I¡¯ve spoken to her with any actual substance. I don¡¯t know her. She doesn¡¯t know me.¡±


    Atma couldn¡¯t possibly relate, but he got where she was going with this. ¡°So you¡¯re between a past that feels so disconnected from you, and a present where it¡¯s hard to feel overly attached.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both family, my past and present. Both a part of me. Seeing them both in reach though? It makes me feel like I don¡¯t belong to either anymore.¡± She spoke melancholically, an expression on her face Atma found just a little difficult to read, halfway between sadness and wonder.


    ¡°They both still mean something to you, that much is clear. You still speak about your new family fondly, like they¡¯re fun to have in your life, and Alice, you made it clear the moment you met her that she still means a lot to you, you told me yourself you want to save her.¡±


    The two came to an isolated hill on the outskirts of town, not far from the abandoned Guild House, Sienna sitting before Atma, and gazing up at the night sky, ever so slightly obscured by mist. ¡°I need to save her, if I¡¯m going to move on.¡±


    ¡°That part I perfectly understand.¡±


    She turned her head to face him slightly as he sat next to her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got a thing for her.¡±


    ¡°What? No. What I mean is, for the longest time, I felt guilty and powerless after the Battle of Linia, what felt like lives lost because of me. With the whole Deponesian mindset, it¡¯s easy to fall into. I wanted to do right by her, and right by you.¡±


    Sienna had a more obvious blush to her face. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I got the chance to tell you  the story. I ran into you the day before the battle. Snuck away, pretended to just be some random kid. Wrote all about it in my diary after the fact. And I was heartbroken when I saw the murals for everyone we lost, and I saw you among them.¡±


    She smiled again. ¡°We were kids Atma, weakness and powerlessness was our thing. The only people to blame are the ones who wanted to fight that war. But there¡¯s that golden heart again. It¡¯s flattering, if a bit off putting to hear I had that much of an impact on you.¡±


    ¡°I think you were my first friend. There was no way you wouldn¡¯t. But, that¡¯s the trauma the war had on all of us, isn¡¯t it? You want to keep your sister safe. I don¡¯t want to see people die in my family¡¯s name again.¡±


    ¡°Trauma sucks.¡±


    ¡°I think this is one only we can share.¡± He faced her fully. ¡°You can always be weak with me. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Can I be really weak then?¡± She seemed to be holding back a wave of emotion.


    ¡°I promised, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Wordlessly, Sienna removed her headband, clutching it tightly in an ironclad grip. She faced him, a light gust of wind blowing aside her bangs just enough to reveal a pale scar on her temple, well healed, and not overly noticeable with how she wore her hair, going slightly into her hairline. ¡°I got dragged out through a damn window, and every time I looked in a mirror, I had to be reminded of it. It¡¯s not even big, or physically painful, but every time I look-¡± She tried hiding the scar with her hand with her headband. ¡°I start going back. I could get it healed, sure, but I¡¯m not ready to move past then. It¡¯s my reminder of what happened, lines I should never cross. And this ugly mark is staying until I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡±


    Atma reached out to hold her hand, gentle as he did so. He didn¡¯t attempt to force her or grab at her hand, simply waiting for her to offer her hand when she was ready. She did, after a moment, struggling to make eye contact. ¡°Remember what I said earlier? You¡¯re always beautiful, this is just a new side I get to see. I hope your scars will heal some day, Sienna.¡± He felt her grip tighten on his hands, though not so hard that she was hurting him, he adjusted his grip too, just a bit firmer, to let her know he didn¡¯t intend even slightly on leaving her in her moment of vulnerability..


    ¡°Can you wait that long?¡±


    ¡°As long as I need to.¡± He felt his heart thumping in his chest. The tightness he felt was back, stronger than ever. It was an unbearable sensation, but not an unpleasant one. It was like- Sienna leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Atma had never been much of one for romance outside of a novel, never someone who could really claim much in the way of attraction, but the one, simple action had him the reddest he¡¯d ever been in his life. He didn¡¯t feel the thumping in his chest, unsure of if it were because his heart skipped a beat, or if everything else didn¡¯t seem to matter. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Not one more word,¡± she said, smiling, not the kind she normally wore, the one that sought fun and treasure, this was one more side of her he was seeing, like looking to a star. ¡°You¡¯ve said more than enough.¡± They both loosened their grip upon each other, but didn¡¯t let go entirely. ¡°Thank you Atma, for being my anchor.¡±


    He wanted to open his mouth, to say something, but realized he couldn¡¯t think of a thing to say. He¡¯d laid himself bare before her. His hands said all he could have, as he stayed unmoving, save the warmth that spread across his face, mirroring what he saw in hers.

 Chapter 19: Beneath the Surface

    Chapter 19: Beneath the Surface


    The town of Zanch was silent, save the clopping of a horse¡¯s hooves in the early morning. The horse was pitch black, and in the faint light of dawn, still obscured by fog, with its rider in dark armor, it was as if a wraith were predating Zanch. The rider glanced back and forth to the houses, finding eyes peeking out from behind the blinds of their windows. For an industrial town, as Raine had informed Agravain, the place was far too quiet. He moved for the town center to find some sign of his target, stopping only as he came across the sight of a bloody square, flies buzzing about across stains that had turned a black color, and buzzards prowled around, searching for any scraps left behind. A group of young men worked at a larger corpse, though they were clearly uncomfortable in doing so, the beast like some horribly mutated bull. It was a subtle thing, but the buzzards avoided even the pieces of the beast that had been cut away, and even the flies seemed to refuse to touch it.


    ¡°What happened here?¡±


    One of the young men flinched, clearly startled by the man atop his dark horse. ¡°E-excuse me?!¡±


    Agravain scowled beneath his helmet. ¡°The corpse. The blood. I want to know what happened. Make it quick.¡±


    The young man didn¡¯t have much will to stand up for himself in the wake of the occupation of Zanch, retreating back into a meek demeanor. Another, Tristan, more excitedly stepped forward. Agravain was a bit thrown off at having a boy, barely a preteen having more the courage to speak to him, compared to his peers. ¡°Oh, you just missed it the other day! These new people came to town and fought this thing, with barely anything to use! I have this one friend who saw them fight, and said they were just the coolest!¡±


    Agravain dismounted and inspected the body, finding the monster just about all muscle, not something just anyone could take down. He¡¯d seen, and fought a similar creature during the Ranzian border war, an import that the Ranzians used to clear an area. They devoured everything, and were near impossible to take down without cutting them to pieces, hard to manage given their already impressive resistance to traditional means of damage. A mage he¡¯d served with had gone so far as to call it ¡®an abomination to the Goddess herself.¡¯ Agravain knelt next to the boy, looming over him all the same. ¡°Could you describe them?¡±


    ¡°For sure, I got to see them up close! There was this pretty lady in red,¡± the kid paused for a moment, red in the face, ¡°She was a little scary, and really strong. I heard a lot of people saying she was a Tempest, and they¡¯re pretty famous around here. There was this tall blonde guy who was really good with spears, he was really nice and showed us how to keep ourselves safe from a bunch of the bandits that were raiding the place. He seemed a bit, I don¡¯t know, lost? I don¡¯t really have a word for it.¡±


    Agravain stood back up. ¡°You''re far more forthcoming than I was expecting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not exactly scary, old man.¡±


    One of the workers waved his hands incessantly as if to tell Tristan to stop talking, or at least, not to insult the figure towering over him.


    ¡°We have our own guy who dresses like you, and he¡¯s our real hero, so honestly, you don¡¯t exactly scare me.¡±


    Agravain had been so used to his presence being enough to scare those around him, that the boy¡¯s impression of him was both refreshing and amusing. He laughed a bit under his helmet. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for them, do you mind telling me where they¡¯re headed?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you must be the guy Shade was trying to hold out for. Yeah, Shade told me they were leaving for Falcidia. They were already gone when I woke up, and that was a few hours ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage to catch up,¡± Agravain replied, turning back to his horse as to leave, catching a glimpse of a buzzard flying off to another part of town. Morbidly curious, he followed to see what exactly had the scavenger¡¯s attention more than the corpse of the square. The knight waltzed up to a mansion, closer to the center of town, where he¡¯d intended on visiting initially, the place had clearly been of some significance, what with its own gate surrounding it, and towers for sentinels to keep watch. Planted before the mansion was a flag bearing an emblem that Agravain had seen the prince and his entourage wearing. It was all the confirmation he needed, he¡¯d really hit the jackpot. He tore down the flag, pocketing it for later.


    He was about to turn away, up until he was overwhelmed by the scent of death. He could see it, just a bit beyond the flag, the entrance to the mansion, splattered with red. Getting closer, it was a mess inside, reminiscent of his own handiwork. The walls were cut open, bits of gore and blood strewn about, and the floor still damp, with a heavy smell of iron. The work was far too out of character for Atma, and Agravain was familiar enough with the sight of the damage his own attacks dealt to recognize that this was more than likely the work of the third person that the boy had mentioned. He turned to leave, footprints of red following him back to his horse.


    He rode to the border of town, just as another rider, upon a gray horse, came to meet him. ¡°I thought you were going to search town with me, Raine, where¡¯d you run off to?¡±


    ¡°I know a few locals, I went to seek them out, only to find a few had died recently.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Your disregard for the dead baffles me, even after all these years.¡±


    ¡°Well excuse me, Captain Helion,¡± he responded with no lack of sarcasm to his voice. ¡°You find anything out, or can I share what I found?¡±


    ¡°No. I thought we might have had an ally here, but there¡¯s no sign of them.¡±


    ¡°Well color me impressed, our beloved 1st Knight finally went and wasted time-¡± Agravain silenced himself at the sound of Raine¡¯s head turning in their armor. He couldn¡¯t see Raine¡¯s glare through their helmets, but it was certainly felt.


    ¡°What do you have to share?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on the right track,¡± he said, revealing the flag he¡¯d torn down. ¡°A local boy said they were heading for Falcidia. You know where that is right?¡±


    Raine nodded. ¡°Of course. We move to intercept them before they arrive.¡±


    ¡°Right, then lets go meet back up with the men searching Port Calima, and-¡±


    ¡°No time. It¡¯s half a day¡¯s ride back, and we¡¯re already trailing behind them. If they know where they¡¯re going, then it¡¯s a day and a half getting to Falcidia. Airship or no, if they make it into Falcidia, we¡¯re not getting them without a fight. Calima was lenient enough to let us search, they¡¯re afraid of a Deponesian embargo, but the Falcidians are vindictive, cruel, and despise outsiders.¡±


    ¡°Is that a bit of hatred I hear in your voice?¡± Agravain mocked once more, amused at seeing more emotion from his typically stoic leader.


    Silence from Raine.


    ¡°And I had always heard that Falcidia was filled with the most beautiful sights to see, their people, their delicacies, but clearly every rose has its thorns, no?¡±


    ¡°Enough. We leave now. Any time we give them is time they have to try and find new ways to evade us.¡±


    ***


    ¡°And how was your night, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Shade asked, as the trio made their way through the misty valley.


    ¡°It was nice, the two of us getting to talk like that.¡± The prince reminisced fondly over the night before, a smile growing his face.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯d love to ask for details, but, as I get to know you more and more, I think it¡¯d be so painfully sweet to hear about, you¡¯d give me cavities from telling the tale.¡± Shade sighed, and stretched. ¡°As for me, I went to visit a girl I haven¡¯t seen in a while.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had someone in Zanch still.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t keep my hands off of her, she was in need of some serious care, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but the details are what make the story-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to hear this either.¡± Sienna eyed the Dark Knight with a certain discomfort, bordering disgust at his phrasing. It made Shade smile wider with a certain whimsy filling his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± Shade pointed out to the horizon. ¡°We should pick up the pace. Can¡¯t promise we¡¯ll have the cover of the fog for long.¡±


    ¡°Before we do,¡± Atma started, as he reached into his bag, pulling out a pair of his spare Guild Badges with the Zephyr emblem. ¡°I know we used the symbol before with the flag, but I think it might be in our best interest to all have these, Guild benefits and all that.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, I guess. Besides, something unifying for a group, that¡¯s just good aesthetics.¡± Shade took his, and found a place for it on a strap on his armor. ¡°I¡¯d emblazon it, but I don¡¯t think we have the time for that.¡±


    Sienna took hers, not being overly concerned with it, and placing hers on her belt. ¡°Best spot so it doesn¡¯t ruin this look.¡± She tugged at her coat. ¡°It took a while to really nail down this look, and finding my perfect color with red? That took a while.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, black looks nice.¡± Atma blurted out without much in the way of thought. Sienna didn¡¯t seem to mind, until she noticed Shade looking at her in thought.


    ¡°You know, she normally wears just a bit of it, but, in a nice dress, or maybe something with leather? I could see it working.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just as bad as Peony¡­¡± Sienna sighed and readjusted her bag. ¡°Let¡¯s get going already.¡± She moved a bit more energetically, Shade and Atma at her side or just behind her. ¡°We head for Falcidia next, I¡¯ve got a ton of contacts there, we make it there, we¡¯re homefree.¡± To an even greater extent than Port Calima or Zanch, Falcidia was easily the most heavily fortified city in the region, contributing a large portion of the Mist Alliance¡¯s forces. Effectively, it was a bastion against Deponess. Certainly, their investigatory fleet could search the outlying areas, but showing up in Falcidian airspace was asking for a fight that the Kingdom soldiers wouldn¡¯t escape from unscathed.


    ¡°What is the place like anyways? I¡¯ve always wanted to visit. I hear tales from nobles of all different standings that the art scene is fantastic, and its cuisine and fashion are likewise renowned. Duke Kaian had a painting from a Falcidian artist commissioned for my father¡¯s birthday last year, and it was certainly the biggest crowd pleaser.¡± He paused for a moment, his unintentional remark bringing back the haunting reality of his father¡¯s death.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Sienna patted him on the back, before elaborating on the city-state. ¡°It¡¯s a city of glaze, if I¡¯m being honest. On the surface, everything is nice, maybe even sweet, but if you cut just beneath it, you¡¯ll find the place rotten to the core. Beauty is the standard, and anything they perceive as imperfect gets tossed out.¡±


    ¡°A perfect analysis if I do say so myself.¡± Shade spoke as if he wanted to spit on the name of the city. ¡°Many people in the area can trace their roots to Falcidia, a fair few to Falcidian nobility, myself included.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t carry yourself like one.¡± Atma¡¯s tone of voice was doubtful.


    ¡°Yeah, by blood only. Falcidians consider themselves devout worshipers of the Goddess, and if you ask them, they follow the core principles of the faith to the letter. Mothers are a sacred figure to be respected, strength is to be had in equal parts to mercy, honor to those who would protect others, and love is given freely to all.¡±


    Atma nodded. ¡°Right, you see similar things all over the world. Some lean into more one principle than the other, or something like that. My ancestors were devout followers themselves, and founded Deponess on similar principles.¡±


    ¡°And, no offense, but look at how your nation is stereotyped at violent brutes.¡±


    ¡°None taken, Shade.¡±


    ¡°Falcidia claims to follow the core of the faith, but they have a perverse following. The world renowns Falcidia for the beauty it produces, because Falcidians believe in creating the perfect visage of their ideal of the Goddess. To them, to create beauty to to become closer to the Goddess. To them,¡± Shade continued, his voice mocking the tone of a preacher, ¡°the Goddess will walk among us once again should a perfect beauty of her come to fruition.¡±


    ¡°Is that so bad?¡±


    Sienna scoffed. ¡°It is when you continue to the extremes they do, the extremes Deponesians are seen as doing with their warrior culture.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Shade agreed. ¡°Everyone is dogmatically a part of this, and everything they do is in service to this ideal. Their monks and soldiers aim for martial mastery as a practice of their own physical form. Their soldiers are only the best quality because anything less is unworthy.¡±


    Atma started thinking back on his own nation, how Shade and others had seen him. Deponess wasn¡¯t a nation that would reject imperfection, but they were utilitarian with their enlisted soldiers. If a soldier had a better mind than body, they would see how they performed with managing supply lines, or command. Poor eyes? Then you weren¡¯t working with the rangers or archers. If you were subpar, the system was meant to find a way to reoptimize you. The more he thought about it, the more he started seeing more similarities with how his home operated.


    ¡°Commission work for artists? All of it is preparation for their final work to depict the Goddess. Singers attempt to capture the voice of the Goddess, poets her mind. Its an obsession, a following corroded by trends and popularity. If you ask other mist locals, the vision of the Goddess changes every few years, and depictions with it. Ultimately, it all becomes one big fashion show.¡± Shade took a deep breath, sighing at the state of Falcidia. ¡°So what happens when you¡¯re out of fashion?¡±


    ¡°Nothing good, I imagine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the reason there are so many people descended from Falcidians who don¡¯t live there. Falcidians have many children throughout their lives. And remember, everything is for their perfect vision of a beautiful Goddess. Your trait isn¡¯t in, you aren¡¯t wanted. It¡¯s that simple. And so, you¡¯ll either find a lot of kids living on the streets, in the care of orphanages, and some cities make an effort to take them in.¡±


    It was a cruel practice, no doubt about it, and to Atma, it seemed nothing short of barbaric. ¡°And there¡¯s nothing more that can be done?¡±


    ¡°People have tried to change how things are done. My mother included. She was exiled for her efforts. Never got to see her home again before she passed.¡± Shade sighed, and readjusted his bags. ¡°Sienna, you mind telling us who your contacts are?¡±


    Sienna grumbled. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not happy about it either, but I¡¯ve got some art dealers, and this one weirdo artist I can talk into helping. We smuggle stuff from overseas to them, and they help manage the underground dealings around these parts, so they can throw the trail off of us. More than that, I¡¯m using their access to a hidden route to the main Tempest hideout.¡±


    ¡°Then it sounds like we have a solid plan.¡± Atma glanced back to the western horizon. ¡°That just leaves the others, and getting back home.¡±


    ***


    Escalus slammed his fist into his desk, uncharacteristically aggressive, though, as Conseil would note, not unwarranted given the news. ¡°What do you mean you lost him?!¡± The soldier meekly shrank back. Raine had sent back their quickest scout ship to relay the events of a few days prior. Returning home proved far swifter than heading out, what with a lack of nobles trying to assemble. Escalus let out a deep breath. ¡°My apologies, Sergeant. But you¡¯re telling me that not only did the Midsummer Night crash out of the sky, but my brother and his companions are missing?¡±


    ¡°Correct, sir, Sir Stein was the only reported survivor, Special Investigator Lieutenant Watts was reported dead, and the others are missing. Reports from Sir Dante Tellian state that Prince Atma was confirmed to be alive, alongside an unknown woman. Then¡­¡± He mumbled, turning away slightly.


    ¡°Sergeant. Again. Louder.¡±


    ¡°The Silverbolt was sent to intercept, under the assumption that this was an escape attempt of some sort and¡­¡±


    ¡°Sergeant.¡±


    ¡°Opened fire to stop their escape.¡±


    Escalus was wordless for a moment, a cold silence filling the room. Conseil, though hard of hearing, could tell that this silence was one that Escalus reserved for his rare moments of pure rage. ¡°And you didn¡¯t consider that this had been another assassination attempt on the royal family?¡±


    ¡°N-no sir. Commander Helion demanded swift action, and the soldiers were in a panic. A lot of them haven¡¯t seen action before, still green, my lord. And Sir Stein said that-¡±


    Escalus couldn¡¯t particularly blame them. Many of his soldiers were well trained, but he was all too familiar with soldiers folding in a panic when caught with their figurative pants down. ¡°We don¡¯t spread word on this just yet, the Council of Lords is already on edge, until we have a more definitive answer, we can¡¯t have our governing structure going into a frenzy.¡±


    ¡°Sir, we already sent word to the Council, I was sent alongside my Warrant Officer, our C.O. Lieutenant Richards-¡±


    Escalus rose to his feet from his desk and strode with urgency to the Council chambers, with the loud roar of overlapping nobles confirming his fears long before he arrived.


    ¡°You act as if we could reasonably trust the word of Stein the Witch Doctor!¡± Unquestionably the voice of Duke Ryner. Guards on either side of the the doors to the council room quickly parted, and in a near panic on seeing Escalus¡¯ serious expression, slammed the doors open. The crowd was quick to turn to Escalus, the rabble quickly dying out in favor of heeding his presence. ¡°My lord,¡± Duke Ryner began to speak out. ¡°This report simply cannot be, I have seen you and your brother grow up your whole lives! I simply cannot accept that prince Atma would be involved with your father¡¯s murder!¡±


    ¡°This is an official report from my own son!¡± Marquis Stein of the military faction, and 12th Knight Victor Stein¡¯s father, was a ragged older man, with hair that had always been a gray tone, though had paled with time. ¡°Would you deny the validity of such claims? Deny the validity of my House¡¯s honor?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± a voice from the demilitarization faction. Lady Alma Helion, current head of house Helion, and mother to Locke and his siblings. ¡°What honor have you shown, Marquis? How many bastards were you responsible for again?¡± Though of a lower standing than Marquis Stein, House Helion carried a greater standing than their title would suggest at a glance, having been the guardians of the Royal family for generations.


    ¡°A point that must be made, Lady Helion.¡± From amidst the military faction, Regulus Helion stood. Regulus¡¯ stoicism was seen as a mark of impartiality, particularly evident in his lack of affection in how he regarded his mother, sticking to pure formality. His presence alone was enough to send a message, House Helion was not in full agreement. ¡°House Helion is leading the mission to retrieve Prince Atma. As such, House Stein¡¯s claim is fundamentally backed by House Helion.¡± A claim of House Helion might as well have been a nail in the coffin.


    ¡°Is your own brother not acting as Prince Atma¡¯s guard?¡± A mage elder and Linian representative jabbed in, baffled at Regulus¡¯ manner of speech in defiance of his mother.


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Then does your own brother not also represent your house?¡±


    Regulus responded with continued formality, his voice a steady monotone. ¡°Locke Helion has continuously failed the trials to stand as an heir of House Helion. His word carries no weight.¡±


    ¡°That is enough!¡± Escalus snapped the crowd back to attention. ¡°We have given no full trial, as it stands. This is evidence, yes, but until all parties are present and accounted for, we cannot declare a guilty verdict until all testimonies are heard. These are our laws and principles, are they not?¡±


    ¡°They are indeed, your highness.¡± Duke Kaian stood, the floor paying heed to him, just as they would Escalus. ¡°But, we simply must take action of some kind.¡±


    ¡°And what are you suggesting?¡±


    ¡°In precedence to the crowning of King Escalus IX, in which his brother, Prince Balor was incapable of rule in the face of terminal illness during war time, we crown Prince Escalus XIII as King of Deponess.¡± There was a deafening silence, the mere suggestion nothing short of baffling.


    ¡°That¡¯s an extreme measure, Kaian!¡± Ryner was left unsure of how to respond to his rival¡¯s notion.


    ¡°These are extreme times. We should consider ourselves at war, with our King having had his life stolen in the confines of his own home. We know not who was responsible, and can only assume that this is an attempt to leave us weakened. Now more than ever, we must show a united strength, lest Ranz decide that this would be the perfect opportunity to invade once more.¡±


    Ryner gritted his teeth and sighed. ¡°I cannot fully support this, Kaian, you know this. Until a trial has come to pass, I cannot give my consent to overrule the wishes of our dear friend, King Escalus XII.¡±


    ¡°A temporary measure, to be sure.¡±


    Escalus knew he couldn¡¯t continue to stand by idly. With each passing day, word could certainly spread of the instability that the King¡¯s passing would bring. With each passing day, the fighting continued, and his people only grew more divided.


    ¡°Then reign them in.¡± That suggestive voice in Escalus¡¯ mind again, pointing to the only logical solution.


    ¡°I call for a vote.¡± Escalus announced. ¡°We will act accordingly, and I shall respect your wishes. All in favor, say ¡®Aye.¡¯¡± He knew the vote¡¯s result before the nobles made their declarations of ¡®Aye¡¯ or ¡®Nay.¡¯ The military faction already had 60% of the nobility backing it. With Kaian¡¯s words, and Ryner backing down, it didn¡¯t surprise him as even votes from the demilitarization faction came his way. Part of him thought his nerves might take him as the council made their decision. But he stood, solid as steel as the ¡®Aye¡¯s¡¯ of the nobility made their decision.


    ¡°Then the decision is made,¡± Kaian announced. ¡°We stand now before our King. May he guide us to the future we desire.¡±


    It was an odd sensation, as the court finally seemed to reign itself in, as Escalus found those before him kneeling, and soldiers standing in salute. A relief that order was beginning to return to the halls of Castle Deponess. ¡°Then, with your consent, I propose we move to ensure our borders are secure. Lords of Deponess, prepare your soldiers. I want our patrols increased, and our men reinforced.¡±


    ¡°At once!¡± Marquis Heinkel was quick to proclaim. A vocal supporter of the military faction, his territory in Northern Deponess had avoided the war with Ranz, but, as his domain was one of the most significant manufacturers of the nation, it was not as though he were left unaffected.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Kaian nodded with some bitterness to Heinkel¡¯s obvious excitement. ¡°I will have my soldiers coordinate with Marquis Stein¡¯s for a more effective spread across the Southern border.¡± He paused, turning to face Escalus, eyeing the Mage elders with some amount of caution. ¡°I would advise moving to establish a perimeter around Linia, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°Did you not receive the same report I did?¡± Kaian turned vindictively to the Linian representatives. ¡°It was one of their own in Sir Stein¡¯s report that initiated the incident. One of their leader¡¯s children, might I add. Or is the name Balthazar Avelus coincidental? No relation to Light Mage Avelus?¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t have been. Escalus, after spending years studying magic and mage culture alongside the people of Linia knew that names were of extreme significance to them, an old belief that their names were a gift from the Goddess. ¡°They would be a significant threat should they decide to fight you. Keep them secure.¡±


    ¡°House Helion has earned a strong reputation with the people of Linia, have they not? I would ask them to ensure the security of Linia.¡±


    A Mage Elder shot up from his seat. ¡°This is absurd, we are an independent party from your nation! We have been allies for centuries!¡±


    ¡°And for that, I am eternally grateful. But, I cannot deny the information that has been presented, can you?¡±


    ¡°And you understand that the investigator sent was one of our own? For what purpose would we-¡±


    ¡°I am well aware, Councilman,¡± Escalus cut off the mage, ¡°But I am also aware that Linia was the first target of the border war. My intent, mind you, is to ensure your security.¡±


    Lady Helion raised her hand to protest. ¡°With all due respect, my lord, this sounds closer to a blockade or occupation.¡±


    ¡°Your orders are understood.¡± Regulus answered with a continued monotonousness. Since his father¡¯s passing, while his Mother was head of the house, many of her duties had since fallen to Raine and Regulus, control of their soldiers had largely fallen to Regulus, a relatively small portion remaining with Lady Alma and Raine. One of the Mages stomped out of the council chambers, the others seeming to want to follow. A bold move to be sure, but Escalus was never one to let something slip through the cracks.


    ¡°I want to speak with the commander of the ship that brought in the report,¡± he called. I want to know everything. We get to the bottom of this, and we await the return of the rest of the judicial fleet for a full report. Get airships up, and over the seas, no one enters or leaves without full inspection.¡± There was no lack of confidence in his step as he turned to make for the landing area where the scout ship had landed, no clamoring as his soldiers opened the door for him. He made his expectations clear, and his lords had taken him seriously. It had been like guiding an otherwise discordant orchestra to his own beat, and in that, he found some security.

 Chapter 20: A Gathering of Blades

    Chapter 20: A Gathering of Blades


    ¡°We should probably set up camp soon, right?¡± Atma glanced to the orange horizon, light barely penetrating through the mist as the sun began to set. ¡°We¡¯re almost out of daylight.¡± The prince looked across the plains, with no sign of civilization save the road they walked on. It had been a fairly uneventful journey, their only real encounters having been a few passing traders traversing the same path. The trio neared an intersection,  marked by a lone tree, a sign pointing to the left, and headed north for Falcidia, while the latter was headed southwest, towards the city of Larsiat.


    ¡°Not out here we¡¯re not. We make it a bit further, and we hit a trading outpost where we can rest for the night. Falcidian roads are generally safe, but I¡¯m not going to say we push our luck when Zanch hasn¡¯t been able to put out patrols, leaving room for a lot of nasty things to spring up in the night.¡± Shade reached into a pouch at his belt, pulling out a timepiece, a well polished and maintained brass, with a chain meant to be put around his neck. He was quick to pocket it again after a quick check. He glanced back to the road behind them, and set his bag down.


    ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t stopping?¡±


    ¡°You two aren¡¯t,¡± Shade replied, stepping off the road, reaching for his belt as he turned his back to them, ¡°But I¡¯m taking a leak. Unless you¡¯d care to stick around for that.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°You say that like you¡¯ll be a while.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you know how it is with armor. I¡¯ll catch up just fine. You stay on the road, and I¡¯ll follow, and keep an eye out for any of those critters I was talking about.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t take too long, alright?¡±


    Shade took his time, waiting until Sienna and Atma were out of his sight line, and pulled a spare pair of boots from his bag, setting them aside in the grass, he kept glancing back to the road from Zanch. He glanced around the tree, glimpsing a low hanging branch, grabbing hold of it, and cutting it free. It was leafy all the same, exactly what he wanted. He had hoped for more foot traffic through the area, it would have better disguised any tracks in the dirt and gravel, but he was no stranger to working around tough luck. With one last glance to his timepiece, Shade took the leafy branch to the path where Atma and Sienna had been walking, careful not to erase too many footprints, as to make it obvious someone had tried covering tracks.


    After he covered up the foot traffic to the best of his ability, be backtracked, careful to either use the grass, or already existing footprints to make his way back to the tree, and started walking towards Larsiat, creeping forward, leaving obvious footprints, tracking a bit of mud intentionally, mimicking steps to go into the grass to wipe it off, and then continuing forward. With any luck, they would operate under the assumption that there were only going to be two people on the run still, seeing as he was functionally an unknown. Atma hadn¡¯t paid it much mind, but Shade had been careful to stand in file with either him or Sienna, to try and hide just how many people were on the move together. Shade was well traveled enough in the mist to not lose track of his position relative to Falcidia. Catching back up to the others would be easy enough, but for now, he thought, he needed to buy as much time as possible from inevitable pursuers, who he knew couldn¡¯t be far behind, for how much time they¡¯d spent in Zanch, or how they were stuck on foot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to yourself,¡± He said out loud, ¡°You know exactly who you¡¯re trying to draw the attention of.¡± With a piece of flint from his supplies, and a strike from one of his blades, he found one last use of the branch he¡¯d cut down, setting it ablaze. He¡¯d had an idea of travel time that would be required of anyone chasing them, and knew that it would be near nightfall if someone caught up, even if they were on horseback. A part of Shade didn¡¯t like that he had split himself from someone he had said he¡¯d accompany, but the thought of what was to come had his heart pounding, more than even his fighting in Zanch ever could have inspired. ¡°Alright then, my Blazing Lion, come and get me, Raine.¡± He¡¯d been acting the hero for long enough, he tried arguing with himself. He could allow himself to be selfish right now. He hadn¡¯t exactly decided to follow Atma out of any sense of nobility or duty. Besides, he was doing well enough, this would definitely serve well enough as a distraction to buy time. If anything happened to Atma, he could live with it, but someone he¡¯d sought to see for years, his self proclaimed eternal rival, how could he pass that up?


    ***


    Raine glared at the fork in the road with the little light remaining. There was little in the way of fresh tracks headed for Falcidia, as the knight knelt down, making note of what was fresh, and what was long since passed. ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡±


    ¡°The hell do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You said you heard from a local in Zanch that they were headed for Falcidia? Atma fled with one other, a woman with him. But there¡¯s only one fresh set of tracks headed for Falcidia, there¡¯s a pair headed southeast for Larsiat.¡±


    ¡°Some brat, yeah, kids are easy, they¡¯ll be so blunt, you hardly need to ask ¡®em a thing. Said someone called Shade was taking them there.¡±


    Raine¡¯s helmet turned slowly back to face Agravain. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention the third sooner?¡±


    ¡°Like a third person matters to you and me. I could take them all on myself if you¡¯d let me off my leash.¡±


    Raine seemed to piece something together. ¡°You stay down the path to Falcidia then, I¡¯ll head for Larsiat. There¡¯s an outpost not too far down the road. I¡¯ll meet you there. Ride as fast as you can, I plan on us running them down before the night is done.¡±


    ¡°Fine, leave the fun to yourself, but this third chump down the road to Falcidia better be worth my time, or you¡¯re up next on my chopping block.¡± It was far from the first time he¡¯d made such a claim, not that Raine had any real reason to fear Agravain, he¡¯d lose in a direct confrontation without a doubt. Perhaps more than that, it wasn¡¯t something he was a stranger to saying in jest.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try.¡±


    It was about as disinterested as he¡¯d ever heard Raine¡¯s tone, so much so that it reminded Agravain rather uncomfortably of Regulus¡¯s monotone manner of speaking. It was nothing short of infuriating. He wondered just how close he might be able to get if he reached for one of his blades and took a swing. He tightened his grip around the reins, imagining the motion, his eyes tracing a downward arc, only to find Raine already on the move, blade drawn. ¡°Left to my own then? I¡¯ll make my own fun then.¡± He doubted his chances, but with a little luck, he might be able to fulfill his own personal mission.


    ***


    ¡°He¡¯s still not back,¡± Sienna glanced back as night began setting in,  ¡°You don¡¯t think he ditched us, do you?¡± She ground her teeth just a bit, clearly frustrated.


    ¡°He said he¡¯d be keeping an eye out for any monsters in the area, didn¡¯t he? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be back just fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say I admire your enthusiasm, but I¡¯m also plenty familiar with that anxiety you¡¯ve got that sinks it.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve taken this route, but we shouldn¡¯t take much longer to reach the outpost.¡±


    It was a relieving thing to hear, given night the light of dusk was waning to near perfect darkness. The bugs had just started chirping, fireflies springing up to light the dark. Holding his hand with the mark upon it in his hand, Atma closed his eyes, taking in the sounds of the night. While there was relative silence, he could still hear a horse a ways back, in a fairly brisk gallop from the pace of the sound of its hooves meeting dirt and stone. He felt the cool night air around him, the gentle breeze at the back of his neck, and almost at once, he was struck with a sensation unlike any other, like a mix of sight and touch all at once. He could feel the winds blow past a tree to the side of the road, see the tree resist the breeze with a slight shake to its branches, could see and feel an owl in its upper branches flap its wings. So unusual was the sensation that Atma¡¯s eyes shot open, and he could feel his heart pounding. His eyes had certainly been closed, but he could still see, he didn¡¯t touch, but he could still feel. He¡¯d let go of his hand bearing the mark, only just noticing the tingling feeling of his body, Atma glanced back, only really able to make out a torchlight. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the rider as they pass if they¡¯ve seen Shade, if it¡¯ll give you peace of mind.¡± Atma kept looking back, the rider barely illuminated by their light, still appearing as a dark figure atop an equally dark horse. He turned his gaze forwards once more, closed his eyes, and took in the sounds of the night, the feel of the cool air, the gentle breeze against the back of his neck. Once again, he could feel through the air itself, as he became more aware of the sensation, he could feel and see marginally more and more. In a way, he could even look at himself in an entirely new way. He started reaching out further again, and while he had at first though to try keeping it simple by trying to see Sienna right next to him, his attention drifted back to the rider behind them. The sound of hooves against the road was all too easy to focus on, borderline distracting. The horse was something of a blur, especially towards its legs, moving like a thundering cloud. The rider was easier, though still tricky to read with how fast they moved against the wood, he started to make out a silhouette, an armored rider, wearing a helmet. Atma felt his heart skip a beat, as details such as spikes upon the armor became clearer, as the rider motioned to draw a large blade from its scabbard on his back.


    Atma opened his eyes, turning, and ducking, time seeming to slow as the blade went over his head, where his neck had been moments before. He threw off his bags and grabbed his shield and spear as the rider circled around.


    ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± Sienna let her gear thud to the ground as she readied her axe, and the rider circled around, blade in hand, ready to cut the two down.


    ¡°Oh it really is you!¡± The knight laughed, as he dismounted his horse. Agravain spread his arms excitedly, blade still in hand. Atma couldn¡¯t make out his face beneath his helmet, but he didn¡¯t need to to know Agravain was smiling beneath it. ¡°How did you pull that off though? Was I coming in too fast?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t certain it was me? You would have killed an innocent?¡± His focus of Agravain¡¯s willingness to harm someone else subsided, ¡°You tried killing me?!¡±


    ¡°Eh, blonde, tall, with a brunette in red? I had a fair enough chance. Besides, if I was wrong, how hard do you think it would be for me to get rid of a single witness?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d split you in two for trying,¡± Sienna shot back.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first to try, and you wouldn¡¯t be the first cute thing I broke. And of course, wayward prince, I mean, after all, you made a prison escape, brought down an airship, and killed countless soldiers, as well as a special investigator of the judicial force. I¡¯d call it a signature on your own execution papers, traitor. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the stories on how I deal with sedition?¡±


    ¡°Agravain, I am being framed! I am innocent! You know very well that I am owed a fair trial!¡±


    ¡°Not when you attacked us, and made this a military operation, all I have to say is that you resisted arrest. It¡¯s nothing personal, but- oh, who am I kidding, this next part is personal, and it¡¯s going to be all too much fun.¡± He drew his second blade, focusing down on Atma, with a malicious aura akin to a cat ready to pounce. ¡°I despise you, and everything you stand for. You would have chained me like a mad beast, kept me from my calling in the name of ¡®peace!¡¯¡± He scoffed, crouching slightly and crossing his arms, his blades ready to swing.


    ¡°Is that not why you fought? To protect our home?¡±


    Agravain tilted his head. ¡°Nah.¡±


    ¡°Nah?!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯d know that if you didn¡¯t just love to talk at people like a spoiled brat. You go on and on about not having to fight, but I live for this. Sure, I reveled in a defeated enemy when the war ended, but you know what? Things got boring real fast, and you come along acting like this is the greatest time ever. So, no, I didn¡¯t fight for ¡®our home,¡¯ I fought because I live for the rush of battle, for the sensation of cutting though my enemies. I went into that war, and found out I loved every second of it. The way I see it, we through a peace loving brat who hasn¡¯t seen a day of battle sit on the fancy chair, and I lose it, or, best case, you preaching doesn¡¯t mean shit to Ranz, you get overthrown because you won¡¯t fight back, and I get to go back to what I love best. So let¡¯s just call this speeding everything up.¡± Agravain let out a deep breath, ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve been holding that back, you little shit. I¡¯ve had that monologue recited in my head every time I see you.¡±


    Atma was utterly taken aback by everything that the man was saying. He hesitated to even refer to him as a knight in his own mind, let alone a man. Agravain was more akin to a berserker, feral, with his mind on a single thing. The prince could feel some strange, primal sensation filling him. Fight, flight, and freeze fought in his head. Agravain was completely and utterly out of their league. The last time he had sparred with Dante, the 13th Knight had been far out of his skill level, and Agravain was a seasoned veteran in his position of 6th Knight. Freeze was winning in his mind, but flight was looking more and more tempting.


    Agravain, feral beast that he was, had tunnel visioned on the prince, he lunged, arcing his blades out to catch Atma in between his blades as if they were a pair of scissors, roaring in excitement, only for a swinging battle axe to enter his line of sight. He altered the angle of his heavy swing, to intercept the swing, not expecting just how much force would be behind the swing. He shot back, the attack defended against, but an echo of metal on metal as his armor absorbed much of the force, like a gong or bell. The mad beast skidded to a halt, his metal boots carving into the loose soil of the road, and one of his blades, having been used to anchor him, cut a similar gash into the ground.


    Sienna panted, having swung with everything she had, intending to end things in a single strike. ¡°The hell?! I¡¯ve killed things way bigger than you with a hit like that!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation¡­¡± Agravain pulled his blade from the earth, and stretched his limbs, certainly sore after the attack if nothing else. ¡°That hurt like hell.¡± Agravain cracked his neck to either side, and set one of his blades back on his back. ¡°Right then, if you¡¯re actually going to fight, I can spare a few minutes.¡±


    Atma¡¯s mind flashed back briefly to Balthazar¡¯s discussion of magic and affinity with him, about warriors whose magical energy enhanced their bodies. Sienna had brute force behind her swings, but in Agravain, he saw power, experience, and mastery. Agravain seemed to ooze a purplish aura, which crept across his body like flame. The beast flexed his arms, and his blade ignited with a more intense flow of this same aura, and a scream like a banshee¡¯s rang out from them. Here and there, Atma could feel his sensation with the winds blend into his natural five senses, how even without an active slash, Agravain¡¯s blade constantly cut at anything it could, like a violent vibration in the air.


    ¡°The hell do we do here, Atma? That was the best I¡¯ve got!¡±


    Atma had seen him duel enough to know that Agravain¡¯s fighting style did not lend itself to battles of endurance, seeing as it ate at his own stamina in exchange for power. Moreover, he was well aware that neither he nor Sienna had the power needed to force Agravain into a longer fight by taking hits. ¡°We take him down fast, we can¡¯t take a hit from him, so we move fast, evade, and impede him any time he tries to attack.¡± Battles were fought with information, and thankfully, he had at least some when it came to fighting the beast before them. In a way, Atma found himself thankful for his encounters in Zanch, true preparation for having to fight another human being, where his life was on the line. He pushed his fear aside, knowing that nothing else mattered if he couldn¡¯t get past this battle.


    ¡°No more talk? Are we ready to get started? Then show me a good time!¡±


    For just a moment, Atma wondered if this would be a repeat of their encounter with Thanatos, surely they weren¡¯t in the same league as Agravain, but something became immediately evident as Agravain held his blade, and made a taunting flick. Agravain wasn¡¯t taking them seriously. It wasn¡¯t a huge edge, but it might be enough for them to find an opening to escape, or stall for time. Atma tightened his grip upon his spear with his left hand, and blitzed forward, not giving Agravain even a moment to recompose himself after his taunt. He sped past the blade Agravain had reached out, and thrust out, aiming for a thinner point in the berserker¡¯s armor, just under the ribs, where it had been thinned and scaled for maneuverability. For all of Atma¡¯s speed, Agravain was able to keep pace, his bulk betraying his speed. The Dark Knight, with a fluidity such that he didn¡¯t seem to sidestep so much as shift ever so slightly off from Atma¡¯s rush. He grabbed hold of the spear with his free hand, in what seemed like slow motion, as he raised his foot, and drove it firmly into the prince¡¯s sternum, sending him sprawling to the ground.


    ¡°Back on your feet.¡± Agravain tossed Atma¡¯s spear next to him haphazardly. ¡°I¡¯m not done with you.¡±


    Atma sprung back to his feet with relative ease, though he could still certainly feel his chest ache with the aftermath of a metal boot slamming into it. He picked up his spear, and readied himself once more, though he was quick to shift stance from being ready to charge to something more conservative, once he realized Agravain wasn¡¯t attacking just yet. Atma paced side to side, shield forward, and spear back, waiting for the inevitable attack. Agravain likewise adjusted his stance, crouched like a predator ready to pounce, his right arm holding his claymore parallel to the ground, and his left hanging somewhat loosely, ready to either two hand his blade, or grapple should they get too close.


    Sienna crouched slightly, as she circled opposite to Atma. She tried staying in Agravain¡¯s blind spot behind him, though she wasn¡¯t particularly confident in her ability to get a solid hit in, Atma was faster than her, and was still caught and countered. The Dark Knight was hard to read, his eyes obscured by his helmet, and his head turned, facing neither of them, but positioned perfectly so that he could just see them out of the corner of his vision. He matched pace with their movements, for a moment, though after neither made a move to attack, and kept their distance, he opted to instead focus back down on Atma.


    Agravain¡¯s body tensed for a moment, and he moved to swing, and in that moment Sienna moved to attack, lunging, letting her axe hit the ground, her whole body moving with her swing to get as much force into it as possible. Agravain, had long since picked up that she was always opposite to Atma, he only needed to keep his eyes on one to know where the other was. His seeming attack on Atma proved to be a feint, he turned with his swing in an overhead arc, planning on cutting her in two with a single hit. He expected her to panic or hesitate, giving him a clean swing in said panic. Sienna was fully committed, unflinching as she kept swinging up, kicking up dirt and debris with her swing, and meeting his blade with her axe before he could get the full power and momentum of his downward swing. Sparks lit up in the night, though were quickly swallowed into darkness. Her tenacity hadn¡¯t been the only thing Agravain underestimated, she was far more willing to fight dirty than the trained soldiers he had grown more accustomed to fighting, who more commonly defaulted to practiced forms, or only gave up their formal techniques when truly desperate, all too late to do anything. She¡¯d only barely parried his attack, but she¡¯d also flung dirt into his eyes with her swing. It was enough to throw him off for even just a moment.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Atma followed up, going for Agravain¡¯s exposed back, though it was something of an obvious follow up, Agravain turning so that his second claymore, still at his back, took the hit instead. He caught himself before being knocked down, stomping to do so. He blinked and shook his head aggressively, trying to clear his vision, Agravain turned, and used the point of impact where he¡¯d felt Atma¡¯s spear make contact to supplement his vision. Atma pulled his spear back, expecting Agravain to try and grab it again, and moved to thrust again, aiming for directly center mass, counting on Agravin moving to evade, and not fully get away. Instead, he was met with the sensation of the back of Agravain¡¯s gauntlet meeting his face, violently backhanding him into the dirt. He backed off before Sienna could try attacking again, again, trying to clear his vision.


    Atma groaned, as once again, he got himself back on his feet, though certainly more dizzy than when he¡¯d gone down before. This wasn¡¯t about a fight, or survival for Agravain, this was about playing around, and inflicting pain. Agravain repositioned himself once more so that Atma and Sienna were in front of him, still rather lax in his stance.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t go so bad, I can probably deflect his swings like-¡± Sienna glanced down to her axe, finding a massive gash into the head of her weapon, like how a wheel of cheese might have a wedge cut from it. She grit her teeth, ¡°Oh you have got to be kidding me¡­ That thing was mythril, and he cut right through it!¡± She was considering tossing it aside, it was more likely to break than do anything meaningful next time she swung it, but it was just about the only thing she had between herself the berserker in front of her.


    ¡°Come on! That can¡¯t be all there is? Are you so weak that you can¡¯t even make me bleed? Or have I put up with you for no reason after all these years, Atma?¡± He was right, for all their effort, Agravain had been playing around, and while he hadn¡¯t inflicted any serious injury on them, it hadn¡¯t been for a lack of effort on their behalf. As it stood, they had absolutely no way of winning, not when their opponent was so oppressively powerful.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no doubt that these two are weak.¡± A voice from the dark caught the three off guard. With a calm pace, Shade stepped from the shadows fully in armor, blades already drawn, similarly casual to Agravain¡¯s demeanor, letting one arm rest lazily at his side, and the other resting his blade at his shoulder. ¡°But why bother having fun now, when they can offer a much better fight later? Or is the point of this an execution? Either way, you¡¯re doing a pretty piss poor job.¡±


    Agravain on sight drew his second claymore, and postured himself far more seriously, his stance reflecting his, as he held one blade back, ready to strike, while the other was set to defend.


    Atma briefly glanced back at Shade, seeing no real change to his posture, not seeing what made Agravain take him so seriously.


    ¡°And where the hell were you?¡± Sienna growled under gritted teeth, but she was relieved to have him back right now.


    ¡°What? I told you you could stay and watch if you really wanted to know.¡± He chortled beneath his helmet, and twirled one of his swords with the finesse one skilled with a knife might flip their weapon of choice.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pig, you know that?¡±


    ¡°A pig here to save you, please don¡¯t forget that part.¡± He mirrored the stance of Agravain, right foot forward, alongside his right handed blade, with his left side back, his blade pointed for a stabbing motion rather than a slash. ¡°Oi, you! Got anything smart to say? I¡¯ll take something stupid too, but I need some kind of material to work off of.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who butchered the mansion, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Unless you think these two are capable of making that much of a mess.¡±


    ¡°Then it looks like I¡¯ll have to make this quick. You three die now.¡±


    Shade cracked his neck to either side. ¡°You two stand back and watch, you¡¯ll just get in my way.¡±


    ¡°Bu-¡±


    ¡°Sienna, make sure the idiot doesn¡¯t try to help me.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha.¡±


    Shade¡¯s blades ignited in the same dark aura as Agravain¡¯s, and for a moment, bothe Dark Knights stood perfectly still. Atma was expecting a drawn out duel, like his own attempt at fighting Agravain, but his initial impression would prove to be far from accurate.


    In a flash, both fighters rushed towards one another, their blades connecting with a grinding scream, as if metal were tearing at metal. By Atma¡¯s battle experience, Shade should have been at the disadvantage, he was shorter, less muscular, and his blades had far less reach than his opponent, and yet- Shade moved with an elegance like that of a well trained dancer, When Agravain moved to swing his blades in a cross slash, Shade stepped back, and spun with both of his blades, and smashed Agravain¡¯s attack into the ground. Agravain leapt back as Shade kicked off of the ground, spinning and slashing once more, cutting into Agravain¡¯s chestplate, ever so slightly. Agravain pulled his blades up to guard, as Shade landed, but no sooner had his feet hit the ground had Shade pressed the attack again, stabbing for Agravain¡¯s stomach, the larger Dark Knight only partially blocking the attack, one of his claymores pierced through by Shade¡¯s blade. Still, the blade, extended by the dark aura pierced into his stomach, Agravain grunting, gasping, not remotely expecting the encounter to go such a way.


    ¡°Certainly, it seems like bullying the common soldier makes you a lot sloppier, but you¡¯ve got to be better than that, right?¡±


    Agravain spat beneath his helmet, and swung his other blade in a move to decapitate Shade, only to stop the motion, as his body impulsively flinched as shade ripped his blade from Agravain¡¯s stomach and blade. ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Me. Come on you stupid animal, try it again, watch what happens.¡± Shade stepped back giving a fair bit of distance between the two, with a bit of spring to his step, a light hop back and forth, playing around just as Agravain had before.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s see you try this¡­¡± Agravain raised both blades overhead, the intensity of their aura magnifying as he did so. ¡°Dark Sword Art: -¡±


    ¡°Black Crescent!¡± In unison, both called out the technique, Shade swinging his blades horizontally as Agravain brought his down, and the black aura left their blades, following the arc of their slashes, accelerating, colliding, and exploding in that same screaming sound as when it had been upon their blades.


    ¡°Come on now, that¡¯s a basic technique, you don¡¯t think I could kick your ass without knowing that one? How you were ever knighted is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be mocked by a nobody like you!¡±


    ¡°Nobody, sure, but I¡¯ve trained with people far stronger than you. Now come on then, I¡¯ll let you have one more shot in at me.¡± Shade spoke like a childhood bully, and leaned forward as if to present his neck. He straightened himself out, and took on a more relaxed stance once again.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! You die!¡± Agravain¡¯s blades ignited with a before unseen ferocity, enough so that the ground itself seemed to shake and vibrate with his blades, the screaming upon them deafening, nearly enough of a sensory overload to bring Atma to his knees. ¡°Dark Sword Art: Black Buster!¡± A pillar of darkness rose from Agravain¡¯s blades, held together, as though he were swinging a single blade. He roared as he arced the blade, at first seeming to swing for Shade, turning at the last moment to strike down Atma.


    It was a swift, aggressive, and violent swing, but one Atma could react to. Beyond the darkness, the screaming of the blades, the sensation of the wind being torn apart, he could see, and feel the movements of Agravain¡¯s feet though the wind. He grabbed Sienna and moved the both of them out of the way. However, Shade made the motion unnecessary. ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is. Fine. Dark Sword Art: Rising Raven!¡± He let out a deep breath, and in a motion that could hardly be followed, he crossed his arms, blades at either side, in a stance Atma recognized as the same stance Agravain had started his assault against him and Sienna with. With a mighty roar, he swung out, grinding his blades together, the black auras combining into an almost winged form, coming into contact with Agravain¡¯s ultimate attack, forcing him back, and in a near deafening screech, blasted across the night sky.


    Agravain panted and wheezed, utterly spent, his wounds catching up with him, blood dripping from the gashes in his armor, and his heavy use of his Dark Sword arts. He propped himself up on his blades, and even beneath the veil of his helmet, it was clear he was staring daggers into Shade.


    ¡°And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it¡¯s done.¡± The aura dissipated from Shade¡¯s blades, as he rather casually walked up to Agravain. ¡°You¡¯re sloppy, slow, and you give the impression that you only pick fights you know you can win. Now, I believe your commander would best describe that as you being a real coward, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    Agravain tried forcing himself to stand properly, only to receive a swift kick to his stab wound from earlier. He fell to his knees and growled. ¡°You win this round, but one of these days, I¡¯m going to parade your corpse halfway across the continent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will. Goodbye Dark Knight.¡± Shade didn¡¯t hesitate for a second in swinging one of his blades to decapitate Agravain. Atma couldn¡¯t have shouted at him to stop, or even fully process what was about to happen. By the time he reached out and started to say something, metal clashed against metal, and the motion came to a stop. Shade backed off, holding his blades in a defensive stance. ¡°Raine. Was wondering when you¡¯d show up.¡±


    ¡°About time¡­ Finish them off for me, would you?¡± Agravain face planted into the ground, wounded and unconscious, though not dead yet.


    The silver knight still shone in the dark, broadsword drawn, blade held out to block Shade¡¯s attack. ¡°To be honest, I was expecting you back in Zanch, or perhaps at that fire you lit to try and draw me out.¡±


    ¡°You what?!¡± Sienna wanted to go ballistic, only for the situation to dawn on her. ¡°Oh don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re back to square one, and outmatched again?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re being fair, I did try to draw the two of them away from you. And to be honest, Raine, I¡¯m just glad you were thinking of me. Do you know how awful it would be if you replaced me with that loser?¡± He paused, before taking off his helmet. ¡°You didn¡¯t rebound to him, did you? Please tell me I don¡¯t have to think about that.¡±


    Raine grumbled and mirrored Shade while removing their helmet. ¡°You¡¯re the same as ever.¡± The oldest Helion had a fairy-tale-like beauty, with silky silver hair, which gently caressed her cheek, a feature that had earned her the nickname of ¡®Silver Lion¡¯ from her enemies. She had piercing eyes of amber, alongside the same fair complexion as her youngest brother, though unlike Locke, she had a stern confidence to her which on its own could have intimidated most into standing down. ¡°I¡¯d ask you to stand down, but I don¡¯t suppose you will.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I wanted to fight you more than anything in the world. Well, almost. I don¡¯t think an offer of another night in your company could ever be refused.¡±


    ¡°Please for the love of the Goddess above tell me she wasn¡¯t the one you went to hook up with last night. If you sold us out, I know I can¡¯t beat you in a fight, but I¡¯m still going to try and help Agravain parade you around.¡± Sienna scowled, beginning to back away.


    Raine seemed to chuckle, something Atma had never heard from her in all her years of service. Come to think of it, he almost never saw her outside of full plate armor, the only exceptions being formal parties, where she would still show up in uniform, rather than a gown, or even a suit, as most others would. He only ever knew the stoic 1st Knight. Raine sheathed her blade. ¡°I could have recognized your handiwork anywhere. I thought she sounded rather in tune for sitting around all covered up like that.¡±


    ¡°Every time I come to town, I head back home, tune things up, waiting for you to join me at the piano.¡±


    ¡°Surrender, and help me detain the fugitives, and I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Raine. You can¡¯t be this bullheaded. You know something about this whole situation is wrong.¡±


    Atma nervously stepped forward. ¡°1st Knight Raine, I have been falsely accused! My companions and I were not responsible for the destruction of the Midsummer Night! We were the ones attacked!¡±


    ¡°Testimony of the accused is not a word I can accept, not when I have eyewitness testimony from Sir Stein, furthermore, Sir Tellian is emotionally compromised, and a close friend of yours, as such, I cannot allow the use of his biased statements. While this had once been a simple retrieval mission, the death of an investigator at the hands of one of your own is simply not something we can overlook.¡±


    Shade scoffed. ¡°Listen to yourself, Raine. What happened to the compassion I knew you for?¡± He stopped. ¡°After all these years, is this still about-¡±


    ¡°I wavered from my duty once. Never again, Sieg.¡±


    Shade closed his eyes, as Raine started to walk past him, though before she could, he held out his blade in front of her. When he opened his mouth to speak, his tone was far more dismal. ¡°What did I tell you about using my name like that? If you¡¯re going to bother with it, then don¡¯t talk to me as the knight, I want to speak with the person I spent all those years with.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me.¡±


    ¡°No, but I seem to recall you never beating me when we were kids.¡±


    There was silence for a moment, then, in a burst of speed, Raine and Shade, in a near perfect mirror of one another, backed off, circled, and struck out at each other, Raine drawing her blade from its sheath as she did so, a vermillion flash illuminated the night as she did so. Shade stumbled back, his armor seared, only lightly grazed, and his blades seemingly charred. In an instant, it was as if the moisture were ripped from the air with an intense dry heat, even to Atma, a fair distance away, it was as if someone held his face inches away from a blazing forge.


    Raine¡¯s blade glowed with an intense red flame, lighting up the dark, her eyes seeming like burning coals in its hot glow. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back again.¡±


    Shade stood his ground, though only barely, beginning to fall to his knees. ¡°Still that much stronger, huh? I must have let myself go to barely last that long with you.¡±


    Raine¡¯s expression was stern, though not cold, as her gaze shifted from Shade to Atma. ¡°Will you continue to resist and face execution, or will you surrender?¡±


    Atma stood his ground, despite every instinct telling him to run. ¡°I cannot return with you, not when my life is so clearly under threat by those attempting to frame me for a crime I am innocent of. Should I attempt to fight, I will die, should I surrender, I will die. Agravain has more than made that clear.¡±


    ¡°I am more than capable of assuring your safety.¡±


    ¡°You are, perhaps, but this goes beyond you, Raine. It goes beyond me.¡± Atma clenched his fist. ¡°Have you considered that you¡¯re looking at the Midsummer Night in the wrong way? That this was an attempt on my life instead?¡±


    ¡°I have. It is why I dispatched Stein to detain your companions.¡±


    Atma grimaced. ¡°He¡¯ll¡­ he¡¯ll kill them. Raine, Stein is to blame for all of this! He¡¯ll kill them, your brother included if he gets the chance!¡±


    ¡°If they resist.¡±


    At that moment, Atma could finally understand Shade¡¯s sentiment on the brutality of Deponess. He¡¯d finally seen it for himself. Honor, and justice were thrown to the wayside for the sake of the elimination of any perceived threat, even if it was one¡¯s own brother, or one¡¯s prince. ¡°I refuse to return then. Not until I can save them from Stein, from you.¡±


    Raine¡¯s eye twitched ever so slightly, a break in even her composure. Her blade¡¯s flames grew more intense, some of the grasses beginning to catch fire in a growing circle. ¡°Then you have made your choice. I execute a fallen prince, here and now.¡± As she raised her blade, her eyes seemed to fill with rage, then shift towards sadness, as Shade forced himself back to his feet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let him show me up, now can I? What kind of cool mentor would I be if I did that?¡±


    Before Raine could get a word out, a sullen note on a string instrument filled the air, coming from further down the road. It was an old love ballad, strummed upon a lyre, with the sound of boots upon the dirt with a rather whimsical pep to their step. ¡°To see you two fight like this, it breaks my heart. Though I am a knight errant, it pains me too to see my prince in such dire straits.¡±


    Atma wasn¡¯t sure what expression Raine and Shade both wore. Shame? Discomfort? The voice was familiar, but one on the cusp of being forgotten, as though he¡¯d only heard it once or twice. The figure stepped into the light of Raine¡¯s flames, a tall man in sleek armor, a dark, near black shade of blue, accented with golds, which contoured to his body near perfectly like a second skin. It was of rather unconventional design, in that it would seem to flow, and then the flow would shift into a spike. To Atma, it reminded him of fancy woodwork, or bone, seemingly organic in shape, rather than the product of a deliberate forge. The helmet continued this design, though was unique aside from this, in that it had only a single, half moon shape opening for a singular eye on the right side.


    ¡°Uncle?¡± Shade stepped back, joining Atma¡¯s side.


    ¡°Teacher?¡± The intensity on Raine¡¯s blade weakened.


    ¡°Sir Siegfried?!¡± Atma was utterly baffled, having not seen the knight in years. Shade had mentioned reaching out to family for help, but Sir Siegfried was far from his expectation. Fourth Seat of the Knights¡¯ Council, Atma was certainly familiar with the hearsay of Siegfried being Raine¡¯s mentor, less so with Siegfried having a nephew. He was, to say the least, a controversial member of the Council. The Lords council having more than once moved to strip him of his rank for his constant absence. In the early days of the border war, he had been the single most effective warrior in the Deponesian army, and Leonidas Helion¡¯s greatest student, though he had not long after considered himself a conscientious objector. Most labeled him a coward, others, a traitor, though none would doubt that he had been the vanguard of the war effort. He had vanished for over a decade, sparsely returning, only following the death of Sir Leonidas, alongside Raine, and then once more when she rose to claim the First Seat for herself. He recalled Siegfried had been the first choice of both his father and Sir Lancelot to take the place of 1st Seat, where the errant had promptly refused and left for parts unknown. If anyone could stand up to Raine, the only person he could think of would be Siegfried.


    ¡°All correct.¡±


    ¡°Why now? You haven¡¯t been involved in Deponesian affairs in years.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I hadn¡¯t planned on it, but between the noise of the fight earlier, and my nephew Siegmund¡¯s letters to me, I was headed this way anyways. If I may be so bold, I suggest you stand down Raine.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t. The King has been assassinated, and the judicial fleet has been dispatched to have Prince Atma return home, after which he fled our custody.¡±


    ¡°Then allow my fresh perspective to offer a solution. I will take Prince Atma under my custody, he will be under my and Siegmund¡¯s watch, where we will allow him to find a way to prove his innocence. From what I have overheard, you cannot trust him, and he cannot trust you, which I suppose, leaves me. Is this acceptable?¡±


    ¡°It is not, and you know this. The council will not stand for this, the Knights¡¯ or Lords¡¯ both.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps this will suffice. One last order from our King.¡± From a satchel at his side, he pulled an incredibly worn scroll, damaged by years of being carried around on countless adventures bearing the royal crest of Deponess. ¡°My title of Knight Errant is more than just a mockery by my peers. King Escalus XII gave me one and only one standing order last I saw him, to watch our country from the outside, so that I may see threats you may not. I may be lax with my duties, but you of all people know where my loyalties lie.¡±


    ¡°Clearly I do not.¡± She donned her helmet once more, as if to end the discussion. She raised her blade and swung with such speed that Atma hadn¡¯t been able to track the motion, only feeling the intense wave of heat upon his face as he found Raine mere feet away, held back by Siegfried, defending against her attack with the flat of his blade, a long, single edged weapon, foreign to Deponesian smithing techniques. He hadn¡¯t even seen Siegfried draw his blade from its sheath at his back. With some struggle on behalf of both knights, Siegfried pushed back Raine, who slid back towards Agravain.


    ¡°I do not wish to fight you, my beloved student, but make no mistake, if you are going to attempt such a thing, do not do so halfheartedly again.¡±


    Raine was silent for a moment, as if trying to gauge her ability to take on Siegfried, before ultimately extinguishing the flames of her sword, and sheathing it. ¡°Rest assured, my forces will be taking claim of Prince Atma, even if now is not the time.¡± She stepped back, keeping her gaze upon them the entire time, before picking Agravain off the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking him away from here to see to his wounds. Do not expect such mercy again.¡± She turned to leave, only to look back to Shade and Siegfried. ¡°Farewell, my teacher. Siegmund.¡±


    Siegfried sheathed his blade, and tossed her the scroll he had revealed before. ¡°Be safe, my apprentice.¡±


    Raine inspected the scroll, and without any further words, set Agravain upon his horse, and walked away.


    ¡°Are we alive? Like I¡¯m not just lying in a pool of my blood hallucinating all of this, right?¡± Sienna glanced around at the battlefield, embers from Raine¡¯s flames all that were left to light the area.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re alive, for now at least.¡± Shade groaned as he removed his chest plate.


    ¡°I have a few questions in mind for you,¡± Atma started. ¡°Things I need to tell Siegfried, but for now, surviving that? That¡¯s enough.¡±

 Chapter 21: A Grasp at Truth

    Chapter 21: A Grasp at Truth


    ¡°That¡¯s everything I know, Sir Siegfried.¡± Atma finished retelling the events of his pilgrimage, downing the last of the healing tonic Siegfried had given him. Shade bandaged his chest, wincing at the touch as he massaged salve to his burns, and drank his own tonic. Though painful, considering their wounds, they had made the last few steps to the outpost, resting at the inn for travelers, though the locals were certainly concerned, given their injuries, and the previous sounds of battle. Hesitant, perhaps, but they weren¡¯t about to turn down Siegfried¡¯s generous offering of coins.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Siegfried had removed his helmet, revealing a face fairly similar in structure to Shade¡¯s, though scarred with battle, wearing an eyepatch, with dusty blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He leaned back, and held his pipe to his lips, a moment later, blowing a ring of smoke into the air. ¡°The situation is worse than my initial prediction. If anything, interfering may have just made things worse still.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand?¡±


    Siegfried nodded. ¡°What I said before was not in jest. I am a Knight-Errant, set to wander the world, to see and understand it from outside the walls of Castle Deponess, from our home as a whole. To watch our home from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Then you really have been on assignment from my father?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He informed me months ago that he planned on sending you on your pilgrimage. Though you were, of course, to travel on your own, I was to be your shadow, ensuring your safety as one last line of defense, should something be beyond your capabilities.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was weird you didn¡¯t have some old veteran keeping an eye on you,¡± Sienna piped in. ¡°This one¡¯s certainly not the old man I was expecting, but he saved our asses well enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only 41, I¡¯ll have you know.¡± Siegfried sighed. ¡°Not the point, the point is, from the outside, you see the politics of Deponess very differently, and you find most people tend to see Deponesians not unlike you saw Agravain tonight. Obviously, to say we were all like him would be wrong, but it does adjust what you see.¡±


    ¡°And what do you see?¡±


    ¡°I see Deponess is split in terms of those who would see Atma on the throne, and those who would support Escalus. Your selection for the throne is, without a doubt, extremely controversial. I would say a majority of the nobility would prefer to see Escalus on the throne, given his stance on maintaining militarization.¡± He pulled a map from his bags, detailing the nation of Deponess, from edge to edge. It was surprisingly detailed for how much territory it had to cover, Deponess was considered a world superpower for a reason, it dominated the continent, the Land of Kings was solely occupied by the Kingdom of Deponess, and the Ranzian Empire, who held the north and south, respectively, the main separators between the two being a mountain range, and a vast desert just south of it. Though, this map noted an annexation of the desert territory, alongside a stretch of jungle on the western coast.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t understand the sentiment,¡± Sienna cut in. ¡°The war wasn¡¯t all that long ago, and everyone in power is old enough to remember just how brutal it got.¡± She fingered her headband, looking off to the side. ¡°Even the ones just now entering the military, even if they don¡¯t remember the initial battles¡­ They¡¯re old enough to have seen the country in wartime, it¡¯s their normal.¡±


    ¡°I would say it was worse than you describe it as. There were extended periods of occupation during the war. Duke Kaian¡¯s territory, Hessia in particular, was where the brunt of the fighting took place.¡±


    Atma nodded. ¡°House Kaian has long been some of our nation¡¯s most ardent defenders. When the war broke out, they were attacked simultaneously with Linia. Linia was a brutal battle, but with all that happened in Hessia, some would say it paled in comparison.¡±


    Siegfried nodded, and pointed to the Hessia region of the map, taking up the southern quadrant of Deponess, which held Port Fortuna, southwestern Deponess¡¯ version of Port Royale, similarly impressive in both size, and economic weight, as well as standing right on the Deponesian border. ¡°The area is notoriously difficult to seize, on either side, the mountains hold off advance, save for two entrances through canyons perfect for choking an army into a single point, with the mountains so high that most airships can¡¯t cross without taking the same route, or entering through Port Fortuna.The mountains ease on the Deponesian side to the east, closer to Linia, and House Stein¡¯s barony It was here that King, then Prince, Gilliam made a name for himself. Of his many brothers and sisters, he wasn¡¯t even considered as an heir to the throne for how late in the line he was. But, his cunning, combined with a touch of fratricide, paved the way for him to claim his throne. In the initial battle, he commissioned a team of miners to dig through the mountains, not so far as to try and get entirely through them, but just so he could sneak his special forces into the southern fort guarding the entrance to Hessia. He¡¯d done it so quietly, we hadn¡¯t even realized we¡¯d been invaded. It sent soldiers into a panic when his troops marched on House Kaian¡¯s estate, thinking he¡¯d brute forced his way past. Once he¡¯d taken the Kaian estate, Gilliam had near free reign to seize anywhere in the territory.¡±


    ¡°Many of the smaller noble houses in the territory died, or had been devastated. Our current duke Kaian only survived in a miraculous escape, having personally dueled Gilliam, and having been one of the few to survive such a duel. As I remember, it wasn¡¯t until the battles of Marquis Stein¡¯s territory that we were able to push back against Gilliam¡¯s onslaught.¡±


    ¡°Correct. This would be around the time the Stein you know as a member of the Knights¡¯ council first started making a name for himself. I, meanwhile, defended the northern gate of Hessia, leading into western Deponess. It was a difficult series of battles, morale low that Gilliam would wash over us like he had at the southern fort. It was there that I first fought Gilliam, and a few Ranz¡¯ Paladins. Their equivalent to the Knights council.¡± He answered Sienna before she could ask, a look of confusion growing on her face, as he tugged at his eyepatch. ¡°All you need to know is that while Leonidas fought in the east, I led the charge in the west. More than anything though, Hessia marks our greatest shames during the war. We lost count of how many lives we took, how many we failed to save, but more than that, Hessia is when the world stopped seeing us as noble knights, when, I think, we stopped being them.¡±


    Sienna grimaced. ¡°This part I know. It¡¯s why you¡¯ll find people don¡¯t care for you, er, us, out here. It wasn¡¯t just trained soldiers, or mages that fought in that war, was it?¡±


    Atma nor Siegfried could meet her gaze, the Knight speaking in his prince¡¯s stead. ¡°No, no it was not. We were only able to take back our territory with help from behind enemy lines, civilians Ranz had swept over, taken prisoner, forced into labor, or far worse. They fought and died making Ranz fight on every front, giving us the opportunity to push back. Their teams suffered the highest casualty rates in the war, they were among the most brave, ruthless, and impactful pieces of the war, and¡­¡± He visibly struggled to force the next part out. ¡°They were, in no small part, children.¡± Siegfried sighed. ¡°I felt I could fight past any injuries, or any foe that Ranz threw at me, but what I saw on those battlefields¡­ I would rather have surrendered the entire Hessian region than to feel a child take their last breath in my arms.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you became an objector?¡± Atma reached out and gripped Siegfried¡¯s hand.


    Siegfried nodded. ¡°There were some who wanted my head for what I said, others who said it spat in the face of all the lives sacrificed, but I couldn¡¯t continue fighting like that. His majesty, your father, and my mentor, Leonidas, gave me a proposition, to continue as our Knight Errant, to watch over and mentor his daughter, to watch over Deponess from beyond, to see threats from beyond our borders.¡±


    Shade raised his hand. ¡°That¡¯s when he came back out here to the Mist Alliance, and Zanch. My uncle came here with Raine to visit his sister, my mother, in his birthplace. A story for another time, though. Uncle, I believe you came to a similar conclusion as I did?¡±


    ¡°That I did, Siegmund.¡±


    ¡°Shade.¡± The Dark Knight cut in briefly.


    ¡°I¡¯m using the name your mother gave you, and there¡¯s no arguing that.¡± Siegfried turned back to Atma. ¡°In any case, let me start by reminding you that everyone, from the Mist Alliance, to Diamante, to Arcana and Arcadia is watching and waiting to see who takes the throne. You¡¯re the preferable choice for them, given Escalus would be less open to trade and negotiation in favor of maintaining our strong military presence, if not expanding it to leverage power over foreign powers. For all the years since liberation, Deponess¡¯ army has continued to grow, its people in constant fear of attack. Certainly, Ranz¡¯s King Gilliam has proven himself more than capable of justifying this in the past. What I see though, is a Ranz still far too occupied with licking their own wounds. They lost so many soldiers in the final stages of the war, it would take at the very least another 10 years for them to muster up enough forces to attempt an invasion, one that would likely fail, mind you. In other words, we are completely and utterly terrified of an enemy who would not be able to survive another war with us. Should we battle again, Ranz would crumble under the economic burden and death toll. I would hazard a guess that Gilliam rose to power when he did, because if the war continued any further, Ranz would be past the point of recovery.¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that Ranz is likely not responsible for my father¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the obvious suspects, of course, but having fought the man before, I know that Gilliam is not an idiot who would provoke an enemy he could not at least match. And while he is certainly not above faking an injury to draw an enemy into a trap¡­¡± He tapped the side of his head where he had the eyepatch. ¡°Even he cannot raise an army of corpses. I agree with Raine¡¯s assessment that the threat came from within the Kingdom, but I disagree on where it came from. I would say the culprit doesn¡¯t want you on the throne, but even if they can¡¯t have you dead, they would at least want to be able to blame Ranz.¡±


    Atma didn¡¯t like where he was going with this. ¡°Agravain, he seemed to understand that something was going on, that Escalus would be made King, relished the idea that we would fight again. He¡¯s clearly not the only one with the same mindset. Someone who would prefer Escalus sit upon the throne, one who has a strong reason to hate Ranz, so much as to be fine with blaming them with something that could easily start a war¡­¡± He closed his eyes and held his chin. ¡°Then I suppose the last piece would be, who else would my father have told about my ascension beforehand, with all of this happening so close together? He didn¡¯t tell Escalus and I, Father always hated the idea of putting one of us over the other, but ascension stands directly opposite to that. He had to choose one of us, when it would have hurt him to do so, knowing him, he¡¯d think it would hurt us to choose. But he would have had to tell someone aside from you, Siegfried, in case something happened. And who better to tell than his most trusted advisors, who have served him and Deponess faithfully for years? His four Dukes, but I believe most importantly¡­ Duke Kaian.¡±


    ¡°And that would be the answer I came to. The move is bold for Kaian, but Kaian, I believe, is less loyal to the King, so much as he is to Deponess, and what he sees as the future for Deponess.¡±


    ¡°So what, you guys run back home and call him out on it?¡± Sienna raised an eyebrow, not sure where exactly they could go from here.


    ¡°No, the prince cannot go home as is. While my word carries some weight, I doubt it will be enough,¡± Siegfried started. ¡°With the prince framed for murder, we don¡¯t have the influence to simply make an accusation without direct proof. He will need allies to support his ascension, we will need to uncover proof of Kaian¡¯s dealings.¡±


    ¡°What about the assassin in Zanch? He seemed to know something. Said something about how he had to leave Atma alone.¡±


    ¡°All the more concerning. And why we need more information. The past series of events shows that Kaian¡¯s influence wouldn¡¯t mind Atma being dead, but the assassin suggests Atma must live. I would suggest that perhaps Kaian isn¡¯t the only force at work here, to what end, I do not know, but I believe our next steps are the most important.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the plan?¡± Atma leaned forward, listening intently.


    ¡°We go to Falcidia, as you planned before. Whether you like them or not, they are without a doubt, the biggest force in the region. Between the show of force here and in Port Calima, they will no doubt be on guard against the forces against you. They are a strong foundational ally that you will need if you are to build support for yourself. From there, the rest of the Mist Alliance is likely to back you, in opposition to Deponess¡¯ current actions. From there, it is best we expand our list of foreign allies. You will have yours back home in the Demilitarization faction, and Linia, but I fear that may not be enough.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve always been ardent supporters of both myself and my father, I would hope they wouldn¡¯t give up on me.¡±


    ¡°Then we have the basis of our plan going forward,¡± Shade said, clear relief in his voice. ¡°But if we are going to do this, and we are, you two are going to need to be a lot stronger. You barely survived the assassin in Zanch, and you came even closer to death with Agravain.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you lose to your girlfriend back there?¡± Sienna jabbed, with an obvious bit of venom to her tone.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you even survive that hit, see how you like it.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Atma sighed. ¡°He¡¯s right though, we keep losing, and we keep pushing our luck. If we¡¯re going to survive any of this, we can¡¯t keep relying on luck, or even Shade and Siegfried to carry us through.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t snap back, instead sighing and leaning forward. ¡°When do we start?¡±


    ***


    The scout ship landed on the outskirts of Zanch, soldiers and medics carrying a bandaged Agravain on board, the berserker long since passed out, but still clinging to life, as if he were too angry to let go of it. Dante stood alongside a more heavily armored knight by the name of Captain Moore, a staunchly loyal follower of house Helion, Raine and her late father especially. ¡°Agravain is stable, but he¡¯ll need to be shipped back to Deponess for more intensive care.¡± Dante patted his stomach where he¡¯d seen a particularly gorey wound on Agravain. ¡°Goddess above, Commander, who the hell did that to him?¡±


    The silence was so thick you could have cut it with a knife.


    ¡°Right, well, I stand by what I said before. You don¡¯t even have to take my word for it, the people here will tell you the same. Siegfried, of all people, showed up and stood by him, and iif that doesn¡¯t say something, I don¡¯t know what will. Atma isn¡¯t a criminal, and I-¡±


    ¡°I will toss you and your overgrown lizard into a damned cage, if you don¡¯t stop talking.¡±


    Dante took her seriously, and went quiet, though his face made it clear he wasn¡¯t happy about it.


    ¡°My lady, what is our next move?¡±


    Raine scowled, and held out the scroll Siegfried had handed her. ¡°I will return to the Pleiades in the morning, and see this is presented to the council. They will decide our moves beyond that. For now, we still need to detain Prince Atma. Captain Moore, you¡¯re in charge. Use whatever means you deem necessary, Tellian, you are to follow his orders in my absence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s real reasonable, just take them on when Siegfried, and whoever mulched Agravain is right there. And the chain of command says I take the lead here.¡±


    ¡°Then force Atma to surrender himself. You know him well enough on how to do that, am I wrong? But then, that¡¯s exactly why Moore is in charge. You¡¯re too emotionally compromised to lead this mission.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, if anyone¡¯s compromised, it¡¯s you. You come back here, and you start going full warmonger.¡±


    Raine placed a hand upon her blade. ¡°Try me.¡±


    Dante reached for his back, a pair of spears just about in reach. He wouldn¡¯t be able to beat her, but he was more than willing to stand his ground. ¡°You¡¯d make Minerva roll over in her grave if she saw you now.¡± He half expected her to lash out as soon as he said it in the heat of the moment.


    Raine let go of her blade, and turned. ¡°Make your preparations once our forces rally again. I¡¯m leaving the forces of the Silverbolt and the Mirage in your hands. Don¡¯t face me again unless you complete the mission.¡±


    ¡°Might I ask why you insist on waiting until morning to depart, my lady?¡± Moore, loyal as he was, was all too familiar with his lady¡¯s temperament, and how atypical her behavior was.


    ¡°See what supplies you can spare.¡± Raine gazed over the dim lighting of Zanch, eventually setting her eyes upon a small house on a hill on the outskirts. ¡°These people have suffered enough.¡± She set into the town, donning her helmet once more, not wanting to show her face to the townspeople, gaunt, and terrified, but faces she recognized all the same. It had been closer to nine years since she had last visited, not counting her brief venture into town in the morning. It was near midnight now, the town just about dead, save for a few restless children, or watchmen posted across the city.


    It was disorienting, seeing how much people had changed, seeing the children who had yet to be born when she had left, running around, their mother chasing them down to bring them back in for the night. It was just as concerning to find others totally absent, lost to time, or to the recent occupation. As she recalled, the Crossbow should have been clearing out its night drinkers about now, but even now, was still just as empty as it had been in the morning. Her final stop was the house upon the hill. Locked tight, just about abandoned, but overall, seeming untouched by time. She didn¡¯t have to bother searching for a key, having had her own copy on her person for years. She shut the door behind her, and breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the door, and sliding to the floor, her armor clanking to the ground. The place consisted of three rooms, a kitchen area that shared space with a living area, and two bedrooms adjacent. The place was marvelously well taken care of, even if no one had lived there for years. She suspected the townsfolk would occasionally stop by and take care of the place, in memory of the ailing woman who had once lived there.


    The one thing she was certain of, was that Shade had paid a visit to ¡®the old girl,¡¯ as they referred to the old piano sitting in the living room. It was by far the most well kept thing in the entire house, a book of music still sitting at the ready. When she pressed her finger to a key, it was pleasantly still in tune. She removed her gauntlets, and plate mail, piece by pieces, though not so haphazardly as to let them hit the old wooden floors. She sat at the piano, opening the book without so much care as to what song she opened to, so much as just wanting to reminisce. Naturally, it opened to the most opened section, a short little song she¡¯d heard and played enough times to lose count. ¡°Shining Stars, huh?¡± She glanced over the notes, familiar to her, even as she refrained from just quite touching the keyboard. Her eyes traced over them, right up until she came to a little note in red, from handwriting she hadn¡¯t seen in years.


    ¡®I just wish I could hear you two play for me again, my shining stars.¡¯ Raine slammed the book shut, and guiltily looked to one of the empty bedrooms.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She trudged over to the other room and let herself drop into the bed. It was completely clean, as though someone had taken care to prepare it specifically for her. He had. Now though, the bed felt too large, the house too empty, like she didn¡¯t belong. ¡°Goodnight, Sieg.¡±

 Chapter 22: Strength from Within

    Chapter 22: Strength from Within


    Sienna and Atma were still half asleep as they stood out in the courtyard of the outpost, the sun barely grazing the horizon, and the trading stands of the outpost yet to be stocked. ¡°I know you said first thing, but-¡±


    ¡°Yes, it had to be this early, if we¡¯re making it to Falcidia in decent time, but more than that, for today¡¯s training regiment, we¡¯ll be stopping a few times so you two can rest while we travel.¡± Shade seemed almost too eager for what came next, sketching something into a journal from his bag.


    ¡°So what, it¡¯s something we¡¯re going to be doing all day? That doesn¡¯t exactly sound like the best way to train our bodies.¡± Atma crossed his arms, not understanding quite what Shade had in mind.


    ¡°Siegmund and I spent some time discussing this last night, and, seeing as he has seen you two fight, he will take the lead on your training.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started. Now, let¡¯s begin with you two trying to punch my uncle as hard as you can.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Atma was more than a little taken aback, glancing back and forth between Siegfried and Shade. ¡°Did I catch that right?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! And let me be perfectly clear here, I don¡¯t mean half as hard, or sort of hard, if this is going to work, I need you both to hit him as hard as you can. That means give it everything you have, throw in your special techniques, and don¡¯t hold back. That means you, specifically, Atma. I know for a fact Sienna won¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Atma looked over to Siegfried who nodded affirmingly, a confident smile on his face. ¡°If it helps, I can throw an insult or something. I can at least promise I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Just, give me a moment.¡± Atma took a deep breath, and thought back to his training days with Dante, Sirs Heinkel and Xander being rather rough teachers, though he hadn¡¯t been subject to the more intensive training his friend had gone through. It invoked just a spark of frustration in himself, which he gripped onto, and gathered his strength, rushing forward to attack. While he was expecting Siegfried to be fine he wasn¡¯t expecting it to simply be something Siegfried seemed like he could ignore.


    ¡°Well, you still held back a bit by my guess, but, I think this confirms our theory concerning you.¡± Siegfried let go of Atma¡¯s hand and nudged him back with a firm finger to the forehead. ¡°Now, stand back and observe.¡±


    Sienna walked up to Siegfried, trying to get a solid read on him, as she got herself ready. From a distance, it was clear that she was taller than him by three or four inches, and Atma taller still, but when he had stood in front of the veteran knight, Siegfried¡¯s presence certainly made him feel a lot smaller. Here he was, surrounded by people far stronger and more experienced. It made him feel frustratingly lackluster, that when it came down to it, for all the praise he received growing up, right up to before setting out on his journey, he was far from where he needed to be. He bit his lip, and tried recomposing himself. It was the Deponesian part of himself again, demanding the strength to stand confidently. He let out a deep breath, once he realized what part of him was making him feel that way. He¡¯d said it before to Sienna that it was fine to have weakness. He¡¯d acknowledged that Miles had room to grow, and Locke would have kept going despite a break in confidence. It felt far harder to apply these same sentiments to himself. He had to try all the same, he¡¯d be a hypocrite otherwise.


    ¡°Observe, huh?¡± Atma held his hand with the mark, trying to feel the same sensation from the night before, hoping how he¡¯d done it wouldn¡¯t escape him. He kept trying to adjust his position, as if to see if some miracle pose might return the sense he couldn¡¯t quite find.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Atma froze, Sienna staring at him with perhaps the most confused expression he¡¯d seen in his life, as if trying to make sense of a man gone mad. He blushed, a bit embarrassed, though he certainly seemed to get Siegfried¡¯s attention for a moment. Atma sighed and tried to cover his face with his hand. In that brief moment, the sense returned to him, and he could feel and see all at once. Shade and Siegfried had a steady aura to them, not unlike Agravain had had to himself the night before, though theirs was far more steady, like a constant pulse of power, where Sienna¡¯s was almost bursting from her. She had taken notice of Siegfried¡¯s temporary distraction and threw a wild punch from his blind side, though, not unlike how he had with Atma, she didn¡¯t connect her blow, as Siegfried blocked her wild swing with the back of his gauntlet, and catching her wrist with hiss free hand.


    ¡°I can certainly appreciate going for the dirty swing there. Atma could learn a thing or two from you there, when it comes down to life and death, honor is the first thing to go.¡± Siegfried let go of her arm, before stepping back to stand next to Shade. ¡°I think that confirms everything.¡± The Dark Knight nodded in affirmation, and finished sketching something down in his notebook.


    Sienna tapped her foot incessantly while the two conversed with each other. ¡°So, what exactly was the point of all that?¡±


    Shade looked up from his notebook. ¡°Last night, you could see an aura around Agravain, right? In this particular case, we were observing yours, how your magic flows with your body, that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Originally, it was a mage technique, but, long ago, warriors started learning it to have better control over their power.¡± Siegfried turned to Atma. ¡°You were using a version of it yourself just a moment ago.¡±


    Atma nodded. ¡°I still don¡¯t get how it works, I barely started doing this last night.¡±


    ¡°You have a wind affinity, correct?¡±


    Atma nodded, recalling his time discovering that with Alice and Balthazar. ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know that?¡±


    ¡°I have one as well. What you would call that is Wind Sense, a more detailed version of magic sight.¡± Siegfried held his chin, pondering Atma¡¯s ability. ¡°It¡¯s not a common technique, and rarer still to start using the technique without being specifically guided. But to describe it, it¡¯s a technique where you extend your magic into the wind, acting as a sixth sense.¡±


    Atma glanced down to his hand again, nodding along. ¡°Right, I¡¯ve got an idea on that¡­ but, you were saying?¡±


    ¡°Well, with our observations, we found that the both of you, simply put, have terrible control over your own magical energy. So, your training starts with learning the basics of observation, and adjusting your magical energy use. Your fundamentals here will be what lets you develop and use proper, and more powerful techniques, not unlike a Mage learning magic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Mage, not that I¡¯m all that much of a caster.¡± Sienna started to boast a bit more confidently, only to halfway realize she had no real experience in the past fifteen years of her life.


    Shade nodded. ¡°That does explain a bit, but come here, both of you, I put together a few handy little visual aids for the both of you.¡± He held open his notebook as Atma and Sienna, on either side of him, peeked at what he had to show them. It was a rough doodle, depicting a stylized, tiny version of Atma and Sienna standing next to a house, with a well some distance away. Shade partially covered the lower part of the page, pointing to the details with his free hand. ¡°This represents the process of how you two call upon your magical energy, and how it flows. We¡¯re using this to visualize it as a physical action.¡± Shade moved his hand to reveal more to his doodles, with the stylized Atma running back and forth to the well with a bucket in hand. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that your energy use is extremely measured, you grab exactly what you think you need, and run back, and you repeat this.¡±


    ¡°That sounds right to me, is that not control?¡±


    Shade moved a bit more of his arm. The stylized Atma had fallen flat on his face from over exertion. ¡°In this well metaphor, you run exactly what you think you need back home, but you don¡¯t factor in what you need yourself to make that trip, and because you keep making that trip, and not thinking about what you need, you aren¡¯t able to sustain the connection.¡±


    Atma nodded. It caught his line of thought dead on the money, he hadn¡¯t considered how much water his metaphorical self would need, just getting what the house needed. ¡°So, because I don¡¯t have a constant flow, I can¡¯t keep myself at my best?¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Without your proper flow, you move less organically, in straight, predictable lines. But, since you¡¯re both physical fighters, what does this visual make you think of?¡±


    Atma paused to think. As a physical action, running back and forth, but not properly able to keep up with the demand, it was perhaps closest to¡­ ¡°Like a muscle cramp?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Your magical energy is like a muscle, and while it¡¯s clear you have good muscle control, you don¡¯t have the magic control to match. If you¡¯re not using your whole body together properly, you could injure yourself, or not work to your full potential. To put it all together, you have a weak muscle that can give out on you, and you aren¡¯t using it with the rest of your body. A high end fighter would be able to last longer, and be able to keep up with you in a contest of speed, even if speed is your specialty, because they have their whole being in good flow.¡± Shade turned to Sienna. ¡°You¡¯re facing the opposite problem.¡± He turned the page of his notebook to a doodle of Sienna at the well, carrying a comically large bucket that toppled and washed her away.


    ¡°So if I¡¯m taking a look at this right, I¡¯m using too much? How is that a problem? Like I said, I¡¯m a mage, I have more to use naturally.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you burn through more than you actually use. Think of it like this, in this metaphor, you¡¯re doing two things, forcing the use of more than you can use all at once, and burning through what you have way too fast. I¡¯ve seen how you fight, you can¡¯t sustain combat, you try to take down everything in one hit, you¡¯re all or nothing. Frankly, the way you fight reminds me more of a Shifter.¡±


    Atma wasn¡¯t all that familiar with Shifters, they weren¡¯t particularly common, and, come to think of it, he couldn¡¯t recall ever meeting one before. Relatively speaking, they were a rare people, who could, as their name suggested, change form, he could vaguely recall some of his books back home referring to them as Beastmen or Demihumans.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Tempest, remember? Who do you think taught me how to fight?¡±


    ¡°I thought as much.¡± Siegfried nodded. ¡°A Mage would probably be closer than most to mimicking how freely a Shifter¡¯s magic can flow, but their magic is more unpredictable, yours is closer in temperament to a wave, fierce and raging, yes, but not without having a system to it.¡±


    ¡°If we go back to the alternative muscle metaphor, you¡¯re using yours without giving it time to rest, so it cramps, and gives out quickly. So, let¡¯s get to work on that solution then. Atma, it works that you can to an extent, see magic, as Sienna as a Mage can feel it. Your training is fairly simple, you two need to try and match each other in the middle. Atma, you need to make more active use, while Sienna, you need to rein your use in.¡±


    Siegfried held his hands out. ¡°I¡¯ll give you both a starting point, give me your hands, and hold each others¡¯ so this next part comes easier. Feel it, see it, whichever comes easier.¡±


    Atma complied, taking hold of Siegfried¡¯s hand, and a touch more nervously taking Sienna¡¯s, who proved far more confident in holding his. He closed his eyes, felt for his Wind Sense, finding it more quickly with each attempt, able to make out, though fairly weakly, his own magical flow, in contact with Siegfried and Sienna¡¯s. While his was seemingly atrophied, Sienna¡¯s seemed to push against him aggressively, while Siegfried¡¯s was a steady heartbeat. He tried reaching out with his power, like he might with his blitzing technique, to try and match Siegfried¡¯s tempo. All at once, it felt like a tearing sensation throughout his body, as he tried matching Siegfried, briefly glancing over to Sienna, finding her magic almost crushing, as if it would have ripped him apart to be in contact with it. She seemed to have an easier time matching Siegfried¡¯s magical flow, but here and there she would loosen her reins over her magic, only to have to fight it back into submission. Atma found the whole thing extremely uncomfortable, like a constant soreness. Sienna almost seemed to writhe with a similar sensation, as if constricted by a snake.


    ¡°Not fun, no, but it''s the important first step. You two need to try and maintain that all day while we travel, we¡¯ll take breaks, because this will absolutely be exhausting.¡±


    Atma paced around a bit, trying to walk off the sensation of soreness. ¡°How far from Falcidia are we again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t think about it.¡±


    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±


    Shade patted the prince on the back. ¡°If we make it there before dusk, I¡¯ll buy dinner.¡± He started moving with a rather brisk pace, completely used to the same exercise that was only going to get worse for Atma and Sienna.


    Atma sighed. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯d better get moving.¡±


    ***


    Escalus clutched at his right hand. It hadn¡¯t been enough to go noticed, but he¡¯d taken care to wear gloves for the past month. While he worked in his office to manage the logistics of new defensive deployments of his forces, he would reference his brother¡¯s books. Certainly, Escalus was more passively familiar with mage lore than his brother, given his route in education, but his twin had a far more extensive collection of compiled history and lore. While he noted his key points of defense, he checked references to the roots of the Mages¡¯ brands upon their shoulders. As he reviewed specializations of particular Battalions, he flipped over to a specific series of symbols, references in both old Mage lore, as well as religious texts. As he finalized his proposal of distribution of troops to the borders, he focused on the connection point he was looking for in his brother¡¯s books. The Mage brands descended from a shared religious background, but in particular, were in homage to the marks of the Goddess, and the heavens themselves.


    He removed his glove, looking now at the back of his hand. Why then, did he have the Mars crest upon his hand? They were considered blessings of the Goddess, signs of her chosen heroes, a legend older than Deponess itself. By all means, he should have been exhilarated, but if he was worthy enough to be chosen by the Goddess, then why wasn¡¯t he¡­ Escalus rubbed his eyes. The lamps lighting his study were growing dim, the hour past midnight, and the castletown silent below the spire he sat in. His eyes were heavy, he had only a few hours before he had to rise to present his plan to the Councils in the morning, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure his plan was ready, despite how well studied it had been. He set his head down, expecting for it to be only for a few moments.


    ¡°I do think you¡¯re worthy of being King.¡±


    Escalus leapt up from his desk, drawing his sword from the scabbard he let rest next to his seat, the tip of his blade was held not even an inch from the neck of the man before him. ¡°State your name and business, before I cut you down!¡±


    The man had spiky silvery-white hair, with crimson eyes like fire. Escalus¡¯ head hurt looking at the man, and his hand bearing the crest of Mars burnt with an unearthly pain. The man had a dominating aura, one that both demanded you look upon him, and seemed to force you to look away in submission. Simultaneously terrifying with a paternal warmth to him. He dressed more like what one would expect from a casual adventurer, as compared to his presence, wearing a black leather vest over a white shirt, with black leather pants, fingerless gloves, and a pendant at his neck. What stood out most obviously were the tarnished shackles at each of his limbs, and around his neck. ¡°Come now, I have only come to speak to you, the new King.¡±


    Escalus felt the blood drain from his face, he recognized the voice, the same that had been reaching out to him, advising him on how to conduct himself. ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer what I want to know.¡± He tightened his grip upon his sword, ready to thrust forward. His magic flowed through his body, with considerable ease, adept and well practiced in enhancement techniques, to ensure he wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard, should this stranger attempt anything.


    ¡°Now, now, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± All at once, every ounce of magic seemed to leave Escalus, as he went wide eyed, completely paralyzed, as the stranger with a gentle hand guided Escalus¡¯ blade down. ¡°I came to congratulate your ascension, and assure you of your worthiness. Really, you impress me. Of Lilia¡¯s chosen, you, consistently, bearer of the Crest of Mars, are the strongest, the leader that her chosen need. But then, you weren¡¯t chosen by your father, despite your strength, despite your ability to lead.¡±


    ¡°Atma and I have always stood together, I vowed to continue to stand at his side, and I intend to keep that vow.¡±


    The stranger nodded. ¡°An admirable spirit indeed. But, that¡¯s not the whole truth of you, is it? You being chosen was never just about you, was it? You and Atma are two halves of a whole after all. But you could have let your brother fly free, if only you had taken the throne yourself.¡±


    Escalus couldn¡¯t deny anything the man was saying, it was completely, utterly mesmerizing, with its own horrific feeling, creeping over him, and yet, seeming to wash away. ¡°How do you know all of this?¡±


    ¡°My jailor can try as hard as she likes, but I will always have an eye out on the world, watching over you all. I have watched you Escalus, your whole life. Stand with me, and I will help you protect your home, and together, rein in the chaos of this world.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re offering me the chance to defend my people, to bring peace, then you know that there is no choice. For my mother, for my father, for Atma, I would do anything to keep their home safe, for the people who need me¡­ your name, what is it?¡±


    When the stranger spoke, Escalus¡¯ entire being shuddered, as if some otherworldly force prevented him from hearing properly, as the stranger mouthed a name different from that which he spoke. ¡°My name is Ophion, and through you, I grant salvation.¡± He held Escalus¡¯ left hand, and, just as with his right, his arm burned with an unearthly pain, he wanted to scream, as he noticed Ophion¡¯s shackles pull against him, the man gritting his teeth as Escalus¡¯ eyes gazed upon his hand-


    ¡°Sir?¡± Escalus woke up with a start. He hadn¡¯t even realized he had fallen asleep. He didn¡¯t feel rested in the slightest, the whole experience feeling less like a dream, more like a truly lived experience. Escalus turned to Conseil, eyes with heavy bags, clearly having stayed up to make sure his longtime friend and lord at least made it back to his bed.


    ¡°My apologies, Conseil. I just needed to-¡±


    Conseil spoke with a sternness Escalus, even as King, couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°You need proper rest. I¡¯ll not have my King falling ill on my watch, understand?¡±


    Escalus nodded, spoke, and signed at once. ¡°Understood.¡± He was much too tired to argue, shuffling back to his room, and collapsing into bed. He groggily removed his glove on his left hand, the last thing he saw before completely losing himself to sleep being a second mark, bearing the crest of Pluto.

 Chapter 23: In the Eye of the Beholder

    Chapter 23: In the Eye of the Beholder


    Atma was sure he was going to collapse by the time he trudged his way onto the brick roads of Falcidia. It was well past sundown, not that you could have been able to tell from how brightly the city shone, it almost reminded Atma of the gaudy and over designed cakes that were at his and Escalus¡¯ birthday celebrations. It was a beautiful city, without doubt, but it was almost too much to take in. Candles, torches, and light magic illuminated every building, each in accordance to the specific styling of what it was attached to. Everything was distinct, no two buildings exactly alike, their lights designed to accentuate a particular design choice, be it giving a wood pillar the appearance of a giant torch, using stained glass to turn a blank wall into a mural, or simply to give the artwork upon their houses a particular set of shadows not possible through shading or texture alone. Frankly, it hurt Atma¡¯s eyes to look at it all. Or, perhaps it was more due to just how exhausted he was.


    They¡¯d had to stop a few times for him, he¡¯d thought at first this new training would be a cinch, or at the very least, not nearly so taxing. Every body part felt like it was on fire, but the worst part was that every limb felt inconsistently exhausted. It was disorienting in a way, how his left calf hurt more than his right, his right bicep felt as though he¡¯d pulled it, and seemingly random sections of muscle across his chest and back felt as though they were cramping. It was easily the most uncomfortable experience of his life. He glanced over to Sienna, who seemed mildly uncomfortable, but overall, seemed far more well adjusted to restraining herself, as compared to him having to do the opposite.


    Shade slapped Atma on the back, right on one of his sore spots. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t make it on time for dinner, but, to be honest, I really didn¡¯t think you¡¯d make it here this early.¡± He noticed Atma¡¯s recoil. ¡°Sorry about that. You can rest at least a little. Don¡¯t fully let go of your control, but relax it just a bit. We¡¯re in a safe area.¡±


    Atma wasn¡¯t entirely sure he could without losing a hold of his flow entirely. He straightened himself out, trying to get some sense of his bearings. ¡°So, where are we staying tonight?¡±


    ¡°I know someone we can stay with,¡± Siegfried assured him, ¡°Though I¡¯d rather not impose dinner on her too. Come, if Siegmund won¡¯t, then allow me at least to treat you all.¡±


    Shade rolled his eyes and hefted his bag again. ¡°Where¡¯d you have in mind?¡±


    Siegfried navigated through the streets with ease, the only things preventing Atma from losing sight of him in the chaos of the busy streets being that he was taller than the vast majority of the crowd, and Sienna holding his hand to make sure he didn¡¯t get left behind. Every where Atma looked, he found someone at work on something, painters and their models, dancers in the middle of their routines, even vendors putting together street foods in such a way they could be considered art pieces, one putting on a show as he twirled knives that had been set ablaze, as he cut through fresh beef, dashing seasonings and spices with the flair of a dramatic actor. It only made Atma hungrier, and he questioned why they weren¡¯t stopping anywhere.


    ¡°Seriously though, where do you have in mind? Because we just passed a pretty decent restaurant just¡­ now¡­¡± Sienna trailed off, as she seemed to realize the general direction they were headed. ¡°Really? The Chevalier?¡± She stopped and let go of Atma, crossing her arms.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s the best place in town.¡± Atma¡¯s curiosity was piqued by Siegfried¡¯s words, with how much there was to marvel at in the city, he was more than a little interested in what the knight considered the best in a city so glamorous.


    ¡°And it¡¯s the sleaziest, not to mention, I¡¯m not even remotely sure how you plan to get in, the place is exclusive as hell.¡± She seemed to hide a snicker. ¡°And¡­ I don¡¯t think the sheltered prince is ready for what he¡¯ll see in there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a restaurant, what¡¯s not to be ready for? Even if I had to fight, I could beat most people.¡±


    Sienna turned back to Siegfried and away from Atma, struggling to hold back from laughing. ¡°Yeah, if you can get us in, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the best in town I really do want to see,¡± Atma confirmed. He tried picturing the food that the place must have had to earn its exclusivity, his growling stomach inviting him to indulge in daydreaming up something magnificent, something to rival Balthazar¡¯s cooking, or the cooks back home. He was only brought back to reality by the sensation of someone ramming into him. He returned to focus, seeing the out of place boy in front of him. Out of place was the best way to describe him, considering how little he looked like most people around him. Black hair, freckles, short, even for his age, with a ragged look that made him stand out amidst the glamour of the city people. ¡°Oh, sorry about that, little one.¡± Atma reached out a hand to help the boy up, though the child quickly sprung to his feet before he could do so.


    ¡°Sorry, mister!¡± The boy ran off, with an orange haired child that Atma hadn¡¯t noticed in tow, similarly ragged.


    ¡°They should be more careful¡­¡±


    Sienna started pulling Atma along again. ¡°Oh they were plenty careful, you didn¡¯t even notice when they robbed you.¡±


    Atma quickly started patting himself down with his free hand, finding his coin purse completely gone. He hadn¡¯t had much in there, but it was all the money he¡¯d had. ¡°But I- when?¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s a common enough tactic, make you focus on one thing, so you miss what¡¯s really important.¡± Sienna shrugged. ¡°On the bright side, you¡¯re not having to pay for dinner anyways.¡±


    Atma glanced back in the direction of the kids, lost in the sea of people. It was a mess of color, with fancy clothes, lightly colored hair, and far too many sparkling lights. For as much as they stood out, when everyone tried standing out, it was hard to find exactly who he was looking for. He groaned and slumped forward a bit, rather disheartened by the encounter. He was a bit distracted, up until they reached their destination, a large building, with Chevalier written upon it in fancy print. The entirety of the front wall was dedicated to a single art piece, presenting a white haired woman, with red eyes, and a crimson dress, reaching out to a distant hand, the mural continuing to another wall. For all his years studying the artistry of the world, having seen his family¡¯s own collection countless times, it was the single most beautiful thing he¡¯d ever seen. There was a serene air to the woman, but for all its beauty, Atma found something missing from the piece. It was oddly lacking an emotional warmth to it, ironic, given the warm lighting of both the mural and the lights which illuminated it. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was the woman¡¯s face, as beautiful as it was, but it was missing something, something he felt, which would have made seeing it a truly divine experience.


    He recalled what Sienna and Shade had told him, that the people of Falcidia lived to dedicate themselves to creating an immaculate beauty. Atma thought back to his studies on his nation¡¯s history with faith, recalling an interpretation of the Goddess his people called Schneewittchen, Snow White. His mind drifted to a more recent memory, his dreams of Lilia, who¡¯d given him one of the marks of the Goddess. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little. If Lilia was who he thought she was, then he¡¯d been closer to seeing the divine than anyone in the city. Still, there was no denying the presence of the mural, that it truly felt like he was staring at a depiction of the Goddess. It was then, looking around, that Atma saw how many of the people he¡¯d passed had tried emulating this depiction. Looking more, he saw more people following closer to other depictions of the Goddess, some with hair like gold, others with tattoos of the Goddess¡¯ marks across their bodies. The longer he looked, the more unsettling it became, though he found himself enchanted all the same.


    He heard a few murmurs and complaints as Siegfried cut past the line leading up to the front door, positioned just beneath the hand of Schneewittchen, the bouncer none too impressed with the confidence with which he strode to the entrance with Shade, Sienna, and Atma in tow. She and her counterpart were dressed in spotless black suits, with black leather gloves, and a cigarette sticking out of her mouth. While she was exceptionally beautiful, she made no attempt to hide her contempt for everything and everyone. ¡°Line¡¯s back there.¡± She pulled her cigarette from her mouth and very deliberately blew smoke in Siegfried¡¯s face.


    ¡°I think Mistress Minerva would really prefer I skip it.¡±


    ¡°Bite me. I¡¯d prefer it if you left before I got in trouble for turning you into a smear on the wall.¡± She put out her cigarette on Siegfried¡¯s chestplate.


    Atma rather awkwardly glanced back and forth between the others, not sure what he could say or do, then to the other bouncer, staring blankly forward, not sparing a moment for Siegfried. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a few people in line move in, wanting to get a glimpse of the action, while others backed up, as if they had seen the woman fulfill her threat to Siegfried before.


    Siegfried snickered a bit, before handing her a small pocket book. ¡°I have a new manuscript for her, though, that particular copy is just for you, Miss Valentine.¡±


    The bouncer broke into a smile, thumbing open a few pages, before placing it in her jacket¡¯s inner pocket. ¡°Boss is working out a deal now, but she¡¯ll be all too happy to hear the news. Head on in.¡± She waved the group in, to the collective groaning of some of those at the front of the line, though they went silent as soon as she glanced back in their direction. ¡°Personal favorite has to go to Volume 6, just for reference.¡± She turned back to Siegfried, not giving to much attention to Atma and the others.


    ¡°Give the first few chapters here a read, you might think differently.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be seeing you later,¡± she said flirtatiously.


    There was a moment of silence as Siegfried led the others into the Chevalier. They stepped into a corridor, lined with various art pieces, leading to the larger main hall, designed as if to force one to gaze upon a collection of fine art pieces the owner had collected over the years. Sienna was the one to break their collective silence, Shade all too aware of what was going on, and Atma too immersed in everything on display. ¡°So, what exactly was that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I need to make a living somehow, and I didn¡¯t exactly plan on doing so as a sellsword, so I took to an old hobby, and, I spent a night here dining-¡±


    ¡°Gambling,¡± Shade cut in.


    Siegfried spoke back up insistently over his nephew. ¡°Dining, and the owner of the place got a hold of my manuscript.¡±


    ¡°It was all he had left to bet.¡±


    ¡°She was rather taken to it, and being the influential woman she was, saw to publishing my work. I keep writing hits for her, she makes money off of them, pays me rather handsomely, and, when I¡¯m in town, treats me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a successful author?¡± Sienna was clearly dumbstruck, trying to process the eyepatched knight having a gambling problem and a following as an author.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t inflate his ego about it.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s incredible,¡± Atma added, ¡°Martial prowess is one thing, but to find appreciation artistically alongside it has to be really special.¡±


    Siegfried smiled proudly in spite of Shade¡¯s clear protest. ¡°As the blademasters of Diamante hone their skills through calligraphy, I find it a great exercise of the mind and spirit. Though many of my works have been popular, by far the most significant has been Endymion Nights.¡±


    Sienna tapped her chin, trying to remember where she¡¯d heard the name before. ¡°I think I heard my sister talk about it before? She said she was a big fan of your romance novels.¡±


    ¡°If you want to call them that,¡± Shade muttered, not that Sienna could hear him over the increasingly loud music as they neared the door.


    Siegfried nodded. ¡°Victory and Peace, a pen name, or, what my given name means, if you prefer. As for why Endymion Nights, well, that can wait for dinner and a show.¡±


    ¡°A show?¡± Atma raised an eyebrow, but had an obvious excitement, as Siegfried swung the doors to the main hall wide open. The interior of the Chevalier was a myriad of ever changing colors, using the same techniques with stained glass that Atma had seen outside. A section of one wall was dedicated to a bar, with shelves stretching high up to the ceiling, a ladder on wheels running across its length to give the bartenders access to the incredibly varied supply of liquors, enough that one could come every night for a year, and have something different every time. Scattered across the floor were tables for dining, each filled with the night¡¯s courses, the evening¡¯s particular centerpiece being prime rib. Though he had never been a particularly big eater, his hunger tonight was so overwhelming that it drew his eyes like a magnet. He forced himself to look away, finding other tables set aside for various games, poker,  roulette, alongside a few he didn¡¯t recognize. Towards the center of the room there was a jazz band just below a large stage, which was the clear centerpoint of the place, reaching across the large open room so that it was easy for everyone to see, a long platform stretching further back from it to a curtained off area backstage. Atma wasn¡¯t quite so sure as to the purpose of the particular setup, every stage he¡¯d ever seen had been set in the back, so everyone could properly see and hear the production at play.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    While different, the Chevalier didn¡¯t feel too out of place for him, he¡¯d been to plenty of busy parties, with well dressed people before. He felt his body relax a bit more, with his newfound sense of familiarity. Sure, their fashion sense was different from back home, but it wasn¡¯t so much of a difference that he couldn¡¯t fit himself in well enough. Atma stood with just a bit more confidence in himself, Siegfried led them to a spiral staircase, leading to a room overlooking the rest of the main hall. VIP access only. He was perfectly fine right up until he noticed the first staff member that wasn¡¯t a bartender, carrying a tray of drinks, and walking with an exaggerated sway to her step. The woman, like many others, had light hair and bright eyes, as if another attempt at looking like the Goddess. She smiled and blew him a kiss, Atma turning red, flinching slightly. He turned over to Sienna, who was trying, and very clearly failing, to stifle laughter.


    ¡°What was that she was wearing?¡± He was reminded of the outfits he¡¯d seen performers wear for ballet shows, though it was in this case, noticeably more risque.


    ¡°Oh, you know, local fashion.¡± She didn¡¯t quite meet his gaze, snagging a drink as the waitress went by. ¡°You can¡¯t go to a place like this without the staff dressing up a bit.¡±


    Another staff member waited for them at the top of the stairs, a slender man who was incredibly well toned, wearing a near identical outfit to the woman from before, one piece which contoured to his body, cutting off just below his collarbone, a pair of black gloves, and a bowtie. Atma tried looking between his companions for any sort of idea as to what he¡¯d just walked into, finding Siegfried as casual as ever, Shade refusing to make eye contact with him but nonetheless amused, and Sienna with the biggest smile he¡¯d ever seen her wear. ¡°Fashion, huh?¡± Atma kept his eyes to himself, preferring to keep his gaze close to the ground, or on someone he knew.


    ¡°Welcome to the outside world. Debaucherous, and oh so fun,¡± Sienna teased, patting him on the back. ¡°Oi, Siegfried, where exactly are we sitting?¡±


    ¡°I have a booth here, just a personal privilege.¡±


    ¡°Sounds more like the boss of the place just likes giving you a place to gamble¡­¡± Sienna sighed and shook her head.


    Atma found his impression of Siegfried far from the gallant knight he¡¯d once pictured, though he wasn¡¯t exactly sure if that wasn¡¯t a good thing or not. He tried to think of it on a more positive end, Siegfried being more worldly, after all, Sienna hadn¡¯t exactly been what he¡¯d thought of when it came to being a pirate. Agravain certainly hadn¡¯t been the knight he¡¯d come to expect. He tried to swallow his embarrassment and discomfort, it wasn¡¯t exactly his place to complain when he was being treated to a meal.


    Siegfried came to a booth, rather surprised to find someone already seated in the back of the booth, a woman, with her feet resting on the table, her arms stretched out to either side, around a member of the waiting staff. Atma had heard the woman since they¡¯d entered the VIP room, she wasn¡¯t exactly quiet. She was very tall, marginally more so than Sienna, and had a similar figure and build. She had a pretty face, but the first thing that stood out to Atma was the fact that she was wearing a Deponesian naval uniform, or rather, what had been one, once upon a time. The Deponesian Navy had largely been phased out in favor of the Air Force and Army, and with it, their white uniforms. She couldn¡¯t have been much older than Atma and Sienna, if at all, so it was all too obvious it wasn¡¯t hers, not even mentioning how clearly she disrespected it. She¡¯d taken a Captain¡¯s coat, and made it into something of a short sleeved jacket, the main giveaways being the blue lines running down the arms, and across her bicep where she¡¯d had the coat shortened, alongside retaining the epaulets. She had her collar popped up, and had removed any badges and patches, save for a custom emblem on her shoulder, with a one-eyed wolf in red. The coat was clearly too small for her, she only bothered buttoning near her stomach, revealing a black undershirt, not unlike what Sienna wore. As Atma looked at her, he realized just how similar her fashion sense was. Shorts? Boots? Socks? All of it pretty similar, as if they were picked from the same wardrobe. Her messy hair was a near metallic color, gray, with a tint of blue, which she wore in a ponytail, and her eyes shone gold.


    Atma noticed the way her hair settled itself into a way that reminded him of a wolf¡¯s ears on top of her head, in such a way, he wondered if they were real. He focused, leaning in ever so slightly to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him, when it finally became clear to him, she was a Shifter, a human with the power to change shape into an animal. It was mostly her eyes, recalling from his studies that Shifters had a distinct shine to their eyes that regular humans did not. He had never met one in person, but from what he¡¯d remembered in his reading, they were vastly superior to the average human in terms of strength and ferocity, though he wasn¡¯t too sure about the latter concerning the woman in front of them.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­¡± Sienna groaned, placed her drink on the table, and slid it over to the woman, who caught it, and finally stopped talking, looking over to Sienna. ¡°Hey, Kat.¡±


    ¡°You know, if the drink is free, it doesn¡¯t count as that drink you owe me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± The Shifter grinned in a way Atma could only describe as the way he might expect a vicious predator might look on seeing a defenseless rabbit. ¡°So, I knew you had a thing for blondes, but didn¡¯t expect you to have three of them in tow. Care to introduce me?¡±


    In an instant, Sienna found herself just as embarrassed as Atma had been, though she quickly smothered her embarrassment under a clear bitterness. ¡°Up yours, Kat.¡±


    ¡°Right back at you, Si-si.¡± The two flipped each other off, the Shifter grabbing the drink Sienna passed her, trying it, only to spit it out in disgust. ¡°You could at least snag me something decent.¡±


    Siegfried seemed all too eager to listen in on whatever gossip he might hear. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind an introduction, Si-si.¡±


    Sienna looked at him with intent that was all too easy to read, she would have slugged him in the face if she was certain she could land a hit on him. She grit her teeth and forced herself through introducing them. ¡°This would be my sister, Katrina Tempest.¡±


    Katrina waved, and whispered to that staff at either side of her, who left, waving a quick farewell. She finally sat up, and patted down the seats of the booth on either side of her. ¡°Care to join me?¡± The group made themselves comfortable, Siegfried and Shade to one side of Katrina, Atma and Sienna to the other.


    ¡°Would you happen to be the sister I¡¯ve heard is a big fan of my work?¡±


    ¡°Endymion Nights, right? Can¡¯t say I¡¯m your biggest fan, but I¡¯ve read a bit. Gotta say, nice.¡±


    ¡°That would be Alice, a different sister.¡± She turned to Katrina, halfway, muttering. ¡°Long story, I¡¯ll fill you in later.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s up with Endymion Nights anyways?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m glad you asked. While it¡¯s hard to get a concise answer as to the true story with the Followers of the Goddess, there¡¯s always variations, there¡¯s always the same general core, a Mother Goddess who gave birth to modern humanity, fighting a great serpent. But there¡¯s also a common story of the father of modern humanity, a human knight, or Chevalier in the local tongue. The local name for him is Endymion. My first volume was a romance written based on the tellings I heard in my travels, though my follow-ups were based on other stories from different parts of the world.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can see the appeal?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have no clue, do you? Oi, old man, you got a copy on you?¡±


    ¡°I always keep a signed copy on me.¡± Siegfried let the ¡®old man¡¯ comment slide, and tossed her a copy of the first volume.


    Katrina thumbed through, trying to find something specific, before snickering, and passing the book to Sienna, who read about half a page before slamming the book shut, passing it back to Siegfried, her face nearly as red as Atma¡¯s. ¡°This is the single filthiest thing I¡¯ve ever read.¡± She rubbed her eyes and turned back to her sister. ¡°What are you doing here anyways?¡±


    ¡°Oh I was invited, if you must know, I¡¯m meeting the mistress here to finalize a sale. I¡¯m an art dealer after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an art thief.¡± Sienna quickly rebuked, as if knowing exactly what Katrina would say.


    ¡°I¡¯m an art acquisitions expert.¡± Katrina countered, without a moment of hesitation, never losing her smile all the while. ¡°Picked up a few art pieces of the Goddess from Diamante last time I was traveling, which I knew the mistress would go nuts for.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re really all about her here, aren¡¯t they?¡± Atma glanced around the VIP room, noticing just how many people followed a similar pattern as to what he¡¯d seen outside, light hair, and bright eyes, some closer to the mural outside, others particularly close, having whitish or silvery hair. He found it all at once fascinating and unsettling.


    ¡°It¡¯s like we were telling you before, Atma, this is how they worship. Falcidians consider themselves the most devout followers of the Goddess,¡± Shade gestured with a slight tilt to his head, not looking in the direction of the others in the VIP room. ¡°Everything is to create something immaculate, an immaculate dish, a home, painting¡­¡± He paused for a moment, before pulling at his hair, then gesturing to his eyes. ¡°An immaculate body. It¡¯s why you¡¯ll find so many people so eager to show off their bodies here. While my hair would be considered a desirable trait, my eyes are too dark. Sienna doesn¡¯t have either going for her, so she¡¯d be considered relatively undesirable off of those traits alone.¡±


    Katrina smugly gestured to herself. ¡°I on the other hand-¡±


    ¡°You are a Shifter,¡± Shade cut her off, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle they even let you in here.¡±


    Katrina leered at Shade, only breaking eye contact once the waiting staff brought food to the table. It was even more magnificent up close than Atma had seen from a distance. He would have considered his etiquette atrocious as he helped himself, though he was still the most well mannered in the room.


    ¡°You know exactly what he means, Kat,¡± Sienna said, in the middle of chewing her food. ¡°Mom and Dad didn¡¯t exactly like coming here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting paid enough to not mind.¡± Katrina ripped into her food with an unnecessary messiness to how she ate.


    Shade was far slower to pick into his food, finishing his line of thought between bites. ¡°The ideal is to be like the Goddess and her knight, the belief being that if there is a suitably perfect body for her, one in her image, then the Goddess will be among the people again, reincarnated through her children.¡± In a gesture only Atma would have recognized, Shade tapped his hand bearing the Moon Crest beneath his glove. ¡°Though, I think I find the interpretation harder to believe all the time.¡±


    Atma¡¯s thoughts turned to Lilia. It had been a while since he¡¯d spoken to her, since she¡¯d given him the Jupiter Crest. She¡¯d had black hair, with heterochromatic eyes, silver and gold. If anyone was to be called a Goddess, she seemed more likely than the paintings he¡¯d come across in his time in Falcidia. He wasn¡¯t quite sure if it was funny, heretical, or ironic. ¡®Probably a mix of the three,¡¯ he thought, as he ate.


    It wasn¡¯t all that long into their meal that a sudden silence filled the VIP room, Atma glancing over to the door, seeing a tall woman with white hair, and blue eyes, dressed in a nearly all black suit and tie, similar to what the bouncers outside had worn. She had a bronze complexion, alongside a sharp bearing to her, very clearly a business first type. She seemed to have a near perpetual scowl, though she softened a bit as she approached Siegfried and Katrina¡¯s table. She was someone who took exceptional care of themself, though she was in her early fifties, she could have easily been mistaken for being ten or more years younger. ¡°I thought I told you to write next time you were coming to town, it¡¯s not as though you¡¯re incapable of it.¡±


    Siegfried shrugged, and passed her one of his pocket books. ¡°Believe me, I intended to, but other matters came up, and I ended up coming here unplanned.¡± He turned to the others. ¡°Allow me to introduce Minerva Valentine, the owner of the Chevalier, and Matriarch of Falcidia.¡±


    Minerva dispassionately thumbed through the manuscript Siegfried had given her, before nodding approvingly, and handing the book to a staff member that had been tailing her. ¡°Excellent work.¡±


    ¡°I aim to please.¡±


    Minerva nodded, her vision completely passing the others over in favor of Katrina. ¡°And, Miss Tempest, I believe you had something for me as well?¡±


    ¡°I had some of your staff let my crew know to bring it in, should be here any- ah, there we are!¡± She pointed to a pair dressed similarly to how Atma had seen Sienna¡¯s crew, carrying up a crate with the utmost care, prying it open to reveal a set of three meticulously cared for and preserved paintings. The small crowd of people in the room just about climbed over each other to try and catch a glimpse. Katrina forced her way past Sienna and Atma, paying them little to no mind at all, unveiling the first work, revealing an illustrious depiction of a woman near exactly as portrayed on the Chevalier, though her wearing of a kimono, more in line with Diamantan style was a very clear distinction from the Schneewittchen he¡¯d seen before. It was a small distinction, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice, compared to the depictions of Schneewittchen he found in the VIP room, this version was mirrored, hair depicted as flowing in the opposite direction, and noticeably shorter, though the red eyes, and hair like snow was for all intents and purposes, identical, and there was no mistaking the beauty on display.


    ¡°Ah, very nice indeed,¡± Siegfried commented, ¡°I believe they refer to her as Yuki-onna there.¡±


    ¡°An older piece I acquired off of a former colleague. Cost him an arm and a leg.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean it cost you-¡±


    ¡°Oh I know what I said, blondie.¡± Katrina dismissed Atma as quickly as she could, brushing his comment under the rug. ¡°The next two are much newer, I got them from a nobleman out there as a part of my payment for-¡± She laughed a bit. ¡°Taking care of a former colleague. A real two birds, one stone situation.¡± There was just a bit of nervous laughter from the crowd. ¡°In this case, said nobleman was the artist, so, consider this one directly from the source.¡± The next art piece was incredibly distinct for its style, portraying Yuki-onna with, rather than the paints Atma was more familiar with, more mineral based pigments, soot being used as the basis for the black linework, alongside powdered materials being used to create color. The work was, by and large, white, with small traces of reds and pinks, depicting a noticeably more playful and energetic depiction than anything Atma had seen that night, which generally presented a more stoic or serene figure. ¡°I was thinking an easy 200,000 for each.¡±


    Katrina called it easy, but, considering Atma¡¯s finances were exactly zero at the moment, he was starting to appreciate just how much money was being asked.


    Minerva eyed the still covered third art piece. ¡°I¡¯ll pay 350,000 for the first two. I want to see the third before I make a decision.¡±


    Katrina had a scowl to match Minerva¡¯s, but did so, unveiling the third. She didn¡¯t argue though, knowing Minerva wasn¡¯t someone to be haggled with. To Atma and Shade, it immediately caught their eye, even if the rest of the crowd didn¡¯t seem impressed. There was no doubt about it, everything was completely accurate, from the way her black hair seemed to glitter with stars, how her eyes shone two different colors, to the loving look upon her face. It was unquestionably a painting of Lilia. Nestled in one of the corners, the Uranus Crest, left as though it were a signature. While the crowd was clearly disappointed, Minerva didn¡¯t seem to share the sentiment. For a moment, Atma felt her eyes on him, reading his fascination with the piece.


    ¡°It¡¯s not conventional, but I can''t deny the passion and talent put into the work. That level of skill alone would secure it a solid value. 425,000 for all three.¡±


    ¡°Done.¡± Katrina nodded to her crew members, who left as quickly as they came, Minerva¡¯s staff moving to take the artwork. Katrina grumpily worked her way past Atma and Sienna, not quite the response Atma expected from someone nearly half a million credits richer.


    Minerva turned her gaze back to the group at the booth, particularly Atma and Shade. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought much of you two at first, but I can tell, you two saw something in that last piece, something no one else saw. What it was, I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve only ever seen that look in true believers.¡± She didn¡¯t quite smile, but it was the closest Atma had seen her get since first seeing her. ¡°I considered not buying that piece, but anything capable of inspiring that type of reaction has to be worth something. I do hope you all enjoy the show tonight.¡± With that, the Mistress of the Chevalier left the VIP room, her staff in close pursuit.


    There was silence for a moment, conversation in the VIP room slowly picking back up. Sienna smugly turned to her sister. ¡°So does that mean you owe them 75,000 credits?¡±


    ¡°It means you don¡¯t owe me a drink anymore.¡±


    Sienna leaned back, putting her hands behind her head, a smile quickly growing back on her face. ¡°Oh you¡¯re no fun.¡±


    Atma turned to a nearby window, overlooking the main hall. ¡°What kind of show was she talking about, by the way?¡± He scanned the stage area as a performer stepped up to the stage.


    ¡°Well, sometimes its a singer, or dancer, but sometimes-¡±


    Atma suddenly collapsed, having fainted, his face as red as a tomato.


    Sienna sat him upright, as the others at the table tried and failed to hold back laughter. ¡°Sometimes you see exactly why this is the sleaziest place in town.¡±