《Rise of Starfall》 Prologue A/N: Hello! Welcome to my story called Starfall. Some comments/feedback would be nice for me to improve on this story. Thanks and happy reading! *.¡¤:¡¤.? ? ?.¡¤:¡¤.**.¡¤:¡¤.? ? ?.¡¤:¡¤.**.¡¤:¡¤.? ? ?.¡¤:¡¤.**.¡¤:¡¤.? ? ?.¡¤:¡¤.**.¡¤:¡¤.? ? ?.¡¤:¡¤.**.¡¤:¡¤.? ? ?.¡¤:¡¤.**.¡¤:¡¤.? ? It was a disaster. Hundreds (or maybe more) of meteors approached Earth, with no defense or anything to prevent the meteors from crashing into the planet. It was at this moment, the planet and humanity were doomed - until a bright idea came into existence. Scientists and physicists have a last-minute attempt in sending humanity away to another dimension. Some failed, yet some were successful. The remaining survivors of Earth had been transported elsewhere, thanks to the technology that enabled them to travel to another world, another life. Alaenor''s father, who was one of the scientists, helped in the evacuation and involved his most beloved daughter to be one of the first people to cross the universe and settle in a new one. However, her mother chose to stay behind and assisted him in the project, ensuring her daughter gets to live her life elsewhere and not on a failing Earth. The meteors were getting close and Alaenor brought along her locket gifted by her parents on her 21st birthday, felt her anxiety rising as scientists were frantically assisting other people to their pods before takeoff. Out there, hundreds and thousands of people were trying to survive the arrival of the meteors. Alaenor was guided to her pod and looked back at the place with she called home in melancholy, soon to perish from her memories. Her parents were occupied in readying Alaenor''s journey to another world, frantically speaking to one another as her father glanced at the pod momentarily, "Alaenor, it''s time." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The brunette stared at her father and then at her mother, the despair never fading from her warm brown eyes as she glanced at the empty pod waiting for her, "Do I really have to go?" She asked, shifting her gaze back to her parents once again. She didn''t want to leave, but what choice did she have? "Yes, little one," Alaenor''s mother replied calmly, despite the storm in her mind as she spoke to her daughter, "You''ll get to live your life to your end, safe and sound." With a frown, Alaenor simply nodded, clutching the silver locket and holding it to her heart. They could not wait any longer, so her parents started activating the pod as Alaenor sat comfortably in the pod and glanced at the glass separating her and her parents. They could simply smile, even though their feelings were the opposite of happiness, it was sorrow - knowing they will perish alongside Earth but doing the most for humanity. "Goodbye, little one," Alaenor''s mother whispered, pressing the big red button and soon, the countdown began. 10.. 9.. 8.. Alaenor glanced at her parents one last time with a heavy smile, she doesn''t know what lies beyond her future. 7.. 6.. 5.. Alaenor shut her eyes, allowing herself to relax as she felt the pod gearing up to take her elsewhere. 4.. 3.. 2.. A soft smoke filled the pod, allowing Alaenor to consume it, and felt her mind slowly turning numb with her memories altered before launch. 1. Chapter 1 Running across the nightly meadows at the outskirts of Starfall, a young boy heard the sound of an object crashing into the open field only to find a small metallic pod surrounded by hazy grey smoke. Little did he know, he came across a person from another universe, oblivious to the purpose of the arrival. Suddenly, the pod glowed momentarily before the door hatch opened, revealing a beautiful brunette woman - perhaps at the age of twenty-five - asleep with memories washed away from her past. The boy took a surprised gasp, curious gaze lingered on the girl for a while before dashing off from where he came from. He had to tell someone about it - even if they didn''t believe him. After all, it''s something you can only dream of seeing every day, especially for someone like him. The stars sparkled brightly in the night sky, illuminating the land with its gentle glow as he ran around the perimeter of the town where he lives. As soon as his breath grew heavy from running for so long, he halted his footsteps, standing still and watching as two people appeared in the distance, slowly walking up the path to his house. The closer he got, the more he could hear their voices talking about the mysterious phenomenon that just happened outside of town earlier that evening. His curiosity grew as he watched them continue their conversation, then went on his way home as he pondered about the pod along the way. Could the girl be safe once the village discovered the location of the crash? He wondered, doubts feeding his thoughts - he wanted to do something but could not find the solution, so he let it slide and let the authority handle the situation instead. Alaenor slowly came to wake, pain throbbing at the temples as her eyelids fluttered open. She looked straight ahead and noticed she was laying down on the ground next to a fallen tree, with some trees nearby. Blinking rapidly, trying to get rid of the last traces of sleep clinging to her eyes, she pushed herself up onto her hands, sitting upright and taking a look over her surroundings. The moonlight shone brightly above her, illuminating the strange lands she was currently in. Then adjusting her focus to the crash, she noticed the word ''successful'' in bold on the screen. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Glancing behind her, Alaenor saw what looked like the remains of the pod and assumed this must have been the result. Turning back, she tried to recall what exactly happened during those few seconds she spent unconscious; there must have been some sort of explosion or something, right? Looking forward again, Alaenor noticed the two figures approaching from afar, one of them being an unfamiliar face but she couldn''t really make out anything else until the stranger spoke up, "Hey, are you okay?" "I think I''m fine," Alaenor replied, her voice rough from disuse as she stood up, feeling dizzy from the sudden movement. Her head was beginning to hurt a bit which was unusual given that she''s used to sleeping through most of the time. She continued to examine her surroundings once the other figure had approached her - they didn''t seem dangerous despite looking like a normal human, but the way she held herself seemed rather intimidating and she didn''t want to give them the wrong impression. When the other man reached her side, he stared into her brown eyes briefly before speaking, "Are you sure?" She nodded her head and smiled at them, "Yeah, sorry to intrude but it looks like I''m lost." "Oh, we''re not going anywhere yet!" the first person said enthusiastically with a wide smile. He extended his arm to help her up and Alaenor accepted it without hesitation - no one was looking for her here, so was it best to follow these two strangers? Who knew, maybe someone else would be willing to take her in! "Well-" Alaenor began, deciding to be truthful for now since she was already on her way to wherever she needed to go, "-I don''t really remember." It was silent between the three and Alaenor found herself growing uneasy. Why wouldn''t they react to her story?"But either way, I don''t think it would be possible to return home," Alaenor continued, her mind a little boggy from her travel. "Well then, perhaps it is best we find you a place to stay, who knows what wild creatures lie beyond the meadow," one of the men spoke up, eyeing the dark forest warily before shifting back to Alaenor, "Come with us, there''s one person you could find shelter from." "Thank you," Alaenor replied quietly, a small smile forming upon her lips before they followed after the other man. Chapter 2 "Welcome to Starfall City," one of the men introduced the place to her. "So it appears," Alaenor replied calmly as she observed their surroundings, taking in all their unique features and odd buildings. A group of children passed by them carrying a bucket full of water, laughing merrily while singing songs under their breaths. There were various shops of different sizes all around the village, filled with food stands and stalls advertising things such as fresh bread, meat pies, and tea. Alaenor looked away for a second when someone caught her eye and turned around to see an attractive blonde wearing a green dress, holding onto her friend''s hand. What drew Alaenor''s attention, however, was that the blonde''s hair was slightly singed in places and there were bruises visible on both of her arms. Alaenor thought the blonde''s behavior was very odd, considering that the blonde should be smiling happily. Maybe the blonde had gotten injured recently? But it was none of Alaenor''s concern, she knew nothing of this world and its people so she kept note of the paths and the buildings, in case she got lost. The men led her to some sort of shelter, entering the place where they met an old and wrinkled blonde lady. Alaenor noticed the lady had a kind but worried expression on her aged face, as if sensing her troubled emotions. "Welcome to Starfall City! My name is Euphemia," the old woman greeted them, smiling kindly. "How are you finding our little town so far?" "Quite lovely, thank you," Alaenor spoke up after a moment, glancing around to take in her surroundings again. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "That is pleasant to hear," Euphemia continued calmly, "If you''re ever tired, feel free to rest inside my hut, I''ll gladly accommodate you in any way." Euphemia led them into the main room where they sat down across from each other. "Now I wonder if there''s anything I can help you with?" She placed her thin, gnarled hands together on the table, waiting patiently for them to speak. "No, that''s alright. But I have a couple of questions to ask, that is if you don''t mind?" Alaenor questioned, placing her elbows on the table and leaning forward. Euphemia smiled gently. "Of course! Please do your best." "Do you know anything about what''s going on here?" "Nothing much, just a couple of days ago a pod crashed right in front of the village, and everything seems to be working fine but rumors say the pod fell from the skies and held none but one person inside. Judging by your appearance, I could say you are from the pod?" Alaenor responded with a nod, "I suppose so. . . but I cannot remember much of what happened before." Euphemia''s brows furrowed slightly in concern, "That''s concerning." "No, not at all. And please don''t worry yourself with this," she added quickly. "I am simply curious, but I''m not expecting answers. For now, you may rest here as you please." Later, Alaenor was given a room with all the necessities inside. It was not like her own home where everything used electricity but not that she remembered much of it. From the door, a single bed was placed against the wall and a small desk sat beside it; next to the bed sat a simple chair. She took a quick look inside the window, noticing there was a view of an empty, grassy field surrounded by mountains. It wasn''t quite the same as the peaceful land her parents brought her to after she was born, however, she enjoyed the atmosphere nonetheless. As she lay down on the bed, she glanced up at the ceiling. As her thoughts were running rampant within her head, she eventually drifted off to sleep, allowing her dreams to take hold of her consciousness while she slept. Chapter 3 A few hours later, when her exhaustion was catching up with her, a knock suddenly came on her door. Alaenor opened her eyes slowly, blinking as they adjusted themselves to the light. "What?" she answered, her voice hoarse due to lack of use. Her throat felt extremely dry and dryness had caused a cough to form deep inside her chest. Someone cleared her throat lightly. "Good morning. Are you feeling better today?" The young girl blinked a few times before she managed to locate the source of the voice coming from the doorway. It belonged to the old woman she met earlier. A wave of relief washed over her when she saw Euphemia standing by the entrance of the room. "Yes, I''m fine now," she answered and the elderly woman smiled warmly at her. Alaenor could see a lot of wrinkles in Euphemia''s wrinkled skin, reminding her of linen crinkled after prolonged use - perhaps the old lady was weary and grew tired of the world''s shenanigans. Either way, Euphemia seemed pleasant enough and Alaenor could not help but trust her instantly. "Is something wrong?" "Ah, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to disturb you. How about some breakfast?" Euphemia asked politely while gesturing towards the door. "Ah, thank you," Alaenor replied, getting up from her bed and following behind Euphemia. "By the way, I thought that you might be interested to learn more about Starfall City''s history," Euphemia mentioned. Alaenor nodded, "Yes, please enlighten me." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. After the two women entered the kitchen, they found an assortment of dishes already prepared for breakfast. "Let me introduce myself properly, my name is Euphemia and I''m the village healer," Euphemia introduced herself cheerfully. "Now eat up!" Alaenor smiled at Euphemia''s kindness, deciding that she really liked this woman so far. Two hours passed and Euphemia finally told Alaenor her story. Apparently, she was orphaned since she had lost her family shortly after she was born. According to Euphemia, her father and mother had perished in an accident, leaving their child behind, and had left her with no relatives whatsoever so Euphemia raised her for herself. As she grew up Euphemia became more and more aware of the dangers of the world which made it difficult for Euphemia to continue living. She had been fortunate enough to find a job as a midwife and nurse for several wealthy families, but her work paid well and gave her enough money for a modest home and a comfortable lifestyle. However, Euphemia knew she could not stay in the village indefinitely and began traveling throughout her country to find new homes to settle in. After searching throughout towns and villages, however, Euphemia had discovered this small, but vast city hidden away between mountains. It was far out from the rest of the city, making it easy for people to avoid detection due to a large amount of mountain ranges. This had helped her make it here quickly. However, it had cost Euphemia quite a bit of money as she was not used to such things. But things turned out well once she had moved into the new city surrounded by mountains and starry skies and ever since then, she had been living comfortably and she was paid well for her job as a midwife until now. When Euphemia was first assigned here, it was very difficult for her to get hired in the area for she was still young, and had not known much about being a midwife. In fact, Euphemia still did not know many things. But she had become used to her life, she enjoyed the peaceful surroundings, and most importantly, she was very passionate about helping others. She had decided to remain with the townspeople despite the circumstances they lived in and the risks that came with working there. She felt it was her responsibility to look after them. Chapter 4 Alaenor learned more about Euphemia''s life, wondering if it was truly that simple to live in a city that one was unfamiliar with - and at that moment, she was experiencing the older woman''s former dilemma for she was from a different world, a different universe to be precise. Would she continue to live in another world and at another time for the rest of her life? Was this life worth living? If she stayed in this world, would she eventually forget about that which she loved, about her childhood, her family, her past, and her future? Her past and home had been shattered, leaving nothing but dust and emptiness - all of that for her to survive in another world, another dimension. "Alaenor?" Euphemia asked out of concern as she gazed upon the young woman staring into space, deep in thought. "Are you alright? Are you feeling ill again? I am afraid I will have to ask the doctor to check your pulse-"Alaenor snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head to clear her mind, "No, no, I am fine! I apologize. I got lost in thought."Euphemia smiled gently at her before speaking again, "So... Tell me more about this world of yours? Where are you staying now?" "Well," Alaenor started with a sigh, "My mother and father were both killed when my hometown was destroyed... or truth be told, my entire universe had been destroyed. They sent me away to ensure I kept on living and here I am, living despite it all."Euphemia gasped at that, "Oh dear! You poor thing!" The young woman let out a short laugh. "Thank you, but it is not like I can help it. It is just a matter of whether I live or die here and whether I am able to move forward, even though..." She trailed off forlornly, unable to finish her sentence. There was no point continuing with her pointless rambling. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Euphemia put her hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "You''re going through a lot. I''m sure things will turn out well for you."The younger woman nodded slowly, shaking her head slightly, and got back on her feet. "It is rather a difficult journey but I was saved for a reason, right?" The older woman pursed her lips, and a hint of pity gleamed in her eyes. She looked up at Alaenor, nodding slowly, "Indeed. Well, I better be going to see if anyone requires aid. You should try to relax." "Alright. Thanks, Euphemia," Alaenor replied. She watched Euphemia leave before turning around and looking down at her new place of refuge. The building itself wasn''t very big. A mere two stories tall with a window facing west, but it was sturdy and seemed stable. The exterior walls were built of stone, while the inside consisted mostly of wood. There were some shelves in the hallway near the entrance and a few chairs around the corner of the kitchen counter. Overall, Alaenor was glad to have a temporary home. Not only did she feel safe, but she also felt welcome. The idea of being alone made her uncomfortable, and she did not want to think of her old life anymore. Now she has a chance at a fresh start. It took some time for Alaenor to settle in comfortably since she had been asleep for who knew how long since her arrival in this new world. She couldn''t recall if some of her friends had managed to escape the destruction of her universe, but she knew she had to move on. The day went by rather slowly and soon it was evening. Euphemia prepped some hearty meals for the pair to enjoy and Alaenor appreciated her efforts in doing so. The two women were engaged in a conversation, talking about a couple of topics while Alaenor got to know more about the world of Celimora. Once the night came to a start, Alaenor found herself worn and tired and she was fortunate to find Euphemia instead of anyone else in this strange city. The elder woman was nothing but kind towards the new stranger but she welcomed Alaenor with an open heart. She even provided the young brunette a space to sleep and warm meals for shelter, wishing nothing in return. That was her job, after all - to take care of people''s needs regardless of where they''re from or what they are. Chapter 5 A few days passed by and Alaenor took the opportunity to wander around the strange new city, adorning herself in garments that made her look like she belonged there and not in some foreign clothing from another world. The city was full of hustle and bustle, happy chatter filled her ears as she explored one part of the town. She didn''t know how far this city stretched but it would be wise to learn by wandering around. So she walked along the streets of the city, admiring the people of the new universe who all shared something unique yet similar about themselves. She was lucky to have Euphemia as her mentor and guide so she wanted to explore further. Unfortunately, she had no way of asking her for any help. And so she continued to walk on without any knowledge of where to go. The lack of information made her anxious, thinking about how she could locate Euphemia when suddenly she heard footsteps approaching. She stopped in her tracks, trying to figure out who was coming and who might stop by when she felt someone tap her shoulder and spun around. "Excuse me," The person spoke in a deep voice. There stood an intimidating man wearing a dark blue outfit with gold embroidery on his shoulder. His black hair was tied in a bun and his face was covered with a beard. He stared back at Alaenor, seeming unamused. The girl swallowed her saliva uneasily before stuttering, "Yes, sir? Is something the matter?" The man cleared his throat before replying, "I was informed by the guards at the gate that there was a new arrival a couple of days ago. I assume this new arrival is you?" "Yup!" Alaenor exclaimed before remembering that they did not know each other. So she corrected herself, "Ah, um... Yes, that is correct." The man seemed to stare intensely at her for a few moments before he sighed, "Then come with me. We must inform the council of your arrival." With that, he turned around and headed toward the center of the city, leaving a stunned Alaenor standing there dumbfounded. ''Council''? She followed him curiously until she arrived at what appeared to be a huge hall, filled with numerous men sitting around, reading books or chatting away. Suddenly, she heard a voice ring from above her causing her to stop walking in surprise and raise her head upwards. A woman was standing at the top of the steps, looking down upon those sitting on the ground. The lady''s dress was midnight blue and white with intricate patterns covering her whole body. She held the ends of her skirt in her hands and looked down at those below her, smiling softly, "Hello there, you are a newcomer to our city, yes?" The tone she used was soft and calm, making it seem as though she were greeting someone, but it did not feel forced. "I am the council''s leader. My name is Mirana."Alaenor bowed politely, unsure of what to do now. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I am sorry for interrupting... What exactly is the council?" Mirana laughed lightly, "Well, we are the ones who decide what happens in the country. We manage our affairs, govern our people, and act as law enforcement in our country." Alaenor blinked owlishly at the explanation before nodding slowly, "Oh, okay..." Mirana smiled warmly at Alaenor before continuing, "Now, why don''t you introduce yourself to us? This is a good opportunity to meet the other members of the Council, after all." Alaenor frowned, wondering if she could be honest with these strangers, and said, "Actually, uhm, my name is Alaenor." Mirana nodded with understanding, "Very well. How may I address you then?" "Just Alaenor is alright with me." "Very well. We have gathered today to talk about your citizenship because the guards have noticed that you are not a citizen of Starfall." "Oh, I suppose that does make sense... Um... So what does the citizenship entail then? Do I need to go through an identification process and get a permit?" Mirana chuckled lightly before answering, "That can''t be helped considering it is not uncommon for citizens to change their name after living in this world for several years. However, most citizens choose to retain their previous surname and continue using that name as their surname. The people from Starfall are different than you. You can keep your original name, but they can still choose to change their surname." "That seems logical enough," Alaenor said, tilting her head slightly as she tried to grasp the concept but when she attempted to speak, Mirana continued, "If you do not want to choose a name and still want to proceed with your current name, it is also fine." "Okay." "Do you have any questions for the council? Asking them a question now would allow us to find out about your background and history before taking your citizenship papers. Of course, you are free to go now if you have no questions. But don''t worry, your citizenship will be granted within the next day or so. However, you may choose to pursue education here at the Starfall Academy or find some jobs if you are interested. You can decide on this later on. Now, there are a couple of issues I must attend to now therefore I will leave the rest up to you." With that, Mirana and the rest of the council stood from their seats and left the room, leaving Alaenor to her own devices. Chapter 6 Once she left the building, she pondered what to do next. She hadn''t had something to do the moment she arrived at Starfall besides getting to know Euphemia and now the council committees. The sun shone through the abundance of clouds, warming up the earth as the light was cast upon the beautiful city. Alaenor wandered aimlessly along the roads, admiring the sights and sounds as she listened to the passersby chat away. It reminded her of her childhood in her world. When she went outside in the mornings she''d take a stroll through the main square, passing by various shops and selling various goods. Sometime later, when she returned to the house, there would always be a certain smell from cooking food wafting towards her nostrils, prompting her mother to call for her from the kitchen. When she returned home she always told her parents about everything that happened during her day; she never failed to tell them about the interesting people she met and the places she visited. Her father would always smile fondly at her, telling her that she was such a wonderful child. Her mother would always hug and kiss her forehead, saying she was proud of her daughter. Just the thought of her parents made her melancholic and homesick. Then a horrid scream seemed to appear out of nowhere, causing Alaenor to break her thoughts and frantically glance around. What was happening? Had some kind of trouble occurred? No, nothing seemed to be wrong... Maybe there was just someone shouting in pain? Or maybe a dog had gotten into an accident again and couldn''t get back home...? Another scream rang through the air, and loud thuds against the ground followed suit. Suddenly some buildings started to catch fire. Alaenor froze in place, horrified by what she had just witnessed. Someone was attacking innocent civilians, killing them mercilessly. The cries of terror resonated in the quiet city and Alaenor realized that she needed to find help fast. Turning around swiftly, she headed straight towards Euphemia''s sanctuary. She needed to know if she was alright quickly, and soon her heartbeat started racing against her chest. She didn''t care where she ended up or which direction she ran in, as long as she got there in time. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Euphemia!" She shouted as she ran through the streets of Starfall, pushing past everyone, some calling out for help but none listening. The only thing that mattered was Euphemia''s safety. Soon the sounds of destruction became louder, causing her to look ahead to see flames bursting over two nearby buildings, setting some houses ablaze. She ran faster, hoping desperately to reach the refuge before the fire spread too far. She finally reached the front door of her temporary residence only to find it locked. Not bothering knocking anymore, Alaenor rushed through the small gap between the doors and entered the building at the same speed. It was silent inside and the place was dark. There were no signs of movement anywhere, indicating that Euphemia was not there. "Where could she be?" she said quietly to herself before shaking her head vigorously to clear her mind. Euphemia is strong and capable of handling things on her own, so even if she was injured she can handle it. She has always been very skilled at dealing with anything life threw at her. Alaenor glanced around the room in fear. Then out of nowhere, she heard Euphemia''s voice calling out to her desperately. Immediately, she hurried out of the crumbling building and go to where Euphemia was. But at the same time, a wave of arrows fell from the sky in their direction. Without a second thought, the younger woman dashed towards the older woman, embracing her newfound friend into her arms as a form of protection with her eyes shut. Little did she know, the arrows didn''t penetrate their skins like she expected - for she thought she would die there in a foreign city. Once she fluttered her eyes open, she couldn''t believe her eyes at all. A golden glow surrounded them, shielding them from harm for a short moment. And when the arrow hit the ground behind them, the spell faded away just as quickly. The brunette felt tears threatening to fall from her eyes, but she pushed them back, forcing a smile onto her face instead, and nodded. She couldn''t let the grief overcome her right now, not when Euphemia was still here with her, safe and unharmed. Chapter 7 A smile appeared on the old woman''s face once more and she hugged Alaenor, whispering to her softly, "Thank you, dear. I am glad that the gods brought you here today to guide me." Alaenor closed her eyes tightly as she leaned into the older woman''s embrace. In a matter of days, Euphemia felt like a mother to her which reminded her of her own mother. She felt warmth spreading through her body as memories of her family flooded her mind. Her mother, her father... Her smile began to fade slowly as she forced back the tears that threatened to come out. She opened her eyes again after a moment, turning to look at the elder woman. "So... let''s get out of here before we get attacked again." The elder woman hummed with a curt nod, "The council members are gathering survivors outside of Starfall. Perhaps we should go with them instead." With that, they both left the area and used a safer route towards the main gate of the city, avoiding detection from their invaders. They soon arrived at the meeting point, and as soon as they emerged from the forest a crowd had gathered, many people looking extremely nervous and fearful of those who were approaching. After exchanging greetings, the group took the opportunity to sit down on the grassy lawn and wait for the council to arrive. After a few moments, however, one member of the council spoke first. "I have received word from the Capital," he said, his voice filled with urgency and worry. At this, the tension in the area grew exponentially. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "It appears that there is unrest in the Capital." "What?" someone shouted angrily from somewhere. "How is that possible?" Another responded with the same question, causing the atmosphere to grow even heavier. "According to our informant the attack on the city was carried out by some group called the Seekers of Magic. They claim that they came out of nowhere to raid the town, kill everyone in sight - most particularly people who wield magic and then leave without a trace, never to be seen again." That last part caused several people to shout, anger and confusion evident on their faces. All of these events were very unexpected to them and were all making things even worse. Alaenor frowned in response, having never heard of any kind of organization called the Seekers. "The Seekers of Magic? Why would they come and attack us?" One woman questioned. "Yes, but I do not know..." another responded. "But how could they do something so cruel?" Another woman asked. The council members discussed among themselves for a bit while Alaenor remained silent, trying to understand exactly what was happening. Then a thought struck her mind as she thought about the incident with Euphemia back at the sanctuary. Confusion can be seen on her face as she recalled the golden glow surrounding them both earlier... did she unintentionally use magic at that moment? As far as she knew, not many of Starfall''s citizens wield magic besides the healers which puzzled her. "The Seekers of Magic... They say that their leader is a man named Cain..." a man beside Alaenor muttered. The name was unfamiliar to her but she decided not to ask about it. That could wait until she was able to get some information for herself later. The discussion among the council continued, but the longer they talked about it the more unsettled the atmosphere turned. Alaenor overheard the discussion among the council about where to seek shelter first and foremost. They could not stay out in the open overnight, they would have to make camp somewhere close to the capital. Some people agreed with the suggestions, but some people disagreed. However, no one dared disagree with the council. Chapter 8 Finally, they made their way in the direction of the Capital after a moment of disagreements. The council members insisted they meet with the Capital''s Council of Elites for protection and to rebuild Starfall. It was not simple to traverse all the way to the city with a large number of survivors, including the elders and children, with a couple of men to protect them from harm. No matter how much they protested or argued against the decision, the majority of them agreed nonetheless. Although, the councilmen didn''t want to stay in the city, knowing that the Seekers would surely come after the Capital - if it wasn''t invaded already. Therefore, they settled for staying temporarily near the capital with an idea in mind - to start a resistance group and fight back if necessary. But in the end, they decided not to act yet as it was still too early to formulate a plan. When they arrived at the city, they found that everything was completely intact. It was a good sign. Soon enough, the council members entered the city inquiring to meet with the Capital''s Council of Elites. While they were away, Alaenor took the moment to take a look around at her new surroundings and analyzed the people around her. Everyone wore different types of clothing. Some wore clothes that signified their wealth, and some were simply commoners of the Capital - but they were rare for they worked for the nobles. Once the meeting with the council ended, the Starfall council members returned to their people with determination in their eyes. "Attention, remaining citizens of Starfall!" One of the members of the council called. "It is time to prepare ourselves. We must begin preparing for a defensive campaign against the Seekers of Magic. From now on, we will use everything within our power to defeat and defeat them! Every citizen is encouraged to lend a helping hand, regardless of status. But first and foremost, we must rebuild our beloved city from ashes and bones. We must keep the legacy of Starfall!" Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "We shall work hard for our survival and the survival of the whole city!" A cheer rose in the air after the announcement was made. At least that was what Alaenor assumed. Her knowledge regarding the history and culture of the capital was lacking and she had no clue what was going to happen next; however, she felt relieved and proud at the fact that these people believed in their survival and their future of rebuilding Starfall. After everything they went through, they wanted to see their home rebuilt - no matter what happened to them. As she stood there, deep in thoughts - unaware that Mirana was watching her as if she knew something about her that she does not. Magic in these lands was rare, and most often than not, most sorcerers and wizards or witches would abuse their power hence why the Seekers of Magic were created - their only purpose was to destroy all those who wield any kind of magic to prevent further destruction. But then again, Alaenor did not know how she came to this power. In her own world, she was merely a human being with no magic and the people in her world even thought that magic was a myth. Yet, the young woman needed to be sure to suppress this newfound magic away from prying eyes. Unaware that Mirana was approaching her, Alaenor fiddled with her fingers nervously about it when the council member decided to speak up to the woman, "Is everything alright, my dear? I see nothing but concern judging by the look on your face." The young brunette flickered her blue hues towards the other woman with a reassuring smile, "Oh, yes. I think I will be.. but there is something important for us to discuss - privately." Chapter 9 With a curt nod, Mirana led Alaenor away from the rest of the group and toward the edge of the clearing, away from the crowd. Once they were out of earshot of all else, Mirana turned to look directly into the brunette''s eyes. "You haven''t told me the exact reason for wanting me to talk with you alone." Alaenor took a deep breath, unsure how this would pan out. "Right, well... back in Starfall, I survived miraculously from a wave of arrows and protected Euphemia from it too. The thing is... I had no idea that I unintentionally used magic to protect myself and her since I do not recall having magic myself. Therefore I need your assistance in this matter, Lady Mirana." Mirana stared at the younger woman before replying, "I see. You mean you don''t remember doing such things in the past?" "Of course not. I''ve no idea how it happened either." At that response, Mirana let out a sigh in reply. "Well... we shall talk about that later. For now, I believe you should return to the others. I''ll inform the council of your situation and we''ll decide what to do next." "Alright." After saying goodbye to Mirana, Alaenor walked back to the rest of the group. She noticed they were all staring at her with curious expressions but ignored them and went straight to Euphemia. "I think I should talk to you about something if you will. But not here, not now." Euphemia raised her brow slightly at Alaenor''s words. "Are you okay, dear?" The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Yes, it''s just that I''d prefer not to discuss such matters in public," Alaenor said as she shook her head slightly. The woman sighed deeply in response. "I suppose that would be best. Come along then." Once the two left the area, they discussed freely about the incident back at the sanctuary about the use of magic to protect them from the arrows. Puzzled, Alaenor had no idea where and how it came to be hence she needed to ask Euphemia about it. She knew the risk of using magic, after learning how magic was rare in these lands and she was uncertain how to control this new magic of hers. "So how did you use your magic back there?" Euphemia asked once the two were seated in front of each other. "I am not entirely sure of how I cast it, but I did manage to save us," Alaenor replied with a small laugh. "That sounds like quite the feat to be done with little preparation. How did you manage to do it?" "I''m not completely sure but I think I remembered something similar to a golden light surrounding us." "What?!" "Yeah I know that sounded stupid. I don''t know how to explain it anyway but I need someone who could help me with this magic of mine. Do you happen to know someone who wields magic?" Alaenor asked brows furrowed. "Hmm..." The older woman thought for a while before answering, "There is someone who could help but it would take some time to get to him. He is considered one of the most powerful but is most likely to live isolated somewhere in the south." "Will it be possible to go to him now?" "It depends on whether you can find him, or the time. If you need him urgently, though, I can arrange tomorrow night''s journey. Is that okay with you?" "I think so." "Then please go ahead and get some sleep. It has been quite a long day for both of us." Euphemia insisted, already heading back towards the camp they have set up after the discussion with the Council of Elites. Alaenor trailed alongside her, nervous and eager about meeting this sorcerer she was about to meet. Chapter 10 The night flew by rather quickly, the sound of crickets and owls can be heard throughout the night. Alaenor could not sleep much, her mind wandering towards the sorcerer she was about to meet soon. Once the sun broke through the sky, the brunette left her makeshift bed and decided to speak with Mirana about the situation. It was perhaps the best choice to do so she could help Starfall and protect the city with her magic - with enough training, of course. She headed straight for Mirana''s tent, hoping that it would be empty. The woman was already awake. As soon as she saw the young woman, Mirana smiled softly and nodded in her direction. "Come in, come in," she urged. And with that, Alaenor entered the tent and greeted the older woman with a kind smile on her lips. "Good morning." "Ah, good morning. What brings you here? Did you need something, or is there something bothering you?" "I, uh, needed to speak with you about something. It''s regarding my magic and Euphemia mentioned that there is one sorcerer who could help me with what I need." The elder female frowned lightly upon hearing Alaenor''s request, looking concerned about the condition she might be in if this sorcerer could indeed assist them with this. However, she knew better than anyone else about these types of situations involving people with extraordinary abilities and the danger that might follow them. She was not naive nor was she reckless; therefore, she decided to give the woman''s request some careful consideration, "Do you require my assistance in any form?" This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Not necessarily. I just wanted to ask your expertise on the matter, if you will." Mirana hesitated for a moment longer, thinking over the request and her offer to aid the younger woman with this magic problem. She was cautious, of course, with this delicate matter for she didn''t want the young brunette to abuse her magic like any other sorcerer. Fortunately, this sorcerer that she once knew had a noble heart and intentions but that was years ago and she didn''t know what happened to him since then but she reassured herself that he would be the best guidance for Alaenor. Besides, he wasn''t really a bad person and he was known for his kindness and generosity - even though he still held many secrets about his past. She would never forgive herself if she failed to help this innocent girl because of her curiosity or lack thereof. So, with that in mind, she spoke, "Very well. I can arrange transportation for you with the Council of Elites if they decided to help with this situation of yours. After all, you should depart sooner than linger around here." "Thank you, Lady Mirana," Alaenor thanked the older woman sincerely, relief filling up within her heart. She truly hoped this could work out. After giving her thanks, she excused herself to gather some supplies so she could depart on her trip to find this mysterious sorcerer. Mirana arranged a meeting with the Council of Elites once more regarding Alaenor''s situation and insisted that they provide transportation for the young woman to meet with the sorcerer. They agreed readily and made plans accordingly. When afternoon came, Alaenor was ready to leave the camp and begin on her way to this unknown sorcerer that could possibly be able to help her. She felt a bit nervous, wondering if she was making the right decision, but she assured herself again that everything would turn out fine. The Council of Elites had provided her with a horse, a map, and a couple of medical supplies, considering that she was venturing out alone. And soon, she began to make her way towards the south which would take approximately a day or two to the sorcerer''s location. Chapter 11 As it got late in the afternoon, the heat became unbearable for her and her muscles felt sore by the time she finally arrived at an area filled with tall grass and a couple of large trees. She dismounted from the horse she managed to tame earlier, allowing the animal to graze around as she searched for a place suitable to make camp. Eventually, she found a nice clearing near the edge of the forest and decided to make a fire. While she waited for the fire to start, she sat down cross-legged with her hands resting together before her, eyes closed in concentration until her stomach grumbled in protest. Taking a deep breath, the woman opened her eyes, feeling hungry for the first time in days. Deciding to make food quickly, she took a few vegetables, meats, and a couple of cooked apples from her pack. She started cutting and seasoning it before placing it on a wooden slab above the fire. Then she remembered how easy it was to cook simple food back in her world with modern technologies to aid in cooking food. She chuckled lightly before grabbing a piece of apple and taking a bite as she watched her meal being cooked. "Oh wow, you must be starving." A feminine voice suddenly broke her train of thought. Astonished at first, Alaenor looked around before her gaze fell onto the woman wearing a simple black tunic and pants. A pair of brown leather boots covered her feet, making her appear quite taller and thinner. Her long dark hair, tied up into a bun, seemed to cover part of her face and only her left eyebrow had been visible since she was standing behind a tree. She blinked twice at the stranger before asking with raised eyebrows, "How did you manage to sneak up on me so quietly without making a single noise? That was quite impressive." "Sorry about that. I didn''t mean to scare you," the redhead apologized with a smile. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Alaenor shook her head with a warm smile, "It doesn''t matter, I was just not expecting a guest." After a moment of silence, the woman stepped further away from the trunk of the tree, moving closer to her new companion. "Would you care for something to eat? I believe I should warn you that I am very poor at cooking and I probably won''t be the best at offering you food," Alaenor said. "Don''t worry about that, I''ll take whatever you make." "Are you certain?" "I assure you, it will be perfectly fine and besides, I think it may be interesting to try what you''re currently doing." "Alright then, I guess it''s settled then." The brunette replied with a small chuckle before turning her attention back to her dinner. Once the ingredients were cooked, she cut off half of the meat and passed it over to the stranger along with some slices of cooked apples and vegetables. With a satisfied hum, she sat back down cross-legged and proceeded to eat her dinner quietly. There was a pleasant silence between them while they ate their respective food, leaving the comfortable atmosphere in the air for a couple of minutes. They finished eating and cleaned up the mess that they''d made, when the stranger decided to speak up, "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier after sneaking up on you, the name''s Cordelia." She extended her hand toward the brunette and offered a sweet smile. "My name''s Alaenor," the young lady replied politely as she accepted Cordelia''s offered hand, shaking it lightly. "So, what are you doing here? Are you visiting someone?" Cordelia asked curiously. "No no, I''m here to see a sorcerer in the Southern region. Someone told me that he could help me with my magic problem." Cordelia nodded slowly, "Well, I don''t know if he can help you with your magic problem but I can tell you that he is a sorcerer and he is very knowledgeable about magic. He is also a very powerful sorcerer as far as I know, for he is half fae." "Half fae?" Alaenor repeated, intrigued. "Yes, I am not surprised either. He has magical powers and a lot of energy for being a half-fae." "What about his name?" the young woman wondered. "His name is Zevran. His full name is Zevran Dirthamen, son of the great sorcerer Lord Vahlric Dirthamen." Chapter 12 Both names were unfamiliar to Alaenor but she was certainly glad someone shed more information about this sorcerer she was about to meet beforehand. Cordelia continued to explain a little more about the sorcerer''s history which intrigued the brunette as she listen attentively to her. Soon enough, the sun started sinking on the horizon, indicating that nightfall was approaching quickly. "It''s rather dangerous to stay out in the open. Perhaps we could find the closest town from here if that is alright with you?" The redhead questioned with a brow raised as she glanced at Alaenor. "If you''re okay with traveling during the night, we could probably reach there by tomorrow." The brunette nodded, "Of course, anything you say. What kind of town do you propose we go to tonight anyway? We should definitely leave soon if we plan to get a hold of the sorcerer in the next day or so." "There is a small settlement called Silvergarde," Cordelia explained calmly. "It is actually quite near from here. However, it was originally built for travelers as well and there is a tavern nearby that serves decent refreshments. You can stay there overnight if that is convenient for you." "I''d like that," Alaenor stated with enthusiasm. "Then that settles it. We should start our journey now, I suppose." Cordelia nodded before getting to her feet, "Good. Shall we?" She suggested while extending her hand towards the younger woman, who gratefully took it and allowed the redhead to pull her up. The pair rode on Alaenor''s horse with Cordelia leading the way toward their intended destination. The ride through the evening went smoothly, except for several times when the horses stumbled against a stray rock while going along a rocky road or stumbled over roots and rocks hidden under the loose soil. But other than that, things went fairly well until they reached the village they were heading towards. By the time their arrival drew nearer, the townspeople had gathered outside the houses, curious onlookers peeking their heads out of doors to watch the newcomers come closer and the crowd gathering around the group gradually grew smaller with each passing minute. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. As the two women entered the city limits and neared the village square, the villagers parted way in front of them and Alaenor caught sight of several people with curious gazes fixed upon them. A couple of men and women, both young women and older men stood nearby in groups, talking among themselves while watching them approach. The redhead led them toward the tavern where they''ll stay for the night. It wasn''t that big of a building and the interior of the establishment was cozy looking and decorated with colorful carpets and paintings lining the walls. Some tables, chairs, and stools surrounded a stone fireplace, giving a warm and inviting ambiance. As they walked past the bar counter, the innkeeper greeted Cordelia and Alaenor with a welcoming smile before showing them to one of the tables. "Hello there. Would you like something to drink or a room to stay?" The innkeeper politely offered. "I would like a room, please. My companion and I would like to sleep in a comfortable bed tonight, that''s all." Cordelia answered, earning an approving nod from the innkeeper. "Of course, we have plenty of rooms available so feel free to choose one. If you want to eat or drink in particular, feel free to request some food as well. Just let me know!" The innkeeper assured them. "Thank you for everything," Alaenor bowed respectfully before turning to the redhead and smiling softly, "Let''s get checked in first, shall we?" With a nod from Cordelia, they left the table and walked towards the counter. When they finally reached their destination, the innkeeper led them to a large bedroom and informed them that they could use it whenever they wanted. After thanking him once again, they bid him goodbye and headed towards the door. Chapter 13 Before opening the door, Alaenor turned to look at the redhead who gave her a questioning look. "You okay with sleeping here tonight? Do you mind sleeping on the floor?" the brunette asked. The redhead gave a small shake of her head and smiled at her companion reassuringly, "I think I''ll be okay, don''t worry. I''m used to sleeping on hard wooden floors." Alaenor gave her companion a grateful smile before returning her gaze toward the door as she opened it and walked inside, followed closely by Cordelia. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she looked around the spacious room. Everything was arranged nicely and the only furniture present was a simple bed and a small dresser which seemed to serve the purpose of holding their clothes and necessities. At least the room was nice enough. Alaenor moved over to the bed and set her belongings down on it. She glanced up and saw Cordelia following suit behind her, sitting down on the edge of the mattress with her legs crossed beneath her. "We really need to thank the innkeeper for helping us out like that." The brunette nodded in agreement, "Yeah, but don''t forget he didn''t ask for any payment at all. Anyways, you still haven''t told me why you''re helping me out." Cordelia simply chuckled, taking a seat beside the brunette. "Well, I''m hunting down the Seekers of Magic''s leader. He, uh, he killed someone important to me so I had to hunt him down but luck wasn''t on my side that time." She said the last part almost hesitantly as if she was afraid that Alaenor would react negatively to her answer. Instead of reacting in any way, however, the younger woman merely nodded and motioned for her companion to continue speaking. "Ever since that day, I''ve been attempting to assassinate him but he was well-guarded by his organization. Someday, I will get my revenge." With a determined expression plastered onto her face, she added confidently, "That is why I''ve been hunting him down." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Alaenor hummed in response, "You sound pretty sure that you will get your revenge, though." "I am. And even if I won''t get my revenge, I won''t give up on finding him just yet. He doesn''t deserve freedom like the rest. He deserves to suffer the same fate as everyone else." She explained with conviction. Alaenor studied her companion for a moment, studying the determination in her eyes. She couldn''t help but admire how brave this woman in front of her was and how much she meant to her. She understood that the redhead was doing this because she felt responsible for what happened back then. She knew that Cordelia was willing to risk everything just to get justice for the person she loved so dearly. "Okay, I believe you," Alaenor stated quietly, causing the redhead to raise her eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" Cordelia asked in bewilderment. "Yeah, I do." Alaenor agreed with a firm nod. A wide grin formed on Cordelia''s face. "Wow! Thanks for believing in me." Alaenor couldn''t help but chuckle. "I suppose this is a start of a budding friendship." She remarked. The redhead grinned even brighter, "Yup. This is perfect for both of us, isn''t it?" A smile appeared on Alaenor''s face. "Yes, yes it is." She confirmed with another gentle laugh. Little did they know, someone from the tavern was eavesdropping on their conversation outside of the room and was amused by the whole thing before departing towards the exit of the tavern. It wasn''t long before the women decided to retire and settle down for the night as well. As soon as she climbed into the bed after setting aside a blanket and laying down on the pillows, Alaenor found herself drifting away in her sleep. Chapter 14 When morning arrived, Alaenor found herself awake once the rays of the sun shone upon her still face. Groaning, she sat upright in the bed, letting out a yawn afterwards. She rubbed her eyes as she gazed around the room and spotted Cordelia already awake and moving around. With a quick nod in acknowledgement, Alaenor got off of the bed and quickly dressed for the day. Once done, she packed all of her things up when Cordelia felt uneasy, glancing at the brunette for a moment, "Quickly, we need to move." "What''s wrong?" Alaenor queried, looking puzzled. "It''s not the right time to talk about it, but something bad is happening." Her tone was laced with nervousness and dread, but she showed no sign of showing it. Instead, she continued to speak in a hushed voice, "I can''t explain it very well either but I trust my instincts and something tells me that we shouldn''t delay things now." With a hesitant nod of affirmation, Alaenor took hold of her hand when out of nowhere a couple of Seekers of Magic members caught them once they exited the tavern. They exchanged glances between each other for a brief moment, the redhead silently asking for her friend''s permission to handle the situation before Cordelia stepped forward, ready to defend herself against the incoming enemies. With a quick glance, Alaenor took note of the few people who were approaching the duo, preparing herself for anything that might happen. Behind the group stood the leader himself. Cain. He gave a short nod in approval, signalling for the people standing around him to disperse. As he turned around and made eye contact with her, Alaenor''s gaze immediately locked on his cold eyes and a shiver ran down her spine. She couldn''t see any signs of emotion in them but that wasn''t important as of now. Cordelia instantly knew who he was - the man who killed someone important to her. She glanced at the brunette with urgency and mouthed the word, "Run." But the redhead was frozen to the spot, unable to move from her position, not able to tear her gaze from Cain. She noticed the faint smirk on his face when he suddenly spoke. Before Alaenor ran off, she did not mistakenly heard Cain''s words. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Ah, there you are, my dear little sister." He addressed her with obvious distaste. The redhead swallowed heavily, glaring at his brother from her position. Alaenor, who at this point, had run off for safety while half of Cain''s people chased after her. She didn''t know how to shake them off, let alone cast magic on them as she had to think quickly for she wasn''t a fighter either. Now that she was further away from Cordelia and Cain, the others remained in pursuit of her - and the next thing she knew, she cast off a staggering spell out of the blue towards them to delay their pursuit. The spell landed perfectly on two of the Seekers and sent them stumbling backwards. Unfortunately, the others didn''t have an effect of their own and quickly rushed towards the brunette, grabbing her by her arms and pulling her backwards. "Ow!" She cried out as she struggled against their grip, cursing under her breath. One of the Seekers managed to grab hold of one of her arms with his free hand, preventing her from casting another spell. Without thinking twice, she tried to remove his arm away from hers to break it but unfortunately, she was unsuccessful in her attempt. In the meantime, Cordelia fought off her brother''s people, her reflexes sharp as ever as Alaenor watched the event unfold before her eyes. Then Cain''s eyes flickered towards the brunette, cold gaze lingering on her when his words caught his people off-guard. "Leave her out of this one. We''re taking the redhead with us." Cordelia''s eyes widened, out of protest. She knew she couldn''t fight off her brother just yet, she had to come up with a plan quickly when Alaenor unleashed her protection spell once more around herself and then unleashed the staggering spells against her captors. Without a second thought, she grabbed the other woman''s arm and hurried out of the settlement, sweat breaking out of her skin so quickly as they dashed off towards the stables and took one of the horses without care. Chapter 15 Once out of the settlement, Cordelia and Alaenor galloped their way towards the sorcerer''s location hurriedly without looking back to see whether they were coming after them. Cain simply watched in amusement, the silhouette of them left the sight and turned towards his people. "I will send out spies after them. For now, we wait." He spoke in a low voice. There was no use in sending his people out in such a rush now that he knows where they are heading. It wouldn''t be difficult enough to catch up with them anyways. Meanwhile, the women were further away from the settlement, taking a moment to catch their breath while the horse they stole from the stables was grazing away. They decided to take a break, resting their legs against the side of the horse and leaning against each other for support as they tried to regulate their breathing. They remained silent for a moment, both simply staring straight ahead at the road ahead of them. Neither of them said a word nor did either of them look at each other, too engrossed in their respective thoughts. After a while, Cordelia decided to break the silence and broke the heavy air with a soft sigh. "The sorcerer lives in Elderhollow. Not easy to get into but we''ll find a way." "Then how do we enter Elderhollow?" "One problem, Elderhollow isn''t anywhere on the map considering only a handful of sorcerers and wizards resided there and away from prying eyes, especially the Seekers. However," Cordelia replied with a thoughtful expression before smiling softly at her friend. "I''ve been there once or twice before and know how to get there easily if we manage to make it there undetected." "You don''t have to tell me that," Alaenor replied in exasperation as she looked over at the other woman, a small smile forming on her lips. They fell silent again for what seemed like forever, but it was mere minutes later before Cordelia talked. "We need some supplies first though." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. A nod was the brunette''s response, "You''re right. Plus, I think I require new clothes." "Same here. According to the map, there should be the nearest town down this path. If we hurry, we may be able to find some supplies and clothes." Cordelia stated. "Come on!" The two women set off again with determination. They kept on moving at a speed that would allow them to arrive at Evergreen by midday, which also meant that Alaenor would not need to rest for quite some time. By the time they reached the town, both women were thoroughly exhausted, especially since they had stopped for rest only ten miles prior. Their bodies ached terribly from traveling at speeds greater than their usual, but they pushed themselves harder for what they hoped would eventually become a routine. When they entered Eldergreen, Alaenor could not help but stare at everything, awestruck by the beauty of the town while Cordelia merely glanced around curiously, taking note of the surrounding area. As expected, the pair found several shops which housed clothing stores similar to those back home and even a couple of food stalls. After browsing through the various stores for almost an hour, Cordelia finally decided that they would spend the night somewhere else. Alaenor took the advantage to browse the clothing store, finding dresses of all kinds for every occasion. But she didn''t need them for now, then she continued to search for appropriate attires for traveling purposes. As the brunette searched for suitable garments, Cordelia decided to head in for some food, seeing no reason why they couldn''t stock up on food along the way. After deciding on an outfit she deemed suitable for traveling, Alaenor made her way to the other women who seemed to be stocking up their supplies in the market, "Shall we rest at the tavern here?" Her question brought the redhead''s attention back to the brunette. "Mm, yes, I believe that would be best." Cordelia agreed while placing a bag full of supplies over her shoulder. "We can buy some food and some drinks as well as a room for the night." Once they have completed their errands, the women walked towards the tavern and booked a room for the night. After settling into their room for the night, both women went straight to bed. Despite feeling tired, Cordelia could still not relax herself despite her tiredness. The fight with her brother took most of her energy out and even if she were to fall asleep, she knew her brother would simply haunt her dreams. After exchanging good nights, Alaenor found herself asleep in a blink of an eye while the other woman stood awake and on guard. Chapter 16 The following morning, Alaenor woke up early due to the sun rising. Once she finished getting dressed into the outfit she selected at the store and got ready to go downstairs, she noticed something was missing - Cordelia never slept until noon and even then she would sleep until late afternoon. Where could she possibly be? Looking about the room, she saw no trace of her companion. Puzzled, she wondered where the other had gone - perhaps she had gone out to buy something or check for news. With these thoughts running in her head, she descended the stairs of their rented room, walking outside and gazing around the town in hopes of spotting Cordelia. Her suspicions were proven correct when she spotted her a few streets away - sitting quietly against the wall, looking deep in thought. Her eyebrows furrowed as she approached Cordelia''s direction, worry etched on her face, "Is everything alright?" Cordelia lifted her gaze slightly as her mind registered the woman''s presence, nodding slowly. "Yes. Why do you ask?" The brunette shrugged, trying to appear casual but failing miserably, "You seemed awfully quiet during our trip yesterday. Is everything alright?" The redhead looked away from the woman before answering. "Everything is fine." She lied. The truth was she hadn''t slept a wink last night - not because she wasn''t tired, but rather because she was too busy worrying about her friend and making sure nothing bad happened. It was the only thing keeping her going and she had barely gotten any sleep at all. Cordelia let out a small sigh, her gaze drifting down to the ground before turning away. Then, she stepped away from the wall and glanced at Alaenor, "Come on, let us not waste any more time. We need to get going." Alaenor gave a half-hearted nod before hurrying back inside the inn. She picked up her backpack which contained everything they needed for their journey and threw it over her shoulder, following Cordelia who had already started making their way through the crowd on the street. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Then the redhead led Alaenor towards Elderhollow when she stopped before the gates of mist that prevented them from entering and took a moment to look at the other, "This is where I let you go. I have... things to settle away from here." The brunette nodded, understanding completely what she meant by those words but unable to say anything for fear that her voice might give something away. Instead, she raised her hand to caress her cheek affectionately, hoping it would ease her worries for a little bit. "Take care, Cordelia." With those words, Alaenor entered the gates of mist as it engulfed her into Elderhollow. The sky was nothing but grey, giving off a gloomy vibe over the nearly empty town. The place didn''t seem very large but it felt much bigger with all that fog that covered its entirety. The streets of the town were mostly deserted. Some passersby occasionally glanced in Alaenor''s direction. It was obvious they were wondering what kind of person would travel alone through the town but she chose to ignore them. Instead, her mind was focused on finding Zevran. Wandering around aimlessly, she soon arrived before a large gate and a board that wrote Zevran''s surname on it. This must be the place, she thought. She was just about to knock on the door when suddenly, she heard someone call her name. "Miss, are you lost?" Asked a man with thick black eyebrows who was standing near the entrance of his manor. The brunette paused for a second before letting out a breathy chuckle, "I suppose not. Is this where Zevran lives?" His brows furrowed at her words as he asked in puzzlement, "What makes you think it is him?" Alaenor blinked in surprise when she realized that his question was a valid one. "Oh sorry. I mean I haven''t really met anyone so I assumed that-" The brunette shook her head before continuing, "Well, I''m looking for him and it is quite an urgent matter." The man stared at her for another second before nodding his head, "You are looking at Zevran himself. Come, if this matter is urgent to you, we may discuss it further inside." Before he led her inside, she took note of how Middle Eastern-looking he was - from thick wavy hair and a scruffy beard to complete his look. His brown eyes, however, were enticing mysteriously. Once they were inside the house, Alaenor followed him into a spacious living room which she guessed was used for guests, with two comfortable-looking armchairs placed across each other facing the fireplace. While she was examining the room closely, trying to figure out how to start a conversation, the man sat down on one of the chairs, gesturing towards the other one for Alaenor to take a seat. The brunette smiled in appreciation, "Thank you." Before taking a seat in front of him. Chapter 17 After a couple of moments passed, the man spoke up, "You entered the gates of mist rather easily, I see. That is no easy feat so I am assuming you are a magic wielder, correct?" "That''s right." The brunette answered casually, though she did notice the suspicious glance directed at her, "I''m not here to cause trouble but I''ve been tasked with something important and require your assistance." He studied her intently for a couple of seconds before speaking again, "And what sort of task requires my aid? And why should I help you?" The man tilted his head ever so slightly, clearly intrigued by the situation at hand. Alaenor shifted uncomfortably in her chair for a brief moment, "Lady Mirana and Euphemia mentioned that you would be the most suitable candidate to teach me some magic." She replied, knowing exactly why she sought help and hoping that he wouldn''t ask her why she was looking for it. The man''s eyes narrowed at her words, "And what does Lady Mirana want you to learn from me?" He questioned, leaning forward in the armchair. "To teach me some basic magic? I recently found out about these powers and I have no control over them." Alaenor explained briefly, "I wish for you to teach me how to use these powers so I may learn what they are capable of." She admitted shyly, lowering her gaze slightly. "I shall teach you magic, but after that, only if you intend to use it for good reason. Us sorcerers and wizards already have done enough damage to our reputation for using magic for bad reasons." The man explained carefully, "So please try not to act impulsively and to use your head first when casting spells." Alaenor nodded in agreement. "Alright. I promise that I will keep that in mind." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The man studied her once more before nodding his head, "Very well. You may want to tell me what sort of spells have you cast before we begin and why you want to learn magic." Alaenor cleared her throat nervously, remembering how nervous she''d gotten the moment she''d first cast a spell and how scared she was of messing it up - which lead to her not being able to use it successfully. She told the man about how she''d tried several times but they were only successful whenever she was under pressure or got herself into dangerous situations. When she was finally done telling him what she knew, he remained silent for a few moments, thinking about what to do. Eventually, he stood and walked to the window where he looked out at the town for a while. After a long moment, he turned around to face her and said, "Alright. We may begin with learning all kinds of magic... by studying. There is a library on the top floor that may provide you with more information about them. Use it wisely." He instructed, pointing towards the staircase behind him. "Understood," said Alaenor, her expression showing that she was excited by the prospect of learning about magic but also aware of his warning, "But can we start now?" "Now is as good as any other time," said the man, "It is best if you study as soon as possible before the practical begins if you desire to enhance your magic." "Of course. Please show me the way." The brunette answered gratefully, standing up from the couch. The man smiled slightly, "Come. I will show you the way myself." The brunette nodded and hurried after him, following him upstairs, toward the library. The library was extravagant, filled with bookshelves from which shelves extended up to the ceiling with countless books piled up high upon them. Every shelf seemed to contain volumes containing ancient spells. They were mostly bound books, probably containing the older ones that only had to be read to make them useful for teaching. Other books were newer ones with a few new ones thrown in there, most likely written by mages who managed to find new magical artifacts. While walking through the rows of shelves, Alaenor kept an eye out for some information regarding the different types of magic. If they didn''t know anything else, they could surely gather a lot of useful information from reading books about different spells. Then maybe she would be able to improve her ability to cast those particular spells. She couldn''t afford to waste any time. Chapter 18 After what seemed to be hours, Alaenor indulged herself in a book called The Seven Wonders of Magic and How to Cast Them. It contained everything she could possibly need to master a specific type of spell, such as ''Lightning'', ''Fire'', and ''Wind''. All seven had special properties and depending on their respective attributes, one would be able to cast them without the aid of mana. Even with her current strength, she might never be able to cast all seven spells within a short amount of time - let alone the rest. But if she learned about them thoroughly, then perhaps she could at least cast all of them without getting frustrated. As she continued to flip through the pages of the book, her eyes began to wander, looking left and right. She had completely forgotten about the man who had guided her in the first place, who seemed to have disappeared somewhere in the library and wasn''t going to return anytime soon. She decided to leave him be for the moment and continued to read. Suddenly, her eyes caught on something. Her mouth slowly curved upwards as a brilliant smile appeared on her face. She quickly scanned the page to check the location of the next chapter and read aloud: Magic users in ancient times used magic as the basis of their spells, hence its name. However, the magic that we practice today is much more advanced than the magic of the past. For example, the power of lightning is far more potent than the power of fire. The power of wind is even stronger than the power of water. The power of the earth is even more powerful than the power of the air. These powers are known as the Seven Wonders of Magic. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Zevran had prepared some tea for the woman, making sure she won''t dehydrate herself while she studied the book away. It had been over a century since he last had an apprentice. Since he''d made it his mission to educate people about the magical world and teach them how to harness their abilities instead of relying solely on Mana and its associated abilities. Many people thought that a person would need years of hard work in order to learn and perform magic properly. Yet Zevran had seen the truth. He had seen a great number of individuals who had achieved success in their life in no less than five years due to hard work and dedication to learn more about these different forms of magic only to use them for vile reasons and ever since then, he refused to teach those with magical abilities. People like him should remain hidden, away from prying eyes and curious minds, he thought. He knew there would always be people in this world that would seek to gain their knowledge through any means possible, regardless of what kind of consequences may come afterward. But as long as he remained hidden, no harm would come to him if there weren''t any repercussions for doing so. Fortunately, sorcerers and wizards with good intentions decided to settle in Elderhollow, where they remain unseen by unwanted eyes and ears. They knew the Seekers would eventually come for them in a matter of time, hence the misty gates surrounded the small town out of protection. Seeing this young brunette requiring assistance from Zevran himself, he was rather surprised. He hadn''t expected the girl to request his help just yet, though he supposed he had no choice in the matter since her magic was already fairly weak and he had experience with that kind of thing. Besides, this was one of the very few occasions where he felt he could actually use his magic for good in his line of work and he didn''t feel inclined to give it up just because of some stupid human rule. This girl reminded him so much of his own younger self when he had still been alive. So eager to learn more about magic. Chapter 19 Days flew by rather quickly and Alaenor had learned a couple of magic theories after studying the basics. Now, it was time for her to do some practical. She''d learned that there were three types of attacks that sorcerers employed that involved different elements and she had memorized each attack spell perfectly thanks to the lessons she received earlier that day. "How are you feeling?" asked Zevran curiously, noticing the way that she had suddenly tensed up as she started to focus her energy. "Quite confident. The spells are easy." Replied the brunette confidently, "Do you think I can manage a spell in about two minutes or less?" "Let''s wait a little longer for your confidence to grow." Said the man simply, causing the girl to sigh lightly in disappointment. "Oh alright..." Alaenor agreed. "In fact, try not to concentrate too hard, I believe it is important for you to focus and allow your body to relax completely before you try a spell. Now try combining two elemental spells to create a reaction on the dummy." The brunette raised her hands above her head. With a determined look in her eyes, she closed her eyes and focused on her magic. Once the connection between her arms and magic started forming, she concentrated, attempting to summon both fire magic and water magic at the same time. Instead of trying to combine them, however, she chose one spell at a time, hoping that her combination wouldn''t take too long. After a moment, the fireball came alive and she opened her eyes with a satisfied look, pleased with how well her magic had been working. She moved her hands, creating water magic. Seconds later, she aimed her fire magic toward the dummy standing a few feet away from her. Fortunately, they were in the courtyard of his manner where one could practice their magic without harming anything in the way. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Once the dummy caught on fire, Alaenor wasted no time blasting the fire away with water with her palm, creating a reaction of evaporation. The water ate away the fire quickly but left the dummy scorched. Zevran, who studied her the whole time, was rather impressed it didn''t backfire on her, "You did well after a couple of tries. Now, use another form of magic instead." "Another form? There are seven of them in total!" exclaimed the brunette in surprise. "There are, but you''ve only practiced four, and the seventh one isn''t the main part of this lesson. You''ll get to see it." Again, Alaenor continued practicing her magic until she was used to the feeling as if it was a natural occurrence. The following day, she was ready to return to Lady Mirana and Euphemia but needed to find Cordelia before that. Carrying along her things, Zevran gave away some of his books as a gift and gave her a warning, "No matter what you do, do not use forbidden magic at all cost. Do you understand me?" "Yes, thank you very much." She replied politely, bowing once again in thanks for receiving his gifts. Zevran watched as she walked out of the door without another word, disappearing from view. The young brunette walked towards the gates of mists casually until a strong gust of wind knocked her off her feet and onto her back on the ground, causing her to gasp. Glancing around frantically, her eyes landed on a tall silhouette emerging through the gates of mist easily. Footsteps clicked slowly, each step causing the poor woman''s heartbeat to race faster in anxiety. She didn''t know what was going on and out of panic, she stood up quickly from the ground, slowly backing away when all sorcerers and wizards gathered around to protect the young brunette. Her eyes widened as a figure emerged from the dark mist. A woman wearing elegant attire covered her body from top to bottom, her skin as pale as snow. Her hair was a bright shade of green color and cascaded down to the middle of her back. She wore black robes decorated with intricate golden embroidery that trailed behind her gracefully. Her face was adorned with a beautiful half-mask decorated with lace and gemstones. Her eyes were a deep emerald green and her lips were painted a light red. She looked exactly like a fairy tale princess behind a horrific facade. "Celestia," one sorcerer called out in distaste. Chapter 20 It seemed to Alaenor, the town held some grudge against this stranger who just visited. Celestia was unfazed by how they referred to her, a menacing grin crossed her features as she eyed every single sorcerer and wizard in the town with a cold chuckle, "Quite impressive with your defenses, I have to say. Though, it could have so much... potential." "If you''re here for the girl then get lost right now!" "I haven''t even done anything yet." Celestia chuckled, looking over the frightened young lady, "But don''t worry, she''s not what I am after. I am here for all of you." A silence fell upon everyone in the town and their expressions turned serious. Everyone knew that Celestia was a sorcerer with immense magic potential and was highly respected among mages for her skills. Many wondered what reason she was having to visit the town today. Most of them didn''t exactly know her too well, apart from Zevran and some other people almost his age. A sudden flash of lightning lit up the entire street for a split second, illuminating Celestia''s figure briefly. When the lighting died down, the sight that greeted the townspeople was indeed frightening. The sight of the sorceress holding her hand in the air sent chills through the townspeople. Then they realized something that horrified them even further. She held a dagger in her right hand, a knife which radiated darkness and evil magic and the people of Elderhollow knew that if she wanted to, she could kill someone easily and with no effort whatsoever. "Bring me Zevran and I guarantee all of you shall live." Ordered Celestia, her voice cold that brought shivers down everyone''s spine. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Alaenor had never experienced such an extreme sense of uneasiness before. She could feel the tension in the atmosphere as everyone looked back at one another silently, waiting for anyone to make a move. Nobody seemed willing to step forward at first. Then, someone finally moved towards the sorceress - Zevran. She stood by as she watched Celestia remove the mist surrounding the town. That.. was how she knew how powerful this Celestia was without a second thought. Then it suddenly dawned on her, she was the blonde she first saw in Starfall, all bruised and hurt. She gasped upon realization - was she the reason Starfall was attacked? "So be it," murmured Zevran with a sigh. He placed his hood down as he walked into the courtyard and faced Celestia, his arms behind his back, his head bowed down. "Have you come to seek revenge, Celestia?" Zevran glared at the sorceress, arms crossed against his chest. But before she could even respond, he cast a lightning spell in a form of a rope around her with a soft grunt. In response to his attack, Celestia merely lifted her arm and, with an annoyed glance, sent a blast of lightning toward Zevran as well. They fought like that for a while, casting magic spells in all directions. It was clear that the two of them were evenly matched and soon enough, Zevran began to lose his footing. His magic had already grown weak and he felt himself getting pushed harder than usual. Soon enough, though, he managed to dodge the next spell thrown at him and took advantage of a brief lull in their fight to cast a shield spell around himself. When he heard Celestia casting forbidden magic against him, he lost completely against her. Alaenor shivered at the scene before her eyes while the other sorcerers and wizards stood in shock. Taking this small opportunity, the brunette fled the scene before she could be harmed. Now that the mist had been lifted, she escaped Elderhollow with ease until a dart penetrated her arm which caused her to lose her vision and gradually succumbed to unconsciousness. Chapter 21 Alaenor couldn''t recall how she got here nor did she remember much how she got kidnapped. Just thinking about it made her temple throb from the attempt and let out a frustrated sigh. Footsteps approached but she didn''t bother to look at her captor, whatever was it that they wanted from her... they won''t get it. A familiar male voice spoke out as a grin broke out from his face. "Rise and shine, sweetheart." That voice caused her to lift her head slightly, revealing her irritated expression, "What do you want?" Cain simply chuckled from the other side of her temporary confinement, hazel eyes taunting as he stood before her. "Why am I here?" she questioned again, narrowing her eyes at him. "Isn''t it obvious? Cordelia told me all about you, sweetheart, and your journey to Elderhollow. Thanks to you, we found a way in and took the matter at hand." Cain answered with a slight smirk, watching as Alaenor stared at him wide-eyed. She blinked several times at the man and then asked incredulously, "How do you even know about everything that happened to me? And what is the connection between all these events? Why would Cordelia tell you any of that?" She was rather puzzled as to why Cordelia would tell any of this - as if her life was that important. But then again, Alaenor wielded magic and the citizens of Celimora were wary of magic users. Was that the reason why the Seekers had finally found her but why let her live? So many questions popped into her head and shut her eyes in confusion. "I am not your enemy, asshole." She snapped, eyes opened with such fierceness in her eyes. Cain shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat. If I wanted you dead, I would''ve taken care of you already. But it seems like your fate has been fixed so, no more questions about that right now." He waved his hand dismissively, "You are going to tell me the location of Zevran. I am certain you have heard of him yes? Let alone met him?" Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "What makes you think I am going to tell you anyway? You can try all you want, but it won''t work." She retorted angrily as she folded her arms, "Now leave me alone." "I don''t think so. Now listen carefully, little birdie." Cain started, stepping closer to her with a sinister grin stretched across his face, "I''m going to give you one chance to save yourself and that chance is the only way for you to get out of here alive. If you comply, there will be no pain and you''ll be free to go wherever you want. If you refuse, I will take you far away from your friends where I will torture you until you tell me where the sorcerer is." "And if I don''t cooperate?" "Then I will kill you." "Fine." She sighed, "I''ll tell you where he is. But I do not guarantee if he lived or not." "That is my own problem to deal with. He must''ve escaped Elderhollow, I assumed.. for I did not find his body amongst his kind." A moment of silence passed by as she contemplated what he said. She was certain that Zevran ran off to somewhere else to hide away. She was quite sure that he was capable of surviving on his own. "Do you always threaten your victims for information?" "Only when they''re being difficult. It''s nothing too hard for me, really." He shrugged, "So, where is he?" "Well you can see for yourself that I don''t know-" "Where is he?!" She uttered nothing more as Alaenor stared daggers at Cain. He was getting irritating every second she spent and all she wanted was to be out of this place - but not leaving Cordelia behind. As she sat there quietly, contemplating how to escape, a sudden loud crash sounded from outside the house followed by a couple of yells, causing the two of them to turn in the direction of the noise. Someone was attacking the place and she had hoped it was anyone from Starfall or Zevran but that option was rather impossible. Instead, the sophisticated yet menacing sorceress came into view, her footwear clicking against the cold ground, and stood a few feet away from the two. Cain stood up quickly to his feet, unsheathing his sword from its hold, "Well, well... the legend has returned. For what, revenge against your own kind?" "Not just them, but everyone who wronged me. I want to burn them all alive for what they''ve done, for all of our sins. I will bring them to justice!" Her tone grew stronger as she continued, "My vengeance is eternal and will be rewarded! As of now, I need to borrow that girl you hold hostage at the moment." Cain scoffed in protest, pointing his blade at the sorceress with a glare, "No can do. I got to her first." Alaenor grumbled, deciding to speak up, "Why do you two speak like I do not exist? Hello?" Both sorcerers stopped momentarily to stare at Alaenor for a second until Cain decided to ignore her question as he turned back to the sorceress, "Leave." "Not without a fight, boy." Celestia retorted with an icy smirk, forging The Blade of Shadows - a rare magical ability that only those who turned towards the forbidden side of magic. Chapter 22 At that moment, Alaenor knew she had to stand up for herself yet her magic wasn''t strong enough to hold off against the dark sorceress. She had no choice but to act to prevent the sorceress from hurting someone she cared very deeply for. She closed her eyes tightly preparing herself to use her magic to summon the strongest barrier her magic abilities could produce, knowing that she wouldn''t stand a chance against the sorceress who had mastered her magic. Ignoring the feeling of something trickling down from her nostrils, she reached out to her magic inwards - shapeshifting herself into liquid form and slipped through the iron bars. In a matter of seconds, the brunette returned to her original and used the opportunity to escape but the sight of Cain fighting off the powerful sorceress made her realize that it was futile to fight against her. Whether to save him or not to save him was the question. Why did she need to care about someone who had no intention of being a friend? Whatever it was, he was not dying that moment under the sorceress'' hands. Quickly casting a protection spell for herself - knowing it wouldn''t do much against Celestia''s magic - and dashed towards the fighting pair. "Hey!" Alaenor called out to Cain hurriedly, "We need to run!" The male ignored her pleas as he engaged in the battle against the evil sorceress, using the advantage of his height and weight against her. His mind was focusing on taking down Celestia, for the sake of his organization. He was the leader and he was used to fighting off powerful sorcerers and wizards yet somehow he felt like he was failing this fight. With a frustrated grunt, he withdrew from the fight and fled the scene, grabbing Alaenor''s arm along the way and dashing toward the forest. They could possibly lose the powerful sorceress from there, he thought. They ran for quite some distance until he eventually saw an opening ahead, allowing them to escape once and for all. As soon as he caught his breath, Cain turned around and looked at Alaenor while he tried catching his breath as well. Once he had calmed himself a bit, he glanced at Alaenor who was looking at him with a confused expression. "Why did you take me with you?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Would it be better for you to suffer in her hands? No. So I chose to run as fast as my legs could carry me and took you along. We''re in luck because we were able to avoid her deathly blows." He explained, walking towards a clearing near the woods. "I might have underestimated her and her powers." "Who is she, anyway?" The brunette questioned, trailing behind the Seeker out of curiosity. She didn''t have the time to ask Zevran about it since Celestia attacked Elderhollow without remorse yet she hoped Zevran was safe so she could ask him the next time. "One of Elderhollow''s oldest enemies. An Exalt of Darkness, Celestia. She had a long history but you needn''t worry about it. All you need to know is that she was presumed dead for centuries. Why did she return? I have no clue." He glanced up at the sky momentarily, the sky''s orange hues still visible above the trees. "Anyways, you''re going to lead me to Zevran whether you like it or not." She furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance, stopping mid-stride to face the male who was a good foot away. She folded her arms, glaring at him fiercely, "Like hell! I''m not helping you search for Zevran, let alone telling you where he is."He chuckled softly, "Why? Are you afraid I''ll hurt him? I have defeated countless powerful sorcerers before. What makes you think I would not lay a finger on him?" He stepped forward, forcing her back a step or two. "Or do you fear for your life, sweetheart?" "Of course not. I simply don''t trust you. You kidnapped me and brought me here without giving me any reason as to why I should help you nor do I even have anything to say in the matter." "And what of Cordelia?" "I''ll let her go once you take me to Zevran. Now are you ready to help me?" With a sigh, he slowly began approaching her with his sword drawn and pointed at her. She remained rooted to the spot watching him carefully with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to strike. She held her breath as the tip of his blade was directed at her chest, sky blue hues hiding the fear inside but managed to muster up the courage to stand up for herself. "Alright, you listen here and listen closely, punk. I do not know who you are or why you''re so keen on finding Zevran but threaten my life unnecessarily and you will not hear the end of it. Understand?" "What''s your name, anyway?" He replied, his sword moving away from her chest slightly as he leaned forward to hear her response. "It doesn''t concern you." She muttered. "But does it?" He countered as he lifted his sword again to point threateningly at her heart, causing her to flinch ever so slightly. "Tell me your name." "You may call me Alaenor." She said after a brief pause. She didn''t even know why she bothered telling him but that was better than being called sweetheart. Chapter 23 His brows raised at her response for a second before continuing, "Alaenor?" He repeated, his voice rising a little. He then lowered his weapon, lowering himself to eye level with the young woman. "A pleasure, indeed, to finally meet you, Alaenor." A sinister smile formed on his lips, "Now you must be curious to know who I am, yes?" The brunette shrugged, "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Your life is of no value to me." For a few moments he didn''t respond, just staring intensely into her violet irises before raising his sword and moving it away from her chest, "Alright then. Why did you call out to me earlier then?" Alaenor sighed lightly, refusing to answer at the moment. "Fine then. Keep your secrets," He scoffed, then check the surrounding area when the sun began to sink and the stars decorated the night sky. "I suppose it is best we make camp." The brunette nodded in agreement, following him towards one of the trees nearby. As soon as they arrived, she sat in front of one of the trees near the small clearing they made their shelter, silently waiting for him to make a fire to keep them warm. Once he gathered several pieces of wood together, he approached her and set them on the ground, "You''re going to stay. Don''t move or try to escape. If you do, however, I swear I will put an arrow in your throat before you can utter a sound." He said sternly, turning away to get more wood. Alaenor watched silently from her spot on the log, igniting a flame from her hand and aiming at the woods on the ground. "There is no arguing with you, is there not?" She asked quietly, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. She was tired, both mentally and physically, and wanted nothing more than to sleep right then and there. After a short period of time, the fire began roaring brightly, lighting the darkness around them. Out of the blue, she heard twigs snapping nearby, causing her to turn toward the source. There was a ghost, wasn''t there? The pair were caught by surprise when Cordelia showed up, exhaustion and bruises visible on her then Alaenor rushed towards her quickly, worry written all over her face. As soon as Cordelia saw her, she dropped the bundle in her hands. For a split second, the brunette was sure that the older girl was going to collapse but her knees remained standing and she managed to remain conscious, "Thank gods..." The assassin whispered. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. When Cordelia noticed who it was that appeared beside her she suddenly frowned, "Cain?" She asked with venom laced in her tone. Despite Cain being her brother, her ideology was in contrast compared to his. "How are you here?" Cain ignored her question as he walked towards her, crouching down to examine her wounds, "What happened to you?" He questioned gently while his expression remained stoic. Alaenor was not expecting this interaction, knowing how bad their relationship was but decided to speak against it. She provided the assassin with a canteen of water that she always brought along with her. "Here, take this. You need this more than I do," She insisted while Cain took care of his sister''s wounds. It was obvious to see that the wounds weren''t severe due to her armor preventing any vital damage. "We should be fortunate that the sorceress didn''t get much of a chance to hurt you." Cordelia shook her head with closed eyes, wincing in pain, "I tried to stop her but she was too powerful. We need to get to Zevran. Only he knows how to defeat this kind of power." Cain stood up abruptly, startling everyone present as he grabbed his sister''s wrist and pulled her up from her knees. "Where is Zevran? Tell me." He demanded, holding her tightly by the arm while the brunette attempted to separate them as quickly as possible. "Hey, hey, let go of her! Can you not see the state she''s currently in?" Alaenor snapped, glaring daggers at the man while shielding the redhead from her brother. "I do not care. We have no time to lose. The more time we waste, the more powerful the sorceress will be." He argued back, looking furious. He was never one for arguments, especially with others. Alaenor gritted her teeth in anger, glaring at the man, "Are you fucking serious?! He could be anywhere and we''ll be too late!" Suddenly, a loud crackling noise came from their left side, interrupting their argument. They turned their heads to see a familiar figure stepping into view. It was Zevran, much to her relief. The sorcerer glanced between all of them and lifted a brow, "Your argument is rather loud. You need not search for me any longer, after all." He spoke calmly yet there was still a slight hint of danger behind his calm words. His dark hair was messy and unkempt, probably because he has been on the run away from Celestia. He was aware that she was still searching for him so there was no time to lose. "We must hurry, Celestia could be anywhere at this point. Can she walk?" He referred to Cordelia, rather worried she would slow them down seeing that she was injured. Cordelia blinked a few times before nodding, "Yes." "Good, we must leave now," Zevran nodded in return and began to lead them away from the place, heading toward the Capital where they would most likely be safe. Chapter 24 After some hours of walking and trying to catch his breath, Zevran stopped abruptly and faced the three people, who were unusually quiet. He knelt down as he stared at Cordelia, studying her every movement. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked in concern. ¡°I''m fine,¡± Cordelia answered simply, rather exhausted than hurt. Zevran looked unconvinced but refused to push her further. The quicker they got to the Capital, the better. The raven haired man rose up and continued to follow behind, keeping a close eye on the group as he listened carefully for any sounds of trouble ahead. ¡°Are we almost there?¡± Alaenor asked anxiously. The sorcerer gave her a curt nod, ¡°Yes. Just another hour, perhaps less.¡± She didn''t reply, instead choosing to focus on making sure that she kept her guard on alert, ready to pounce on any threat that might appear in front of her. They continued walking through the dense foliage for quite a while in silence, each person taking the opportunity to rest and recover, though none of the group could really afford to be at their most vulnerable during this quest. Eventually they reached what seemed like the edge of a forest, having walked past a large open field where it was only lit by the light of the moon above. When they reached the edge of the forest they found what looked like some sort of building and, upon closer inspection, recognized it as a stable. They had reached the outskirts of the Capital, fortunately. They began walking towards it but stopped once they reached the main street, noticing two very peculiar things: One, the streets were completely empty; two, there was a large amount of guards patrolling around the city. It was apparent that most people were inside the Capital''s Hall for some reason until Zevran decided to speak to one of the guards nearby, ¡°Excuse me, sir. May I ask what is happening here?¡± The man raised an eyebrow at the blonde assassin but answered anyway, ¡°There is a feast taking place tonight in the Capital''s Hall which many citizens of the capital are invited to attend. I suggest you go inside to witness the spectacle.¡± ¡°Oh¡­thank you.¡± Zevran replied politely while giving a quick bow of his head. He turned around and began to walk away towards the rest of the group. ¡°Looks like we have a feast to attend. I suggest dressing up nicely for the occasion. As for her,¡± He glanced at Cordelia, ¡°Would you be able to attend? Otherwise, it is best to find-¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Out of the blue, Alaenor heard a familiar female voice calling out to her causing a smile to break upon her face then turned towards the voice, ¡°Euphemia! Over here!¡± The woman smiled happily when she spotted her friend coming into view and waved to her. Once Euphemia finally reached her, she wrapped her arms tightly around her friend and hugged her. ¡°It''s good to see you again. I hope your journey was well?¡± She exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Quite the opposite, actually. We ran into some trouble.¡± She explained in an equally energetic tone. The elder woman''s excitement faded slightly and became concerned as she leaned back, taking a closer look at the younger woman, ¡°What happened?¡± She asked worriedly, her blue eyes wide with concern. Before Alaenor could answer, Zevran interrupted her, ¡°This matter is rather urgent, thus we came here as fast as we could, so we could speak with the Council of Elites. And this girl here needs some medical attention.¡± Cordelia simply huffed, ¡°Whatever. I''d rather not attend this feast anyway.¡± Euphemia glanced at the redhead, studying her injuries. ¡°Then follow me. I have a couple of anointment for your bruises. As for the rest of you, you may go get yourself changed for the feast. And Alaenor, I might have something just for you, so come with me.¡± Both women followed the blonde woman who led them deeper inside the city until they arrived at one of the many inns located in the city. Once they entered the small establishment, they saw a young woman sitting behind the counter, reading a book with a bored expression on her face while chewing on a slice of bread. Her eyes immediately locked onto the woman who approached her. ¡°Can I help you?¡± She asked as she wiped her mouth with a napkin before setting it onto the table before continuing to read her book without saying a word. ¡°Hello. We would like two rooms. Two beds if you have them.¡± The unnamed young woman gave Euphemia a once over with suspicious glances before standing up and grabbing two keys. ¡°Take the first two rooms at the end of the hall. The one on the right.¡± She instructed while pointing in the direction of the rooms and walked away from them, leaving the three newcomers alone after handing them the keys. One time, they stepped inside and made sure everything in it was in order before turning around to check on the redhead. She had collapsed onto a bed, unconscious, and covered in dirt. Alaenor raised a brow as she spotted Cordelia unconscious on the bed, ¡°Her injuries aren''t that severe, are they?¡± ¡°No.¡± Euphemia answered as she went to the bedside and gently placed a hand over Cordelia''s forehead, closing her eyes. After a few seconds she reopened her eyes, frowning slightly, ¡°From the looks of it, there aren''t any internal injuries. She''s just tired.¡± The brunette nodded before speaking up, ¡°Very well. You said you have something for me?¡± Euphemia smiled before answering, ¡°Yes.¡± A moment later, a few minutes later, Euphemia handed a large box from her large satchel to her, ¡°Here. This is for the feast, requested by Lady Mirana. She was not certain if you''d be able to attend the feast in time, thus she passed it on to me, just in case.¡± Chapter 25 A moment later, a few minutes later, Euphemia handed a large black velvet box from her large satchel to her, ¡°Here. This is for the feast, requested by Lady Mirana. She was not certain if you''d be able to attend the feast in time so she passed it on to me, just in case.¡± Alaenor stare at the box in her hands, a thumb brushing the soft material as her curiosity grew. It somehow felt light but heavy at the same time. Sating her curiosity, she placed the box down on the other bed and opened the lid, revealing a deep red velvet dress with a heart-shaped neckline and white lace at the end of the sleeves. She slowly picked up the dress by its edges and examined it. ¡°It is gorgeous,¡± She whispered while placing it back down on the bed, admiring its simple design. Along with it came matching shoes, a black choker with a white star ¨C the symbol of Starfall City ¨C attached to it, and a corset which shade matches the color of her dress. ¡°It is a gift. From Lady Mirana herself.¡± Euphemia added. ¡°You should take a bath first before putting it on. I brought along a scented soap, just in case anyone needs to use it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She responded gratefully. While the brunette was bathing, she noticed that the water inside the tub had warmed considerably. Curious to see how warm she was supposed to wash, she carefully dipped her fingers in the water and tested it. Much warmer. After washing thoroughly with the scented soap Euphemia offered, she quickly dried herself off, slipped the dress on with the help of the older woman. She looked beautiful wearing the expensive fabric, and she knew that she would definitely feel more relaxed wearing the dress, so she thanked Euphemia for helping her change. Soon, she grabbed her hairbrush and headed to her own room, deciding that she would probably wear her hair down today. However, Alaenor noticed how pale her lips were and decided to do something about it. She hurriedly brushed through her locks with the brush before picking up some red lipstick that had been lying around on the dressing table. It was the exact same color as the dress, so she hoped that the red would give her the appearance that she is dressed as a woman who likes red. She applied the lipstick onto her lips and left her hair down, letting it fall freely down her shoulders. She took a step back to admire her reflection in the mirror. Not only that, but she looked stunning. Different, even. She didn''t expect that she would look this different when wearing such an elegant looking dress. The crimson dress complimented her complexion much better than any other colors she has worn before in her life. It also seemed to accentuate every one of the curves of her body, making her look more enticing, almost like a temptress. Not exactly her style, but she couldn''t deny that she liked it. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. After finishing getting ready, she exited her room and headed towards the exit of the inn to meet up with the others at the Capital''s Hall. The moment she arrived at the entrance, most heads were turned to her in delight and curiosity. All those gathered had their mouths open in amazement. They all began talking and whispering to each other, trying to figure out who she was, and admired the red dress that seemed to catch everyone''s attention. She felt her cheeks turn slightly pink at the attention she received. But then, her gaze fell upon two men who stood far off from the crowd, watching and waiting for her arrival. Cain and Zevran. Both of whom stared at her in wonder, seeming as shocked and surprised as everyone else. When Alaenor approached the men hurriedly, Zevran greeted her politely with a warm smile, ¡°You look lovely tonight, Alaenor.¡± Meanwhile, Cain felt himself staring at the brunette longer than he should have. Even though he tried his hardest to ignore it, he still found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her. ¡°Thank you. So does everyone else here,¡± She replied with a soft chuckle, blue hues shifting towards the other man briefly. She wondered why he was silent for quite a while now. When she turned to look at him, she saw his eyes widened in surprise for a brief second before it returned to being stoic and calm. He then turned his head to the side for a quick moment before his gaze settled back on her, ¡°Are you ready to speak with the Council?¡± He asked calmly. Without even thinking about it, she answered, ¡°Yes. Lead the way.¡± He just stared at her for a long moment before nodding. Afterward, they started heading inside the Capital''s Hall, where the council members gathered. They didn''t notice that the people were watching them closely or listening to the conversation they shared, too engrossed in their conversation as they were. But when they finally arrived at the main part of the Hall, they were greeted with the sight of several people standing in front of a long table. There was a middle-aged man whose hair was already white, with bright blue eyes that seemed to hold a hint of wisdom and intelligence in them. To the right of the seated man there was another old man, who was dressed entirely in gold, with a beard and gray hair, standing upright next to the old man, dressed completely in silver. Behind them was an old lady with graying brown hair tied into a bun, while her wrinkles only showed further when she smiled widely at them. Finally, they reached the person who sat in between the elderly ones. Lady Mirana.