ã€ŠPromise of a Sorceress (I, Sorceress series) [Epic Fantasy Novel]ã€‹


 Chapter I: All is Lost

    Audra put the wooden lantern aside, concealing the light from the tower window, and peered through the curtains. Outside, the moon illuminated the armors of five men with sheathed swords hanging from their belts and burning torches in hand.

    "Varunas! Come out!" shouted a man with a black beard and bronze armor, his captain''s insignia dangling from his cloak. The other three men laughed, while another, in a blue cape with white armor and a tree on his breastplate, kept his eyes fixed on the gate.

    Audra swallowed hard and turned to her brother, Kaunas, waiting for a solution. He met her gaze with a pale face. Sweat dripped down his forehead, into his red beard. He hesitated to speak, but she knew he had nothing to say.

    "Kaunas Rodolphus, we can''t stay in here!" Audra turned her back and headed toward the spiral staircase. "Someone has to go talk to them."

    "Talk to them?" Kaunas grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "Talk? Do you think they want to talk? They want blood!"

    "What if we both go?" Audra said, freeing herself from his grip. "Kaunas, take some responsibility! Don''t be such a coward!"

    "Coward? I''m just being logical! What are you suggesting, Audra! We''re trapped! There''s no escape!"

    "And what do you propose? Should we stay here? Wait for them to enter and do as they please? Do you want them to harm Father?"

    "Anything, as long as we don''t talk to them! For heaven''s sake! Either hide or find a way to escape."

    Suddenly, they heard a low voice coming from the room behind them as the rusty door handle rattled. It was their father, the Duke of Varunas. "Escape like cowards? Never!" he cried. "The sons of the Varunas clan are not cowards and shall never be! Oh, Ea! No! No! No! Be silent, dark abyss of blood, I am a child of the ways of the gods who ride at dawn..."

    Audra and Kaunas exchanged glances. Kaunas swallowed. "I think they''ll hear him."

    The cries grew louder, and to Audra, more heart-wrenching. Her heart sank. She missed her father''s smile, his wise advice, his love. Now his wisdom had deteriorated into madness. She sighed and made the decision to ignore him and focus on finding a solution.

    "Kaunas, we can''t let them see him. I can''t bear to imagine what they''ll do to him." She locked eyes with her brother. "Come on, Kau, let''s talk to them. It can''t be so terrible if we promise to cooperate!"

    "Audra." Kaunas''s blue eyes flickered with fear, and his voice pleaded. "No... Please. Hide with me."

    "We''ve been hiding for six months!" Audra whispered. "They didn''t like it one bit."

    "Well, we already tried to address the issue, but they want nothing to do with it! Father is out of his mind. He might end up getting himself killed. He''s determined to do it. And we don''t have a penny or a kilo of wheat to pay the tributes. Let''s hide in the barn, or better yet, the cellar!"

    "Kaunas! Do you have no shame? Father would kick you out into the cold if he heard you!" She stepped forward. "That''s it. I''m going to talk to them myself."

    "You? No, Audra, don''t even think about leaving." Kaunas took a step forward as the captain''s voice echoed from outside the castle.

    "Varunas! Come out of your hole, you rat! You''ve kept us waiting long enough! Hurry up, the count is expecting his share!"

    Suddenly, a knob turned on the door behind them.

    "No," Audra moaned. "Kaunas, he''s opening the door!"

    "How did he even...?"

    The door flew open, and their father collapsed to the side. His face was dark and weather-beaten, with bits of hay dangling from his beard. An iron helmet swayed from side to side on his head, and his hand gripped a rusted spear. "I will take them, or I will die!" he shouted, raising the spear high and heading towards the window. "Today, I will not die. My soul will ascend to the gray sky, to the lands of the North...! Prepare my carriage, Saul¨¦, the one with shining hair. Today, I ride like the sun with my legions!"

    Audra and Kaunas rushed to the door and grabbed their father''s arms. He struggled and twisted his head like a madman.

    "Dad!" Audra cried.

    "Let me go! I''ll impale them with my spear! I condemn you, vermin!"

    "Audra." Kaunas''s face turned pale. "I don''t know what he''ll do now."

    "Come on, I''ll help you."

    They both stood up, pulling their father back into the room. She locked her gaze on her brother, making sure he couldn''t avoid eye contact. "Kaunas. I can''t fathom what I''ll do if they find him. Even worse. Come on, Kaunas, let me confront them downstairs."

    Kaunas took a deep breath and glanced out the window. He blinked, and Audra saw his eyes moisten. He clenched his teeth and stood up.

    "I''ll go," he said.

    "Easy, Father," Adephine whispered into the old man''s ear, as she walked backward with her arms on his shoulders. Then she looked at her brother. "Don''t do anything foolish, Kaunas. Don''t provoke them."

    "I won''t," he sighed, fear seeping from his lips. She reconsidered. Kaunas wouldn''t do anything to anger them. Unlike her, who easily lost her temper, Kaunas was always ready to apologize as if he owed something to everyone. Audra left her father in the room and hurried to close the door. She had the key tied to her waist, placed the lock in position, and locked it, perhaps in vain, because the lock could be opened with a trick.

    "He''s going to open it again!" Kaunas cried, struggling to move a tall redwood cupboard next to the door. "Help me move this thing."Audra trailed behind him, struggling to prop up the piece of furniture, but she felt that her efforts were hardly helping Kaunas, who was much larger than her. They clumsily dropped the furniture in front of the door, and Kaunas hurried down the spiral stairs. Their father''s screams reverberated from behind the door.

    Audra rushed to the window and peeked outside, hearing the wooden gate rumbling open due to her brother''s efforts.

    Kaunas timidly crossed the stone bridge. Audra tried to focus, but could barely make out what was being said.

    "Gentlemen, I have come to negotiate."

    The captain, with long dark hair and a beard, approached him. His horse neighed, breath escaping like smoke in the cold autumn air. Suddenly, the other three soldiers in dark armor surrounded him on their horses, while Kaunas glanced around nervously. Their laughter made Audra feel uneasy. One of them was as big as Kaunas, with thick hairy arms and a double-headed axe on his back. The rest carried longswords.

    "Where is your father?" the captain asked.

    "Leave my father alone. The poor man is sleepless, worrying about all of this. As for payment, well, I am truly sorry, but I''m sure we can come to an arrangement..."

    "Well, you should have considered that before deceiving Count Siwelzac. Do you think the count can invest in his plans and lose thousands of denarii and a whole load of energy roots? Someone has to pay, boy! And you all will pay!"

    "My father did not deceive anyone!" Kaunas shouted, losing his composure. "Sir, please understand that we lost the cargo. We didn''t profit from it either. We were sorry, yes, but it wasn''t our fault."

    "Do you think the count will accept that explanation? After six months without paying a dime or delivering a single barrel? After six months of negligence!"

    "Sir, we were just preparing for the harvest... This year was bad for the vines... With all the rain and wind, and without our serfs... Please be patient! We have nothing left. Our castle is empty. You already have our servants, everything; you control the village... Just give us some time, we''ll find a way to repay you. Please, have patience."

    "Patience? We have been patient enough!"

    The soldier glanced at his companions, then sneered. The others burst into laughter, except for the man in white armor. Audra was almost certain he was the count''s heir. He had a pale face, short shiny brown hair like straw, and the tree emblem emblazoned on his chest.

    Kaunas hung his head. "Give us a few more months. We promise we will come up with something!"

    "You don''t have a single servant, and nothing to plant! What do you intend to pay with? Your own flesh? Fine, three months. But your repayment starts today."The captain glanced at his companions and whispered something inaudible to Audra. Then, with a haughty gesture, he mounted his horse. His black hair fluttered in the wind, and his eyes sparkled.

    What were they doing? Were they leaving them alone? Were they just threatening them? Audra sighed with relief.

    But the soldier drew his sword, and the horse reared on its hind legs.

    Audra''s heart pounded like a drum as the rider dug his heels and chased Kaunas.

    "No!" Kaunas shouted and stumbled towards the castle. Audra cried out as horse and rider caught up to him. Kaunas fell, his face slamming to the ground as the horse galloped over his back.

    Audra gasped. She dropped the lantern, causing it to shatter on the ground.

    "Thank you for your payment!" the captain sneered.

    Below, soldiers sprinted and stomped their heavy boots on her brother''s body, kicking him. Meanwhile, Siwelzac''s successor lay still, gazing at the ground.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Damn, she thought. How could they do that to poor Kaunas? What had he done to deserve such treatment? She balled her fists and scanned the area, longing to see fire engulfing those wicked men. If only she knew how to wield a sword...

    Suddenly, Siwelzac''s heir looked up and fixed his gaze on the tower. Audra was startled, took a step back, and released the curtain.

    They knew where she was.

    The cries of her father echoed behind her until abruptly, they ceased.

    The men mounted their horses and dug their heels, rushing into the castle. Audra swallowed hard. She needed to act swiftly.

    She believed that the first step was to protect her father, so she approached the door with determination, knocking without a clear plan but with her emotions contained.

    "Father?" She hurried next to the door. "I need you to do me a favor."

    Nothing but faint groans reached her ears.

    "Father? Can you hear me?"

    She glanced from side to side, already hearing the hooves beneath the tower. They would ascend the stairs any moment now. She climbed onto the cabinet and pushed the door inward, losing her balance and falling while clutching the lantern, which illuminated piles of dust and hay. Then she caught sight of her father''s quivering face, his mouth slightly ajar, with blood streaming down like a waterfall. Audra screamed in horror as the light revealed the scene. A spear protruded from his stomach, his hands fixed, pushing inward.

    "Father..."

    Blood soaked the ground, and the old man bowed his head, his helmet still on, as he gasped for air.

    "Father, no..."

    His piercing blue eyes met Audra''s in the dimness, as if he had something to say. She clenched her fists as her father slumped.

    Audra''s eyes filled with tears. She couldn''t lose him now, she couldn''t bear to lose him, but nothing would be worse than letting Siwelzac''s men find him.

    She hurriedly covered his body with hay. Tears streamed down her face, but deep within her heart, an inferno of rage blazed. But she was weak. How could she face five armed men? How could she confront a cruel man, favored by the king, with armies and heartless warriors? She slipped out of the door and peered through the window that overlooked the small castle square. From there, she saw Siwelzac''s men either breaking into rooms on horseback or rummaging through pantries, carrying tin, tools, and ornamental pieces.

    She pondered the best hiding spot, then cautiously descended the steps with a lantern concealed beneath her cloak. Her hand brushed against the walls in the darkness. She crept to the corner of the tower and opened the cellar door. Careful not to make a sound, she descended the steps and uncovered the lantern. Its light illuminated barrels of wine and countless bottles in cupboards, reflecting like a mirror. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, but the rumble from above grew louder.

    The sound of hooves reverberated on the cellar roof, and she looked up anxiously. She hoped they wouldn''t notice the wooden entrance in the middle of the castle. Suddenly, she heard the soldiers calling to each other, and the cellar door swung open. Startled, she dropped the lantern.

    With no time to retrieve it, she quickly hid behind a barrel, panting as her heart pounded like a drum. From her hiding spot, she stole a sideways glance at a man descending the stairs, his flaming torch trailing smoke and his dual-headed axe gleaming in the light.

    The lantern cast its glow on the ground, putting her at risk of being found. She swallowed nervously. If she made a run for it in that direction, they would spot her. The man''s footsteps grew closer, and her heart raced.

    The soldier approached the shelves and illuminated the labels with his torch.

    "Good wine!" he exclaimed harshly, seemingly surprised.

    "Since when can you read?" snapped the black-bearded captain behind him.

    "I''m learning," the axe-wielder replied. "But look at these beautiful bottles. I don''t need to read to know that those bastards from Ladania enjoyed the finest wine."

    Audra crouched low and maneuvered through the barrels, eventually finding an empty one. She squeezed inside, barely fitting, her neck pressed against the wood.

    "Quit wasting time!" the captain urged. "Get on with it, take what you want, and let''s go."

    "What about the girl? Isn''t there supposed to be a girl?" the soldier with the grating voice asked.

    "Well, find her. She must be somewhere."

    "Look over here!" exclaimed another soldier.

    ¡°Ha, a lantern!¡±

    "I¡¯m absolutely sure the little slut is hiding here. Find her, and we''ll have some fun!"

    "Hold on, the wine is good. Let me choose the best ones, we can''t take it all," the man with the axe interjected, opening a bottle and taking a swig. "Those Varunas bastards had great taste."

    "You can''t read, you idiot! Come on, hurry up, grab it. I''ll take care of the door."

    "Let''s see, where could this girl be? What''s your name, sweetheart?"

    The captain''s voice came from the entrance. "Her name is Adora.I think ¨¦doard knows her."

    "No, sir. Her name is Aurora," said the one with the screechy voice. "Aurora! Where are you, little doll?"

    Audra closed her eyes. Please, do not come any closer. She tried to remember the spell she had read in the book she stole from her aunt. It was supposed to make her invisible to her enemies, but it never worked against her tutors. Or did it? It sounded like "anandarad adar."

    Suddenly, she heard the swing of an axe, wood breaking, and liquid flowing nearby.

    "What a waste of good wine!" one of the men exclaimed.

    She closed her eyes, then heard the axe strike through oak once more. She took a deep breath, but realized the air was scarce. The feeling of suffocation grew stronger. Instead, she clenched her fists and shook her head.

    Another axe-swing echoed closer, cutting through a barrel, along with the sound of flowing liquid.

    How many barrels were there, anyway? She felt the urge to cry, but the tears wouldn''t come. She closed her eyes and tried to stay quiet. Was this the end? She attempted to take one final breath, as the axe penetrated her barrel and pierced her arms.

    She swallowed her scream, felt the tears streaming down her face, and gritted her teeth. The desire to jump up, scream in pain, and take deep breaths overwhelmed her, but she restrained herself by tensing all her muscles.

    The axe released from her skin. The soldier sighed, as if startled.

    The captain''s voice echoed through the cellar. "What is it, Svarnas?"

    The axe-wielder sighed. "This one was empty."

    "Is she here or not?" the captain asked.

    "Give me a moment," the screechy voice replied.

    "I don''t see her anywhere."

    Disappear, you bastards, Audra thought to herself.

    The footsteps drew closer, then further away, until she heard the door close. She jumped up. The lid of the barrel flew through the air as she stood, clutching the wound in her arm. She yelled and collapsed to the ground, amidst rivers of wine still dripping from other barrels, mingling with the blood that stained her pale tunic.

    "Siwelzac! I will make you pay for what you''ve done to my family! And your lackeys!" she shouted, clenching her fist and emanating anger from her very soul, burning like the sun.

    Audra crawled out of the cellar, pressing her arm to stop the bleeding. The castle gate appeared as a window to hell, where the vines of her family burned in flames and the surrounding bushes turned to ash. Part of her didn''t want to witness her heritage being lost, but she had to ensure her brother was still alive.

    He lay on the bridge, eyes closed, blood staining his beard, arms, and legs.

    "Audra," Kaunas moaned in pain.

    "Kaunas!" She rushed over and knelt beside him. "Are you okay?"

    "Do I look okay?" he replied through screams.

    "Gods¡­ My gods, you''re alive! What have they done to you, brother? Your leg! Your leg is broken!" A bone jutted through his leg, resembling a bloody and fatty lamb chop. She felt momentarily lightheaded. Kaunas took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. "Audra!" he let out a heart-wrenching cry. "How is Father? Is he fine? Did they find him?"

    "No, they didn''t. But...there''s something I have to tell you, Kaunas..." Audra looked at the floor and swallowed hard.

    "How is he?"

    "Kaunas, I couldn''t stop him..."

    "What? You couldn''t stop him from what? What are you talking about?"

    "Kaunas, I''m sorry. I don''t know what to do now...I..."

    "You''re sorry about what? Did they hurt him?" Kaunas did his best to lift his neck and speak, but his eyes were half-closed, and his body was covered in bruises.

    "Kaunas, he''s dead!" Audra said, as tears flowed down her face.

    Kaunas lowered his head. He sighed; it seemed like he wanted to cry, but the tears did not come out.

    She continued, "he..."

    "Shut up!" Kaunas cried, his scream causing him pain. "You let Father die! You promised you would take care of him!"

    "Kaunas, what was I going to do? He just..."

    "Do not talk to me! I don''t want to hear from you. Look at what you did to us! Look at what you did to me!"

    "Kaunas, what are you talking about? Do you think I wanted him to die? He was locked up! I was waiting for you! What did you want me to do? Do you think it''s my fault? You''re hurt, do you want me to leave you here? Do you want me to let you rot here? Outside of the castle. No way!"

    Kaunas struggled to breathe and moaned like a puppy. He looked to the side and squeezed his eyes shut.

    Audra tapped his shoulders. He grunted. "Kaunas, answer me!"

    "Audra...I won''t talk...to you..."

    Audra stood up and sighed. "Can you even walk?" she asked.

    Kaunas pointed at his right leg. Audra blinked and inspected the protruding bone. Someone would have to reset it or amputate it to prevent further damage.

    "Gods! What did they do to you?"

    Audra tore part of her dress to make a compress on Kaunas''s leg. He cried out in pain.

    "Blast, Kaunas. Let''s see, get up on your arms, I''ll help you inside."

    Kaunas obeyed, propping himself up with his arms, and Audra assisted him as they moved towards the castle, where he leaned against the stairs.

    "Kaunas," Audra''s voice quivered. "I already know what we have to do?"

    Kaunas stared at the horizon, his face contorted in despair, as if he desired his life to end in that very moment.

    Audra continued, "All we have to do is seek justice, brother. For all they have done to our family."

    ***

    The next day, Audra attempted to ignore the pain in her arms and back. Every time she buried the shovel in the ground, she imagined it piercing Siwelzac''s skull or that of one of his men, especially that repulsive captain. By midday, the hole was large enough to serve as their father''s eternal resting place, or at least until Audra had enough money for a burial befitting a nobleman. Kaunas lay beside her, dressed in bloody rags but bandaged with what remained of Audra''s cloak. On a velvet carpet, beneath the banner of their family adorned with a deer crest on a green shield, lay the body of Vytaulas, Duke of Varunas. Audra had attired him in his old armor, now covered in rusty sections that served as a testament to his long-lost days of glory.

    Audra left the shovel planted in the ground and rose to her feet, her unruly, reddish hair billowing in the wind. She sighed. This was all wrong. It was not a proper funeral for a man of his stature. And despite having numerous friends, comrades, and family, there was no one else present to bid him a final farewell but his own children. All that remained were the ruins of a once magnificent castle and the cries of two estranged siblings. Now, as a result of Siwelzac''s injustice, there was nothing left but loneliness and despair.

    Audra gazed at her brother. "Do you have any words for our father, brother?"

    "I''ve always loved you, Father..." he uttered in a pitiful, strained voice. "Because of your bravery. And I know you''re still with us. I hope you guide us forever. I hope you¡­ I hope you watch over us from the Land Over All Seas. From the Abode of Heroes, and...that you will rise to fight at the end."

    Audra laboriously carried the body, panting as she attempted to ignore the pain. She slowly lowered it down a ladder on the slope, then pulled the rope tied to the side. Her back ached, but nothing hurt more than what she had endured in those days.

    Audra gazed at the horizon, at the distant plains, and placed her hand over her heart. She listened to her own heartbeat as if making an oath in its name. Tears once again welled up, but this time, Audra''s heart pulsed with fury.

    "I swear to you, Father," she said, wiping her nose with her sleeve. "That justice will be served."

 Chapter II: City of Scorn

    Audra took a deep breath in the gloom of her bedroom. Kneeling, she peered under the bed with a partially lit lantern that cast light and shadows on the wall. She extended her hand into the darkness beneath the mattress, until she found what she was searching for - an old leather-bound book. Pulling it out, she noticed that it appeared smaller than it had years before, yet it felt unusually heavy for its size. An eerie aura surrounded it, like a cloud of darkness poisoning the air. She sat cross-legged and opened it.

    Resting between the yellow pages was an oak leaf, inscribed with an archaic, almost incomprehensible language. It read "spell to reverse your agony to your adversary." In the center, an intricate drawing depicted a circle with twelve angles drawn around it, and small octagons surrounding its points. Months ago, she had written the letters S-I-W-E-L-A-C on the page with all her heart''s intention. Despite this, she had never heard of the count suffering even a simple headache, and according to rumor, he enjoyed excellent health for his eighty-something years.

    While things had taken a fatal turn for Audra''s family.

    She sighed. Was it worth wasting time on that useless book? It wasn''t real magic, merely a publicity hoax for resentful people like her aunt, Antonie. Audra slammed the book shut and kicked it beneath the bed. She jumped up and hurried into the hall, where her brother Kaunas''s groans echoed behind the walls. Audra sighed again and rolled her eyes.

    "What happened?" Audra entered her brother''s room. He lay on the bed, his torso wrapped tightly like a mummy, blood staining the yellow bandages. His face was marked with the magic circles she had drawn, hoping to heal him. Kaunas had red hair, greasy as though someone had washed a hen over his head, tangled messily.

    "Woman, I''m starving! How much longer will it take?"

    Audra cleared her throat. "Well, if you want to eat now, what will we do next week when we have nothing left? Kaunas, we may have eaten today, but if you continue like this, there will be nothing left by Friday if you eat two servings per day."

    "Do you want me to starve?" Kaunas spoke as if being strangled. "Well, find more food. If you''re so obsessed with magic, make it spring forth from the earth."

    "Enough already!" Audra jumped up. "If you keep behaving like this, I''ll consider letting you starve. I hate to say it, Brother, but this is too much. I take care of you, clean up after you, and feed you, yet you still complain."

    She stared at him, choosing her words carefully.

    She didn''t want to say it - she shouldn''t say it. He was her brother, and she owed him her love and respect. But lately, her patience was wearing thin. Sometimes, she entertained the thought that if it had been him who died instead of Father, things might be better. But she always managed to suppress that thought.

    He glared back at her.

    "And how can I help you, genius? You have the field to yourself, if it''s worth anything with all the ashes and roots. If you want to learn magic, why not learn to float and zap your poor cow, Karva, so you can milk her forever? I don''t know if I''m lucky to stay alive or if I''d be better off dead. At least then I wouldn''t be in pain."

    Audra fixed her gaze on Kaunas as if pointing an arrow at him. "Enough, Kaunas!" She held up her arm. "Rest a couple of weeks, and I assure you that by then you''ll be fine. Just be patient."

    But Audra remembered that in a week, there would be no more vegetables left, even if they ate a potato a day. In an instant, all the strength she had left to hide her emotions vanished.

    She jumped up and screamed. Audra hid her face and wept.

    "Give me wine at least!" Kaunas protested. "It numbs the pain."

    "No more wine!" Audra shouted. "You drink too much! From now on, light beer is all you''ll get."

    "You don''t know what it''s like to have your leg cut off! Or to have three horses trample your body!"

    "Kaunas, we can still keep the wine that''s left and sell it."

    "Don''t even think about it, Audra. Also, who would buy from us now? We deserved it, Audra. Everything! We acted like fools from the start. And now there''s nothing we can do."

    "No, no. It''s not Father''s fault." Audra raised her voice. "It''s Siwelzac. Any decent person would have forgiven the debt or at least reached an agreement. That bastard hates us! He wanted to make us suffer, and he''s succeeding. So, stop blaming yourself!"

    "And now we''re helpless."

    Audra sighed and stared at the floor. "Maybe you''re right. But I don''t want to die, Kaunas, without seeing him pay."

    "Who?"

    "Siwelzac."

    "Audra." Kaunas''s voice was sharp. "If the clan dies out, it''s our fault for never having children. If you had married well, surely we would have built our wealth. There would be someone else in the family. There would be more family!"

    "Don''t bring it up, Kaunas. It''s for your own good." Audra looked at Kaunas and jumped to her feet. She stepped forward, clenching her fists. "Enough. You stop it!" she shouted, anger and tension flooding her face.

    Audra took a deep breath; anger boiled within her, but she focused on the fact that he was her brother, and that he was also having a hard time. Finally, she lowered her arms with a long sigh. "Kaunas," Audra said. "I''m going to find Aunt Talia."

    Kaunas took a deep breath. "What are you planning to do? Do you want to work with her? Are you going to leave me here alone?"

    "Kaunas, I''m going to ask for her help. I already told you."

    "Don''t leave me alone, Audra... No. Do you want them to come back, find me lying here, and take my other leg?"

    "Kaunas, we still have three months.""And they will come to spy on us, harass us, and worse. No, no, if you have any love for the family, don''t even think about leaving me."

    "Can Kaunas Rodolphus make sense, just once in a lifetime?" Audra raised her voice, reminding herself of her deceased mother. "You want to eat well, but you don''t want your sister to leave the castle to find you food? Do you want to eat the walls?"

    "I want to say yes, but don''t leave me alone to rot just for a job. They could come and harm me at any time!"

    Audra sighed in disgust. "I''m leaving early tomorrow morning. I won''t waste any more time." She turned her back and closed the door behind her.

    "Don''t forget to bring me wine," Kaunas''s voice echoed through the walls.

    ***

    The next morning, Audra chugged a jar of milk and set out on her journey to the walled city of Vilnas. The sun peeked over the plains as she tied a bag to her back, her feet aching and calloused, her stomach growling, and her muscles weakened by hunger. Nonetheless, she was relieved to leave the miserable castle and the scorched field behind. A cool autumn wind brushed against her, and the leaves were already a fiery red. After a few kilometers of plains and trees, she spotted the city of Vilnas with its tall, pointed towers and amber walls.

    The city gates remained open, and people and carts flowed like a river, coming and going, carrying goats, chickens, and bags filled with who knows what. She hadn''t seen anyone other than Kaunas in a while, and the idea made her nervous.

    As soon as she passed through the gates, the strong smell of feces, urine, and rot invaded her nostrils. The main street stretched ahead, with balconies and arches on either side, buildings once beautiful now worn down by time and overshadowed by trinket sales.

    The path led her to a wide square adorned with the statue of a long-forgotten king, overlooking a plan with an octagonal shape, from which diagonal streets emerged. She looked from side to side, taking in the sight. There were stairs leading to increasingly higher neighborhoods and villages, a pilgrimage door to one side, the place of temples and devotees, and the streets of debauchery and vice on the other.

    Now, she had to find Aunt Talia. All she knew was that she brewed beer and lived near a famous sorceress. The latter she had learned about as a child, listening to her aunts'' conversations. But she didn''t know if the sorceress was still living there. She turned to ask but was distracted by the curious looks from the people passing by, some pointing and whispering.

    She walked into the square, wanting to avoid attention, but the murmurs grew heavier and more inquisitive. Among the crowd, someone said "Varunas," and she wished the earth could swallow her alive. She picked up her pace, but the murmurs behind her became overwhelming, until a woman''s rough voice cried out, "Stop right there, you swindler!"

    Audra turned and saw a woman with matted blond hair, holding a blond baby and pointing at her with scorn. Audra blinked and took a step back. "Who? Me?" she asked, swallowing.

    "She''s the swindler from the old Varunas fold," the woman told the bystanders. "The one the count was talking about! Look at her, she has one blue eye and one green! It''s her!"

    "Get out of here!" yelled a butcher with a knife in his hand and blood on his apron.

    "Out! We''ve heard what you did, and it''s dishonorable!" shouted a scrawny boy with dark hair and a horse-shaped amulet, almost pushing Audra to the floor.

    "Me? Why?" Audra said, staggered. "I haven''t done anything wrong!"

    Dozens of eyes fixed upon her, and she felt trapped like a cornered rat.

    "People like you should be hanged," a voice said.

    The crowd closed in like crows around a corpse. Audra stepped back and felt her back hit the stone wall.

    "Let''s kick her out! Let''s teach her a lesson," said the unfriendly mother.

    "You scum! We don''t want people like you around," shouted an obese man.

    "What do they say I''ve done?" Audra asked, her voice defiant.

    "You know what you did! Dirty business against Count Siwelzac, scamming him and causing the last recession in the kingdom. You, disgusting scum of the earth!"

    "Don''t you see?" the butcher pointed to a crooked carving on the wall. It read "Varunais ar treitors," accompanied by a drawing of a boot kicking a deer. Audra blinked in surprise.

    "Yes," shouted a man with a hat. "We saw it at the theater! We saw how your father cheated the honorable Count Siwelzac, stole his money and the banker''s money, bought a farm, and wasted it all on blackjack and hookers!"

    "At the theater?" Audra raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

    "Yes, in the last play by the Siwelzac Theater Company!"

    "Theater? It''s all a lie! The count is the swindler! He ruined our family...!"

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Audra felt something wet stick to her face and instinctively touched it. When she realized she had been spat on, her stomach turned. She grimaced and wiped it off with her sleeves.

    The mother stepped forward and slapped Audra on the head."The count is a hero!" she exclaimed, revealing her rotten teeth. "He has given us everything we have! And your family took our hard earned savings and destroyed the economy! Old Varunas built his castle with our hard work!"

    Audra looked around, seeking mercy and understanding.

    "He''s the liar!" Audra cried, but her pleas were drowned out by murmurs. Suddenly, a rock brushed against her cheek and fell to the ground, heavy and painful. Was it the scrawny boy or the woman? Another rock followed, and she covered her face with her forearms. She stumbled backward, falling on her back.

    "You''ve got to teach her a lesson!" the scrawny guy shouted, and Audra crawled backward against the wall. Another rock hit her head, and she took her hands and shielded the blow, her hair tangled in her fingers, gnashing her teeth and groaning. Her blood boiled. She grabbed the rock and pointed it at the scrawny boy. She threw it with all her strength but accidentally hit a long-necked woman dressed in fine clothes who was passing by.

    "Who do you think you are?" the woman grunted with a horrified look. Beside her stood a man, surely her husband, dressed in silk, with a sword adorned with gold hanging from his belt. His expression mirrored the woman''s.

    "I''m sorry," Audra muttered. She dodged another rock and pushed her way through the crowd.

    "Hey you!" the lanky boy''s voice followed her. "How dare you do that to her? She did nothing to you!"

    "You cannot hide!" Audra heard behind her as her heart raced in sync with her steps.

    She had to leave the city. Or maybe not, she couldn''t leave with nothing, she had to find her aunt and, above all, get out of there unharmed. Suddenly, she spotted a monk in a white robe and golden cloak moving through the crowd. She ran and pushed a couple of people until she ran into the monk and grabbed his arm. The man looked at her with wide eyes; he was so thin that it seemed the wind could blow him away. He had a pale beard and jade green eyes.

    "What''s wrong, my daughter?" the man asked, stunned.

    "Help me, please! They want to stone me!" Audra said, trying to catch her breath.

    The man raised his head as Audra watched two ragged boys with stones and half-broken bricks following behind him.

    "There they are," she said.

    "Stop right there!" The monk spread his arms wide. Audra leaned behind him, gasping for breath as if she were about to drown. "That''s not the way to behave if you don''t want to incur the wrath of the gods. Step aside and leave that poor woman alone."

    "The problem is when they let people like her in! They''re parasites!" the scrawny boy shouted. "You don''t even know who she is! If you knew who she is and what she did, you would throw her out of the city."

    "I don''t care who she is, I only care about who you are."

    "And you should care," one of the scrawny boy''s friends said. "Look at yourself, you''re skinnier than a nail."

    "It''s over. Go back to your own."

    "She is the worst kind of swindler!" the scrawny boy cried, "and she threw a rock at an innocent woman! We would leave her alone if it weren''t for that."

    "It was an accident! The stone was meant for you!" Audra shouted. "And you started this!"

    "Well, she''s not going to scam anyone, she''s going to pray at the temple," said the monk.

    "Yes," said Audra. "I just came to pray."

    "For once, leave her alone." The monk lowered his arms.

    Audra''s pursuers grimaced, snarled, and turned their backs, leaving without quenching their thirst for blood. Audra sat up and looked at the monk.

    "Thank you, good monk. Now, I must go."

    "Where are you going?"

    "I''m looking for my aunt. I''m from the outskirts..."

    "I think I know who you are. You''re from that old family that owned the vineyards, right?"

    "Yes, it''s me."

    "So you''re a Varunas. I am Silas. If I were you, I would come to the sanctuary with me for a few hours, maybe change your clothes, and leave later, to evade those who are chasing you."

    "To the sanctuary? I''m not going there."

    "Why not?"

    "I don''t get along with the gods."

    "Come, you''ll be fine," he said. Audra nodded and sighed, defeated, following the monk through the zigzag streets of the city, through the Pilgrimage Gate.

    The pyramid-shaped temple became clearer; pristine, made of pure marble, like a crystalline mountain. Two cherubs with axes in hand and long wings guarded the entrance. She followed the monk inside, and as soon as she crossed the threshold, she lowered her head, as childhood memories flooded her along with the smell of incense.

    "Put this on." The monk offered her his scarf, and she stared at him, confused.

    "Cover yourself when entering the temple."

    "What?" Audra raised an eyebrow.

    "It''s just a tradition. Please."

    Audra shrugged, wrapped the scarf around her head and followed him. Obelisks stood at the sides, and a circular channel bordered a pyramid of shiny marble. The carven of the Young God stood amid the walls, with his hair falling to his bare, muscular chest, his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to the world around him, with crossed legs and the pristine face of an innocent youth.

    It was hypnotic. She would give anything to be like him, to sit motionless in the middle of his temple, unaffected even if the world around her burned.

    Why did these things happen to her? What did she have to do to defeat Siwelzac and fulfill her promise? How would she deliver justice?

    How can I? She asked.

    There was no way answer. After all, she was talking to a statue.

    Something caught her attention at the foot of the statue. Apples, strawberries, and peaches were piled up, alongside potatoes, onions, and radishes. On the other side, chickens with broken necks hung upaide down. Death filled their eyes. So, these were the offerings? She ignored the chicken, then gazed longingly at the apples and peaches. A statue had all that food and she had nothing.

    "You can stay until dusk, before it''s too late," the monk said, to which Audra smiled but glanced again at the offerings. "It''s almost time for libations, I''m going to pray a little, you can sit and rest if you want."

    "Thank you." Audra bowed her head as Silas climbed the temple stairs to a room where a red altar fire burned. She sat in front of the statue, on a yellow cushion, looking into its eyes.

    The potatoes looked appetizing. Yes, perhaps it was a sign from the gods. She could take them for a good cause. Or would the gods be angry with her?

    Thank you, Audra thought to herself as she reached out her hand, but she heard the sound of bare feet behind her and quickly pulled it back as if she had touched a hot iron. She looked up and saw four men dressed in orange robes, so thin that their ribs were visible beneath their clothes, with beards that reached their knees.

    "Gentlemen," Audra bowed her head and looked down.

    "Welcome to this sanctuary," said the one in the center, with shoulder-length hair and a golden collar ending in a trident. It jingled as he moved. She recognized the emblems. He was the high priest. He held a plain clay pot in both hands.

    "Vir Silas informed us of your presence. We hope you are comfortable."

    "Y-yes. I had a problem in the city, and he was helping me." Audra stretched out both hands to receive the vessel. It smelled of tea with honey and lemon. She drew it close, took a sip, and soon felt her strength returning.

    Now, please leave me alone. I must take these potatoes with me.

    But the monks stared at her like statues frozen in time. Her eyes darted from side to side.

    "Is something wrong?" the high priest asked.

    Audra sighed, her gaze falling to the marble floor. She felt empty, as if something was pressing her soul into the ground. A tear rolled down her cheek.

    "What troubles you?" the high priest inquired.

    "I don''t understand how so many terrible things can happen to a family without them doing anything wrong. I don''t understand why the gods would allow innocent people to suffer at the hands of evil men. Do you have an explanation?"

    "Child." The priest drew closer, running his hand through Audra''s hair. "In life, there is good and evil, pleasure and pain, agony and joy. One cannot exist without the other."

    "But... my life has no joy. I have nothing. I''ve lost everything."

    "We have nothing but these clothes," another ascetic, tall and young with black hair pulled back in a ponytail, spoke up.

    "But you have a family," Audra said.

    "We left them behind," the young man said. "We left everything."

    "But at least they have a roof over their heads and food to eat."

    "Don''t you have a place to live?"

    "I''m afraid I will lose it. I don''t want to be a serf. I have nothing but my brother! And soon we will not have anything to eat. I don''t have anything! But what can I do to save my life? I need ... I need to fix things. And see justice. No, do justice."

    "Let it go," said another old man, with long, curly hair and dark skin. "Tomorrow will bring what you need. The sun rises after every night."

    She held her hand over her nose.

    "They have taken my family. They have taken it away... Everything I had! Tell me. Can the god of this temple do justice? Will that evil man pay for his crimes?"

    "I trust in him." The high priest smiled sincerely. "The gods are fair. And life is made up of a balance of facts. When a man does wrong, that evil returns. When a man wishes badly, that evil returns too."

    "Why do you not follow us, daughter?" The curly-haired monk gave her a sweet look. "Leave that world of suffering. With us, you can find new light. Some of us got to this point because we lost our way, but sometimes you need to fall to renew yourself, so you can start your life one more time. You can learn and live in this temple in the order of nuns."

    "No... I cannot," Audra said. "I have to take care of my brother. We have to do a lot for the honor of our family. I must... Pay debts and make my family free and recover their honor."

    One thing she could be sure of was that waiting was not the answer for her. It would not bring peace to her soul.

    "Let it heal! And follow us for the redemption of your soul."

    "Don''t you understand?" She said. Something horrible happened to my family, and the one who did it is still out there, living like a king; he is respected and loved, while we are treated like cockroaches. I''m sorry, but you would never understand."

    What made her soul burn the most was the desire to see justice, to know that Count Siwelzac would get payback, that he could feel the same pain. She looked the priest in the eye. "Do you have any proof that their god does justice? Can you help me?"

    The priests looked at each other.

    "Girl." The high priest looked into her eyes. "I see it in you. I know what you are feeling. I know it with every fiber of my heart. You want someone''s world to burn in flames. What if I tell you that it will not take your soul on the right path? A wise word is to know that hate does not consume you. Let go, and start again."

    What did he know about hate? All that emotion was placed in a very dark place. She, herself, could not put out that fire. On behalf of her family, on behalf of Kaunas, of her mother, of her father''s name, it could not stay that way.

    "Thank you for everything." She bowed her head. She bid farewell to the monks and ventured out as the sun filtered through the plains. She traversed the dilapidated stone streets, knowing that her aunt''s former residence had once stood there. With a scarf shrouding her face and concealing her unkempt hair, she aimed to evade any unsavory characters.

    Approaching a brewess with a pointed cap and a crooked nose, Audra inquired, "Do you know Talia? She resides in the north wing." The woman continued stirring her cauldron by the window before gesturing towards a busy street in the intricate maze of paths and stairs.

    "I don''t know any Talia, but that is where the north wing lies," she responded curtly, her gaze returning to the cauldron. Audra lowered her head and continued her journey along increasingly somber routes, now enveloped in silence.

    Suddenly, in an alley, she caught sight of a burly man with a thick beard who raucously brandished a vibrant bottle. Picking up her pace, Audra hoped to outrun him, but he stopped and followed her with his eyes.

    "Where are you going? Come with me, my dear!" he exclaimed, lunging towards her. She sprinted up the street as the man stumbled. Pushing through nearly deserted streets, she maneuvered through a few blocks until her lungs ached for air. Finally, unable to continue, she halted to catch her breath, feeling as if she had been rescued from drowning. She surveyed her surroundings and realized she was disoriented - she had no idea where to go. It was too late to return home, and Kaunas would undoubtedly be famished.

    However, she had forgotten the way back.

    Abruptly, she heard footsteps trailing behind her and swiftly turned. A lamp lighter proceeded to ignite a nearby street lamp, casting its feeble glow onto the darkening street.

    "Hey, you there," he called out. "It seems you''re lost. Are you searching for someone?"

    Audra gasped, timidly meeting his gaze. "Um...I''m looking for my aunt''s house."

    "And who might your aunt be?"

    "Her name is Talia."

    "Talia what?"

    "Talia...um, from..."

    "There are many Talias in these parts. What''s her last name?"

    "It starts with an M."

    "A Talia with a last name beginning with M. Has it been a long time since you last saw her?"

    "No, but I know she brews beer in the north wing."

    "There are numerous breweries and countless individuals with that name. Do you know the name of the neighborhood where she lives?"

    Audra shook her head, causing the lamp lighter to sigh.

    "Well, I cannot help you, lass, but be cautious in these parts. You never know the kind of people you might find, especially at this hour. I suggest you go back and try tomorrow morning."

    Audra nodded.

    "Thank you, I''ll keep that in mind," she replied.

    Traveling through the Ladania late at night was neither safe nor easy, but the agony in her feet became unbearable. She opted to sit in the middle of the street for a couple of hours, possibly even doze off, desperately hoping to avoid danger. Suddenly, she heard murmurs across the street and quickened her pace. She noticed a light in one corner. On the other side of the clean street, there was a wooden sign with a frothy beer carved on top. It read The Cheerful Horse. Outside, lanterns lined with fur hung on the side of the door, and inside, the atmosphere was bright and cheerful. Fiddle music filled the air, and scruffy men stood on the sidewalk, each holding a tin beer glass, while waitresses with long curls welcomed those who entered.

    Audra smiled and hurried toward the pub, but just as she crossed the alley, someone grabbed her arm and yanked her back.

    A rough voice startled her. "Where do you think you''re going?"

    Audra turned around in surprise, but her arm was firmly grasped as she was pulled into the alley, leaving behind the warm glow of the lantern light. She looked up and saw the silhouettes of three men.

    "Wait." One of the men forcefully removed her scarf. Audra''s hair fell loose as she took a step back.

    "Give it back!" she cried out, attempting to retrieve the scarf from the rascal. Her efforts were in vain.

    "Help...!" she shouted, but another man covered her mouth with his sweaty hand, holding her tightly.

    "Wait, I say!" exclaimed one of them. "Look, it''s that girl! That Varunas wench! Look at her eyes! One is blue and the other is green! Quite an oddity, isn''t she?"

    "Well, well," his companions chimed in, applauding. "Oh boy, she must be loaded."

    "Yes, and don''t forget the rumors. You know the stories! She''s an easy girl."

    "She''s easy!" laughed the other two.

    "Wait, just wait a second... What if we demand a ransom?"

    Audra writhed her body in an attempt to break free. She struggled to open her mouth to scream, even bite at her captor, all to no avail, but one of the men, seemingly the leader, looked at her as if he had stumbled upon a fortune and the gods knew what else.

 Chapter III: The Man Who Had No Honor

    "Well, you''re a goldmine. That''s what you are!" grunted the thug, scanning her from head to toe, his long neck towering over her like a ladder.

    Audra shook her body with all her strength, but the bony arms that held her squeezed too tight. She tried to kick her captor''s feet with her heel, but he dodged the foot and exerted more pressure on her body. She felt his warm breath over her ear, then she tried to head-butt him, but he turned his face away before she could.

    "Calm down, sweetie!" she heard him whisper next to her ear.

    She tried to speak, but the wet hand held her face firmly. Resistance was futile.

    Suddenly, she heard a deep voice behind her, as if it came from a mountain cave. "Hey! Why not mess with someone of your size? Leave the girl alone!"

    Audra turned her neck as far as she could and caught a glimpse of a wide guy with damp, tousled hair and a sheathed sword dangling from his waist. He pointed at the thugs who had captured her and looked at them with his chin up and frowning. His eyelids looked like bags, and a deep, pale scar crossed his left eyebrow.

    The man took a step forward and approached the one who was covering her mouth and attacked with a slow and clumsy punch. He lost his balance and fell like a sack of potatoes.

    Just a drunkard trying to be the hero.

    The thugs in the alley laughed like hyenas.

    Audra swallowed. Suddenly, Audra''s captor fell to the ground, and her along with him, and crawled upside down from one side to the other. Audra turned her head and noticed that the drunk was holding the boy by the ankles and dragging him down the stone street.

    The tall thug drew a knife, sharp as a needle, and shouted, "Who do you think you are?"

    The drunkard raised his fists to a fighting stance and pouted. "Coward! Men fight with equals. I do not draw my sword because I am a man of honor!"

    Audra stood up slowly. She felt like someone had stirred her brain with a spoon, as if someone was making Wodanian potato soup. It hurt, especially when she turned her neck to the left side. Beside her, the boy who had held her stood up with a leap, blood pouring from his nose, and a hand trying, in vain, to stop the bleeding.

    The drunk moved his head from side to side like a boxer. He approached, pulled back, and punched the wind.

    "I will give you what you deserve, you villain!" he shouted, revealing six full teeth, and the rest were empty spaces.

    The man stood up and threw a right hand with the weight of his whole body, but the tall thug dodged him like a lynx and responded with a blow to the nose. The gentleman fell on his back with the sound of a sack of eggs breaking, then stopped moving. The other two thugs rushed to kick his face with iron boots.

    Audra closed her eyes as soon as she saw the blood spilling onto the floor. She turned and ran, but felt a hand cling to her wrist. She pulled harder, but now she was held by two hands covered with wool gloves."Where do you think you are going? The tall guy looked at her and yanked her close.

    "Leave me alone!" Audra tried to break free with all her strength. "I do not know who Varunas is! She looks like me, but it''s not me."

    The others looked at her, and the tall one held both her wrists. He pulled her close to his body and looked into her eyes. Audra swallowed. Her legs trembled as if they would collapse, but she took a deep breath. She had to get away at any cost.

    "What? It''s not you?" The tall one looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "There is no one else in this country with one green and one blue eye!"

    "No, no. Do you think Varunas would dress like me? She is an expert thief, and I have heard she has very good taste! The eye color is just a coincidence. It''s a disease caused by an excess of moonlight. I swear!"

    The thug looked her up and down, his mouth twisted, and his eyes curious.

    "It makes sense," he said and looked at his friends.

    "Even better!" said the boy with sweaty hands. "If she was that rich woman, they could send someone to find us. Yes, if you are poor, as you say, we can do what we want, and nobody will come looking for you. Don''t you think it''s better, guys?"

    The other two looked at each other as if solving an equation.

    "It seems like a good idea to me," said the other boy who had been silent until then, so short that he was almost a head shorter than she was.

    "Yes," the tall one continued. "It is a very economically sensible and humble idea."

    "Well, I have a better idea." Audra cleared her throat. "What do you want? Girls? I''ll take you to a place where you''ll find the best girls. There is everything: beer, fights, everything you want."

    "Do not change the subject!" grunted the tall one. "We are talking about how you are not Varunas. So who are you?"

    "Does that matter? I''m nobody!"

    "It matters. If you''re Varunas, you have a lot of money. If you''re nobody, what do you have?"

    "You know what..." She tried to hide the fact that her legs were shaking. "I work at a cheap, humble bar, where there are also many girls. It is the merriest place in the city. The girls are waiting for guys like you; they love tall guys. And there is another girl who would die for a short guy!"

    "Who are you calling short!" yelled the short one.

    "Are you serious?" The one with the sweaty hands had his eyes open like a plate.

    "Of course! Come with me," said Audra.

    "Wait, wait." The tall one lifted his hands. "I have been to many taverns. What''s the name?"

    "It''s new! The name is¡­ The Queen of the Merry Dragonflies and Sons."

    "Oh. Is it?"

    "Come, you are gonna enjoy it," she said, and as soon as the sweaty-handed guy let go for a second, she ran like a hare, tears streaming down her face and her heart beating fast like the drums of a polka. She turned the corner, her eyes set on the tavern illuminating the street like a lighthouse in the middle of the night sea."Help!" she shouted, looking back and running down the stone street until she reached the door and entered as if to save her life. The customers looked at her in surprise, while some seemed to speak of her from their tables. She stopped abruptly, her hands on her knees, and breathing as if she were about to drown.

    "They wanted to kidnap me!" she gasped, but the crowd seemed unwilling to help her.

    However, when she looked up, she noticed that a waitress with curly hair approached her with wide green eyes. She extended her hand and helped her stand up.

    "My gods, you look frightened. It''s fine, it''s fine." She smiled like an old friend. "Did they hurt you?"

    Audra shook her head, her eyes fixed on the ground, facing the opposite side. She could not let her see her eyes, or else she would recognize her. Suddenly, the waitress looked back at the long-mustached bartender, who filled a pint of beer behind the bar. His hair was curly like the girl''s, and there was a kinship in the features; he was probably her father.

    "Come here." The girl took Audra by the hand, guiding her to the opposite side of the tavern, to a table in the corner near the bar, while Audra tried to contain her trembling body. She glanced out the window and saw those who had wanted to kidnap her, looking in and whispering to each other as if debating whether to enter or not.

    "With what were they..." The girl looked out the window and shook her head. "Those three again? We''ve seen them more than once. Be careful, they are the worst kind of stalkers. Let''s see, sit down for a moment, and take a deep breath. Are you feeling better?"

    "Much better," Audra sighed.

    "Would you like something to drink?" The girl lowered her face, looking for Audra''s eyes, but Audra did not dare look up. Her kindness could fall apart if she found out who she was.

    "Just a little tea, please," Audra said, keeping her eyes lowered.

    "All right." The girl turned and walked to a door behind the bar, where Audra caught a glimpse of steaming pots and bottles on the shelves. Audra turned her back against the customers, some of whom still looked at her strangely or curiously, and kept her gaze fixed on the table, her long hair hiding her face.

    The girl returned with a wooden tray and a cup of steaming tea, accompanied by a porcelain spoon and a jar of honey. It gave off a soft smell of jasmine. She poured a dollop of sticky honey and took a sip. She immediately felt the honey fill her with energy.

    "Thanks," Audra whispered with her eyes still fixed on the floor and with her hand covering her face.

    "No need to, relax for a moment. I''ll get back to work. Just let me know if you need anything." The girl turned around and returned to her customers.Audra sighed. Her mind reviewed what had just happened, disappointed in herself that she had run away. She wished she could have melted their faces or burned their wicked skins. Yes, she was a woman who had never learned to defend herself, but something in her made her want to be able to. Maybe it was what her father said long ago, the Varunas clan had warrior blood; that of the first Sarmatians who came from the East in their iron chariots from the land of the great empires. But that was another story. Sure, her ancestors would be disappointed. She had run away again and knew that she could not spend the rest of her life escaping and hiding.

    She wished to defend herself without having to hide anymore. She wanted to be able to distribute justice. But how could a skinny, skill-less girl do it?

    The waitress was back at her side, interrupting her thoughts. "I think I''ve seen you before."

    And her words made her lose the sense of security that had just filled her. "Me?" Audra hid her face even more behind the teacup. "I do not think so. I do not usually come to the city."

    Audra let out a silent prayer.

    "Oh, you''re from outside," the girl said, her voice soft and sharp.

    "Yes." Audra cleared her throat. Did she know who she was?

    "From far away?"

    "From the outskirts, but not really that far."

    "That''s good. My name is Sura."

    "Ad... Adela," Audra said.

    "Pleasure. And what brings you to the city at this time?"

    "I''m looking for my aunt."

    "Your aunt? What''s her name?"

    "Talia," said Audra, and she looked up without thinking. Suddenly she remembered that she could be recognized and hid her pupils again, looking away.

    "Wait." Sura approached her and bowed. Audra hid her eyes behind her reddish mane. She didn''t answer. "Let me see your eyes!"

    Audra felt her heart sink into an abyss. She swallowed.

    "Come on, let me see you. Is everything alright?" Sura insisted.

    Audra raised her head.

    "Those eyes... One blue and one green."

    Audra was ready to run.

    "They''re very pretty." Sura smiled. "I have never seen eyes like that."

    Audra sighed and felt so foolish that she thought she deserved to be devoured by the earth. "Thanks," she whispered.

    "And... You told me. Her name is Talia. I know a Talia, Talia of Miljonukas."

    Stolen novel; please report."Yes." Audra raised her head, eyes wide open. "Do you know her?"

    "Of course. We buy her beer."

    "You do not know how long I was looking for her! Does she live nearby?"

    "She lives in a very old neighborhood, but yes, it is nearby."

    Audra took another sip and put the mug down.

    "Could you help me find her?"

    "It would be a pleasure! I can help you tomorrow morning."

    "I cannot waste time, my brother is alone at home."

    "Your younger brother?"

    "He''s my elder brother, but... Something happened to him. He is very hurt at home, and I am taking care of him."

    "Wow, you are definitely a good sister. And you do not have any more family?"

    "No," Audra said with a sigh. "I''m so sorry," Sura said, laying her hand on Audra''s shoulder. Behind her, the waiter''s voice was heard calling her, and Sura turned with disenchantment in her eyes. "Sorry, I''ll be back with you in a minute." She sighed and smiled at Audra. "If you want to take something else, let me know."

    Audra spoke instinctively. "Could I please have some bread?"

    Sura''s smile did not change, but her gaze did; her eyebrows sank like a mountain and her eyes shone with mercy.

    "Of course, just give me a few minutes." She turned and walked toward the kitchen.

    Audra leaned her head back and stretched her arms. Fate had smiled at her, and she was happy despite the hunger and pain in her feet. She leaned forward, finished her tea in one gulp, and placed it on the edge of the table. At that moment, with her eyes toward the entrance, she saw a thin man walk across the threshold, wearing a rough coat that clung to his thin skin. She seemed to have seen him before.

    But as soon as she saw the necklace with the icon of a horse hanging from his neck, she felt her skin turn pale and swallowed.

    It was the scrawny guy who had tried to stone her that morning. She hastened to lower her head and hide it behind her hair. But would he recognize her with her unique, wavy, and pumpkin-spice-colored hair? She glanced sideways and saw the boy order and sit by Sura''s side, with one arm on the bar; looking around, as if searching for old acquaintances or new faces to talk to. Audra wished she could use the book''s invisibility spell. Yes. Maybe it worked the previous time and she did not notice! Everene navarara. And badum, make me invisible, please.

    Suddenly, Sura appeared at the side of the bar and poured a black beer for the boy with the necklace, both spoke with wide smiles and sporadic laughter. Sura locked her eyes with Audra''s, and suddenly she raised her hand with a raised index finger, pointing to her.

    Audra felt that the world was falling on her, with mountains, sky, and even the wall that held the stars. The boy rolled his eyes at her and smiled wickedly. He made a comment, with an even bigger smile, and the waitress laughed.

    What was it? Was he Sura''s boyfriend? Surely, he was going to ruin her reputation against Sura and start a high-priced pursuit. They were going to lynch her. They were going to humiliate her, or worse.

    Sura''s gesture changed, the smile faded and became pure surprise. Audra tried to read her lips, but she did not understand a word.

    Audra knew what to do immediately, what she had done every time she encountered deadly dangers. She stood up and started walking between the tables, toward the door, avoiding eye contact with the two. "Adela," Sura''s voice echoed behind her amid the murmurings, but she did not stop her march toward the exit and the darkness outside, avoiding the tables and the strange looks. Suddenly, she collided with someone. She looked up and found the scrawny boy with a crooked smile and dark hair glowing under the tavern lanterns.

    Anger surged inside her. The bruise on her head still hurt.

    "Hi there, Adela," said the lanky guy, his green eyes shining like jade.

    "Adel, let me introduce you to my brother, Wil," Sura said next to her.

    Audra''s tongue got stuck like a mechanical toy.

    "I see she''s a little shy!" Wil smiled at his sister.

    "I''m glad you two can get to know each other. Wil! Make her feel at home!"

    Audra smiled but hoped that Sura would notice that something was wrong with her smile. Sura tapped her on the shoulder.

    "Wil will help you find your aunt''s house! He delivers packages of grain and brings beer barrels from there every week."

    Audra''s tongue did not respond.

    "Let''s not waste time." Wil turned and walked toward the door.

    What to do? Should she tell Sura what had happened and cause a scene? Or should she act as if nothing had happened in the morning? Yes, who says she did not believe in giving second chances?

    Or maybe the best option was to get out of there as soon as possible... No, she was not going to escape again. She had made a promise to herself. Besides, how would she find her aunt like that?

    It was time to prove herself. This time, she was not going to run away. She was going to make things clear.

    She cleared her throat. "A pleasure." Audra extended her hand. Wil did not seem surprised and gave her a firm handshake.

    "Are we going now?" he said.

    "You are in good hands." Sura touched Audra''s shoulder. "My brother is a very responsible man who always helps us in everything."

    "I can imagine. I guess they''ve never had problems with him." She laughed uncomfortably, and Wil''s smile grew wider.

    Audra looked at Sura as if something was missing.

    "Ah! You''re right," Sura said. "I''ll be back shortly." And she turned around to go back to the kitchen.

    Suddenly, Audra''s smile faded.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" Audra lowered her voice and looked at Wil with disdain. "Do you think I forgot what you did to me? You chased me a block and threw a rock at me? Do you think it''s funny?"

    "Listen! Things happen, you understand, sometimes emotions take over us, and here, there is not only one person with a reputation to protect. Forget about it!"

    Audra frowned.

    "Adel, come sit!" Sura was calling from the table where minutes ago she had proposed to hide, in the corner next to the bar. She had served them two buttered pieces of bread and two beer mugs, one for Audra and one for Wil. The two forced a smile and sat down to eat without looking away from each other.

    Audra thought about the power she had to destroy the boy who had given her the fright of her life in the morning. Maybe it was a service to the community. Yes, now she was in control. She cleared her throat and looked him in the eye.

    "You know, I let you come with me, but you''ll behave. Is that understood?"

    "Who are you to tell me what to do? I do what I do because my sister asks me to. It''s a business, and I''m a part of it."

    "What does it have to do with business? Don''t you have a bit of honor in you?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "But stoning people for no reason is a nice hobby, isn''t it?"

    "You threw a rock at that woman. What did she do to you?"

    "That was an accident! I did it because you wanted to stone me!"

    "Who says I threw the stone?"

    "I would trust you when it came to throwing stones at people who haven''t done anything to you."

    "How can you say you''ve done nothing? You know what they say! I saw the play, ''Summer with the Varunas! And The Scammers of Ladania.'' My sister doesn''t like to see those shows, but I told her all about them. I could ruin your reputation in a second too! I haven''t done it because I don''t like seeing my sister cry. But I would do it for the good of the community."

    "And everything is a lie. I haven''t done anything like that at all in my life! It''s all a bunch of lies! Do you want to know what really happened? We had financed a ship that never arrived. We know it went to the Eastern Sea, and then it disappeared. We don''t know what happened, if it was pirates or what, but we were left without profit. He said he would pay for security. I don''t know if he did. We can''t even find records. In the end, neither Siwelzac acquired his merchandise nor got any of the money. Much less me."

    "So you say it''s Siwelzac''s fault?"

    "How can I not accuse him if he is at fault? I mean, we both invested, and neither of us got anything back. How could we ask for the money if the ship just vanished without leaving a trace? And don''t get me started on what his men did at our castle. My brother went out to negotiate, and his part was to get three horses to dance on top of him and a beating. Just for trying to be civilized with that hero of yours, Count Siwelzac."

    Wil did not change his expression but kept silent.

    Audra bit into the bread without thinking and chewed slowly.

    "Are you going to drink the beer or not?" said Wil.

    "Let''s go now, and let''s get this over with once and for all."

    "Whatever you want," Wil said again and forced a smile, making his sister think she had made a match. Audra jumped to her feet. She had lost her appetite.

    Behind the bar, Sura winked at Wil, and Wil agreed to encircle Audra''s arm with his. Audra did not allow it, so she pulled her arm away immediately.

    "Thank you, Sura," Audra said as she went out into the cold street, and the smiles faded from their faces again. She looked at Wil with a frown."I hope that at this point, you have enough honor to apologize for what you did this morning."

    Wil stepped forward and guided Audra. "Yeah, you''re right. That''s over."

    "You deserve to get a rock thrown at you."

    "It''s all over, Audra!"

    "I think all you wanted to do was to impress your thug friends."

    Wil took a deep breath and stopped at the crossroads, then pointed at the street before them. "You see that path? The only house with a violet roof is that of your aunt."

    "Good. Thank you."

    "Now, Audi, before you leave... Just one more thing."

    "What?"

    "I deserve something because I helped you, don''t I? Otherwise, you could not have made it."

    Audra raised an eyebrow. She was ready to run and hit him.

    "What?"

    "Come on, just a kiss. On the lips. A nice one."

    Audra slapped him with all her might. Wil stood, his head turned, speechless.

    She gritted her teeth, then shouted, "You chase me around and then try to stone me with your friends. And now you ask me for a kiss. I thought you had at least a little common sense!"

    "It''s the least I deserve for how I helped you! Also, remember, I could just tell my sister who you are!"

    "What do I care? The only ones who care about that gossip are the people who have nothing better to do, like you."

    "Now you can say nothing to my sister! Let''s go!" Wil approached and held Audra''s hand.

    Audra felt her blood burn like molten iron, locked her fingers between Wil''s, and pulled upward. Wil let out a scream so loud that lanterns were lit in three houses, and an old woman came out to see what strange thing was going on.

    "I''ve had enough of you! I hope you learned the lesson, little brother Wil!"

    "Stop now!" Wil growled.

    Audra released him immediately and sighed. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said and ran to her aunt''s house.

 Chapter IV: Tara

    Audra knocked and waited attentively. A wooden peephole opened from side to side and revealed two tired eyes, green as leaves in summer, with broad black eyebrows and eyelids hidden behind elegant makeup. The peephole closed, the door opened, and a woman appeared, her hair dark and wavy like a rough sea, black as night, with some gray hair sticking out and faint wrinkles kissing her eyelids. The woman opened her mouth as if to greet her, but Audra had already wrapped her arms around her and rested her head between her shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you.¡± Audra could not hold back her tears. ¡°You won¡¯t believe what happened to us.¡±

    The woman patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Well¡­ Just let me know how I can help you,¡± the woman muttered.

    Audra released her and stared at her with a broad smile and moist eyes.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Aunt, you won¡¯t believe what happened.¡±

    ¡°Aunt?¡± The woman raised an eyebrow. Her eyes widened, and she gasped. ¡°It cannot be! Audra? Is it really you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Aunt.¡±

    ¡°Well, come in!¡± Talia ordered, and Audra stepped inside. Inside, dozens of small candles burned, half of the walls were painted white, and the other half were wood with a deep varnish scent. A wide cauldron stood next to a fireplace on the wall, and in the pantry were countless transparent jars filled with grains and spices.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Aunt Talia,¡± Audra said.

    Talia locked the door behind them and sighed. Talia¡¯s gaze grew wider with every second. ¡°Sit down, my dear. Would you like some tea?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had tea, thank you,¡± Audra said and leaned back in a comfortable, cushioned chair, throwing her head back and sighing. ¡°Aunt Talia, you have no idea what happened.¡±

    ¡°I heard many rumors. How is your father?¡± Talia sat down in front of her and held her hand.

    Audra swallowed. ¡°He is dead.¡±

    Talia¡¯s expression changed into a mixture of surprise and sadness. ¡°By the gods! Audra, why did you not tell me earlier?¡± she said in a sad voice.

    ¡°You do not know how hard it has been to come here. Kaunas is also very hurt; the only thing I got was that someone operated on his leg earlier this week, he had a bad time. I could not leave the house. It was getting infected, and he was burning with fever. Now he has no leg...¡±

    ¡°Kaunas? My gods¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°So he cannot walk?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s confined to a bed. I do not know if he will be able to walk again.¡± Audra sighed. It was time to get to the point. She cleared her throat. ¡°Aunt, there is something important to tell you. I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what you need!¡±

    ¡°I hate to ask you, Aunt, this is very bad. I have to repay all your help when I can, but for now, things are very difficult. We have very little food. Very little, only for a week.¡±

    ¡°Food.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the first thing.¡± She refrained from asking for more. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing, really.¡±

    ¡°And those who condemn you? Are they coming back?¡±Audra sighed. ¡°Yeah, we just got a letter. They want us to pay them all at the end of three months, so that at the beginning of winter, they have everything they lost.¡±

    Talia bowed her head. ¡°How do you plan to do it? Could I help you?¡±

    Thoughts raced through her mind. She had no idea how to do it, but she could not just take her money. Not that it would be enough anyway.

    ¡°Aunt, we¡¯ll fix that, do not worry.¡±

    ¡°Audra, just tell me what you need. But how are you? How is Kaunas? Tell me if you have a plan.¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll plant something.¡±

    ¡°Are your vineyards fine?¡±

    The vineyards had burned in flames. Audra wanted to hide the truth, but surely her eyes gave her away that there was no hope.

    ¡°Audra.¡± She held both her hands. ¡°Tell me your plan. And do not worry... I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    Audra sighed. ¡°Aunt, to tell you the truth, it is impossible to pay this. Never, much less if we are only two.¡±

    ¡°But do not give up, Audra, I¡¯m serious. I can help you. If you want, you can work with me.¡±

    ¡°I cannot leave Kaunas. I cannot leave him there alone and allow those bastards to hurt him.¡±

    She remained silent. Her gaze was fixed on the burning candles, consuming as time.

    ¡°Auntie.¡± She looked at Talia in the eye. ¡°There is only one thing that can be done.¡±

    ¡°What thing?¡±

    ¡°If Siwelzac dies, it will be over.¡±

    Talia¡¯s hand clung to Audra¡¯s hand stronger than before, then released her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°If Siwelzac dies, all our problems will be over. Because of him, my father lost his mind, because of him, we lost our vineyard, and because of him, Kaunas has suffered so much. And I¡¯m sure there are a lot more people suffering because of him.¡±

    Talia got up and ran to the kitchen, returning with strips of incense and lit them with one of the small candles.

    ¡°Continue, Audra. Let those vibes escape. It is not good for you to have them inside. Come on, keep going.¡±

    ¡°He deserves the worst. He deserves to get what he did to us. And there is no other way out, Aunt, for us to be free. We have to avenge my father, and to avenge what they did to my brother.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about killing him?¡±

    ¡°Aunt, we have to do justice. I know what the count did to you, I know what he did to many others, I know how his men behave. You know how this is, if we appeal to King Jog?lion, he will not help. You know that the count is very dear to the king.¡±

    ¡°Do you want revenge?¡±

    ¡°Justice,¡± Audra corrected.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about revenge, doing things outside the law.¡±

    ¡°Talia, this is the right thing. The law will not do anything. The law has been blinded with its lies. Besides, maybe that¡¯s what Dad said. The Varunas are a warrior clan. I have to do it.¡±

    ¡°Audra, you do not handle weapons. And even if you did, does Kaunas agree with what you think?¡±

    ¡°No. Well, I don¡¯t think he cares. But I know I have to do it somehow.¡±¡±Audra, as a member of the family, I tell you that what you¡¯re thinking will not help you. It will lead you to death or worse, and you will not succeed.¡±

    Wrong answer, she thought.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Talia continued, ¡°I had a time similar to yours. And also, Siwelzac happened. You know? Right after your Uncle Otto died. Another brave Varunas. I had nothing. They took away my nobility title. You know what they did to all of us who came from the East at that time. Looking back, it was for the best. Times have changed. I had nothing. I boiled with hate. I felt it. But I realized I didn¡¯t have to do anything. I went back to my life, to rebuild it. Sometimes, being of a noble family means nothing. Especially after the fortune we were born into is lost. But you can start again. If you want to get into trouble, you¡¯ll only find more trouble. And you can never escape.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°Audra, you should organize and work, ask for help. Maybe not from the king, but there are other noble families.¡±

    ¡°Talia, there¡¯s something my father told me about blood. He said Varunas are a warrior clan, and even in times of peace, the desire to do justice boilsin our blood. It¡¯s within me, and I can¡¯t extinguish it. It¡¯s in Kaunas too, but his heart and body are shattered.¡±

    ¡°Audra, you¡¯ve never fought, and I know Kaunas wasn¡¯t very skilled with a sword either. How do you plan to do it?¡±

    Audra sighed heavily, then narrowed her eyelids.

    ¡°Magic.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to poison him? But how?¡±

    ¡°I would if I could, but I wouldn¡¯t go near his castle, even if they paid me a thousand gold coins. I want to face him like the wizards and witches of centuries ago fought, that¡¯s all. Have you heard the stories? Have you heard about the warlocks who built mountains with their dreams? The witches who summoned Perkunas¡¯ thunder from the heavens. I don¡¯t mean I¡¯ll summon a mountain giant to crush his castle, I mean... I¡¯ll make him pay with a pain spell. I don¡¯t want the power to do evil, just to do this, because the law won¡¯t take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Audra, those are just stories, and those people were gifted. And what about the gods?¡±

    ¡°Do you think they help? They only want people to worship them, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Why not...?¡± Talia sighed and shook her head. Audra saw the refusal in her eyes. ¡°Audra, no. That¡¯s not right.¡±

    ¡°Aunt, I can¡¯t help it. I have to do it.¡±

    ¡°There is always another way.¡±

    ¡°Not for me. You can¡¯t make me change my mind. And I want to ask you something else... Auntie, I listened to you years ago. I heard you talk about a sorceress who lives in this city, a very wise woman with powers beyond anything I could imagine.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Talia¡¯s expression became solemn and uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and looked out the window.

    ¡°Is it true that she lives nearby? Is it true that you know her?¡±Talia leaned over and fixed her gaze on Audra¡¯s. ¡°I know her, she¡¯s my neighbor.¡±

    Audra felt her lips open and formed a nervous smile.

    ¡°Do you think she would take me as an apprentice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t want to ask her to do the work for you.¡±

    ¡°The burden is mine, I want the consequences to be mine.¡±

    Talia sighed. ¡°If you want to go see her,¡± she whispered, ¡°be prepared to be dazzled.¡±

    Audra raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will teach you, and you¡¯ll learn, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll like it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Audra shook her head.

    ¡°And... I¡¯m not good at explaining it, but magic is unpredictable, and she is equally or more unpredictable. Well, we¡¯ll visit her early tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What do you know about her? Who? What is her story?¡±

    ¡°She has always lived here, even before I came. And she doesn¡¯t meddle with her neighbors, only when they have great misfortunes. Her name is Tara,¡± she whispered. ¡°And there are many rumors about her. Some say that she is a courtesan of King Jog?lion, others say she is his lover, but it seems that she is highly respected in high society. Many doubt it because she lives in a humble house. Well, it¡¯s nothing special, nothing fancy, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Talia stood up and walked to the window next to the door. She opened the blinds and told Audra to look. Audra glanced outside. Talia pointed to the house in front of them. It seemed to have nothing special about it. But the more she looked at it, she felt a strange energy inside. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had visited that place before, maybe in her own dreams.

    Audra spent the night with Talia and woke up as the first rays of the sun pierced through the windows. They had a cup of tea, then they went looking for the sorceress. Audra felt her stomach stir with uncertainty. The sorceress¡¯s house was as old as the rest of the city, and it looked like it. It was built of small, gray, cold bricks. There was a large window next to the wooden door, with a violet, almost transparent curtain covering it.

    ¡°Would you like me to knock?¡± asked Talia.

    Audra shook her head and approached, knocking. She swallowed. An autumn wind blew; it made her hair go crazy and bothered her eyes, but the door was still in place.

    Audra looked at Talia and shrugged.

    ¡°Does she, like, go out every morning?¡± Audra said.

    She knocked once again. ¡°Hello! Anybody here?¡± she cried. She couldn¡¯t waste time, she had to learn how to solve her problem as soon as possible, and go back to poor Kaunas.

    ¡°She might have gone out,¡± said Talia.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Audra kept knocking, even harder. If she was there, Audra would wake her up no matter what. ¡°Mrs. Tara, are you home?¡±

    ¡°Audra.¡± Talia put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her we came looking for her. It¡¯s getting late, I¡¯ll prepare the sacks of grain and vegetables. It will be okay. Kaunas will surely be very hungry.¡±Audra shook her head, her eyes fixed on the ground. She did not want to give up. Maybe waiting a little longer wouldn¡¯t hurt.

    Suddenly, the door opened with a creak, and Audra stared with wide eyes. But inside, she saw nothing, despite the morning light. Talia signaled for her to enter.

    ¡°Ade,¡± Talia whispered in her ear. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare things for you while you¡¯re here. Good luck.¡±

    Audra nodded and stepped inside.

    The smell of incense flooded the room. On each side, there were dozens of tables and shelves, all with articles and bottles of different colors and shapes. Several mandalas hung on the wall, with small sculptures of gods and animals. There were glass jars with rods, circles, and spheres, skulls, and dried leaves.

    Who had opened the door? Had it been the wind?

    ¡°Good morning...¡± she said, toward nobody, and turned her head around. Suddenly, she saw a thin, short woman with olive skin, big eyes under straight black hair, and a big smile. She wore a beige tunic that hung loose, with a lot of necklaces around her chest. It was nothing like she had imagined. She could be described as pretty and in her forties or a little older if she was the kind of person who aged well.

    The woman stretched out her hand; the bracelets around her wrist tinkled.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± she said with wide eyes and revealing a perfect smile. ¡°Welcome home. I am Tara.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Audra stammered as she reached for Tara¡¯s hand. ¡°I am Audra of Varunas.¡±

    ¡°Well, good to see you, Audra. What brings you here? Is there anything I can help you with?¡±

    Audra swallowed and nodded.

    Tara pointed to a wooden chair, so white it looked like ivory from the south, a height an inch away from the ceiling, with green jewels embedded in the backrest. Along the wood, it was engraved with angled letters of an alphabet that Audra had never seen.

    ¡°Sit comfortably,¡± Tara said, her eyes wide and loving.

    Audra smiled and sat down.

    ¡°Let us begin.¡± Tara held Audra¡¯s wrist. ¡°Quiet. Breathe. You seem quite nervous, child.¡±

    Audra took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Tara released her hand gently.

    Tara had sat across from her in a small chair that looked like it would break at any moment. The smile remained, but her large, sweet eyes seemed at the same time sharp as a knife.

    ¡°Why are you coming to me?¡± she said softly.

    ¡°Well, I...¡±

    Audra felt the tension take hold of her neck. She tried to breathe, but it was difficult. Her hands and feet tensed. She wanted to move them, but they seemed a thousand times heavier.

    Tara stepped forward, seeming much larger than before.

    ¡°Quiet. Keep breathing.¡± Audra felt Tara¡¯s breath upon her face.

    Audra attempted to breathe, blinked a lot, and felt her heart speed up like a racing chariot going downhill.

    ¡°What''s happening?¡± she hissed through her teeth.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Tara whispered next to her ear. ¡°It¡¯s just a test."

    Tension gripped Audra¡¯s arms like an invisible iron chain. Tara said it was a test, that she should remain calm, that she should breathe deeply. She made an effort, but her body seemed wrapped in fear and did not obey her mind.

    Audra did her best to relax, but the tension grew more and more. It seemed like it was never going to end.

    Suddenly, Audra¡¯s body was propelled forward and she fell to her knees with a long inspiration. She breathed quickly; now her muscles felt free of all weight and she felt like her body was floating adrift.

    ¡°What was that?¡± said Audra in a loud voice.

    ¡°It was a test, to see what you can do. That was all, do not worry. Now we are ready to start. Good. So, you were telling me? Why did you come to me? What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please be honest.¡±

    ¡°I want to do justice,¡± Audra said, looking up.

    ¡°Justice? I like that word. Tell me more.¡±

    Audra cleared her throat. ¡°There is a man who did us a lot of harm. It started with a business deal that went wrong because we think somebody ransacked the ship that carried all of the merchandise, and we could not pay back what we had invested. He got very angry and made life impossible for us, he took everything except the castle.¡±

    Tara nodded, as if she was going to say something.

    Audra was silent, waiting for an answer.

    ¡°Go on,¡± Tara said.

    Audra nodded. ¡°And... Well, they got tired of waiting and came to the castle, burned the vineyards, looted the cellars. That day, my father died and my brother got beaten up so badly that he cannot walk. Well, we have nothing. I did not know what to do, how to continue living. Everything Father worked for was lost. And I came here, and it turns out that Count Siwelzac has told all his vassals that we are dregs. They wanted to kick me out of the city! I... I want to see justice, that this man and all his followers suffer.¡±

    Tara nodded and raised her index finger high. ¡°Vengeance,¡± she said. ¡°That is what you want.¡±

    ¡°But he deserves it...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk things the way they are. It may be fair, it may not be. But what you want is something specific, and it is called vengeance.¡±

    ¡°I do not know. But it is what I want to do. I want him to suffer.¡±

    ¡°Say no more. How do you want to do it?¡±

    ¡°I would like a powerful spell. I wish I could torment his castle with powerful, burning, fire-magic. Make them flee from fear and burn them alive. I want you to teach me, and I want to do it myself.¡±

    ¡°Now. All right. In everything you want to do, you must be master of your actions. I do not do jobs for anyone. Your actions should be yours alone. Do you understand that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Perfectly,¡± said Audra. ¡°Then... will you teach me? Will you take me as a disciple?¡±

    ¡°Stop there.¡± Tara shook her head, and her necklaces tinkled. ¡°I do not take apprentices, but I can give you some ideas to solve your problem. But if you trust me, you will achieve what you want. What¡¯s more, maybe things will go better than you plan. If you follow my instructions.¡±

    ¡±I want it. Yes. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you want. Also, why do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Because I heard that you were a very powerful sorceress.¡±

    ¡°Is that enough to gain your trust?¡±

    ¡°Well, why not? The consequences will be mine, nobody else¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°First, understand that everything has a price. That power you want comes at a very, mark my words, very high price.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. Good. By the way, I have tried to charm the count with the spells in the book. It¡¯s called Ghimatia. Do you know about it? Well, I haven¡¯t seen any results so far, and it doesn¡¯t seem to help. It has not worked for me, and it¡¯s been a month since I drew the magic circle.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Tara declared. ¡°If it were that easy, the world would be in flames. The spells of love and hate would wreak havoc in social life. Magic does not happen just because you want it to. Before you have the power to change things, you need an intermediary and an offering.¡±

    ¡°Intermediary? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are the guardians, those who receive power from the eternal gods. There are many, good gods, and there are demons on earth. They allow things to happen, and they do not happen without paying prices. There are beings endowed with powers that inhabit other realities, and sometimes, they pass to this. Has anyone offered help?¡±

    ¡°Who? Nobody else knows I do magic, except my brother.¡±

    ¡°By someone, I mean a spirit. A fairy or a renegade elf. But they ask for a lot, and if the nature of your desire is a bit, let¡¯s say, violent. It is not convenient to seek their help.¡±

    ¡°Then what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Remember. The first principle is that in this life, and in magic too, nothing is free. And everything you do has a weight. All. Absolutely everything. That is why you should be careful.¡±

    Audra shook her head, trying to absorb all that. ¡°What should I do? For my magic to work, nothing else,¡± Audra asked, her eyes wide.

    Tara walked around the room a couple of times, looking up, as if thinking about the next answer. The tinkling of her bracelets made Audra nervous. Suddenly, Tara stopped and looked at her with a venomous smile and narrow eyes. ¡°What you need is to perform a sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°What sacrifice?¡± Audra felt her hair stand on end. That word sounded terrifying.

    ¡°As I said, I want things to go well for you, to be sure, and I do not want to carry something in my conscience that is unfair. I cannot. You will not be able to if you try. For that purpose, I need you to follow my instructions carefully. You do not need to kill anyone. Although that would be a quick exit. If you kill someone, you will have more consequences to deal with. Do not bother doing it. What you should do... is take a trip.¡±

    ¡°Trip?¡± Audra raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°As you hear it. And I have a perfect trip for you.¡±

    ¡°But... I have responsibilities.¡± Audra jumped to her feet. ¡°I have to take care of my brother and the harvest.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. As you wish, but if you want to do this, I already told you, trust me.¡±

    ¡°But what about my brother?¡±

    ¡°Trust me. I can keep an eye on him.¡±

    ¡°Like a protection spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Trust me.¡± She winked.

    ¡°And where should I go?¡± Audra asked.

    Tara turned around, walked to the bookshelf, and peered through a pile of parchment stacks.

    ¡°Here!¡±

    She spread a map, worn and cut at the corners. In it, the lines of the borders were those of ten years ago.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pay much attention to the names of the places, they are not updated. But this is what I wanted to show you.¡±

    Tara pointed to a spot almost on the edge of the map, to the east, where a mountain range was drawn so long that it looked like the tail of a dragon.

    ¡°What is there?¡±

    ¡°A very high mountain called Mount Svogod. I need you to climb it.¡±

    Audra blinked in unbelief.

    ¡°A mountain? But it is at least five hundred miles, and in the kingdoms of the East. What do you want me to do? How can someone like me go east and climb a mountain?¡±

    ¡°There grows a plant called Mountain Madness. It has a violet leaf with incredible magic power. There are beings caring for that mountain, in the heights and the ice, whose favor is high in the eyes of the gods. That can be the catalyst that makes you the most powerful sorceress in the Westerlands. You have the potential. All you have to do is go to the mountain, pick up enough of that leaf, and bring it back to me. That way you¡¯ll be ready to act.¡±

    Mountain Madness? Audra had spent hours studying herbs and their healing properties; indeed, her instructor Karola had beaten her hands more than once to remind her of the leaves required to prepare essential oils. However, she had never heard of such a thing. Mountain Madness sounded like a compound used by assassins to drive their victims crazy, or as a music group to entertain cheap weddings. Was it a joke?

    ¡°Mountain Madness? It¡¯s a flower?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You will easily recognize it, do not worry.

    ¡°Good. If it is about that, it sounds easy, except that I am a Ladanian girl, without money and with a brother to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry. Maybe you have better things to do,¡± Tara said.

    Audra took a deep breath. What was she talking about? The most powerful sorceress in the West? What did that mean?

    ¡°Can you really take care of my brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tara said with a sincerity so deep and almost innocent that it could not be doubted. At least, she could not doubt her intentions. Audra thought of the rumors that Tara was the king¡¯s lover. Would that be enough to protect Kaunas?

    ¡°If you promise me, I guess I can do it.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Tara looked at her with wide eyes and her perfect smile. She took her hand. ¡°I promise you. And you? You promise me you¡¯ll go?¡±

    Audra nodded, her eyebrows arched and getting nervous again.

    ¡°How can I go to the Eastlands?¡±

    ¡°Do you trust me? Who is the sorceress?¡±

    ¡°You are.¡±

    "You see? I know what I''m talking about. If you have doubts, just ask Talia. It''s up to you. You can leave and never come back or do what I say. As for your brother, do not worry. I''ll take good care of him."

 Chapter V: Choices

    When Audra walked out, ready to go home, she could not imagine who the horseman her aunt had hired was. He was waiting for her on a skinny, black horse, with four large sacks tied to the chair behind him and an ironic smile on his thin face. Audra rolled her eyes as soon as she saw him and shook her head with a grimace of disgust.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Audra,¡± Wil said with a wink.

    ¡°You? Again?¡±

    ¡°Your aunt offered me a nice pay to help you,¡± Wil told her. ¡°You are welcome.¡±

    ¡°Why does it have to be you? Is there no other horseman in this neighborhood?¡±

    Wil laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young Audra, I take my job very seriously.¡±

    ¡°So I cannot get rid of you.¡± Audra arched both eyebrows.

    ¡°Girl, you do bite.¡± Will made his horse move to a stop beside Audra and stroked its sleek mane. ¡°Let me introduce you to my friend, Perkunas.¡±

    The horse seemed to take it for granted and neighed with its dilated nostrils. His muscles were relaxed, and his ears moved expectantly. She knew those were signs of a relaxed horse.

    ¡°So, Perkunas.¡± She glanced at Wil. ¡°Cute name for a horse.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Come on, I¡¯m not going to bite anymore.¡± He stretched both hands to help Audra mount. She sighed and agreed, grabbed Wil¡¯s hand, and climbed on the horse with a look of displeasure in her eyes. She regretted having to spend the whole trip stuck with Wil and tried to keep her distance.

    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked, then he turned to see her from the corner of his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time,¡± said Audra, and Wil hastened to make the horse trot on the rocky streets, down the ramps for horsemen.

    ¡°So you went to visit the sorceress,¡± Wil said without taking his eyes off the path in front of him.

    ¡°I went to her house to fix the drainage, Captain Obvious.¡±

    ¡°Watching the sorceress is a sign that things are not right for you. Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got to start somewhere.¡±

    ¡°So, Miss Audra... You know what?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Audra growled with disinterest.

    Wil sighed. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ah? About what?¡±

    ¡°I was an idiot.¡± His voice indicated sincere regret. ¡°I want you to know that I¡¯m really sorry. I acted like an idiot. Twice. This time I hope I don¡¯t do it anymore.¡±

    Audra sighed. ¡°I hope so too.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Wil said. ¡°Well, how¡¯s the sorceress?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. Very well.¡±

    ¡°What did she say?¡±

    ¡°She told me not to tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Come on, tell me.¡± Wil¡¯s obnoxiousness was lethal.

    ¡°She gave me a spell to protect me from the people who want to stone me, so that their underwear bursts in flames, and same for the boys who think they can kiss me just because they want to.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still angry at me,¡± Wil said through his teeth.

    ¡°Thank you, captain Obvious.¡±

    ¡°Well, as you wish,¡± he said, shrugging.

    Audra looked from one side to another in the city and noticed people pointing and whispering to each other. She gritted her teeth and lowered her head, hiding her face under her hair.

    All of a sudden, a cabbage hit her shoulder.

    Out of here, you swindler!¡± A large shopkeeper yelled at her, before throwing a half-rotten cauliflower. Audra dodged; it hit the ground and fell into pieces. She clenched her fists, restraining her anger. She wished the sorceress had actually given her a magical skill, perhaps to make their hair burn, or maybe invoke the stones of the city to swallow annoying citizens.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Wil patted her hand. ¡°Use your magic.¡±

    Audra would have liked to smash his head instead. She whispered in his ear, ¡°Very funny, Wil, now that you¡¯re at work, let¡¯s get out of here. Fast.¡±

    ¡°I also want to get out of here as soon as possible, but there are a lot of people, and¡­¡±

    A turnip, hard as stone, hit him in the face. He turned bitterly and pouted. ¡°Who did that? Who do you think you are, you idiot!¡± he shouted at a brown-haired boy who was hiding behind his vegetable stand.

    ¡°Now, welcome to my world. Come on, Wil, stop wasting time,¡± she said, dodging three consecutive carrots.

    Suddenly, three guards came out of a brothel, their armor covering them from head to toe, and wielding long, silver spears. They formed a line in front of the horse, blocking their way.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Wil pulled his horse¡¯s rein, and Perkunas rose on two legs, alarmed.

    ¡°They cannot do anything to us.¡± Audra clung to Wil¡¯s ear. ¡°Can they? Am I wanted? Wil. Tell me. Are they looking for me?¡±

    Wil raised his head toward her. ¡°Well, not that I know of.¡± He looked forward again. ¡°Is everything all right, gentlemen?¡±

    ¡°Youngling. We have heard some rumors among the people. Some people have started to murmur.¡±

    ¡°What rumors?¡±

    The guard pointed to the cloth sacks around the saddle. ¡°They say you stole that bag.¡±

    ¡°It is not true!¡± Audra yelled bitterly.

    The guards looked at each other as if discussing something important, then glanced at Audra. ¡°Eh, are you the one from the Varunas clan? The one from the play at the central theater?¡±

    Audra lowered her head and took a deep breath. Then she cleared her throat and raised her jaw. ¡°Yes, I am Audra of Varunas. I did not steal this! My aunt gave it to me. She is the brewess in the north wing. Is that clear? If you want to be safe, go and ask.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s search,¡± said one of the guards, approaching with a long, silver spear in his hand.

    He inspected the wheat bag that hung from the horse¡¯s saddle. He aimed carelessly, pointing the spear at its center and cut it. The grains fell down like a waterfall.

    ¡°You, idiot!¡± Audra quickly dismounted and approached the guard. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do people have no right to live their life? I¡¯m Varunas, yes, but not everything that Siwelzac says is true. Mind your own business! Do you want me to tell King Jog?lion how his guards behave? I know you will not like it. I have contacts in the Court of King Jog?lion.¡±

    The other two came forward, holding the spears. ¡°Take a step forward, I warn you,¡± she said as she raised her finger. ¡°I warn you, you will not like it,¡± she added, but her heart pounded like a war drum.

    She took a shaky step back to where Wil was still mounted on the horse, his face pale and his eyes wide.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Wil,¡± Audra said. He reached out and helped her onto the horse, while the guards looked on with narrow eyes and murmurs.

    ¡°Well done,¡± whispered Wil, impressed. Audra couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened. She smiled in satisfaction, before glaring again and casting Wil an angry glance.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± she whispered with a stutter. ¡°And let¡¯s get out of here now!¡±

    In an instant, they were galloping through the streets and ramps to the lowest part of the city, barely stopping this time, while the angry crowds complained about the reckless horseman. Audra made sure to keep her head down, pressing it against Wil¡¯s bony back without looking around.

    Nothing compared to the relief she felt as soon as they crossed the city walls. She smiled widely and raised her arms to the air.

    ¡°At last, we left that blasted city!¡± Audra closed her eyes as the autumn wind caressed her face. She untied the scarf from her head and let it flutter in the wind. Her heart was filled with joy.

    ¡°We did it!¡± Wil shouted and spurred his horse. The horse started to move faster, causing Audra to lose her balance and fall backward. She reacted in fear and clung tightly to Wil¡¯s body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go so fast, Wil,¡± she blurted out.

    Wil laughed and spurred the horse even more.

    ¡°No!¡± Audra shouted, grabbing him by the neck.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± he said, spurring harder. The horse neighed furiously and galloped downhill like a meteor. Audra felt the wind push them back, and she wished she could throw Wil off the horse herself.

    ¡°Yeah, Wil! Stop!¡± She shook him by the shoulders.

    The horse galloped like crazy until it finally got tired, and its speed started to drop.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again, Wil,¡± she sighed.

    ¡°Easy, my horse and I know each other well.¡± Wil stroked the black mane. Audra could already see fields in the distance and the small hill where the castle was built. Her castle stood there, surrounded by dry trees, some of them ash, the drawbridge on the ground and wide open, and what looked like a desert beyond the threshold. Though she still had a castle, Audra felt shame. Wil remained silent and rode to the entrance of the bridge, where they stopped.

    ¡°Thank you for taking me, again,¡± Audra said, gracefully dismounting from the horse. She untied the bag of potatoes, made an effort to hold them in the air, but accidentally dropped them on the ground.

    ¡°Careful,¡± Wil said, dismounting next to her and quickly catching the other two bags in his arms.

    ¡°Do you want me to help you carry them inside?¡± Wil looked at her with a smile.

    ¡°Leave them by the door, please.¡±

    He nodded with a wink and carried both bags behind her. Audra sighed and lifted the other bag with all her strength. She dragged it toward the door, her back turned like a frightened cat and holding in the pain.

    She stopped right at the entrance, beside the bridge, dropped the bag, and leaned against the wall. Wil came out from behind with a closed-mouth smile.

    ¡°Wil, I have to go to greet my brother. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s boiling with anger. But thanks, anyway.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± he said and looked at the floor.

    Audra waited and prayed to the gods that he wouldn¡¯t ask for another kiss.

    ¡°Audra...¡± he said.

    She wanted, with all her heart, to avoid an uncomfortable situation. He did not say anything, just scratched his shoulder-length black hair. Then he laughed timidly. ¡°Sorry, again.¡± Wil looked at the floor. ¡°Really.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wil.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± he said, turning his back on her and walking toward his horse. He mounted it without looking back, and he started to ride down the same path. Audra ran to her brother¡¯s room and opened the door. She walked in and smelled the sweat, not bathing, and saw the piles of dirty laundry piled up in the corner. Kaunas opened his eyes, surprised. His red hair looked like a cuckoo¡¯s nest. Beside him stood a lot of empty bottles and a plate besieged by flies.

    ¡°Kaunas. I¡¯m home.¡±

    ¡°Finally.¡± Kaunas made an effort and raised his torso on the bed, tensing his eyes and gasping in pain. ¡°Good, you do not know how I almost died of hunger for a day and a half.¡±

    ¡°Well, that might help you lose a few pounds.¡±

    ¡°Then you tell me you¡¯ll leave me without eating another minute, and the good Kaunas will die.¡±

    Audra ran to the kitchen, her stomach also roaring, and prepared a stew with everything necessary to make her brother happy: potatoes, cabbage, carrots, turnips, and even pieces of dried meat. Then she sat down to eat with Kaunas and ate without saying a word for the first time since the attack.

    ***

    ¡°Good, Audra! So the trip was worth it!¡± he said and leaned his head against the pillow.

    ¡°Yes, it was worth it in the end,¡± she said, staring at the empty bowl.

    ¡°And what were you going to tell me? Let¡¯s see. What did Aunt Talia say?¡±

    Audra told him all about his adventure, omitting the last part: the visit to Tara and the promise between them. How was she going to explain it to him?

    After lunch, she went back to her room, closed the door, and pulled the old book from under her bed. She opened it and stared at the marks in the circle, made with all the anger in her heart. It was a testament to her hatred, to her desire for justice. One that would never work.

    She had a lot to learn about magic. It frightened her, but her heart urged her to learn about it. Yes, she had made a promise upon her father¡¯s grave, and the only way to do it was that. Fulfill her revenge, just as Tara had called it.

    The greatest sorceress in the West.

    In addition, she remembered the words of the temple priests.

    She lay down on the floor and stared at the thatched roof and wood. Her mind was spinning, and she returned to the subject.

    What was the East like? She had heard of a mysterious land, with dark secrets in the forests and mountains, with barbarians who feared nothing and who treated Westerners like animals. The land without control, where there were massacres and a large slave trade of all countries. That sounded scary.

    But she also thought of the luxurious dresses of embroidered crimson silk, their fine linens their jewelry; she imagined herself dressed like a princess from those distant empires, remembered the melodiousness of her songs, when people from the East brought those wonderful circuses that visited the country and left days later.

    But she had to tell her brother in a way that he understood.

    She entered Kaunas¡¯s room, this time, without asking. Kaunas was sitting against the wall, looking through the window, into the field, the forest and the plains. He had already removed the bandages from his head. He had a long, tangled beard, red as a burning firebrand.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Kaunas¡¯s face was pale as if Father had risen from the grave.

    ¡°You look good, brother, how do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Well, my neck feels better, at least.¡± He sighed and winced in pain.

    ¡°You should take a bath.¡± Audra took a small breath, not to smell him.

    ¡°Maybe later,¡± he said.

    Audra rolled her eyes. "How''s your back?"

    "I still cannot move it," Kaunas said with a grunt.

    "Are you improving, though? Do you think you''ll be able to walk again"

    "Don''t even mention that," Kaunas said, fear crossing his gaze. That idea also made her shudder.

    "I''m sorry," said Audra. She went to the window and flung it open, letting an icy breeze enter like an uninvited guest. Then she sat by the door and looked at her brother. "What do you think? I guess you''ve had time to think, haven''t you?"

    "About what?" he asked.

    Audra cleared her throat. "Something... important"

    "You tell me."

    Audra swallowed and looked through the window. "What would you think if I told you...?"

    "Did your aunt offer you a job?" he asked worriedly.

    Audra swallowed. "I have been offered something...

    Audra kept her eyes fixed on the floor.

    "A job or what?"

    "Something like that," Audra replied.

    "What do you mean something like that?" Kaunas growled. "Is it a job or no?"

    "Well, it''s..."Audra swallowed. "It is, and well-paid... But I''d have to leave the city. I''d... I''d have to leave the kingdom."

    Kaunas''s eyes opened wide, and his expression morphed to anguish. "The kingdom? Are you out of your mind? One thing is to go to the city every day! I would understand that, but leave the kingdom? Have you gone mad?"

    Audra realized the absurdity of it all. Maybe she was selfish, yes, maybe it was inconsiderate. Maybe she wanted to avoid responsibility and get away from him, and she didn''t even realize it. And that made it way worse. "Yes, maybe you''re right," she said, then looked at Kaunas. "But they promised me they would take care of you."

    "Who?"

    "Someone," she muttered.

    "What? Who promised what? Do not tell me you went to see that fortune teller and believed every word she she said."Audra sighed.

    Kaunas gritted his teeth. "Will they pay you well, at least?"

    "I hope."

    "It does not sound safe at all." kaunas shook his head, clenching his teeth in frustration. "Where do they want you to go?"

    "To the East."

    "To the East? Is this a joke? Are you playing with me, Audra?" Kaunas grimaced in disgust.

    "I am serious, Kaunas, but listen, I believe her, I suppose. As I said, the person who told me is reliable."

    "To the East. To the East. This is¡­ inconceivable."

    "Yes, but I''ve heard..."

    "Did the fortune teller offer you that... job? Are you really that naive, Audra?"

    "Well¡­"

    "And what are you supposed to do? Are you going to be a mercenary? Or slave? Or slave to the mercenaries? Never trust those Easterners. Have you heard of their land? It''s full of thieves, of killers, and if you refuse to join their army they kill you and all of your family. They decimate their own soldiers, for the sake of the Gods!"

    "Well, Kaunas, what if the pay is good? What if I can assure you that someone is going to protect you? What if, the Gods know, maybe I''ll get enough money to pay it all off. I guess you will be able to walk by then. What do you think I should do? Do you think it''s a good choice?"

    That would hopefully sound convincing. But all she wanted, the only thing that could end their problems was Siwelzac''s demise. It didn''t matter how much they paid, Siwelzac would always find a way to trap them and extort them.

    "Audra, well. I sure hope I can walk by then. I''m not sure, but if they pay as well as you say, maybe..." Kaunas seemed perplexed. He shook his head as if waiting for impending doom. "Well, either way, it''s insane. The East? Who goes to the East? Since when do they have work in the East? So¡­just get more information. If we can make good money, go for it, I guess. I guess. Depends on how much."

    But Audra could not be sure. She had to talk to the sorceress and give her an answer. For now. How could she trust her? She had not heard anything bad about her, unless being the King''s lover deemed her untrustworthy.

    She shut her eyes. But she let trust guide her.

    ***

    A week later, Audra was back on the road with a tight headscarf around her head and dressed in black. She arrived before noon and knocked on Tara''s door. She could not say yes to her so quickly, as Kaunas said, there was no gain, no explanation of who was going to take care of her brother.

    Suddenly, she felt a hand rest on her shoulders. She turned around in surprise and found Talia smiling at her, her dark hair flowing in the air.

    "Talia!" Audra said. "Have you seen Mrs. Tara? I have something to tell her!"

    "Will you agree to her idea?"

    "I have to talk to her. Where is she?"

    "Come with me," Talia said, turning and walking toward her own house. She had left the door open. Audra stared at her, confused, and followed her inside.

    "So Tara is not here? Where is she?"

    "Where she is, I do not know. But she gave me something in case you came."

    Audra sighed desperately and sat down at the table.

    "I have something for you."

    Talia leaned in front of a box on the shelf and took out an envelope, handing it to Audra. It had a red seal like blood and the banner of the kingdom of Ladania: a two-headed eagle holding a bundle of arrows.

    "What is this?" Audra looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

    "It is for you. On behalf of Tara."

    "What is it?"

    "She told me you should open it as soon as you''re alone. It''s very important.""Good. Do you know when she returns?"

    "I do not think she''ll come back for a long time."

    "What? Are you going to leave me like this, in the middle of nowhere? She had proposed something to me."

    "Did you see the letter? Did you see the seal?" She approached Audra''s ear, took the envelope from her hand, and whispered, "This is coming from the king''s court."

    Audra blinked and felt the colors fade from her face. "What?"

    "So, take care of the letter. It is for you, and you only."

    Audra nodded. Now what? What was in that letter? She reached for the seal and pulled it slightly.

    "Stop there," Talia said. "She said to open it when you''re alone. And I must give you something else."

    "Well," Audra said, curiosity taking her to the point of madness. "And what else?"

    "It''s another thing that Tara asked me to do."

    "Talia¡­¡± Audra got up from the chair. "It''s very early. I just wanted to talk to Tara. You know, so she can explain a little more... But you know her more than me. What do you think I should do? Do you think it''s a good choice?"

    "You can trust her," Talia said, her eyes clear and honest. "I know that for a fact. But you''re going to have a very strange adventure. So prepare yourself."

    "Do you think that...?"

    "You will not get hurt."

    "She told me she was going to take care of Kaunas."

    "And she will, but that does not mean nothing is going to happen to him. At least, I think it will keep him alive."

    Audra swallowed. She shook her head in indignation.

    "Alive? Talia! Is there something worse that can happen to him before he dies? Kaunas will not resist anymore. You do not know how he feels now."

    "You decide, Audra. She promised you that she would take care of him, whatever it means, she will help you. And thus you will fulfill your purposes."

    "Talia, would you trust your nephew? Your niece?"

    "Yes," she said with a sigh. "Audra, this is not what you think. It is something much bigger than simple magic. It is not just about hurting people or making them fall in love with people at will. The whole cosmos has to do with it, and all the gods are involved."

    "Aunt, I do not get it. What do you mean?"

    "It''s your decision. I followed the path of Tara myself. It was not easy, but it was worth it. It will not give you what you expect, the way you expect it, because it is not the magic of the earth. It''s something that goes beyond."

    "But... I do not understand. Do you know when she will return? I think she can explain it to me more clearly."

    "She said she was leaving for a long time."

    "What? Then, well, you tell me. Talia, this is too much. What does she expect me to do? Or when should I go?"

    "I do not know. If I were you, I would do what she tells me. Open the envelope as soon as you''re alone, and decide."

    "Well." Audra sighed, nodded, and carefully placed the envelope in the bag she was carrying.

    "Now wait a moment," Talia said, turning around and running to the pantry. Audra heard the noise of pots and then, Talia appeared, carrying a sack of cloth over her shoulders. She left it on top of the table.

    "What is that?" Audra asked.

    Audra came over, glanced in, and her mouth watered at the sight of juicy peaches.

    "Is this for me?" she asked.

    "For you, for Kaunas, and for Lakm¨¦."

    "Lakm¨¦?" Audra raised an eyebrow.

    Talia took a deep breath, and her green eyes blinked. "On behalf of Tara and you," she said solemnly. "She said this deserved a celebration, but since she was not here, you would take a tribute to the Temple of Lakm¨¦."

    "The goddess of fate? If she says so... Where is this temple?"

    "On the west gate."

    "What does she want me to do?"

    "Leave a little fruit and incense."

    Audra sighed and looked inside the sack. Seriously? Was she going to give those tasty, juicy peaches to a marble statue?

    "She said you must give her the best if you want to do well on the trip."

    Audra swallowed, then sighed. "Understood," she said.

 Chapter VI: The Wrong One

    Wil had been waiting for Audra since the day he left her at the castle gates, believing she would visit the sorceress often, maybe daily. He waited in vain, gazing through his window while his hopes to see her again waned with each passing day. He missed her like he''d never missed anyone; he spent hours remembering the short conversations they''d shared; he thought of her voice and the future they could have if she decided not to leave ever.

    That day, he was sitting in the barn, a hammer in his right hand, a nail held between his teeth, holding one of Perkunas'' back legs, and nailing the last horseshoe after the cleanup. Then Sura broke his concentration.

    "Wil, come, quick!" she said through the window.

    He mumbled back, trying not to let the nail fall to the floor, and meaning to tell her not to interrupt him.

    But then she insisted. "Come, your girl is passing by!"

    As soon as he heard that, he let the hoof go and rushed to the house. Sunlight broke through the windows. The chairs were still on top of the tables for the morning clean up. Sura stood next to the window, broom in hand, her hair wild as if it had been visited by a typhoon, leather apron on her chest.

    "Fast! You''ll miss your chance!" she said.

    "What? You mean Audra?"

    "Who else?"

    "Where is she?" he said, leaning toward the window, but he only saw the stone street, the sun casting shadows on the walls, and a mountain of horse dung in the middle of the road.

    "She just passed by. I''m pretty sure she''s going to Talia''s. Go and talk to her, you northern lion, hurry up. I want to have nieces and nephews."

    "Fine. Fine¡­ I''m going... But...what should I tell her?"

    "Well, offer her help. Come on, there''s nothing strange about it. You''re going to give her a ride so she can get home early. It is not an impropriety. What could go wrong?"

    "I''m going now," he said, striding down the stairs and out into the street. He saw her just before she crossed the corner, with a veil hiding her long hair, but her figure was unmistakable. Wil felt his stomach churn, but he knew that if he did not stop her then, he might not see her for a long time.

    He swallowed and followed her through the streets, hiding behind the walls until he saw her knocking on the sorceress''s house; and later, Talia receiving her in her own home.

    Wil stayed there, by the door. He thought about what excuse he was going to give because waiting for someone like that could be perceived as strange. Yes, she sure already thought it was weird, he should not ruin his reputation any more than he already had. He decided to go back home, or at least wait behind the pillars and pretend to meet her by chance.

    Suddenly the door opened, and he saw her come out with a sack on her back. Wil felt his heart beating, and he ran to the corner. He thought of the solution. How not to look like an idiot?

    He walked toward her as if everything was a coincidence. "Ade!" he shouted.She seemed surprised and looked from one side to another until their gazes locked. Her large eyes shone like jewels in the sun, one green as an emerald and the other blue like sapphire.

    "You again!" She frowned. "Why do I have to find you everywhere I go?"

    "I don''t know." Wil smiled. "Maybe it''s our density."

    "Our what?"

    "D-d-destiny. I mean destiny."

    Audra rolled her eyes.

    He sighed. Why did she have to be so mean? But he had been mean earlier, he remembered.

    Audra cleared her throat. "What do you want?" Audra said, as if questioning why he was standing in front of her. Wil took a deep breath. This was his chance to make things right. "Do you need a ride home? That bag looks heavy, and I don''t think your shoes are gonna make it."

    Audra sighed and let out a shy smile, revealing perfect teeth behind her soft, rose-like lips.

    "Yes, why not? But don''t you dare to ride like a savage, understood?"

    "Yes." Wil smiled, reaching out to help her with the bag of peaches. "Come on, follow me."

    Wil turned around and guided her to his family''s tavern, but instead of entering through the front door, he passed through the barn, which smelled of excrement, with open barrels filled with oatmeal and grain scattered across the floor. He left the sack in a corner and led them to the shabby garden until they reached the barn. He pushed open the wooden door. Perkunas stood there, watching their movements intently, with his ears facing forward and coughing as if expectant.

    "Come here, my friend," Wil said, gently tugging on the reins. Perkunas trotted forward, while Audra watched, arms crossed. "Have you ever owned a horse?" Wil asked as he took the bridle that hung next to him and adjusted it gently on Perkunas''s head.

    "Yes, I had a pony when I was little. But I didn''t take care of it myself. We had a caretaker."

    "What was its name?"

    "The horse or the caretaker?"

    "Why would I be interested in the caretaker?"

    "The pony was called Avza." Audra smiled.

    "Avza? Couldn''t you think of something more creative?"

    "I wasn''t very creative as a child."

    "Well." Wil finished saddling and tied the sack to Perkunas''s saddle.

    "Your house is quite big," Audra said.

    "Well, it''s not a castle," he said and mounted Perkunas with a gasp. Then he reached out and helped Audra up.

    Wil glanced sideways and saw that something was about to fall out of the sack. He took it quickly and held it up. It was a carefully folded paper envelope, with flower designs engraved in brown ink and a red stamp bearing the shield of King Jog?lion.

    "What is this?" he asked.

    "Nothing, give it to me." Audra reached out to take it away from him, and he quickly held it out of her reach.

    "What is it?" Wil''s voice was agitated. He took another look at the envelope. "Tell me."

    "Give it back, Wil!" said Audra, worriedly.

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    "Yes, I''ll give it to you, but tell me... What is it?"

    "It''s a letter."

    "Whose?"

    "Do you mind?"

    "Yes, I do."

    "Give it to me," Audra said, stretching her hand out as Wil lifted the letter and kept it out of her reach. "Wil!"

    "Tell me who sent it," Wil asked. "Are you engaged?"

    "No, Wil, it has nothing to do with that! It''s something else!"

    "What is it, then?"

    "I do not know, I have not opened it yet."

    "What the hell is it, then?" he said, handing it back to Audra.

    She sighed. "Tara gave it to me. I have not read it, Wil, but¡­it''s really no big deal."

    "Why don''t you tell me?"

    "I promised I would not show it to anyone."

    "Well," he said with a sigh and spurred on Perkunas. The horse trotted out of the barn and dashed through the streets.

    But Wil couldn''t ignore the curiosity that consumed him. Was she going to seek help from the king? Or had some nobleman invited her somewhere? Maybe someone wanted to marry her. That would shatter the dreams he had nurtured all week; dreams that had shaped his world and his expectations. He couldn''t let his future be determined by that mystery. He had to find out. He turned his gaze back towards her.

    "So, are you going to open it?"

    "Not yet," said Audra, sounding annoyed as if she didn''t want to continue the conversation. Wil, however, felt overpowering emotions.

    "Well, open it."

    "I''ll open it when I get home."

    "And will you tell me?"

    "Wil, do you even care about this? Seriously?"

    Audra''s responses made him feel like he was repeatedly hitting a wall. What was this girl thinking? She clearly hadn''t forgiven him for his less than stellar first impression.

    "It''s fine," Wil sighed. "It''s your thing."

    Suddenly, Audra screamed, causing Wil''s heart to race.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked.

    "I forgot! Wil, do you know the temple of Lakm¨¦?"

    "Yes, why?"

    "I have to go."

    "Now?"

    "No, Wil, next year."

    "Well, next year..."

    "Now! Don''t you understand sarcasm?"

    For a moment, Wil questioned if he had fallen in love with the wrong girl. But he took a deep breath, pulled on the reins, and turned Perkunas around.

    "What''s wrong with Lakm¨¦?" Wil asked, surprised.

    "I have to make an offering to her."

    "Did Talia tell you to do it? Well, well," he said, sighing. He glanced back and noticed Audra staring at the letter.

    "I''ll take you home now. It''s not that close, huh?"

    "It doesn''t matter," she said, but her gaze remained fixed on the envelope. The paper seemed to glow in the sunlight.

    "Do you want to open it?" he asked.

    "You know what¡­ Do you have a penknife?" Audra said, and he smiled to himself, hoping his anxieties would ease.

    "Take my knife." He unsheathed a small knife from his belt and handed it to her without looking back. Then he heard the envelope open behind him. Suddenly, the horse stumbled over a stone, and both of them were jolted forward. Audra clung to Wil to prevent herself from falling, and he struggled to maintain his balance in the saddle.

    Suddenly, Audra let out a scream. "Blast! No! No way!"

    "What''s wrong?" Wil turned his head quickly, alarmed, and saw the letter rise with the wind, as if thinking by itself and wanting to go, then fall into the ditch on the side of the street and move afloat into the black water.

    "Gods! Wil, the letter!" Audra shouted, her whole body thrown forward.

    Wil looked at her. "There goes your letter."

    "Blast!" She gave a shout so hard that Wil thought her throat was going to be cut. Audra looked terrified and pointed to the ditch. "Let''s get it back!"

    "By Perkunas, god of thunder. What''s wrong?" Wil asked.

    Audra turned her body and dismounted awkwardly.

    "Come on, Audra? Is it that much of a problem?" asked Wil. "What do you want to do?"

    But Audra was already running to the side of the ditch.

    Wil looked at her, perplexed, and spurred. Perkunas neighed and galloped lightly.

    "Come on, friend! Get moving!" he shouted as he reached for Audra and passed her with an outstretched hand.

    He could not get there, so he slid to one side, avoiding Perkunas''s head, holding onto the saddle and down the side as the horse accelerated.

    Wil felt his feet touch the ground and took advantage of the moment, took two steps as he descended and pushed forward, and ran, following the sheet of paper that flowed next to the sewage ditch. He reached out his hand and felt pieces of who knows what next to it. rushing through the current. He felt the letter and pulled it out. The parchment dripped, and he felt he could tear it in one go.

    "Thanks, Lakm¨¦! I beg for your forgiveness!" Audra cried, her eyes fixed in the sky as she snatched the parchment from his hands.

    "Thank you, Lakm¨¦?" Wil scowled. "Hey, I did not see Lakm¨¦ sticking her hand into a pool of filthy water," Wil said as he smelled his own hand and recoiled with a grimace of disgust.

    "I thank you, Wil. Really," Audra said and sighed.

    "Well." Wil stretched his back. The maneuver to get off the horse had left a pain in his back. "What does the letter even say?"

    "I do not know," she said. "And I will not read it yet."

    "They told you not to open it, right? Well it is already open."

    "But look at what happened!"

    "Come on, read it."

    Audra looked from side to side and sighed. "Yes. I have nowhere to put it after all. Listen to me, Wil."

    "Yes?" He sighed once more.

    "I think I''m doing something wrong. This is magic, you know; if I don''t follow the sequence exactly, things might not work out the way they should."

    Wil rolled his eyes. "Stay calm. Just read it. If something happens, it is because it had to happen."

    Audra began to read, and as she did, her eyes opened wide.

    "So?" asked Wil. "What does it say?"

    Audra blinked and shook her head.

    "Come on! Tell me!" Wil insisted.

    "I cannot believe it!"

    "What is it? Come on, tell me."

    "That..."

    "What?" Wil looked at her steadily.

    "We have to go to the temple of Lakm¨¦!"

    Next to the west gate, stood a wide green field with trimmed grass and autumn flowers of many colors. Fresh air blew through the terraces, and the wall enveloped the enclosure like a protective mother.

    There were pruned trees that became more numerous the further they went, and there was a pond bordered by statues in the middle. A small shrine stood in front of the gate with a marble dome and five pillars around it.

    Inside, the goddess sat cross-legged, with hands raised at her sides, as if to receive the embrace of her devotees. She smiled with her mouth closed, and her eyes were wide open. At her feet lay several baskets of fruits and vegetables, including wine bottles and tea jars. In front of her, an altar of carved stone smoked with ashes and incense.

    Wil untied the bag from the chair and placed it over the grass. Then he opened it.

    "Let''s fill the basket," Audra said, pulling out a stick of incense and lighting it with the altar flames. She placed it in front of her forehead and closed her eyes. "Thank you for this opportunity."

    Returning down the road, Wil had stopped asking, but Audra kept looking toward the horizon. They arrived at the castle, and Audra got off the horse.

    "Are you coming back next week?" Wil looked at her from the top of his horse, while she hid her gaze and fixed it on the unfolded bridge.

    "Yes," Audra sighed.

    "Do you want to come to my home? Sura also wants to see you."

    Audra let out a bigger sigh than the previous one. "Yes, why not?"

    Suddenly, she turned her back on Wil and moved in, with two peaches in her pocket, and the peach sack, now half empty, on her right shoulder.

    "Audra?" Wil heard her breathe heavily. "Audra, are you okay?"

    "Yes," she said, wiping her eyes. Her voice was nasal, although she tried to calm herself. She could not.

    "Audra, why are you crying?"

    "It''s nothing, Wil. See you next week," she said and ran to the door without turning around to enter and lock herself up as if running away from a wild beast.

    ***

    "Are you gonna read me the letter or what?" Kaunas protested.

    Audra wiped her tears once more and looked out the window. She felt that her life was about to end, and she feared she would not see the sunset on the plains ever again.

    "You did not cry for Dad, and yet you are going to cry over a letter?" Kaunas said.

    "Kaunas¡­" Audra wiped her nose.

    "Come on, are you going to read it or not?"

    Audra threw the letter, and Kaunas caught it clumsily.

    "Let''s see," he said and began to read.

    Your Highness, Audra Magdala of Varunas and Holsztein-Wieszc.

    We extend our deepest condolences for the passing of your father, the late Vytaulas, Duke of Varunas.

    And from the honors with which the lady is revered in the circles of mystical knowledge; and the knowledge and prestige you possess in the detection of the spiritual vibrations of various metals, the Ambassador of the Navgarodian Empire, Rudmentkin Maltov, invites your honor to participate in the company that investigates deposits of blue gold in the imperial territories. You are requested to meet with the official government cortege in the Monument for King Mindaugas, on the twentieth day after the September Equinox, Year Two-hundred of the Navgarodian Empire.

    Imperial cooperation

    King Jog?lion Viras

    High Czar of Navgarod. Yaroslav Navesk.

    "What am I going to do?" Audra moaned. "How am I going to say no? It¡¯s been signed by two kings!"

    "Navgarod? The East?" Kaunas said, his face whiter than paper and his eyes and mouth wide open. Audra tilted her head back, running her hands through her hair and pulling.

    One thing was to abandon her brother, another was to fulfill her promise, another...

    It was that she had no idea what the spiritual vibrations were, what the blue gold was, and how she had ended up being invited by kings as an expert in something she did not even know existed.

 Chapter VII: The Rebel

    "Sire, please open the door." It was the voice of a servant. ¨¦doard Siwelzac, however, rested his head against the pillow and wished the earth would swallow him.

    "I''m very sick," said ¨¦doard in the hoarse voice of someone newly awakened. And he was right, after that day, every Monday of recounting in his father''s court, his stomach churned. He stayed in his room the whole day, biting his nails and looking shyly out the window so he would not feel suffocated.

    Suddenly, the knocking on the door sounded louder, as if made by someone wearing iron armor gloves, and he heard the voice of Indaraz, the captain of his father''s guard.

    "What''s up, stud? Are you going to let your father do all the planning?"

    "I don''t feel well," said ¨¦doard. "I think it''s something I ate."

    "Don''t be a coward! We eat the same things, and look at me!"

    "I''m..." He coughed. "I''m very sick, ask the guy who cleans the latrines."

    "And sitting like a lady in court is unbearable to you?"

    "I must rest. Tell my father I''m still sick."

    "Stop crying like a baby! If you were not Siwelzac''s son, I''d beat you to death. Good thing I was not your instructor!"

    Something in the mind of ¨¦doard said face him, but the will of his heart was to throw jump off that window, or return to the academy. Yes, life had been exquisite for him while he was training in the Brightlands, far west; he wished he had never come back to reality and remembered how mad his father was, and how mad his counselors and generals were.

    He remembered what the priest said the last time. Fulfill your duty as a son and warrior, fulfill your duty. It was easy to say. But was it his duty to be a savage and to treat people like scum?

    "I''m coming, Indaraz," he growled finally and stood up.

    He looked at himself in that pristine mirror. His hair was ruffled, but he ignored it. He did not take off his white tunic, but instead he put on his armor, with the white breastplate engraved with the blue tree and the sumptuous cloak. He moved his neck from side to side and it creaked.

    He opened the wooden door and found Indaraz in front of him, with a grimace of disgust, which he seemed to try to hide when facing the heir of his boss.

    "Come on," ¨¦doard muttered.

    The sun pierced through colored glass in that room built in dark wood, in the style of the ancestors of the clan. In front were three jesters doing tricks, one with a big mustache in the style of his father, with a brass armor and a wooden sword. In front of him, a bearded dwarf with false horns on his head struggled with him.

    "And so, Galiam Siwelzac defeats the farting dwarf of Yorek!" said the third buffoon, while the dwarf turned and another assistant imitated the sound of a fart.A group of laughter echoed, including Indaraz walking beside ¨¦doard, who smiled. Meanwhile, a pale figure with snow-white hair, dressed in blue, coughed with laughter and spat into a bucket on the floor. He stretched his back against the padded throne and coughed again, trying to catch his breath.

    "Look who decided to come down," said the man, the real Galiam Siwelzac, speaking with a brittle voice and incomprehensible consonants due to his only three teeth. He looked at the buffoons and applauded. "Good job! This story will be perfect for the opening of the City Theater of the West-Wing."

    ¨¦doard bowed his head reverently but wanted to cringe with embarrassment.

    "I greet you, Father," he said, his eyes fixed on the floor.

    "Come closer so I can see you better, my flesh and blood!"

    ¨¦doard swallowed and approached his father, standing by the dark throne adorned with silver eagles on the armrests.

    "Where have you been, my son?"

    "I was sick, Father."

    "It hurts that you didn''t want to come. Did something happen? What did they do to you in the Brightlands for you to not want to follow in your father''s path?"

    "Father, I''m more than happy to continue with your work. It''s just..."

    "What''s the problem, my son?"

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    His father pulled him close to his chest and enveloped him in his arms. ¨¦doard sighed. He knew that if he truly stated what he thought, things would only get worse. His father was stubborn beyond reason, but he had to release the weight from his heart.

    Better to be as honest as possible, he thought. After all, he was his father''s son.

    "It''s the methods, Father," he lifted his head and looked into his eyes.

    "What methods do you speak of, my son?"

    ¨¦doard freed himself from his father''s frail arms and stood up. "Can we talk later?" he whispered.

    "What did you say, son? Why don''t we talk about it now? Are you ashamed of your words? Why not discuss it here, with all our wise counselors and friends?"

    ¨¦doard swallowed. "No, Father."

    "Then? Speak. Which methods?"

    ¨¦doard took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "You know, the pillaging, the robbing, the... accusing of innocents. You know the Varunas didn''t really steal that investment, do you?"

    Galiam smiled with his three teeth and patted his legs, while the rest of his court joined in with laughter.

    "Son! I don''t know what they teach over there in the Islands, but that''s how things are done here." He looked at one of the officers beside him, old Dhanus, and signaled to him. "You, young one, bring the souvenir from last week."

    "Yes, Your Highness," Dhanus said, then returned with a handmade necklace adorned with white, flat ornaments resembling seashells, but seemingly more delicate. Dhanus held it out in his hand, facing ¨¦doard. He looked at it, and as soon as he understood what it was, he shuddered.

    Those were human nails.

    "These were taken from the old Murugas. Do you remember Murugas?"

    ¨¦doard blinked. Was this really happening? His father continued, "He said he had not had a good harvest. He had several sacks of wheat stored under the bed and hadn''t told us. After crying, he mentioned that the tax was very high and begged us for forgiveness. Of course, we forgave him, but we confiscated what he had." He laughed again.

    ¨¦doard nodded, his face pale and his eyelids trembling.

    "What''s wrong, my son? You look like you''ve seen a ghost."

    He took a deep breath. "It''s nothing, Father."

    "Well, if you don''t agree with how I dealt with the man, I have to be honest with you. This is business. Listen to this wonderful, happy ending: Murugas gave us what he had stored under the bed, and his production is twice what we expected. And he''ll remember, you know? That''s the good thing. Without the methods, people don''t remember."

    ¨¦doard nodded painfully.

    "Now let''s get back to business." Galiam addressed the other members of his court. "The play seems succesful, but the characters need more development, you understand? The unlikeable dwarf needs more... You know, he should be easier to hate. Like what you did with the Varunas story, Sir Reynhard."

    The dwarf in the yellow suit spoke with his screechy voice.

    "Yes, good master. I believe we can make him¡­dislikeable. May I suggest turning him into a deviant?"

    Galiam stroked his beard.

    "Make him kidnap an innocent woman, or something along those lines. More than one. At least three."

    ¨¦doard took a step back, unable to focus on his father, as he thought of old Murugas, the mayor of Harkas, howling like a wolf while his nails were mercilessly torn out. He felt nauseous and pouted.

    "Son? Are you okay?" His father looked at him with concern.

    "My stomach hurts, Father."

    "Ah, yes, you said you''re sick."

    "Yes, Father."

    "Well, I want you to be present for this council, because you''ll be in charge of these orders." He snapped his fingers and pointed to a couple of boys. "Bring a chair for this boy."

    The servants placed a chair behind them and seated the stiff ¨¦doard in front.

    "How many showings for the play?" asked a chubby courtier.

    Siwelzac grimaced. "One. Ensure the theater is packed. Then we''ll do another one. But let''s create posters and display them on the streets! You know! We need to prepare a sequel on the Varunas theme, since the last one was a hit! By the way." He looked at ¨¦doard. "Boy, in two months, you''ll go to collect from Varunas. How are they doing now?"

    "F-f-father. You know, I don''t think we can collect from their crop. It''s just that, when we were there...we burned the vineyards. There was nothing left. And the last time I went to the village, someone told me that a doctor amputated the boy''s leg."

    "That''s not a problem." His father grinned. "I wish I''d been there when that poor redhead had that horse step on him! And there''s always something to take, no matter how severe the drought is."

    ¨¦doard looked at the floor tiles."Son, do not worry! You still have two and a half months to go and charge them."

    "But Father, if they can''t pay, what should we do? Wouldn''t it be more convenient for us to wait a little longer?"

    Galiam looked at his court and burst into laughter, tears coming to his eyes.

    "Son, you still don''t understand. It''s not about money or grain. We won''t recover that money, even in twenty years."

    "So, what is it, Father?"

    "There are people who need to be kept in their place, never allowed to rise."

    "But Father, why?"

    "You see, if you let a dog do as he pleases, he will defecate in the middle of the room. If you don''t give him a few lashes, he won''t behave properly. We must keep these people under control."

    "Why? What have they done?"

    "If losing our cargo doesn''t warrant a punishment, I don''t know what does."

    "Father, but they didn''t do anything wrong. And if it was Varunas who owed, why should his children have to pay...?"

    "A clan is like a body. One dead limb is still a functioning body, but with no legs, it can''t move very far. We don''t have to kill them, but we can keep them crawling forever."

    "But..."

    "Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand. There are reports that Varunas''s daughter was seen in the city. It seems she managed to sneak out before, but it won''t happen again, will it, son? She needs to learn a lesson too."

    ¨¦doard felt his heart skip a beat.

    "Sir," a courtier interjected, "I overheard something while I was at the king''s palace. They mentioned her in connection with an expedition to the East."

    "What?" he coughed. "Ah, so she thinks she can make money that way. This is quite unexpected, my children. But she won''t get very far... Going to the Eastlands is a desperate move. And she''s leaving the poor ginger behind. How careless! Someone could enter his house and who knows what could happen? If I were her, I wouldn''t leave his side." He chuckled. "Perhaps we should pay them a surprise visit. It wouldn''t be a bad idea."

 Chapter VIII - Journey to the East

    A week later, Wil and Audra rode back to Vilnas under a wind that howled with fury and dragged dry leaves and clouds of dust. Wil¡¯s horse trotted onward, head down, under the weight of a wooden coffers and leather bags that held Audra''s belongings, while her thoughts wandered adrift. She was about to leave, perhaps,not to see her brother again, nor the cow Avza, nor her castle, until gods knew when. No matter what distracted her thoughts, those facts hovered over her heart like an iron yoke.

    Worst of all, Wil kept asking her questions like there was no tomorrow.

    "Audra¡­ So. I¡¯ve been your personal rider, taking you up and down the city. The least you could do would be to tell me where you¡¯re going?"

    She sighed.

    "And..." he insisted, ¡°I¡¯ve invited you home, again. You can¡¯t just leave us like that. Sura has been preparing a stew for you since last night."

    "I can¡¯t," Audra sighed.

    "So?" he said. ¡°Where are you going, woman? Am I gonna see you again? What can I expect.¡±

    "I''m going away, Wil. Far away."

    "You¡¯ve said that a thousand times. I need a single word: the name of a place, or your general direction. Gods. Who even invited you on that mission? Come on, Audra, tell me. Are you going to work in Wodania? If so, I have an uncle living near the Garden of the Beasts, and I can visit you."

    "No, Wil, I''m not going to Wodania. I''m going somewhere else. I want to tell you, but I cannot."

    "What do you mean you cannot? I will find out anyway."

    "I can¡¯t stop you from finding out," she said, "but I cannot tell you. It just doesn¡¯t feel right."

    "Why?¡± Wil''s voice seemed increasingly desperate.

    "My own business."

    "Last question: are you ever coming back?" he asked, unable to hide his frustration.

    "I hope so," she said. And she really felt it.

    "If so¡­ when?"

    "I do not know, Wil. Do not ask me all this, please. I don¡¯t even know."

    Suddenly Wil pulled the reins, and Perkunas stopped. "Audra. Get off the horse."

    "What?" she said, raising an eyebrow. What did he think, that by helping her he felt worthy to receive her secrets? If she didn¡¯t tell him it was for a reason. He didn¡¯t need to pester her like that. Couldn¡¯t he understand no meant no?

    "I try to be your friend, but you don¡¯t let me. You approach me only because I have a horse and I can take you from one place to another, but you do not care about me, nor what I think. You don¡¯t even care that I¡¯m trying to help you.¡±

    "It''s not like that at all, Wil! Also, you offered me help. Does that mean I owe you all this information? Also, Tara said I should not tell anyone."

    "Why you do not trust me? I hurt you, I disrespected you when I first met you. You''re right about that, I admit it, but I''ve tried to change the way I act and the way you see me. I want you to really know me! But for that, at least, you should let me in just a bit."

    "And I believe you,¡± she replied. ¡°The way I see you has certainly changed. Now I know you better. But my life is not happy, nor rose-colored. Bad things have happened to me, only bad things and nothing else. Now, even worse, I have to go and leave my brother alone, knowing that there are bad people out there who want to hurt him."

    ¡°Why are you even going?"

    "Because I made a promise."

    Wil turned his neck to see Audra more firmly and took her hand. She pulled hers away slowly.

    "Don''t go, Audra!" said Wil. "It''s a mistake. I can help you too, and I''m sure your aunt can help you. You can work with us, you can bring your brother home, we can take care of him."

    "No, Wil, I cannot."

    "Audra..."

    "Alright, you want to know," she said with determination. "Can you promise you won¡¯t tell anyone?"

    "Who would I tell?¡±

    "Your sister. And it is not that I don¡¯t trust her, but sometimes you trust someone and suddenly, everyone knows it, or worse, a version of what happened."

    "Okay, I promise. Where are you going?"

    Audra cleared her throat, regretting having promised to tell him. "I''m going to the Eastlands. To Navgarod. I¡¯m part of an expedition with people from the East. They¡¯re looking for blue gold. I don¡¯t know anything about blue gold. I do not even know how this happened. And I do not want to leave! But I must do it because it is my duty and I made a promise. She¡­ she promised she¡¯d take care of Kaunas."

    "Why would you even do this?¡±

    "Father told me to never break a promise, and every time I break them, things go wrong. Besides¡­ Wil, this might not make sense to you, but I¡­ trust her."

    "Blue gold... Audra! And what if you do not find anything? Blue gold... It''s rare, like nothing else in this world! And there are a couple of mines out there in Wodania, each of them sucked dry."

    "I don¡¯t know anything about it, but I made a promise and I must fulfill it. You know what? I hate doing it! I hate it! But I cannot give up fulfilling my promises. That''s what I promised Father and what I promised Tara."

    Wil stared at her. It looked like he was trying hard not to cry. "Audra, stay. Please. I¡­"

    Audra bowed her head and wiped her tears.

    "Stay with me!" He looked into her eyes, his eyes clear as amber. ¡°I have met you just a few days, but, let me tell you, I¡¯ve never met anyone quite like you.¡±

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    "I cannot," Audra said, her eyes brimming with tears.

    Wil sighed and spurred again. "Audra... Do you promise to come back?¡±

    "I¡­ I would¡­ But¡­"

    "And if you come back..."

    "What?"

    Wil swallowed.

    "If I come back. What?" Audra grabbed Wil''s shoulders.

    "Nothing, it''s just a thought."

    "What thought?"

    Wil sighed, his horse neighing. He ran a hand through Perkunas¡¯ mane. It seemed like Wil was tense.

    He cleared his throat. "That your family is good. And my family, well, we are not nobles, but maybe..."

    "Maybe what?

    Wil swallowed. "Maybe we can get married." Wil smiled, but his eyes showed pain and uncertainty. "What you think?"

    Audra felt a smile come to her lips and made an inhuman effort not to laugh.

    "Why are you laughing?" Wil''s smile faded.

    "No, Wil, I¡¯m not laughing at you. It is just that¡­ I¡­ Just met you, Wil."

    "Why not?" he asked.

    She felt blood rushing to her cheeks. This was embarrassing. "It was unexpected."

    "But what do you think?"

    "That¡¯s fast, Wil."

    "What you think? Why not?"

    Audra sighed. "No. I have other things to think about, Wil."

    "Think about it, we can be together, you can live with me, your brother too, and we can move, then help refurbish the castle."

    "It''s not that," Audra said and released his body. ¡°It is not so simple.¡±

    "Okay." Wil spurred Perkunas, and the horse trotted quicker across the field.

    They continued to face the wooden gate of Vilnas, with the drawbridge on the ground and guards taking shelter from the wind and the sun under a wooden hut.

    They climbed back up the paths of the citadel to Wil''s tavern and entered through another door, into lonelier and narrower alley.

    The house was small and with narrow rooms like most of the houses in the citadel, but a wide rectangular table stood at the center, covered with a white tablecloth. As soon as they entered, Sura walked into the room, she took Audra in a tight embrace like a lifelong friend and kissed her cheek.

    "What are all those things down there, Audra?" Her eyes were wide open and her smile made her dimples show. She seemed to expect a pleasant surprise from Audra. Perhaps, an exciting announcement.

    "Audra is leaving," Wil said dryly.

    "Wait. What?" Sura¡¯s face turned pale.

    Audra cleared her throat. "Yes, I''m going to take a long trip, and I do not know how long."

    "A trip?" Sura¡¯s expression was pure disappointment. "Why?"

    Audra shrugged. "It''s an expedition. A job.¡±

    "Good. Well, then, I hope you''re successful." She smiled uneasily and pointed to the table. ¡°Sit down. Tell me if you want to drink something before dinner. Where are you going? Wodania? The Eastern Empire?"

    Wil and Audra locked eyes with her for a moment, as if agreeing not to reveal the secret.

    "Thank you, but I''m fine," Audra said and sat in a corner, while Sura returned to the kitchen. Wil sat down next to her, his face downcast and sad, then looked into her eyes as if he were about to confess something.

    Audra anticipated the topic, and wished she could leave that house as soon as possible.

    He cleared his throat and spoke clearly: "What I told you before... It''s serious."

    "Wil, it''s too soon.¡±

    "It''s fine," he interrupted. "I get it. But this is my promise. I want to marry you, I never wanted anyone else in my life like I¡¯ve wanted you. You just¡­ rocked my world."

    What was wrong with that boy? No, she would not let him commit to her, nor should she feel pity for him. "Don''t say such nonsense, Wil. You¡¯re just infatuated. This is not real love."

    "Then what is it? Listen to me. I understand that you will leave, but please, do not forget me."

    Wil extended his hand, curling it into a fist, and brought it near to Audra''s. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "This is for you. I just ask that you take it with you." She held out her palm while he covered it with his hand, leaving behind a small, solid object. It was his wooden necklace, featuring a roughly engraved horse profile.

    "Wil, I cannot accept that." Audra stretched out to return it.

    "I cannot take it back. I must give it to you. Audra, I want, I want to marry you, and I understand that you do not want to, but I have to give you something of me. Do not think it''s a commitment, or something like that. It''s just... Something that comes from my heart."

    ***

    Audra allowed Wil to accompany her to the specified location mentioned in the letter. They made their way to the heart of Vilnas, near the central market. The strong wind tugged at the canopies and supports that covered the market stalls. A few vendors who hadn''t packed up their products and gone home were struggling to keep their stalls standing.

    In the center of the park, there stood a granite monument adorned with a carved marble figure of a king. The figure proudly stood under the sun. Audra''s attention was then drawn to two flags. One flag displayed two eagles on a white and red background, representing the Commonwealth of Lechia-Ladania. The other flag depicted a bear over three mountains on a white background, symbolizing the mysterious Navgarodian Empire. Below the monument, two horses stood near the octagon-shaped benches that surrounded it. One of the horses was covered with a linen cloak that wrapped from its tail to its head, with masterfully embroidered holes for its eyes, ears, and snout. The other horse was a sturdy warhorse, its gray coat mirroring the color of the rainy sky. It was adorned with chain mail and iron pieces. The horsemen standing by the statue contrasted in a similar way. One of them wore gleaming chain mail over his sturdy body, a silver helmet on his head, and long brown hair that reached his waist. His face was rugged, with a large mustache beneath his straight nose, and weathered features that hinted at an age slightly above fifty. He scowled, seemingly trying to intimidate everyone around him. A red cloak hung from his shoulders, and on his iron breastplate, there gleamed a golden circle resembling a brooch, possibly made of the same material.

    The other person, despite appearing to be the same age, had an entirely different lifestyle. His hair was stylish, just above shoulder length, and he wore a luxurious reddish coat made from the skin of an exotic animal. It had large, golden buttons and black velvet edges, all of which concealed the largest belly Audra had ever seen.

    Audra felt her stomach turn and looked at Wil, whose gaze seemed to say, do you see what you''re getting into?

    She dismounted awkwardly, followed by Wil, who began to untie the saddlebags, while she took a last look at the city. She approached him and looked into his eyes.

    "See you later, Wil." She leaned in and gave him a tight hug. He held on even tighter and rested his head on her shoulder.

    "Take care," he said, with both sacks of cloth hanging from his back. She turned and approached the two Navgarodians, who remained frowning, their expressions as cold as ice. She swallowed and wished it were all a dream. She took the letter out of her pocket, dry but with marks from submersion in dirty water and ink, with real signatures smudged and barely legible. He gave it to the one who looked fancier than a noble, who took a look. He frowned and looked at his colleague, then spoke to him in a guttural and incomprehensible language. The man answered with an even more guttural accent, and added a laugh at the end. Audra felt her legs shake like an earthquake.

    "Audra of Varunas?" said the man in the lavish suit, scanning her from head to toe and focusing on her worn-out shoes. He appeared to have a touch of dislike in his eyes. His command of the local language was nearly flawless, except for a slight overemphasis on the letter "r," indicating that he was not a native speaker.

    "It''s me." Audra bowed her head and swallowed instinctively.

    "Well, the first one has arrived," the man declared, and stretched a hand wrapped in a leather glove. She returned the gesture and received a firm squeeze.

    "I am Ambassador Maltov," he said. "We shall wait for the other guests, and then we will leave immediately."

    Audra wished to reverse the time, or break her promise, say no and run to her castle. But it was too late.

    The man in the armor stepped forward. His long hair fluttered in the autumn wind, damaged and rough. Audra felt terrified.

    "Sit here," he said, his accent almost incomprehensible, and pointed to the bench nearby. Nodding fearfully, she watched as Wil approached, carrying the chest and the clothing sacks.

    The man in the armor gave him an angry look, and Wil paused.

    "This of the woman?" the soldier growled. His grammar was all over the place.

    "Yes..." Wil''s voice seemed to shrink.

    "Cannot take it. No space."

    "B-but¡­" Audra jumped forward.

    "No space!" The man gave her a cold stare.

    "But I need¡­"

    "No¡­ Space..."

    "You cannot do that to me!" Audra hissed through her teeth. "I have to change my clothes every once in a while!"

    "No packages," the soldier firmly stated, eliminating any potential options.

    Audra sighed and glanced at Wil.

    "Carry everything in hand," the man snapped.

    "Really?" Audra complained and pulled a handful of clothes from the chest, then sat with the back up and a deliberate grimace.

    "Audra," Wil said softly, then he looked down, as if unable to hide his pain. "I have to go now."

    Audra felt like she would actually miss him. She could not think of marrying him, and she hoped that with time he would forget such pretensions. He was not a bad man at all, even though he could be rash and obnoxious.

    She smiled at him, expecting for him to notice she was sincere. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

    "Remember your promise," he said. She took the wooden necklace, a carved horse in its center, and lifted it up. Wil grasped the horn of his saddle and pulled himself up, bowing his head and trotting up the street.

 Chapter IX: Expeditions

    Audra heard a female voice behind her and turned around, perplexed.

    "Are you joining our expedition?"

    Before Audra stood a woman with an angular face, almond-shaped eyes, straight hair down to her hips, black as night, and skin as pale as milk. Her white tunic fluttered in the wind like a silken flag.

    "Yes." Audra swallowed, her eyes drifting away nervously, hoping not to be recognized by a fan of the Siwelzac Theater Company.

    "Of course." The girl smiled. "I am an enchantress. What about you?"

    "Me? I''m a mineral seeker," she said in a low voice, intentionally omitting her name.

    The girl laughed softly and sat next to Audra. The skin of her arms brushed against hers. "Well, good." She looked at her with dark eyes, so deep and wide that Audra could see herself reflected in them. "I have a feeling that we''re gonna get along so well."

    "Yes," Audra replied, smiling uncomfortably and lowering her head.

    "My name Mazgas of Virasz," said the girl. "And you? What is your name?"

    "Audra of Varunas," she answered, silently hoping she hadn''t heard her name.

    "Varunas? It sounds familiar. And where did you learn to find minerals?"

    Audra chewed her own tongue, her mind racing and trying to come up with an answer.

    "Well... I guess I was born with a knack. It always works," she lied and felt her heart was about to shrink, hoping that she''d never have to prove her presumed talent. Part of her wanted to get up and run.

    "Impressive," Magzas said, her eyes opened as wide as saucers. "I guess we''re both naturals, then."

    Audra cleared her throat. "I guess so. So... You also have a natural talent?"

    "Sure I do," Magzas said, winking an eye. "I''ve always had magical gifts. Even since I was very young. It''s quite difficult because it put me in complicated situations. But I''ve come to manage it."

    "That''s good to hear!" Audra mumbled. "And... You never studied it, right? Didn''t learn it from... books, nor did anyone teach you how to control it, did they?"

    "I learned by myself. I never had to learn if from someone else."

    "Interesting¡­" Audra did not want the question to sound uncomfortable, but curiosity invaded her mind once again. Tara had said that magic was done through familiar spirits. But this girl hadn''t mentioned anything about familiars. She had to find out more.

    "Do you have spirit guides or something?" Audra asked.

    Magzas raised an eyebrow as if it had nothing to do with her craft. However, her voice was innocent and unpretentious. "I do not need them."

    "I''d heard they were essential in your craft," Audra said softly, instantly regretting it.

    "And you? Do you have guides?"

    "Me?" Audra debated in her mind whether to say yes or no. No, she thought, it was better not to lie... But that whole thing was a massive lie that she didn''t know how long she could keep up. She swallowed. "Well, I''ve read a couple of books and... well, I pray to Lakm¨¦." Audra prayed once in her life a week ago, so she counted it as true.

    "Me too!" Magzas revealed a perfect smile.

    "Good. But, good thing you have magical gifts. I always wanted to have them. I wish I was like you." Audra sighed and shook her head.

    "If you are a mineral seeker and if you are as good as you say, surely you have talent. That''s magic too."

    "I guess," Audra said with a smile, hiding her gaze and planning to change the topic. "And what do you know about the Eastlands?"

    "The Eastlands? Well, I have not been there yet... But I heard about it from my friends. It''s a massive empire with great landscapes, beautiful music, and colorful dresses."

    "I''ve heard as much. I love their dresses and flower crowns... But what about the bandits and barbarians who live there?"

    Magzas took a deep breath. "There is a very cruel and powerful king there, but despite his great power, he has not been able to dominate all the regions in his domain. Well, people always talk about the bandits who assault caravans, but Ingiria and Kayiva are very stable cities." She let out a sigh. "Well, they are far, so¡­ I hope it does not happen to us."

    "That''s true? Is it true that they enslave people?"

    "I think so.... But it''s not all of the regions, nor all of the Navgarodian Empire... Those are just those wild places on the border... Where the forests are full of hostile tribes of barbarians. Some of them don''t even speak Navgarodian."

    "Are we going to pass through there?"

    "Yes, they are close to the border... But do not worry. We''ll be fine." Magzas looked to the other side. "Very well protected."

    A man dressed in a brown tunic walked through the multitude and stopped next to the statue. His shirt looked as if it was about to tear because of the thickness of his muscles. He was so tall that Audra''s head would reach his chest. His brown hair was trimmed at the sides, and was long on top. His beard barely touched his collarbone and contrasted with his white and prominent cheeks. His eyes were as blue as the sea and bright as sapphire. A longsword, thick like a tree-trunk, was tied to his back, and a few small daggers hung from his belt.

    The man locked both his hands, interlocking his fingers, and bowed to greet the ambassador and the soldier.

    "Tristan von Liktberg," he said, his eyes fixed on the ambassador''s. His gaze was cold and confident, as if penetrating through people''s thoughts.

    "Sir von Liktberg." The ambassador''s eyes flashed for a moment. "It is a privilege to have you escort the delegation. Once again."

    "I will always be there when you need me," he replied with a certain irony in his voice.

    "Be comfortable, as soon as the last experts come, you can go."

    "Wait with woman." The long-haired soldier snapped and pointed at Audra.

    Tristan looked at Audra and Magzas out of the corner of his eye. He let out a crooked smile and approached. He looked like a tower that gazed at Audra from afar, and she felt like a dwarf.

    "With whom do I have the honor?" He looked at her in the eyes as he sat and crossed one leg over the other.

    Then he looked away, as if he were more interested in having the laces of his leather boots fitted snugly.

    "Audra of Varunas¡­"

    "Magzas.""They call me Tristan," he said with a smile and a penetrating gaze. His eyes looked like a cloudy sky surrounded by a circle, blue like sapphire. Audra noticed that his skin, slightly tan, glowed clean and smooth, even with a brown beard. His nose was angular like that of a statue, and his pronounced cheeks also seemed carved. She had never seen such a beautiful man. Well, what did it matter? He was just another mercenary.

    "A pleasure," Audra said.

    "So...? Are you coming on the expedition?" Tristan smiled.

    "I..." Audra tried to invoke self-confidence. "Yes. I''m a mineral seeker."

    "And I''m an enchantress," Magzas answered without being asked.

    Tristan turned his gaze to his boots and adjusted them once more, looking for a place where they had not been polished.

    "With spirits...?" he asked.

    "Excuse me?" asked Audra. "I told you that I am a mineral seeker."

    "Right. You work with spirits, don''t you?"

    "Well... yes," Audra lied.

    The man laughed and let out a sigh, stretching his arms behind his head. "I hope you''re lucky to contact them. No offense. In any case, we will be working together, and it seems opportune that we know each other."

    "Hey, sorry," interrupted Magzas. "What are you talking about?"

    "Yes," said Audra. "What do you mean, contact them?"

    "Well..." Tristan looked Audra in the eye. His pupils were gorgeous, and those cheekbones were to die for.

    He cleared his throat.

    "In years of work, I have seen many who take money and do not find a single pebble. And if you ask them what went wrong, they tell you that spirits moved the entire mine. Or else, they''d they tell you that you have to have only positive thoughts and that it''s your fault if they can''t find a thing. That being said, after everything I''ve seen, I think there''s something to it. I''ve seen my share of things."

    "Well..." Audra felt herself pale. It was not her fault to be in that profession. Well, it was her fault for jumping along. But she did not want her reputation to be ruined like that either.

    "Well, there''s all kinds of people," she laughed, but Audra''s attention was fixed on the street, and upon a carriage with beautiful wooden engravings, made by expert hands, although not with precious materials. Four horses stood in front. The driver looked disinterested, but the door opened and two men jumped out. One was an old man, his body frail and thin, with matted white hair, a large brown tunic, and a couple of aprons in hand. The other one seemed to be Audra''s age, with his face shaved, his black hair pulled back, and rings in his ears. He was neither tall nor short, nor robust nor thin, and had pleasant features. In his arms, he carried half a dozen strange instruments that Audra had never seen. They looked like silver metal spears or flagpoles, with a long blunt tip, but would surely break when shaken against human flesh.

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    The driver of the carriage helped them unload another bunch of strange instruments: a pair of jugs the size of a boot, a pile of copper wires, and what looked like an iron tripod.Audra listened as she saw them approach the ambassador.

    "Good afternoon, gentlemen," the old man declared, then presented his credentials in a letter.

    "Mr. Wilthers," said the ambassador, extending his hand. "Good to see you. I have heard a lot about your work. I wish you luck."

    Wilthers seemed touched by vanity, and his white eyebrows rose to almost form a triangle.

    "By the gods! What in the world is that?" Magzas whispered in Audra''s ear.

    "Shh!" Audra reprimanded her.

    "What? These people are very strange. Well, tell me. You wanted to know about the East. What do you think? What have you heard?"

    "I don''t know," she sighed. "I''m a bit scared."

    "What about the big man with the sword?"

    "Listen," Audra whispered. "He is listening to you. I''m sure he will not leave you in peace."

    "Do not worry." Magzas looked at him and smiled. "Guys like that are my specialty. On the outside, they seem strong, but inside they are children. They''d do anything for attention."

    "What are you talking about?" Audra said, annoyance in her voice.

    "Sorry. Are you married?"

    "I... "Audra knew that the subject was coming. "At the moment, no. I am not."

    "You''re not a widow, are you?"

    "Never. I have never been married."

    "Oh no? Why?"

    "Because... I don''t know. I have not found anyone who grabs my attention. And for what? My aunt is single and happy now."

    "And your family didn''t pressure you to marry?

    "They tried." Audra tried to laugh. But the laughter was full of sadness, not because she was alone, but because her mom and dad were not there anymore to spoil her and justify her decisions.

    "And you?" She tried to change the subject.

    "I''m not married either, but I''ve met many men."

    "Hey, I''ve met many men too. That doesn''t make me special."

    "I mean I know them."

    "You know them?"

    "Yes."

    "What do you mean, know them?"

    "Know."

    "Good."

    "Yes."

    "And..." Audra felt that the conversation was not going anywhere.

    Applause behind them interrupted their chat. Audra and Magzas turned, and the ambassador addressed those present. Were there not more than five guests?

    "Ladies and Gentlemen. By decree of King Jog?lion in close cooperation with our great emperor, Yaroslav Navesk, we have invited you on this expedition. We wish you the best of success, and because of the situation on the border, not only will you have the help of experts to transport you safely, but also the protection of our best soldiers. Valadi Bogdanov, general of the Varganian Order, of considerable reputation, will lead the expedition."

    The soldier seemed not to be taken for granted, he bowed his head slightly, but kept his expression cold."Now, you will pass through the north door, where a carriage and a squad of our Varganian troops await you. Attention. You will not receive payment until the end, if you wanted to know. You will travel for thirty days to Ingiria. There, you will be informed of the location where we will explore. The salary upon returning from the mission, if no deposits are found, will be forty gold coins per person, with an interest of five percent in case of finding something."

    "Follow us," declared General Valadi, as the guests rose to their feet. Valadi turned and advanced to the back of the square, Audra following him closely to avoid getting lost, crossing a yellow arch and moving through the streets.

    "You look nervous." Audra heard a low voice close to her. It was Tristan, with a crooked smile and his eyes fixed on hers.

    "A little," Audra replied.

    "Have you ever been to the Eastlands?"

    "Never. And you?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

    Tristan laughed. "Too many times." His voice was pompous.

    "Then this is routine for you."

    "It is. But if it is not for you, you should prepare."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Well, it''s all you''ve heard. And worse."

    "Worse?"

    "Yes." He pouted again, eyes closed, shaking his head, and laughing. "Those barbaric bandits do honor to their name. They are true savages."

    "What do they do?"

    "Well, they cut off heads and make head soup to drink in their skull cups. Skulls of their enemies, of course."

    "Is it true that they take slaves?"

    "It depends on your physical health and how much you resist. But they are superstitious, so they may be afraid of girls with magical powers."

    "That''s comforting," Audra said and looked at Magzas.

    Tristan laughed.

    "Do not worry. With my sword at your side, you are safer than with a troop of these red capes. I have learned the warrior arts of the South, and all the arts of the East and the West. My name makes any bandit tremble. And it''s not to brag."

    "... And have you been living here in Ladania for a long time?"

    He touched the perfectly straight hair on his head. "No, I do not come very often. I have learned your language because I come from time to time, but my work takes me from one place to another."

    "Right. I see you have a bit of a Wodanian accent. You are¡­" She lowered her voice, fearing that the word would be offensive. "A mercenary?"

    "Yes," he said in a pompous voice. "And the best. Employed by kings and armies. In all the West, you will not find a mercenary better paid. And I have seen everything, I have fought with everything."

    At that moment, they were crossing the north door, a drawbridge guarded by two winged serpents on the pillars, and with dozens of carts with various loads traversing it every minute.

    Audra noticed the two flags in a carriage with two white horses. Beside them were four men in armor similar to Valadi''s with large, silver shields, red capes, and chainmail beneath the bluish armor.They wore silver helms with rectangular folds at the nape of the neck, and a tip at the top. At that moment, Audra realized that she had already heard of them: they were the Varganians, the most feared warrior order in the East; faithfully loyal to their Czar, and the object of many legends.

    She had heard her father say that about them; desertion was punishable by death, even if it was a simple display of cowardice on the battlefield, and that the execution was usually done on the spot. Who was able to kill his own comrades at such a difficult time?

    They all had long, thin faces, brown hair, and cold expressions. She had heard that they did not cut their hair during the service, and that before a fight, they entangled them in braids as thin as fingers. Two of them had their hair long to the mid-back, and there was another, thinner and tall, with a straight and long nose. He was probably a new recruit, as his hair only reached his chest.

    "Pavel!" Valadi called, and the rookie answered him as a guard would do when he received an order from his superiors, speaking in his tongue with a dignified accent, then turned around and opened the carriage door. He cast a distrustful look at each one, frowning and gritting his teeth. But despite that, he was a simple boy, not too attractive, but not unpleasant.

    Magzas was the first to enter. She sat next to a window surrounded by a purple curtain. Audra sat next to her. Then the two men with the metallic instruments entered, and they sat in front of them. The young man leaned against the window, and the elder sat at his side, facing Audra. In a short time, the old man put on thick-framed glasses and began leafing through worn scrolls from his bag.

    The young man looked at Audra. She returned his gaze and immediately his eyes wandered away.

    Tristan came in with a sigh and sat next to her, his thick legs taking up more space than Magzas and Audra combined. He seemed to notice that Audra was squeezing her legs.

    "Are you comfortable?" he asked, with what seemed like real interest.

    Audra smiled and nodded.

    Tristan pushed himself to the opposite side, and seemed to want to give Audra more space. The carriage was wide enough to have enough room for the knees, but the length of the seats could hardly accommodate them.

    Magzas opened the purple curtain, revealing the window and the rays of the sun that illuminated her face.

    Tristan continued speaking. "If we take the main path, there are many things that you will love to see. The forests of the North are darker and colder than you''ll ever see.

    Suddenly, she heard a new voice; jovial, almost acute. He was the young man with the short hair and the metal instruments. "Hey, do you think we''ll get to Ingiria in time? We suspect that there are early snowstorms. We have to arrive before winter or it will be difficult to leave. What route are we taking, and how long does it take?"

    "If we follow the usual route and nothing delays us, the path can be done in fifteen days, so thirty is the maximum."

    "And when will we return?" Audra asked, uneasy about how little she knew where they were going.

    "Surely when spring starts," Tristan said. "Anyway, you''re right. Winter, as I said, in those areas, is the harshest in the world. The first time I passed by, we found a group of travelers. Well, what was left of them. The poor devils had been so hungry that they had eaten each other."

    Audra blinked and looked at him disgustedly. She felt her stomach stir. "How is that possible? And how did you know they had done that?"

    "They''d done it. We found one of the poor devils. The only one that survived. The flesh of others was still there, in part. He went crazy. He had already gone crazy by the time we found him."

    "What a horrible thing." Audra took a deep breath to suppress the urge to vomit.

    "Yes, it''s frightening," said the clean-shaven boy. "But I suppose in extreme conditions, we are capable of doing anything."

    "Weak minds are," Tristan replied. "You have to have character and know how to survive. I have survived ten times more precarious situations in the colder parts of the East, and even in Hyborea. We have done it with the teams with which I worked."

    Tristan did not stop talking, like a torrential rain. It was not boring, but it seemed to never end.

    "What are you doing exactly?" the young man asked.

    "I''m Tristan von Liktberg, a mercenary, expert in combat and security."

    "You''re here for security? Do you not think it''s a little exaggerated? We already have six red capes."

    "The embassy suggested me because I already worked with them. It never hurts when it comes to that border. Besides, they know that I have already fought against the bandits on this same path. The red capes may have very good training, but not the experience, nor have they lived in those parts."

    The youth looked at him as if he was not surprised at all.

    "And who are you?" Tristan said to the boy. "What are you doing?"

    "I''m just an apprentice."

    "An apprentice?"

    The old man next to him lowered the parchments for the first time. "We are men of science."

    "Of Science?" Liktberg said. "I like science. And¡­What''s your name, boy?"

    "Klaus. Klaus Walf."

    "Ah. Are you from Wodania like me? You sound like..."

    "No, actually, I''m from the Brightlands. The far west of the Brightlands. My uncle too." He pointed at the old man. "Some years ago, we came here hired by the Wodanian king who ruled before Gruber. King... King Florian."

    "I know the Brightlands. Why do you have that name?"

    "In honor of my father. But no... I''m not Wodanian by birth. I believe my grandparents might have been. But not me."

    "And..." Tristan looked at the metal items under the man''s feet. "And what are those?" "This," said Klaus, holding one of the long pieces in front of him, "works by measuring the hardness of the ground. The theory is that the more pressure you feel, there are harder minerals underneath. It could be diamond, could be blue gold."

    "But is it a theory, or is it proven?"

    "We''re testing it," said the old man. "But we have reasons to believe it works. It has helped us find a gold mine north of here."

    "Gold in Ladania?" Audra asked. "My father spent years looking for it and..." Blast. She restrained herself. Talking about minerals and not finding them could make her look like a phony, like the ones Tristan talked about.

    "Aye. But not much has been said so as not to draw attention from looters and bandits," said the old man.

    "Interesting," Tristan said. "After we''re done, I can go with you. I have also worked with miners in the deep South. And our mineral seekers cannot be absent." Tristan looked at Audra and Magzas and smiles.

    The old man let out a cruel laugh that made Audra raise an eyebrow. Then he smiled. "Those things will be over soon," said Wilthers. "No offense, miss. But science is going to break through and show that it is nothing but superstition."

    What was that man talking about? Audra had never encountered anyone so cynical and ignorant. She tensed her muscles. Her tongue asked her to answer by questioning what the man was saying, but she tried to remain calm, close her eyes, and smile.

    "Magic is real," she declared.

    "Actually," Klaus seemed to want to calm things down. "My uncle is against such beliefs. But with that, I do not get involved. Maybe there are things that cannot be explained yet, that maybe one day we may be able to, but I do not deny that... You know, that it has something of truth to it. I do not know. We may find out in this expedition."

    "Foolishness." The old man scowled. "Everything in this world can be measured. If it cannot be measured, it does not exist. Magic and spirits... They only live in the minds of the weak. If you start to believe it, you see it everywhere. But it does not mean that it is there. The truth is only that which can be seen and measured."

    Audra clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. She could not start the expedition on a sour note, especially if she was going to spend at least six months working with that man.

    The worst thing is that they would probably prove his point, with her not being able to find anything, while the scientists found everything.

    "The gods are there," said Tristan. "And they are real. But magic might depend on whether you believe it or not."

    How strange were the people who did not believe in magic, thought Audra. She did not think there was much science in that. If you had magical power, you were to experience it. She questioned why she herself believed in magic. If it had been there for so long, practiced by so many people in all the kingdoms of men... then it must exist.

    "What do you think?" Magzas whispered in her ear.

    "I think magic exists... because it works," Audra replied.

    "That''s the question," said Klaus. "It sounds like an answer, but it holds a question within. Why does it work?"

    The old man looked at him and said, "Sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not. If it works or does not work, it''s because of chance. If you analyze a statistical graph of how many times the fortune tellers guess right, the number of times they do it and the times they don''t, are statistically the same."

    "It always works," said Magzas. "but sometimes, not in the way you expect."

 Chapter X: Hidden treasures

    Kaunas picked up the cane from the table and placed it on the ground. Despite the pain in his back and neck, he clenched his teeth and managed to ignore it as he stretched his knee and stood up. Leaning on the cane, he took another step toward the cupboard on the opposite side of the room. Opening one of the vases, he found a week-old piece of black barley bread. It was as hard as stone, but thankfully, it didn''t smell of mold. He grabbed a used knife and spread butter on the bread, nibbling at it hungrily.

    Suddenly, he heard the trotting of a horse outside and rolled his eyes. There was nothing to worry about; it was probably his sister''s little friend. But did the boy think it was easy for Kaunas to crawl from the bedroom to the bridge during lunchtime?

    As expected, the boy began hammering at the door. Kaunas wished to scream and say, "Stop, I''ll be there in a minute," but he doubted they would listen. When the sound of the blows became intolerable, he leaned against the table, stood up with his cane, and made his way out of the room. He walked towards the gate at a snail''s pace, and the pounding on the door continued.

    "Stop now! I''m coming!" he shouted as loud as his lungs allowed, and the blows ceased. Reaching the iron gate, he leaned his shoulder against it, unlocked the metal locks, and pulled the door open with effort. On the other side of the wall stood a rider, his shoulder-length hair blowing in the wind, with two sacks tied to his horse.

    "Come in," said Kaunas, as Wil crossed the bridge, then the gate, and dismounted with a humble gesture.

    "Good morning, Sir Kaunas!" Wil greeted.

    Kaunas forced a disinterested smile. "Come in," he said, walking towards Wil, pretending to help him with the sacks of flour and potatoes that Wil quickly carried on his shoulders.

    "Thank you," muttered Kaunas, hobbling and trying to keep up with Wil''s pace. They crossed the threshold into the inner plaza, then entered the main hall, which was filled with dust and bags of food. Wil dropped the bags inside while Kaunas closed the door behind them, shutting out the cold breeze.

    Wil let out a sigh of relief and stretched his back.

    "Do you need help with anything else?" Wil asked.

    "Not really, but it''s cold outside," Kaunas replied, invoking basic courtesy. He admitted to himself that being alone for hours had plunged him into an abyss of uncertainty. Any company was fine, even if it was someone he didn''t particularly like.

    "Would you like a cup of tea?"

    "No need, my brother..." Wil started to say.

    Kaunas hated being called that. They had no resemblance. Who did Wil think he was?

    "Something to drink?" Kaunas offered.

    "You mean a real drink."

    "Sit down, Wil. I''m going to find something good, alright?"

    "Well," Wil sat down at the table and stretched out his arms. Kaunas turned and walked towards the door, heading for the cellar outside. Suddenly, he heard the sound of another horse trotting on the bridge.

    He sharply turned his head. "Hey, did you see anyone else on the road?"

    Wil raised an eyebrow and asked, "No. What''s wrong?"

    Kaunas turned pale and asked, "Who''s that?" The trot of hooves echoed closer until it resounded on the bridge and stopped in front of the gate. Kaunas felt panic crossing through his mind. Had they arrived a month and a half before? And he had left the gate to the bridge open! He swallowed, worried about what might happen next. He had just recovered from a long period of weakness, and he couldn''t allow them to jeopardize his progress.

    "I don''t remember seeing anyone. Well, maybe I did," Wil exclaimed, jumping up in alarm.

    "They must have been behind you! Who did you see?" Kaunas questioned, his heart pounding faster with fear.

    "Well... At first, there were several riders, but I didn''t think they were coming here," Wil replied.

    "Several?" Kaunas felt his heart race even more. "Tell me, were they armed?"

    "Now that you mention it, there was this guy with a sword and armor," Wil recalled.

    Suddenly, the sound of hooves advancing on the wooden bridge filled the air. Kaunas closed his eyes tightly.

    "What''s wrong?" Wil inquired, sensing Kaunas''s fear.

    "Silence!" Kaunas shouted, unable to hide his fear and hurriedly making his way toward the cupboard.

    "I''ll carry you on my shoulders," Wil offered, approaching Kaunas. But Kaunas made a disgusted gesture and shook his head.

    "Leave me alone!" he demanded, trying to quicken his pace with his cane until suddenly, he fell to the ground and let out a scream.

    "Brother Kaunas!" Wil rushed to help him to his feet and supported him by taking his arm. They both heard the sound of horse hooves approaching the door, then stopping. A man dismounted from the horse.

    "Lower your voice!" Kaunas whispered, hearing footsteps drawing closer. Wil helped him to his feet and carried him, leaning on his shoulders, into the room. They suddenly heard knocks on the door of the house, causing Kaunas''s anxiety to intensify.

    "Blast!" Wil exclaimed. "I think he''s trying to force the door."

    Kaunas''s face filled with horror as he looked at Wil. "I forgot to lock the door!"

    "What?" Wil paled.

    "He''s going to open it!"

    Wil swallowed hard and jumped up. "Do you have any weapons around here?" he whispered, scanning the room for anything that could be used.

    Kaunas shook his head.

    "You stay here," Wil instructed, crawling towards the door and searching the room for something. He found a clay plate and hid behind the door frame, holding it as a makeshift weapon.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Do you plan on using me as bait?" Kaunas flashed his teeth in frustration.

    "You''ll see," Wil replied.

    The door opened, and sunlight streamed in. Kaunas''s heart raced as he watched a high boot step onto the ground. The silhouette of a man gleamed in the sun, with a sheathed sword hanging from his waist. He seemed almost unreal.

    Suddenly, Kaunas recognized him. "Wil! Don''t move!"

    But Wil didn''t hear. He swung the plate towards the man''s head, but the visitor agilely dodged like a panther and punched him in the stomach. Wil fell backward onto his buttocks, and the plate shattered into pieces.Kaunas scrutinized the man before him, taking in every detail. Gray, disheveled hair covered by a leather hat. A face marked by fatigue and wrinkles, with a patch concealing one eye.

    "Young Kaunas," the man addressed him. Suddenly, Wil leapt out from behind the man and made a move towards him.

    "Wil, leave him be! He is a friend!"

    Wil stumbled and looked at Kaunas, bewildered.

    "Yes," Kaunas struggled to sit up. "Apologies, Sir Van Pruisen. We didn''t realize it was you."

    "Don''t worry, lad," he reassured, rushing towards Kaunas with the energy of a young man. He took Kaunas by the arm and helped him to his feet, treating him with unexpected tenderness.

    "But look at what they''ve done to you, young man."

    "I''m recovering," Kaunas replied.

    Van Pruisen sighed. "I feared something like this would happen." His voice turned grave and solemn. "I heard about your father''s fate. What a pity! He was a noble and strong man. I''m deeply saddened by his loss."

    "Yes," Kaunas shook his head. "If only we had acted differently from the start. But, Sir Van Pruisen, please take a seat. Make yourself at home. My castle is yours."

    "Thank you," Van Pruisen replied, keeping his hand on Kaunas''s shoulder. He walked alongside Kaunas, treating him as if he were an elderly man. It felt belittling, but Kaunas knew he deserved it in his present state.

    Wil was still blinking behind them, clearly overwhelmed.

    "Ah," Kaunas stopped. "That there is Wil."

    "Good morning, Wil," Van Pruisen turned to Kaunas. "Your loyal servant, I presume?"

    "Something like that," Kaunas laughed. Wil frowned. "Wil," Kaunas snapped his fingers. "Go fetch some wine."

    Kaunas led Van Pruisen with his arm around the man''s shoulder until they reached the table in the living room.

    "It''s truly wonderful to see you, Sir Van Pruisen. What brings you here?"

    "The rumors I heard. I had to visit my old friends. And of course, to remember your father." He turned his head towards the wall, pointing to the portrait of Kaunas''s father. It depicted him in his youth, sporting an eccentric haircut and a mustache divided into two pointed sections resembling sewing needles.

    "Yes, my father..."

    "I miss him too, son. Truly, I''m sorry. Which reminds me," he glanced around. "Where''s little Ade?"

    Kaunas couldn''t help but laugh as memories flooded his mind. When they were children, Van Pruisen loved to carry Audra in his arms, while she despised him with all her heart. She had even peed on him more than once.

    "I''m ashamed to admit," Kaunas coughed.

    "What happened?" The man''s expression turned horrified.

    "Well... She got a job in the Eastlands. Apparently, she was invited by the Czar of Navgarod."

    "The Eastlands? I had no idea she was that talented! But did she leave you all alone like this?"

    "She believes it can be beneficial for us in the long run," Kaunas explained.

    "Well, it''s better than nothing. I hope the poor little one thrives. And I must say, I had no idea she had such talent.""Well," sighed Kaunas, "it seems that she has a gift for the supernatural."

    "So she''s gifted. Sounds good to me. We always wanted a saint in our circle of friends or family."

    "A saint?" Kaunas was confused. He cursed silently for letting her go. He could have done more to prevent his sister from going on that trip. "Alright then. Sir Van Pruisen, would you like something to drink?" said Kaunas.

    "Well, a meeting after so long deserves a celebration!"

    "Alright."

    "And that boy? Where did he go? Who is he, a servant?" asked Van Pruisen.

    "Yes," replied Kaunas, laughing and looking around. But all he heard was the horse neighing outside and then galloping away. Wil had left.

    Kaunas took the cane in his hand and hurried to the cellar.

    "Don''t bother," Van Pruisen said. "Just tell me where the wine is, and I''ll get it."

    It wasn''t the ideal scenario for the guest and the owner of the house, but it was better to bend the rules on this occasion.

    "Alright," sighed Kaunas. "In the cellar, down here, there''s a collection of wines. Some of them have spoiled, but there are still some good ones."

    "Good thing you mentioned it," said the old man, rushing to open the cellar and descending the stairs. After a few minutes, he returned with two glasses and a bottle wrapped in parchment, a childlike smile on his face.

    "This was your father''s favorite," he declared, placing the glasses on the table and pouring the wine. "Vintage from almost fifteen years ago."

    Kaunas sighed. Why was he still talking about his father?

    "Are you still practicing your swordsmanship?" asked Van Pruisen.

    "Well... I tried, but in the end I decided it wasn''t for me."

    Van Pruisen looked horrified. "But you had talent! Come on, if you had just been a bit more dedicated¡­"

    Kaunas raised his glass and took a sip. It was good wine. Father had good taste.

    The old man chuckled. "Ah, those were the days, my friend. We thought they''d never end. Before Jog?lion. That Jog?lion. How has he been ruling?"

    "He''s quite efficient. He has cleaned up the streets. But he''s also on good terms with Siwelzac. That hasn''t been good for us."

    "That''s how things go. Every coin has two sides."

    "If you say so," Kaunas added.

    Van Pruisen refilled his glass and took a sip. He swirled his cup.

    "Listen, Kaunas. I was very close to your father for so many years. It''s a shame I had to return to my homeland. But now I want to expand my work here. I''ve also spoken to members of your king''s court."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. The young ones want me here. They know about my experience and hold it in high regard. And¡­ I''ve even been offered to train some of his men."

    "Well... You didn''t do a good job with me."

    Van Pruisen looked offended, but then laughed. "That''s because you''re a lazy scoundrel."

    "I admit it," said Kaunas."Well, regarding the subject, since I will be here, I can offer you some support. At the very least, I can provide protection. Fortunately, I still have respect both here and in the Brightlands."

    "But what will happen to Siwelzac?" Kaunas sighed. "They will come next month... They expect us to pay them something, but we have nothing to pay them with! I don''t know what they''re going to do to me."

    "Ah, those scoundrels have no basis for criticism against someone like me. I''ve seen the world, my lad. I have survived worse situations than you. I even lost my leg. By the way, I have a bronze leg. And I have managed to survive for so long. A puppet threatening my old friends is nothing."

    Kaunas cleared his throat. "But what can we do?" His face grew serious.

    "But there''s something else, my young friend." Van Pruisen looked him in the eyes with his one visible blue pupil.

    "What?"

    "That, as you are right now, with no talent other than debauchery, you won''t get far. You will never escape this situation. Even if someone powerful or the gods themselves help you, you can only go where your own two feet take you. And judging by you, they won''t take you very far."

    "What should I do?"

    "You must recover, learn to wield a sword, learn to govern, defend yourself... and strike back. When fiefdoms start with guys like Siwelzac, that''s what will keep you going."

    "But Sir Van Pruisen, you can''t just run away from things that just are. The priests say it''s destiny. I''ve always been like this. I can''t change. It''s my fault. But it can''t be changed anymore."

    "That''s where you''re wrong, young man."

    "What can I change? We''re born for something. And I wasn''t born for that. I need someone to look out for me."

    "You''ve offended me with your words. Now listen to me. Since childhood, my father paid me to transform you into a nobleman. A gentleman. A warrior. That should have been my first priority. I failed initially, but not anymore. So," he continued, "if you accept my help, once you''ve recovered, I''ll begin your training. We''ll bring people here. And this will be my home. Do you understand?"

    Kaunas blinked. Things were moving quickly. But for now, accepting it would be much safer than being alone. The old man was one of the greatest warriors the world had ever known, and despite his age, he was wise and knowledgeable. He knew everything there was to know about war. So Kaunas just stared at him, astonished, and nodded.

    "I will transform this place..." Van Pruisen stood up, his back to Kaunas, "... into a fortress. Got it? And then, it will be you." He pointed at him. "You will be the one to either reclaim the glory of your family''s castle or build a new one. Right here! Where this crumbling house stands. I will make you a true nobleman, my son! I won''t fail your father. Never again."